What’s the difference between Hikari Koi Gold and Hikari Koi Staple?

Hikari has two very similar products when it comes to koi food.

You can check out this comparison guide to see what are the major differences between the Koi Gold and Koi Staple.

Quick Summary

When compared to the Hikari Koi Staple, the Hikari Koi Gold offers slightly more protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin D3. The Gold food also includes spirulina, an ingredient that will enhance the colors of your koi fish.

So, if you want your pets to look the best in addition to being able to provide the most nutrition, then we recommend getting the Koi Gold.

If you don’t care about enhancing the colors of your koi, then the Koi Staple is a slightly more affordable option that will still provide plenty of nutrition for your fish.

Hikari Koi Gold vs. Hikari Koi Staple Comparison Chart

You can find Aquarium Blueprints’ comparison table for the Koi Gold and Koi Staple below.

Pellet Sizes

Both products offer a baby, mini, medium and large pellet size options. You can find the measurements for each size below:

• Baby Pellet: 1.7 mm to 2.0 mm
• Mini Pellet: 2.7 mm to 4.0 mm
• Medium Pellet: 4.0 mm to 5.5 mm
• Large Pellet: 7.2 mm to 9.0 mm

Packaging Sizes

The Hikari Koi Staple is the only product in this comparison to offer a 4.4 lb. (or 2kg) package size for the mini and large pellets.

You can find a breakdown of the packaging sizes for both products below:

Baby Pellet Packaging Sizes

Hikari Koi Gold:

• 22 lb. (10kg)

Hikari Koi Staple:

• 22 lb. (10kg)

Mini Pellet Packaging Sizes

Hikari Koi Gold:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Hikari Koi Staple:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 4.4 lb. (2kg)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Medium Pellet Packaging Sizes

Hikari Koi Gold:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 4.4 lb. (2kg)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Hikari Koi Staple:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 4.4 lb. (2kg)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Large Pellet Packaging Sizes

Hikari Koi Gold:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Hikari Koi Staple:

• 17.6 oz. (500g)
• 4.4 lb. (2kg)
• 11 lb. (5kg)
• 22 lb. (10kg)

Buoyancy

In terms of buoyancy, the Koi Gold and Koi Staple should stay afloat in your tank or pond water until it gets eaten.

Feeding Directions

The feeding directions are the same for both product as it is recommended that you do the following:

• Feed 1 to 2 times daily for as much as your koi can eat in 3 to 5 minutes if the water temperature is between 60°F to 70°F.
• Feed 2 to 4 times daily for as much as your koi can eat in 3 to 5 minutes if the water temperature is above 70°F.
• Remove any uneaten pellets after the allotted feeding time.

For the uninformed, Koi will burn more energy in warmer waters. Therefore, you should feed them more if the temperature gets above 70°F.

Ingredients

When it comes to the ingredients, the Hikari Koi Gold is the only product in this comparison to include spirulina, which will enhance the colors of your pet fish.

Otherwise, the two foods use identical ingredients.

You can find the full lists for both below:

Hikari Koi Gold:

• Wheat flour
• Soybean meal
• Fish meal
• Rice bran
• Corn gluten meal
• Brewers dried yeast
• Spirulina
• Fish oil
• Garlic
• Dried seaweed meal
• Krill meal
• Mono calcium phosphate
• Choline chloride
• Vitamin E supplement
• L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C)
• D-calcium pantothenate
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin A supplement
• Thiamine mononitrate
• Pyridoxine hydrochloride
• Niacin
• Folic acid
• Vitamin D3 supplement
• Biotin
• Salt
• Disodium phosphate
• Ferrous sulfate
• Magnesium sulfate
• Zinc sulfate
• Manganese sulfate
• Copper sulfate
• Calcium iodate
• Red 3 (artificial color)
• Yellow 5 (artificial color)

Hikari Koi Staple:

• Wheat flour
• Soybean meal
• Fish meal
• Rice bran
• Corn gluten meal
• Brewers dried yeast
• Fish oil
• Garlic
• Dried seaweed meal
• Krill meal
• Mono calcium phosphate
• Choline chloride
• Vitamin E supplement
• L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C)
• D-calcium pantothenate
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin A supplement
• Thiamine mononitrate
• Pyridoxine hydrochloride
• Niacin
• Folic acid
• Vitamin D3 supplement
• Biotin
• Disodium phosphate
• Salt
• Ferrous sulfate
• Magnesium sulfate
• Zinc sulfate
• Manganese sulfate
• Copper sulfate
• Calcium iodate
• Blue 2 (artificial color)

Nutritional Value

In terms of nutritional value, the Koi Gold provides slightly more protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin D3. Otherwise, the pellets are the same.

You can find the breakdown of nutritional contents for both products below:

Hikari Koi Gold:

• Crude Protein: min. 35.0%
• Crude Fat: min. 3.0%
• Crude Fiber: max. 5.0%
• Moisture: max. 10.0%
• Ash: max. 13.0%
• Phosphorus: min. 1.0%
• Vitamin A: min. 8,700 IU/kg
• Vitamin D3: min. 1,300 IU/kg
• Vitamin E: min. 1,200 IU/kg
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): min. 190 mg/kg

Hikari Koi Staple:

• Crude Protein: min. 34.0%
• Crude Fat: min. 3.0%
• Crude Fiber: max. 5.0%
• Moisture: max. 10.0%
• Ash: max. 13.0%
• Phosphorus: min. 1.0%
• Vitamin A: min. 8,400 IU/kg
• Vitamin D3: min. 1,200 IU/kg
• Vitamin E: min. 1,200 IU/kg
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): min. 180 mg/kg

Resources:

• https://www.hikariusa.com/koi_pond_folder/gold.html
• https://www.hikariusa.com/koi_pond_folder/staple.html