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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.

What You Need to Know In Breeding Koi

June 15th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Breeding Koi is fun and refreshing. Nishikigoi or Koi as we commonly call them is a type of fish that is very colorful. They belong to the family of carp or fish family that live in freshwater. It is now very common that a lot of people try to breed Koi and consider it as a profitable hobby.

You have to learn about breeding Koi the right way to ensure success when rearing the species. It will not be easy in the beginning especially when it will be your first time to raise Koi as your pet. You have to put many things into consideration.

To obtain a better way of fostering Koi you have to know some of these helpful tips. Remember that first time rearing the fish always involves a stage of trial and error. The best time for this kind of fish to copulate is from April to July. Start with a lesser number of pair first. A 1:1 ratio is recommended. This way you may not be upset in case the pair emerges to be unsuccessful.

Both the male and the female Koi are showing peculiar characteristics in the spawning season. Most of the female Koi may exhibit a more allantoid structure than the male which is more slender at all times.

The fins on their body especially those above their abdomen are larger in males. And they may or may not have pointed fins too. But to be certain apply a light pressure on its abdomen and when the male Koi displays a soft roe from the anterior side it is indicative of being ready to mate.

Breeding Koi takes about 2-3 days and may happen anytime of the day but is usually around 2 in the morning.  The puffy appearance of the female Koi’s belly is indicative that it is carrying eggs. When this happens you have to put a male Koi in the same pond and the male Koi should be as big as your female Koi as much as possible.

Fish like to lay their fingerling in the best nesting place possible. And because Koi may not have the natural resources in your pond, try to ameliorate this by helping the Koi in creating its nest.

You can do this by putting a man-made brush or a piece of cloth cuttings in the water and have it settle. This will be the best nesting place for the fish. There are also soft spawning ropes available in the market.

When the female Koi has spawned or laid her eggs, water in the pond will appear very turbid and will give off an acerbic odor. This will be a good indication that your female Koi has successfully laid her eggs at that man-made nesting place you made.

You should also have an idea on how to pick a fry successfully. Pure black or white fry should be the top pick. It is best to cull 4 weeks after the fry hatched after which deformities, if any, such as the absence of fins or two heads become evident.

You should not forget to feed the fry sufficiently and to provide them with suitable environment to live. Koi breeding can be a fun hobby and many find satisfaction with breeding Koi.

Aquarium Tanks - Things to Consider Before Buying

June 12th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you’re debating getting an aquarium you’ll have to make lots of choices. There is such a vast range of aquarium tanks on the market that is can be difficult to choose the best one for you.

Fisrt of all you should consider what size of aquarium will fit into your home and how much space it will require. You must also think about the weight of the tank when it is full of water and what you have that will support that weight.

Then you should think about the size of the surface area, to guarantee you can keep a healthy environment. It is easier to maintain the stability of the water chemistry in a larger aquarium so get the biggest tank you can afford and have room for in your house.

Some types of fish need lots of room to swim around, regardless of their size, so if they’re kept in a tank that is too small it might cause them stress-rlated illness, even death. You should also think about the size your fish will become when they are fully-grown, if you buy them as babies.

The type of aquarium you decide on might have effect the sort of fish you can keep, due to its size and the amont fo light it lets in. To maintain a healthy plant-based ecosystem there should be enough surface area to let sufficient light in from the hood.

You should also consider where you can put your aquarium in your home and how much daylight it will be exposed to. If an aquarium gets too much sunlight on it the water can heat up to a dangerous level.

You also need a heater if you are planinng on getting tropical fish but the wattage needed depends on where you are keeping the tank and the size of it.

Another very important thing to take into consideration is a filter as there are several types available but all tanks need one.

When buying a tank ask for advice on the kind of filter you need from an expert or read the manufacturers manual, as the filter you need depends on the size of the tank and the number of fish you plan on keeping.

You should also consider practical issues when choosing a design.
One of the practical factors to think about is how you’ll access it to perfrom maintenance and cleaning. There are some very innovative designs on the market, such as tall column tanks and tanks that be built into dividing walls, but they can be difficult to access.

Once you’ve thought about what you need and like you can start seaching for aquarium tanks to buy. Be sure to do plenty of research and get advice and recommendations from experts. Keeping fish can be an expensive hobby so it’s a good idea to look into it well before you spend any money on your ideal aquarium.

The Responsibilities of Caring for Freshwater Fish

June 12th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Some people may be of the mind that freshwater fish care is a seemingly non-existent process. However, freshwater fish should not be thought of as a pet that can easily be set up and forgotten about. Fish require a certain amount of care, and as with any pet, only those who are willing to take on the responsibility for another life should entertain the idea of a pet. However, you should consider the fact that pets can be excellent pets for both busy and laid-back lifestyles.

Research is always a great idea when considering a pet–especially fish, as there are SO many types of freshwater fish to choose from. If you’re wanting more than one fish in a tank, be sure to find out whether they are aggressive or not, as some fish will literally kill others in the same tank. It is also wise to understand the environmental needs of your fish, such as tank size, whether it requires freshwater or saltwater, and how often the tank should be cleaned (some fish actually eat the “gunky” build-up on tank walls).

Make sure that you understand the feeding requirements of your fish before you bring them home. Some fish require certain types of food, as well as particular feeding schedules. You should be especially careful about not over-feeding or under-feeding your fish, as well. If you are unsure about how much food you should give them, don’t hesitate in calling the store or person you bought the fish from–they will most definintely be happy to assist you.

Cleaning the fish tank is a very important aspect of fish maintenance, yet one that doesn’t have to be done everyday. The general tip is that one third of the tank’s water should be changed out monthly to ensure that the fish have a clean, healthy environment. Remember–fish breathe through the water in the tank, and if it’s too dirty, they won’t be able to breath very well.

If you remember to follow these steps and act accordingly when purchasing a freshwater aquarium fish, then you will be fine. Your fish should live a healthy life and last as long as they are supposed to.

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