Bob, ??????

[Mugwump]

Didn't you tell me once that there's paprika in the 'egg foo yung'....I may be mistaken?? That's a color enhancer, is it now??...Do you use it in any other foods??

[Rjb3]

Yup

[Mugwump]

cool, I thought so..I'm experimenting and mixing some with my crushed flake for my Koi fry....hehe....feed that melanin layer.....

[Barb]

Jon, we discus keepers who make our own frozen discus foods often put paprika in it too, a good red color enhancer.  I use a couple tablespoons of it in a batch of frozen mix that weighs about 2 lbs.
Barb

[Mugwump]

Thanx , Barb...that's good to know. I have some 'nutrarose' too (asthaxanthin) but I've only used it in early fry stages by adding it to microworm cultures, turns the worms red LOL. I'm seeing if the addition of these caratenoids will effect the early melanin layer color developement...??
Koi get there potential for color and coverage from their genetic makeup...but if that potential can be maxed by earlier exposure to these nutrients, it's a plus.....

[Mugwump]

LOL....I fed them straight 'egg foo yung' and they're hammering it.....love it...save me a bag of it at Milw, Bob....I'll need more for sure...and flake too...Hmmmm...have to check my 'frenzy' stash too...

[Frank The Plumber]

Tetra Ruby or Tetra Color flake. 4 days Pop pop pow. If you order a tub of Tetra flake from fosters you come up short on the free shipping unless you are over $50, so you order a big color flake and it's free.

If you have a pumpkin or seven hanging around after halloween next year you can do a neat little test. Save some so you can have some until like middle of January and enough to feed a few squirrels on it almost exclusively.

You end up with bushy coated orange squirrels.

There is a lot of B/C in sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Vitamin K too which pops orange and red.

[Rjb3]

I use a combination of Red Garnet and Beauregard sweet potato for beta carotene and the Oriental for fiber.

[Mugwump]

I have my Koi lines now where they don't lose color as they age....I'm figuring if I max their early development, they might color up a bit more...allowing for the red/orange caps at maturity...?? I've crossed back to pick up some more marbling, and now want to enrich the red a bit....it's been a fun , and long going project...
Bob's foods are vitamin enriched and have played a role in all this..