If you’re considering keeping Koi carp this will introduce you to Koi, give you a general overview and understanding of how to give your Koi a good home & keep them healthy.
Why Koi Carp?
Koi are the perfect fish for beginners. They are not very prone to diseases or illness, and do not require a lot of maintenance.
Koi are a great option for those who are looking for a hobby that has a calming effect, as they are quite content to be left alone for a while. They are also perfect for those who want to spend time with their fish and watch how they swim around, rather than spending time cleaning the aquarium. So if you’re looking for Koi Carp for sale, be sure to read to the end of this article first so you have a good idea of what to expect.
About Koi Carp
As you might know, Koi is a Japanese word which means Carp. Koi are one of the most popular species of fish kept as pets and ornamental fish. They are distinguishable by their large size, vibrant colors and unique markings.
Koi can reach an impressive size of two feet in length, and weigh up to thirty-five pounds. The colors and patterns of the scales of the fish are so beautiful that they are known as “living jewels”. Unlike other kinds of fish, the scales of the Koi are not smooth but are called “countershading” and are covered with a dense network of tubercles on the upper surface.
A Koi is a carp, a member of the minnow family and a popular species of freshwater ornamental fish. They are an ancient species of fish, first bred in Asia over a thousand years ago. Koi are often referred to as “carp” in the United States and North America.
They are also called Nishikigoi in Japan, a word derived from the Japanese word for “colored carp”. The word “Koi” is generally used in the UK and Europe to refer to Japanese ornamental varieties of common carp.
Koi come in a wide variety of colors, and are divided into two main groups:
- The Kohaku (red and white)
- The Ogon (golden color)
There are many other varieties of Koi, including, but not limited to:
Shiro Utsuri (white with red spots)
Sanke (red body, white belly)
Sakura (pink and white)
Kohaku (red body, white belly)
What do koi eat?
Koi are omnivorous and eat both plants and animals. The adult Koi mainly feeds on plant matter, including algae (they are algae eaters), and they also eat live or frozen food. The young Koi (called “fry”) are carnivorous and eat live food which contains proteins.
They can also be fed freeze-dried tubifex, freeze-dried bloodworm, and live foods, such as mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, or cyclops. Some people feed their Koi pellet food once a day, and feed live foods several times a day.
Some people feed their Koi low-protein food, so that they grow more slowly. This is good for the Koi, because it will grow to a large size without breaking its bones.
What is the best Koi food?
The best kind of Koi food to buy is floating pellet food. This kind of food is easy to use, highly nutritious, and it contains all the nutrients Koi need to grow.
How do you feed Koi?
You should feed your Koi once a day. Feed them a small amount of food. Feed them a little bit at a time, until they stop eating.
What does a koi pond look like?
Koi ponds can range in size from 1,000 to over 500,000 gallons. Ponds are usually rectangular or oval, and have steps, a waterfall, a stream, or river. The water is usually warm, but not hot, and it is kept from stagnating by waterfalls and streams.
The water is kept clean by regular water changes. Water from the pond is pumped into a storage tank, then it is allowed to settle for a few hours. The settled water is then pumped back into the pond.