Koi Care: Getting To Know Your Pet Better
Saturday, May 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Being a Koi owner, you get to enjoy spending time with your fish, taking care of them and feeding them. But how much do you really know about your fish? This article will give to you a full profile and background of your pets.
Koi (Japanese for "carp") are domesticated varieties of the carp. They were bred for the first time in Japan around the 1820's. These species come in a wide array of colors and patterns which include red, white, orange, silver, green, blue and black. The environment where they live and their diet affect their color, and this makes it easy to comprehend the skill and patience it took for the first breeders in developing such an amazing and magnificent fish.
They live well in cold water, at their best in temperatures between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Living in cooler temperatures, it's safe to keep them outside during the cold seasons.
The Koi is one of the most popular fish that thrive in freshwater ponds, and they can be found in many ponds throughout the world. They are loved for color patterns and lifespan (the oldest reached around 226 years old)!). These are typically large fish, which requires them to be placed in ponds with 500 gallons of water (or even more), with a depth of no less than 3 feet.
For this, you should construct your pond in such a way that it can hold your fish very well. Remember that your pets' health will depend on the amount of space that you give them. Water quality is another thing that you need to consider, as it is another factor that will affect the health of your fish. These are more expensive than the goldfish, that's why they can be harder to replace.
They're not typically among those schooling fish, but this doesn't keep them from socializing and mingling with other breeds of fish. Make sure not to place them next to larger fish that may see them as their prey. They seem to school together in smaller ponds, but will split up in smaller groups when placed in larger areas.
As winter comes, they will begin their hibernation. During this time, their digestive system will slow down, almost reaching to a stop. The food stored in their stomachs may grow rancid, which could cause illness. This is the reason why you should not feed your fish in temperatures dropping less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Koi are beautiful, ornamental fish which can complete those relaxing sounds of rippling water flows coming from your outdoor pond. Owners of Koi consider themselves lucky as they care of pets that touch their lives in a very special way.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
No related posts
May 17th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Koi fish make wonderful pets and have a rich history. This is a very nice general overview about the benefits and some of the responsibilities of keeping Koi as pets.