What makes a summer food different from an autumn food?
As summer is the warmest period of the year (allegedly) it is the period when koi will utilize their food for both growth and storage of energy for the follow winter period that is anticipated by their physiology. Consequently, such diets are high protein and high energy diets, ready to satisfy their increased nutrition demands. Yet if these diets are offered when koi cannot utilize them efficiently, then levels of excretion will be increased having a knock-on effect on water quality. Excess protein in particular is likely to affect water quality. If protein in the diet is in excess of what koi require, koi will not utilize all of the protein in the diet for growth, but either break it down and burn it for energy or excreted high levels undigested. Protein is made up of 4 elements, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. When protein is used as a source of energy, koi utilize the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen element, but excrete the nitrogen in the form of ammonia. Consequently, too much
