Make Your Koi Fish Pond

Koi Fish Pond

Koi Fish have different characteristics that serve to be considered as one of the perfect fish that flourish outside the pond. You can easily distinguish this type of fish for the reason that it has variety of colors. Its loveliness and prolonged existence are the main reasons why they took into account as one of the most popular fish in a fishpond.
Naturally the physical condition of the koi fish or also known as cold water fish is depending on the quality of water and the amount of space provided in the koi fish  pond. Knowing that the water required is about 500 gallons or more, it is reasonable to think that it will cultivate as huge fish. With the right temperature that’s ranging from 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit or in cold water, it can perform very well. This allows people especially those who live in the cool places to experience a pond bursting with koi fish. Koi Fish sleep through winter when the ice was formed on the top of the koi fish pond that makes their digestion slows down so that they can make it through the winter period.
Since Koi fish loves to have shades like lilies, you can cover your koi fish pond up to 70 percent. Knowing that the tolerance of koi fish in direct sunlight is only up to 6 hours water lilies will help you protecting your fish. Aside from its main purpose as shades for your koi fish, lilies lessen the amount of algae in the water. Due to the fact that this type of fish belongs to the omnivorous group, it eats both plants and animals they can look for the insect and larva’s insect within the plants for food. Another option to make shades for your koi fish is having your koi fish pond under the tree, the only disadvantage is that leaves, twig and needles might fall on your fish pond so constant cleaning by removing it necessary.
When you are planning to build your koi fish pond, you should take into consideration the depth of your koi fish pond. It is also one way of protecting your koi fish from the predator like raccoons which loves a first-class one. The water level should be at least four feet so you could keep raccoon on the bay and will provide koi fish enough space to swim. If your koi fish pond is prone to birds like Great blue Heron, wherein it is present in different part of the country, your fishpond should have a water level of at least 8 feet. Great blue Heron can eat a six inches koi fish up to 100 pieces, so if it’s not possible to have this depth to protect your koi fish you could at least provide protection by installing bird net over your pond.
You should in any case run your imagination in building your ideal koi fish pond. You might draw your ideal pond and set standard specifications to achieve better landscape and nice pond.

How to Cure Fungus In Koi

Fungus is most common on fish eggs and on an injury site on koi. Various medications that aquarium stores sell can be used to treat fungus on fish quite effectively. Often, fish die not from the fungus but the injury, parasite, or bacteria that created a site for the fungus to invade. Sometimes, the fish could easily recover from a cut except that the fungus invaded.

Fungus is one of the easiest maladies to treat in fish when caught early. It may appear as a patch of fuzz on a fish, or the fish may look like it is covered in threads of fuzz if the case is advanced.

Egg fungus is very common. As a preventative, keeping developing eggs in a dilute (medium blue) methylene blue solution with aeration for a few days (remove before hatching is expected as methylene blue may harm fry) seems to work. Most often, unfertilized or injured eggs are attacked by fungus. If the parent cares for the eggs like many cichlids and the fathead minnow, then the parent in charge will remove these eggs. Otherwise, you must do it.

Methylene blue can aid in the process. Those eggs taking on the blue dye are compromised (infertile or have holes in them) and need to be removed. Without the dye, remove any eggs that are clouded (white) or obviously fungused. Tweezers work well for attached eggs while glass or plastic pipets work well for free (scattered) eggs.

If the fungus gets out of control (when methylene blue is not used), all viable (usually clear with small eyes forming; some species like some cories may have colored eggs) eggs should be removed to a fresh setup with water of similar temperature, pH, etc. Fry should be removed to separate quarters as well because young fry can die from the egg fungus.

Diseases That You Need to Know

If your Koi has been behaving abnormally in terms of eating, movement or anything else, it may be suffering from a Koi disease. Some of these diseases could even kill your Koi. Here is a list of the most common Koi diseases that can help you recognize the disease in time and initiate the correct treatment plan.

ICH: Ichthyophthirius multifilis: This Koi disease shows the symptoms of white spots all over the body of your Koi. This is caused due to fresh water Ich. At times the spots may not be prominently visible but can be detected under the microscope. The disease is a result of faulty immune system. Smaller fish find it difficult to fight the disease and ultimately die. The larger Koi however manage to fight the disease and sustain. The disease attacks the gills and kills the fish. The life cycle of the disease may vary from 2-5 days or more than 5 weeks, depending on the severity of the disease. Elevating the water pumps and increasing salt levels may prevent this Koi disease. However, excessive salts would harm your plants. The best way to go ahead is to use Formalin 37% and Malachite Green.

CHILODINELLA: Costia or lchthyobodo necatrix is a very dangerous Koi disease and kills the fish in large numbers. There is not much time that this disease gives the fish or its owner to fight back. It kills the fish very quickly. The good news is that the disease is inactive when the water is salted. Sunken eyes, bluish sheen on the skin, and difficulty in breathing are some of the symptoms of this disease.

TRICHODINA: This is a saucer shaped parasite and can cause ‘spider web lesions’ in the skin of your Koi. The gills of smaller fishes get damaged very easily with this Koi disease. It also causes scratching and irritation of skin in Koi. There are no real side effects to this scratching though, except for the formation of ulcerations on the skin. Salt plays a very good role here as well. You could clear this parasite in a day by adding salt to your pond water.

OODINIUM: This parasite causes a Koi disease called Velvet disease. A velvety and gold colored dust can be found on the fish as a symptom. This parasite is known to resist salt. You could therefore add Formalin to your water to control the disease.

EPISTYLIS: This is a very uncommon parasite, causing an uncommon Koi disease. Poor water management encourages the parasite. In other words, if you do not change the water frequently, you could end up with this parasite in your water pond. This parasite looks like fungus and lives in wounds and ulcers. It is known to form white colored tufts in the wounds. If you add clean and good water, the parasite disappears automatically. Salt can also help remove this parasite very easily.
LERNEA: This is one parasite that you would never want to invade your pond. It causes a real life threat to your Koi. They have a long life span of about 14 days. Malathion, Fenthion, Trichloffon, Dylox, and Salt can be very handy in eliminating this parasite.

ARGULUS: This parasite is prominently visible when it invades the pond. They appear green in color and are disc shaped. They suck the fins and sides of the fish. They are known to cause ulcerations on the skin of the Koi. Formalin does not work well to eliminate them. They can be eliminated with Organophosphates such as Fenthion and Dimilin.

GYRODACTYLUS: This parasite lives up to 15 days. They are known to cause a severe Koi disease. They could be treated with Formalin 37%, Slat, Organophosphates, Droncit (Praziquantel) and Potassium. You may however want to treat them with just the salt first and see how it works. Only if needed, should you try the other anti parasite agents like Formalin 37%.
Dropsey/Bloater: Dropsey is a very common diseases found in most fresh water fishes. This is mostly caused as a result if bacterial invasion into the stomach. The stomach starts to swell and look very large. You could treat the disease with Azactarn, Baytril, Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin, and Amikacin.
Scoliosis: This disease is caused mostly due to the deficiency of vitamin C. The best way to supply vitamin C is supplying fruits to your Koi. Your Koi can easily eat oranges, grapes and watermelons.

LYMPHOCYSTIS: This Koi disease is very common amongst fishes. LYMPHOCYSTIS is the sole reason behind this disease. Being a viral pathogen, it is easily transferable and difficult to treat. Once a fish is infected, you must separate it from the other fishes to avoid transfer of disease to the rest of the Koi fishes. There is no genuine cure to this disease.

CARP POX: This is another virus pathogen that can cause Koi disease. Soft, waxy, and warty lesions are the symptoms of the disease. There is unfortunately no cure to this disease and the best thing to do is separate the infected fishes from the healthy ones.
It is important for all Koi breeders to familiarize themselves with the common diseases that can attack Koi and learn about effective treatment pathways to cure those diseases or to prevent further spreading of koi disease.

Tips Before Buying Your First Koi Fish

So you’ve decided to start raising Japanese koi fish? It’s a great adventure, as koi fish (according to us koi enthusiasts anyway!) are among the most satisfying fish to raise, in that they’re beautiful, and even have personalities, as you’ll see when you’re eventually able to hand feed them.

And koi can live for over 20 years, which means that you can experience their development over a long span of time.

The first step to your koi regime though, is to choose healthy and happy koi.

Choosing wisely when you’re buying koi will help ensure that you won’t be disappointed, and that you’ll end up with an investment that will be worth both the money, and the time and effort.

By the time you finish this article, you’ll know the vital tips on how to properly choose koi for your pond.

1. The first decision to make is to whether you want to buy from your local supplier or through the internet. If you have a local koi supplier, go and have a look at the quality of their koi as well as their facilities. Get an idea of how knowledgeable the owner is about koi in general, but more importantly, about the specific koi that he has in stock.

For example, does he know exactly where they have come from, why he chooses those sources, and how long he’s been using those sources? And does he know the lineage of the fish that he has in stock, about their color characteristics, and the health of this years stock compares to the last?

If there are no local suppliers that meet your satisfaction, then you may have to use an internet supplier or auction.

2. The time of the year to buy your koi. If you want imported Japanese koi, which are the best quality koi usually, then the harvest time in Japan in October and so will arrive in overseas countries in November or December.

A large supplier though, or a supplier who receives stock from the US, or other producers such as Singapore, will have stock at all times of the year, so you can purchase them in any season. If you don’t have a heated pond and you have very cold winters where your pond freezes over, November or December may not be the best time to buy.

3. How long has the koi been quarantined before or after they arrive in the country? Usually one month of quarantine is the minimum, though some illnesses may take longer to develop especially in colder temperatures.

Even if they’ve been quarantined and no diseases are evident, if you have existing koi in your pond, it’s best to isolate the new koi in a separate pond for a month at least before introducing them to prevent diseases from being transmitted to your entire collection.

4. How healthy are the koi? It’s important to look for signs of healthy koi fish.

These are

a) that they’re swimming smoothly and efficiently, and not with any jerking or unsmooth motions

b) that the koi is not damaged in any way, looking carefully at their gills, all their scales, their fins, and quality of their eyes. Ensure that there are no damage, ulcerations, or discoloured spots

c) that they’re not in respiratory distress and that their gills are moving evenly and rhythmically

d) that they’re interacting and socialising well. Koi that swim alone or are hiding in a corner may not be the healthiest or most robust.

If you need a closer look at a koi that you like, ask the owner to hold them up close for you to see.

5. How many koi to buy. A common mistake is to buy too many koi for the size of pond, or to put it the other way around, to have too small a pond to begin with. Especially with the Japanese koi, that have the largest growth potential, they can grow to over 2 feet (60 – 70cm) in length, and thus a sufficient volume of water and filtering system is required to keep the water clean and oxygenated.

Generally, you should have 1000L of water for each koi, especially with the Japanese variety. Plus, your pond should be ready before you go buy the koi.

If this is your first ever koi pond, and you’re looking at top of the range koi, it may be wise to not buy your entire stock of expensive koi at once.

It may be wiser to buy a few to test everything out, to make sure that the pond set up that you’ve got is producing good results.

If going for a $10 to $20 koi, then many will be able to afford the whole new family at once.

So there you have it, your first piece of the puzzle when it comes to keeping koi.

You’ve gotten some tips on choosing koi for your pond to help you to maximise your results with this enticing and very rewarding hobby.

Type of Japanese Koi Fish

By: Mary Murtha

Koi fish are a form of carp fish originally from Japan. They are very similar to goldfish, and some experts believe kois were an attempt by Japanese breeders to imitate goldfish. Raising koi fish was not introduced worldwide until 1914, and before that date it was solely a Japanese affair. During this time period, shipping became faster and safer and so the threat of fish death was very low. The hobby of raising koi exploded.

Different types of koi fish are classified by their patterning, scalations and coloration. Koi fish come in many different colors. A few of the main ones are blue, yellow, purple, white, and black. On the scales of a koi, it is possible to see a metallic gleam. This is what's called Gin Rin. Also, there are types of koi that have no scales. Scaleless kois are usually called Doitsu. Doitsu fish were made by crossbreeding Nishikigoi and German mirrored carp.

Although there are endless variations of koi fish, there are some varieties in specific categories. An example of a popular type of koi is the Gosanke. Fish that fall into this group are Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The main groups of named koi are Kohaku, a white and red striped fish; Taisho Sanshoku, a white fish with red and black design; Showa Sanshoku, a black fish with a red and white design; Asagi, a fish with blue scales on top and red scales on the bottom; Shusui, a similar fish to Asagi with less scales; Bekko, a white, yellow and red fish with a black design; Utsurimono, a black fish with a yellow, red and white design; Goshiki, a black fish with touches of brown, blue, white and red; Ogon, a fish that's all one color ( can be red, orange, platinum and yellow); and KinGinRin, a fish with shiny scales.

Today, there are fourteen types of koi and they have been bred especially to draw attention to their visual appearance. A lot of koi are bred in the US, but some koi come from Japan, China and Israel. There is a wide range of prices for purchasing koi, starting at $3 for baby koi and skyrocketing up to $20,000 for a prize fish.

Really, to pick a good fish you want to start with a good koi dealer. They can give you advice on color and sizes that will fit how much you can spend and how much experience you already have with koi. Usually dealers will sell inexperienced owners fish that range between three and five dollars. Then they can trade in for bigger fish once they have more experience.

Here are the some of popular japanese koi.

About the Author

For more information about Koi, Koi Pond or koi Fish, please visit Azlan and Irda website at http://www.myownkoipond.com

What is Koi Fish?

I know many people in the world doesn't know what is koi fish. I hope this will hope all of you will find the answer. They are believed to have originated from Eastern Asia, Aral, Black and Caspian Seas. Earliest records of Koi have been found in China and have been widely spread in Japan. The ornamental cultivation of carp flourished under the Chinese Qing Dynasty and Japanese Edo Period. They are very closely related to goldfish and, in fact, the style of breeding and ornamentation has become very similar, probably through the efforts of Japanese breeders to emulate goldfish. Koi and tattoos of koi are traditionally considered lucky.
The word "koi" comes from the Japanese, simply meaning "carp." It includes both the dull grey fish and the brightly colored varieties. A homophone of koi means "love, affection" and koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan: a good example is the short story Koi-san by Mukoda Kuniko.
While a 4th century Chinese book of the Western Jin Dynasty mentions carp with various colors, koi breeding first became popular in the 19th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp were more brightly colored than others, capture them, and raise them. By the 20th century, a number of color patterns had been established, most notably the red-and-white Kohaku. The outside world did not become aware of the degree of development until 1914, when the Niigata koi were exhibited in the annual exposition in Tokyo. At that point, interest in koi exploded throughout Japan. The hobby of keeping koi spread worldwide after plastic bags and shipping of koi became both fast and safe for the fish. These factors enabled koi to be shipped worldwide with low mortality rates. Koi are now commonly sold in most pet stores, with higher-quality fish available from specialist dealers.
Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Ghost koi, developed in the 1980s are metallic hybrids of wild carp and Ogon koi and are not considered true Nishikigoi. Butterfly koi, Longfin koi, or Dragon Carp were also developed in the 1980s and are notable for their long and flowing fins. They are actually hybrids with Asian carp and, like Ghost koi, are not considered true Nishikigoi.
Koi have many different colors. Some of the major colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream.
While possible variations are limitless, breeders have identified and named a number of specific categories. The most popular category is Gosanke. The Gosanke category is made up of the Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The Japanese breeders have many generations of knowledge and experience when it comes to breeding and raising Nishikigoi. They know which ones will be worth hundreds of dollars and which ones will be worth thousands of dollars.
The major named varieties include:
• Kohaku - a white-skinned Koi, with a red pattern
• Taisho Sanshoku (Sanke) - a white-skinned Koi with a red and black pattern
• Showa Sanshoku (Showa) - a black-skinned Koi with a red and white pattern
• Tancho - Any koi with the only red being in a circle on its forehead. The fish can be a Tancho Showa, Tancho Sanke, or even Tancho Goshiki
• Asagi - a Koi with light blue scales on its top and red scales on its bottom
• Shusui - the partially scaled version of an Asagi
• Bekko - a white, red, or yellow-skinned Koi with a black pattern
• Utsurimono - a black Koi with a red, white, or yellow pattern
• Goshiki - a mostly black Koi with red, white, brown, and blue accents
• Ogon - a Koi that is one solid color, can be regular or metallic; known colors - red, orange, platinum, yellow and cream
• Kin Gin Rin - a Koi with shiny scales. The name translates into English as "Gold Silver Scales" There are also Gin Rin versions of almost any other type of koi.
• Kawarimono (kawarigoi) - Miscellaneous types of Koi
• Doitsu-goi - German Carp
• Koromo - Koi with areas of blue-edged scales aligned neatly
• Hikari-Moyomono - Koi with coloured patterns over a metallic base, and koi in two metallic colours
• Ghost koi - "Hybrid" of Ogon and wild carp. Not Nishikigoi.
• Butterfly koi - Long-finned version of all others. Not Nishikigoi.