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The Koi Supplies Essential for Breeding Koi

June 16th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Koi supplies are numerous and it is important to identify those that your fish need the most. Knowing when to use and how to operate it are vital when taking care of your supplies and to make them work at its maximum.

One of the most colorful and attractive pond fish are Kois. But taking care of them requires knowledge on proper care and knowing the essential supplies you will need for giving them a comfortable place to live. One essential Koi supply that will give the fish a more tranquil environment is a fountain.

The fountain can provide the pond where the fish live sufficiently apart as it stirs the water and is a good source of blocking the unwanted noise that the fish may find disturbing. Promoting good health for your fish is vital hence using a filter is a necessity to maintain the cleanliness of the water.

Koi Filters promote quality water as it removes pollutant that will prevent common health issues with your Koi fish. Filter supplies always come with a pump which keeps the water moving for a more efficient action of the filter.

Some install waterfalls or fountains on their pond to keep the movement of the water going that assist in the filtering process. It is not advisable however that these will completely replace pumps since their actions are not strong enough to support the filtration process needed to clean up the water.

There are some Koi supplies that are not used on a daily basis but you need to keep them handy as you will need them again. A dechlorinator is used only when trying to replenish the water level of the pond with tap water. It helps eliminate harmful chemicals and keep the newly replaced water clean.

You should keep track of the pH and nitrate levels of the water by using a Koi supply that can test these chemicals on a weekly basis. Test kits are available in most pet supply stores. You should need either a baking soda or salt which you can sprinkle into the pond to help regulate the levels of nitrates and pH after testing the water with low levels of both chemicals.

Koi fish are also prone to become the prey to other predators such as kingfishers, raccoons, Herons, cats and foxes because of their colorful and brilliant colors. One way to avoid this is to create a pond designed to keep predators from wading into the water such as creating deeper pond and placing high overhangs on the pond’s sides to keep predators from reaching the water.

Placing a net is a koi supply used to conveniently keep the water clean from falling debris such as leaves for outdoor ponds. Koi fish need food to live and it is one of the most important Koi supply to keep on hand.

Keep different variations of food sources to give your fish a treat. Most kois like to feed from your hand so treat yourself with the pleasure of doing so.Koi needs special care and giving them the best comfort through the proper koi supplies is worth the effort.

Tropical Fishes - The Problems With Pond Algae.

June 16th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Blue-green algae isn’t technically an algae in the proper sense of the word – it’s actually a form of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, which is a type of bacteria capable of photosynthesis.

Cyanobacteria is one of the oldest organisms known in the world, and is estimatedt to have been around for at least three.five billion years!

It looks like a slimy coating in a number of greenish-blue shades, and the wastes it releases can actually be toxic to your fish – another good reason to keep it to a bare minimum.

The good thing…

The good thing about red marine algie is that it’s easy to remove manually: usually, it forms ‘sheets’ of hanging matter in the water, which can easily be scooped out.

The bad thing…

The bad thing about it is that it’s pretty hardy: even after a thorough removal, it’ll usually have returned by the next day

This algae is most commonly caused by low levels of nitrates (usually in conjuction with high levels of phosphate), and an imbalance of bacteria in the water.

How to get rid of this persistent eyesore:

* Block all light for a week, and siphon the dead algae out of the tank each day. Your plants will be feeling pretty sick after about a week, but they should recover just fine.

* Bacteria pellets need to be added after every water change. You can purchase bacteria pellets for this express purpose from your pet store and aquarium supply dealer. Ask for bacteria pellets that remove ammonia and excess protein from the water.

* Be stringent with your tank maintenance: keep everything clean, check the filter for clogging, make sure the lights are working adequately (blue-green algae needs light to survive, but good fluorescents are necessary to maintain an adequate balance of bacteria and plant life in the tank).

It’s not hard to cure the problem of algae if you are a structured thinker.  Just keep at it and you will get it completed.

Tropical Fish Don’t You Love Red Marine Algae Problems.

June 16th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

I’ll try and not get too technical here.

Algae (pronounced AL-jee) are simple forms of marine plant life.

They’re pretty basic: they lack leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, and all the other things we normally associate with plants.

The term ‘algae’ is an umbrella phrase that’s used to refer to all forms of marine life that are capable of photosynthesis (converting sunlight into energy), although some forms of algae rely entirely on external supplies of energy (in the form of protein and fish waste in the water) for food.

As far as your tropical fish tank goes, red marine algie is definitely an unwanted visitor – it’s a real eyesore.

Of course, certain levels of algae are to be expected; small amounts are inevitable wherever there’s light, nutrients, and water in combination.

However, when levels get high enough to be visible to the naked eye, you’ve got a surplus. Unless you maintain your aquarium regularly, you can pretty much count on regular growths of algae obscuring your fish, making the water smell, and generally detracting from the aesthetic appeal of your tank.

What is is - and how will you get rid of it?

Well, it depends on the type of algae that you have, since each one needs to be treated in a specific manner. The most common algae types to affect tropical fish tanks are:

* brown algae
* green algae
* blue-green algae
* green water

What you can do about brown algae

In a newly established tank brown algae is usually the first to appear. It’s pretty easy to see: it looks like cloudy brown slime growing along the sides and bottom of your aquarium, as well as clinging onto gravel, rocks, and ornaments.

Limiting the light available won’t make any difference to this type of algae, since it’s perfectly capable of growing at low-lighting levels.

Instead, you need to cut right back on the nutrients available for sustaining its growth – which means feeding your fish less. High protein levels in the tank, derived from fish food, will fuel this algae’s growth.

Even if your fish are eating all the food you give them, this doesn’t mean you’re feeding them the right amount: when it comes to food, fish are natural opportunists, which means they’ll eat everything that’s available regardless of how much you feed them. If they’re overeating, they simply excrete the undigested food – which then floats around in the tank, feeding the algae instead!

Make sure you follow the directions stringently on the fish-food package, to be certain that you’re minimizing nutrient levels appropriately.

In addition to keeping food levels down, make sure you’re maintaining your tank adequately with enough water changes and gravel and filter cleanings.

If brown algae appears in an established aquarium, you’ll need to check the phosphate and nitrate levels, as too much of either will encourage the growth of the algae.

If the problem remains ongoing, you can use algae-eaters. These are bottom-dwelling fish – such as the Siamese algae eater and the American-flag fish - which feed on algae, and are commonly kept in pet stores and fish traders. They’ll make quick work of your brown algae problem!

What to do about green algae

Green algae will appear in just about any tank with plenty of light. Luckily, it’s easy to get rid of (it doesn’t cling to the glass too much) and most algae-eaters will consume it with ease.

For green algae, make sure you’re minimizing the protein in the tank, as you would for brown algae. Start by cutting the fish-food back by one quarter, and pay close attention to the appearance of your fish: if their bodies become flat and thin, they’re not eating enough. They should be getting just enough food to remain slightly round-bodied.

Keep your fish tank stocked with plenty of algae-eaters, and the problem should take care of itself (although it bears repeating that a certain amount of algae, particularly green algae, is to be expected).

We will look at the problems of blue-green algae and green water in another article.

The results could be disastrous if these issues are left untreated.
Yes, maintaining a healthy, attractive aquarium can be a pretty complex task – there’s so much to keep track of!

Want To Learn Some Koi Pond Care?

June 16th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

 

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 original 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 19^th 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 Chinese people are enthralled with all these nature beauties, right? And how they can utilize all the forces of nature to attract peace, harmony, prosperity and good health, correct? 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 some more information about Koi fishes, see some Koi fish pictures on the Net and you will see how pretty these kinds of fishes 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 fishes or animals, you will definitely would love to have a group of Koi fishes.

An Easy Guide to Koi Pond Construction

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

A school of Koi in a pond is such a remarkable and imposing spectacle to behold and a good Koi pond construction will help an enthusiast accomplish breeding of brilliantly colored Koi.  You want your Koi pond designed in crystal clear water decorated with ornamental flowers and a well-landscape design to mesmerize friends and visitors alike? The construction of the pond will have some significant factors to be considered in order to perfectly fit with your own design.

Basically, Koi are hardy kind of fish with special requirements to be satisfied. Koi ponds are very complex structures to construct and need special attention to details in their construction. Every Koi enthusiast has their own design of what Koi pond they want.  Regardless of ideas, Koi ponds must be properly planned, designed and constructed based on your requirements and specifications. Koi enthusiasts are recommended with following simple guidelines in Koi pond construction.

The first element to consider is pond size and shape.  Initially, most new Koi enthusiasts want to have a large pond. Large ponds are beauties to behold but these are difficult and costly to maintain for a newbie in Koi breeding. As a general rule, build only the pond that you can afford.

Try to expand your pond to a larger one once you have already materialized your initial plans and learnt new things about Koi breeding. The shape of your pond will depend on your aesthetic design and preference. You can give any shape to the pond you can define - circular, rectangular, hexagonal, etc…

The pond size and shape will also affect the number of fish to be bread in the pond. An ideal pond must be able to carry 1500 gallons of water which will allow for fish growth.  The preferable pond dimension is 9 feet long, 8 feet wide and a minimum depth of 4 feet 6 inches. Koi usually grow big and healthy in larger ponds.

After determining the size and shape of the pond, the location of your Koi pond must be chosen properly.  Important considerations should be made in choosing the spot for your pond. Koi needs proper lighting and shading to protect it from direct sunlight and harsh weather conditions. The accessibility and availability of utilities near your pond is important to supply the needed water and electrical requirements. The Koi pond construction must be away from trees with large roots and falling leaves.  The pond should also be protected from stray animals which can prey on your Koi.

Filtration is another factor to be considered in building your pond.  During the planning stage of constructing your pond, your filtration system should have been determined based on the size of the pond and the number of Koi to be raised.  A miscalculated system will result in poor filtration which will then require frequent and labor-intensive cleaning of the filters.  This will also result in to more expenses for additional filter equipment. At worst it might result into massive fish kill due to non-elimination of waste products and harmful compounds in the pond.

Koi pond construction is not an easy task to do. But the rewards of a well-constructed Koi pond based on careful planning and implementation are immense.

The Black Koi Fish

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Black Koi fish is different from other koi fishes mainly because of their large color variations. Other than that it is typically the same as other colored Kois. Koi fishes come in a variety of colors making them highly attractive.

They are actually considered to be uniquely bred fishes and are known for their characteristic colors and color patterns. Generally black koi live for over thirty years but it is not a typical life span for this species.

The male and female koi fish are easily distinguishable from each other through their anal configurations. That of males have more concave anus and their head have distinct breeding spots. These fish can spawn as much as 1,000 eggs. Baby koi fish are called fry and their survival is highly dependent on the water temperature.

They cannot live longer in very cold water.A fry is not as colorful as adults but their color patterns become prominent by 3 weeks old.The first Kois bred by the Japanese were only of two color variety. But years of breeding allowed them to produce more color variants with colored patterns and combinations.

Black koi is one of the most common variant but there are other gorgeous colored kois.Black Koi can grow as long as 4 feet. When breeding this fish you need to keep in mind to  build a larger pond for them.

Magoi Koi was the first cultivated black koi that can grow thirty six inches in length. It is not actually black in color but instead is bronze. From above the water however it reflects a black color. Magoi are known to maximize the growth of other species through its blood by-products.

One of the old species of black koi is the Karasu or known as crow in Japanese. They are black colored in fins and body but some were bred with some color on their stomach usually white or orange.

Unique species of black koi is the Matsukawabake which comes in intriguing color variations due to water temperature and according to season. The change in its color is also influenced by the food it is fed on. The original black color of the Matsukawabake is retained if no temperature changes occur.

Many love to breed the dragon fish which is a black koi known as Kumonryu. It was first seen in 1980’s and has grown in popularity since then. This fish has a mesmerizing body structure that is similar to a dragon commonly seen from the Japanese paintings.

This type of koi is capable of changing its color aside from being black. They are beautifully thought of being a dragon that is ascending through the sky’s white clouds.

The beauty of black koi can be very enchanting with its glamorous patterns of color combination and their abilities to change color according to the current water temperature. Taking care of koi fish can be amusing and the black koi is the species that is a common favorite to all.

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Credits: Work From Home | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund