Having a fish pond in your vicinity can help you get a peace of mind. Imagine going back home from work in the afternoon or early evening and you set your sights on your pond full of fishes, how would you feel? Would you feel refreshed and relaxed? Of course, you would. But your fish pond can be more attractive and more appealing and amazing to look at if you have Koi fishes in your pond. You know what are Koi fishes, right? No? Well, maybe it’s high time that you should get to know more about Koi fishes and the right system on how to build Koi pond.
The first Koi were cultivated as food fish by Chinese rice farmers in the 17th century. When brought to the Niigata Prefecture, Japan’s premier rice-growing region, rice farmers there continued to keep Koi as a food source, especially during winter. But somewhere along the 19th century, they have found out that Koi fishes has amazing colors and were appealing to the eyes and that’s when they began to cultivate Koi fishes. You know how these Chinese are engrossed with all these nature beauties, correct? And how they can use all the forces of nature to attract peace, harmony, prosperity and good health, right? Well, maybe because of the colorful Koi fishes, they must have thought that keeping them as ornamental pets and learning how to build a Koi pond right in front of a house or a place of business and learn the right Koi pond care can bring them good luck and they even stretched this idea and inserted it into this ancient Chinese philosophy called “Feng Shui”.
Try to read more about Koi fishes, get to see some of their images on the Net and you will see how beautiful these species of fish are. From here, you can also get to know more about different learning tools like videos, book guides and online tutorials that will teach you how to do the right Koi care system. If you love to have pets, you will surely would like to have a bunch of Koi fishes.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Jun 27th, 2009. Comment. 
The Koi have become quite popular in making them as pets. The first Koi were bred through the German Carp and Asian Carp. The first colors were recorded around 1805. They have been selectively bred for years, and this resulted to their various patterns and colors. Today, there are lots and lots of variations in color available.
Among the populare ones are white, yellow, orange, silver, red, black, blue and green. The patterns can be combined, which will result to a countless possibility in their pattern. Each of the patterns and color of this species have been given their own names, as unique as the color associated with.
Countries like Singapore, Japan, Israel, and the United States (typically in warmer places like California and Nevada) raise the fish for purchase. The fish can be bought at most of the local pet stores available. They can be ordered if ever there's no stock on hand. The good thing about this is that you are being presented with more options as you order since you need not pick right away from the available stock, but on the other hand, its disadvantage is that you won't be able to pick the specific Koi that you like to have.
Keep in mind that your pond should be complete before buying your Koi. The size and number of fish that you're going to purchase should be based highly on the size of your pond. Make it a point that you don't overcrowd your fish, which can cause problems instantly in your pond (killing many of your pets and making you lose time and money). You can talk to your local dealer with regards to the proper setup that you can have, and they will be the ones to give you advice on the amount of fish that you should place in your own pond.
The majority of the fish owners know that most fish will only grow in accordance to the enclosure where they are held and contained. Koi, on the other hand, will grow until they have reached their full growth potential (based on their specific kind). But you must be able to contain the amount of Koi that you're going to purchase.
Traits And Personality:
These fish fall under the class of fish that are not aggressive. They don't have teeth, that's why you need not worry of getting bitten as you feed them with your hand. This trait of the Koi will allow you to get kids involved, as they'll enjoy watching the beautiful and vibrant colors of your pets, coupled with their being gentle in nature. Like all of the other wild animals, it is natural for them to be afraid of your in the start (this is what keeps them alive in the wilderness). Building trust with your fish really takes time and patience.
It is an omnivorous species, so it eats both meat and plants, giving them an adaptable kind of diet. They will eat whatever you put in the pond for them to feast on, regardless if its good for them or not… which means that you, as the owner, should always control their diet.
The fact of the matter is that these fish have personalities, similar to the other species of animals. They are social kinds of animals, giving them the ability to be trained in directly eating from the hands of their owners. You'll observe more of their individual traits and characteristics as you will spend more time with them. They have lengthy lifespans, with an average of 30 years. The oldest Koi have lived up to around 200 years! These great qualities make the Koi good choices for somebody who's looking for a pet that can be kept for a long time for breeding.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on May 29th, 2009. Comment.
As you take care of your Koi, always protect them from fatal diseases like the KHV (or the Koi Herpes Virus). You should know that your fish is very prone to the disease. So how do you protect your Koi from this? The best way to protect your pets from the virus is to make sure they never get exposed to it. If you have the necessary information about this kind of virus, you can better protect your Koi from it.
The Facts About The Virus:
So what is this disease? Since the primary outbreak, a little has only been learned about the virus. Knowing the important facts is very important in protecting and ensuring the survival of your fish. The KHV is a deadly disease which has just recently popped up in the industry. In the late 1998 and early 1999, the first outbreak has been reported and confirmed in Israel, then in the following years has been confirmed in places like Europe, Asia and the United States.
The disease will infect the victim for life. Even those who do not show any signs of the virus, they will be carriers if exposed to it. The mortality rate for those that have been exposed is around 60 percent to 80 percent.
There's no known cure for the Koi Herpes Virus. Even if proper treatment has been given to your pet, never again will they be able to go to a new home, and this is because if you put them in a healthy population, they will be able to spread the virus to the others (this can cause a potentially higher rate in terms of mortality). Remember that this virus can spread in many ways: from the tools used to handle the infected fish, the water in which the infected fish swam, the fish coming into contact with the infected ones, etc.
Stress can increase the mortality rate of the fish, even though it doesn't directly cause the virus itself. Temperatures at 74 degrees Fahrenheit can be utilized to track the virus, and it will allow the necessary testing and quarantining of your fish to observe if they have been exposed or not.
Preventative Measures That Can Be Taken
Depopulation is a great way to prevent the disease, which means the elimination of your whole pet population. Although it may seem as a harsh method if you look at it, with this you can really ensure that you don't infect the other fish in your pond. Another method is quarantining. If you buy a new fish, make it a point that you quarantine it before mixing it with your current population (for a period of no less than 15 days).
Quarantining your fish means that they should be totally isolated from the others. Separate the food, water, and the tools that you're using for the isolated ones. Ensure as well that the tools being used for them will not leave the area where they are to be used. Proper hand washing procedures should be observed in handling your pets and other essential items. If you follow these effective preventative measures will help you protect your fish from catching the virus.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on May 27th, 2009. Comment.
All-In-One Pond Fountain and Bird Bath Protector This carefully formulated water protection agent can be used for all of your outdoor clean and fresh water needs. It works with still slow-moving and fast-moving water that contains fish aquatic plants and/or amphibians. Maintains water clarity and prevents sludge build-up. This product prevents stains organic contaminants and mineral deposits. It is 100% biodegradable & non-toxic and it is made from natural bacteria-free plant enzymes. Just one capful a week keeps water clean and clear naturally. It is safe for wildlife and pets that may drink from the water.
Filed under Aquatic Plant Care by on May 24th, 2009. Comment.
As a Koi pond owner, your priority should be to keep your pond in good condition. Keep in mind that prevention is always better than cure: so once your pond starts to have some problems, it will really take more money and time on your part to fix these.
Don't overfeed:
Overfeeding can damage your water quality. Your pets would not nearly eat the amount of food that they do in a controlled environment. Feeding them with too much food will promote larger amount of wastes in your pond. You should vacuum the bottom out very well, and ensure that the drainage systems are clear and properly working.
Keeping the water's quality:
Your pond needs filter. There are two kinds of filtration system. The mechanical filtration is the one that relieves the pond of dead algae, wastes and insects (this is important to sustain the size of your pond and the size and number of your pets). The biological filtration is the one that provides the nitrogen cycle, removing dissolved wastes from your pond (without this, ammonia will build up which is very devastating to your fish).
Keep your pond clean so that your fish will live a beautiful and stress-free life. The water in your pond is where they will feed and sleep, that's why it's very important to keep it as clean as possible. The water of your pond should be almost completely clear. There should be no debris, and your fish should appear like they're floating in the air. Also, you should be able to see clearly the bottom of your pond.
Keeping supplies ready:
There are a lot of supplies that you need to properly maintain your pond, and many of these items are very necessary. You should know the function of each item to understand why they're needed. There are also items that you need to have on hand all the time. You should expect emergency situations to happen as your pond is located in the outdoor. We all know that nature itself is at times unpredictable, so don't get caught in a situation where an item is needed and you have no access to get it!
Preventing those common diseases:
If you have a fish that's newly purchased, quarantine them first from your current population. Do this for no less than a timeframe of fifteen days. Knowing that Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) will be activated within temperatures reaching 74 degrees Fahrenheit will let you expose your pet to the right conditions for the disease to reveal itself. Those that live in these conditions for a longer period of time and don't have any of the symptoms will show that they have little chances of contracting the illness.
In quarantining, isolate your fish completely away from the current population that you have. Separate the food, water and tools you use in taking care of your new Koi. Right hand washing procedures should be carefull observed when it comes to in handling both Koi and Koi items used within the same period of time. Quarantining will surely reduce the chances of exposing your fish to different kinds of diseases and viruses.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on May 2nd, 2009. Comment.
