# Any advice on how I wean my koi babies off brine to flake?



## laurahmm (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi there, 

Was wondering if anyone had any tricks or advice on how to wean my baby koi's off baby brine and onto flake food? Their mouths are definitely big enough and there fins have elongated and they look like baby angels. I crush the flake food up really small but they just spit it out. Any advice? Thanks!

Laura


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I try and keep them on BBS till they are around a dime to nickel size, around 5 weeks. They will get used to it eventually, but their growth will be curtailed if you switch them too soon, in my experience.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Try feeding them both at the same time, mixing the flake or prepared food with the live food. Eventually, just cut back on the live food and increase the percentage of prepared.


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## Amazongypsy (Oct 21, 2010)

I usually start giving ground up thin flake around 4 weeks, depending on the size/strain of the fry. I give the flake for the first feeding(very small amount)when they are the hungriest and wait 15min then feed BBS. Once a few start eating it the others seem to catch on. By 5 weeks usually they are on the flake, but still get a good feed of BBS everyday. Blacks and dark marbles are smaller and take about an extra week.The flake I use for the babies is a starter/finichy eater flake from 'ultimate sponges' that contains krill and daphnia I believe. Be persistent, they will get it


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## laurahmm (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi Amazongypsy, 

Where do you get that food? For finicky eaters from Ultimate Sponges? I'm going to try to grab some and see if they will eat more of the crushed flake foods that I give them. I am feeding mostly baby brine but I dont want them to be conditioned to only eat live foods. Thanks for the advice everyone


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## Amazongypsy (Oct 21, 2010)

Here is a link to the site/page. http://business.accesscomm.ca/ultimatesponge/food/flake.html
Their sponge filters ROCK too!!

Sorry, it contains plankton, krill and spirulina-not daphnia I can send you a little to try if you like.
I use golden pearls sometimes 5-50 micron size for the tiny dark babies-they go from live BBS to GP then to flake.
Good luck, your koi are beautiful!


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