Raising Koi Fish

Koi Buying Guide For Water Garden

If you desire a true wildlife pond, then keeping fish may not be such a good idea. Apart from predations by cats and herons, the fish are at the top of the food chain in a pond, and will readily devour tadpoles, dragonfly larvae and many other desirable creatures.

The fish willi the best social mastery are the koi (real name nishikigoi). They will feed from your hand quite readily, and over a period of time they can be seen to develop characters of their own. But to keep even one koi successfully, you should provide relatively sophisticated filtration, water movement and oxygenation, year-round care, special food and, of course, regularly check and maintain high water quality. Keeping koi requires investment and dedication.

Although koi are descendants of the common carp their selective breeding over the years has meant that they are much more particular about the water conditions in which they live. Maintenance of good water quality all year round is, therefore, of the utmost importance.

Great pleasure is gained from viewing koi swimming lazily in clear, clean water, watching them grow and their patterns change as they develop and age. It is, therefore, the general rule that a koi pond will not be planted. Some people do keep koi alongside other coldwater fish, quite successfully, in planted ‘ornamental’ ponds. Keeping large koi in these conditions can, however, present problems. Because koi are voracious creatures that will tear plants to pieces, a planted pond is generally not feasible. Some parts of the plants will be eaten but others will sink to the bottom of the pond, whilst other pieces may be sucked into a submersible pump. Even if plants are not shredded by the koi, large-leafed plants such as lilies will act as perfect hiding places, preventing the koi from being seen easily.

Water depth – which aids body shape development – and volume in a koi pond are important considerations. After all, koi can grow to lengths above 60cm (2ft), and will do so in just a few years given the right conditions. Therefore, even a beginner’s pond should be no less than, say, 13.5m cubic volume (3000gal). Ideally, depth should be 1.35m (4ft 6in) or more.

BUYING KOI
Most newcomers to the koi-keeping hobby are eager to improve their stock. Consequently they spend, or should spend, many happy hours in the company of fellow hobbyists, or with dealers, discussing, selecting and, ultimately, purchasing. This latter element can be expensive, particularly il the fish are brought home to inadequate facilities and eventually die. The new keeper will have learnt a salutary lesson in that the correct facilities, including an adequate filler, must he in place before buying commences.

It is best to purchase one, or at most two fish at a time, preferably separated by at least a couple of weeks to allow the filter system to adjust to the additional load. Daily water testing is the norm at these times.

The quality of a koi is judged by factors such as skin quality, body shape, pattern and depth of coloration and the fish exhibiting the best of these desirable characteristics are currently bred in Japan. Japan is not, however, the only producer of koi, and stocks from countries like Israel, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, the USA and the UK are improving rapidly.

If the pond-keeper wants to increase or improve koi stock, the country of origin should be taken into account as some places are very warm, with little or no winter. A koi’s metabolism approaches its most efficient point at temperatures above 20°C (70°F); it follows, therefore, that during the winter – when the water temperature drops below 10°C (50°F) -the immune systems of our koi are not at their best for repelling the various pathogens that abound in our ponds. Furthermore, variable spring and autumn temperatures, that can cause swings of 5°C (40°F) or more overnight in small volumes of water, cause the koi to be stressed and maybe to succumb to disease or illness.

This single fact alone can cause losses in our koi ponds, particularly in springtime when the digestive systems of the fish stop and start on a regular basis. This is why the koi-keeping hobby is an all-year-round one requiring vigilance at all limes.

Related Koi Uk Articles