KOI CARP COLLECTION - The Healthy Koi: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

KOI SHOW & AUCTION in Raiser Cibinong Indonesia

Koi show and auction in Raiser Cibinong Indonesia at Aug 25 until Sept 12.
don't miss it, come and hunt your Kois....

Choosing Koi For Your Aquarium

While you may purchase young, small koi, like other species of creatures, they will adapt their growth and size somewhat, to the restrictions of space. Food and overall conditions in the aquarium will also affect their growth rate, with premium food being important, and overfeeding to be avoided both for the health of the fish, and the health of the tank environment.
Clean water is a must, as is good aeration. Large fish eat a lot of food and produce a lot of waste. If you have a 50-gallon tank, and several fish, you may need a filtration system whose capacity is actually over 50 gallons, in order to keep the water as clean as possible.
You might like to choose from several of the varieties of koi, for a more interesting mix of colors, but remember that koi in their natural outdoor environment, tend to have more intense color in cooler weather, so keep your tank temperature in a moderate zone. If you'd like to have males and females, ask for help from the breeder or store in sexing your purchases. Very young koi are difficult to tell apart, although young adult females tend to have a fuller, cigar type shape.
Some of the more attractive varieties of koi include:
Kohaku- White body and red pattern down the back. One of the most popular varieties for koi hobbyists.
Tashio Sanke- White body and red patterned back, with black accents
Showa Sanke- A three colored variety, having a black body, with white and red accents, although some strains have more white
Bekko, Utsuri- Body color is non-metallic black on white, yellow or red.

About The Author
Nate Jamieson
Love Tropical Fish? Find out how to create a beautiful, low-cost tropical fish aquarium with complimentary tips at http://www.TropicalFishIsland.com.

Maintaining Oxygen Levels in Fish and Koi Ponds

Severe environmental stressors are the most frequent causes of sudden fish death in garden ponds or other fish habitats, and the lack of oxygen in the water is the number 1 stressor of all.
Two major factors contributing to fish-pond oxygen loss concern blooming algae. During daylight hours, algae make oxygen; during the night,however, the plants take oxygen. If algae are profusely blooming, the plants deplete all the pond’s oxygen during the night, which in turn, causes fish inhabiting the pond to die.
Another way that algae trigger oxygen loss is by dying suddenly. Algae-bloom death occurs naturally or from chemical treatment of an algaecide. When algae die suddenly – from either cause – the oxygen becomes quickly depleted because the algae no longer are alive and making it.
Then, when dead algae begin to decompose, the decaying process even further depletes oxygen. Fish have been observed gulping for oxygen at the water’s surface in sixty minutes or less from the onset of sudden algae death.
In ponds stocked liberally with many fish, often the oxygen level is just adequate enough to sustain them. If any further claim on the existing oxygen is made, this delicate environmental balance will be upset. When no or inadequate aeration is provided, along with rising warm-weather water temperatures, the conditions for fish survival become critical.
As water warms, its oxygen-retaining capacity decreases. Consequently, small fountains, waterfalls, or other water-aerating devices are incapable of providing adequate oxygen for fish. Additional oxygen should be introduced through brisk aeration when fighting algae, most importantly when water temperatures surpass eighty degrees Fahrenheit.
Testing devices are the only sure method to accurately read oxygen levels. Because these devices are not usually on hand for the average person maintaining a water garden or fish pond, the easiest way to ensure sufficient oxygen levels is to provide generous and continual aeration. Pumps and diffusers that “bubble” air into the water or large waterfalls, fountains, and other “splashing” water devices are common ways to get sufficient oxygen into the pond. When the weather is warm, or if an algae problem exists, it is imperative that supplemental aeration be provided constantly, throughout the day and night.
One other algae-caused loss of fish has gained attention and is being studied in areas around the world. These fish-killing algal varieties contain potent toxins that trigger sudden fish death. If a pond hosts these particularly virulent algae, devastating fish loss can result, seemingly more so when a quick die-off of algal bloom occurs. The blooms discharge their toxins concurrently, and some or all fish in the pond are adversely affected or killed. Fortunately, since pond owners are unable to identify these algae, this danger is rare.
Keep your oxygen levels under control at all times and you will greatly increase your the lifespan of your fish.
To read the full article, click here: http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Newsletters/July2004/Oxygen-Depletion.shtml

About The Author
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at www.macarthurwatergardens.com. brett@macarthurwatergardens.com

How to Choose Between Goldfish And Koi

Many people have asked us over the years "Should I add goldfish or KOI (or both) to my pond? The answer is "it depends."
Goldfish are better suited to smaller water gardens and ponds, in the 50 - 500 gallon range. Goldfish are extremely hardy and easy to care for, which makes them the perfect choice for the new pond owner or water gardener.
KOI Feeding
KOI, on the other hand, require a little more knowledge and better water quality in most cases, than goldfish and are better suited to the more experienced pond keeper. KOI generally thrive best in ponds over 500 gallons (the bigger - the better.)
This is becuase KOI can grow quite large and therefore require more water in the pond for proper biological breakdown of waste. KOI are also more expensive (and harder to replace) than goldfish, so this should also be taken into account before filling your new pond full of KOI fish. More considerations...
Goldfish are an excellent choice for the average water garden that is usually also full of a variety of potted plants. Lilies, Lotus, Iris, and submerged annuals - these all do well in a water garden pond with goldfish. Goldfish will not disturb the plants, and will enjoy playing around under the lily pads without disturbing the plants.
Pond Goldfish
Japanese KOI on the other hand, and especially the larger ones, will often create a huge mess out of submerged potted plants. They seem to enjoy 'digging' in the soil of the plants and sometimes even knocking them over. This all leads to added mess in the pond, and can create a real problem for the pond owner.
Generally, it's best to not have submerged plants in large pots, when also keeping KOI. The ideal KOI pond is much deeper than the average water garden, so the necessity for plants to help with water quality and shade is reduced.
However, if you still do want to keep potted plants in your KOI pond, we recommend wrapping netting over the tops of the pots, to keep the fish from digging in the pots. Another thing you can do is to top the pots with 1" of pea gravel, and then larger river stones or similar over that. The KOI will not be able to get past the larger rocks.
As far as mixing Goldfish with KOI, this is fine and very common, we've just tried to highlight the most important differences between the two and between the average water garden and KOI pond. Feel free to experiment with both, and then decide which fish is more to your liking.
Publishing Guidelines You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

About The Author
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 6,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens>

Hand Feeding Your Koi

One of the most rewarding and entertaining things about having a Koi pond is when your fish finally start eating out of your hand. There is no better way to learn each fishes' personality and temperament than to have them nuzzle your fingers when they are hungry.
The key to training your Koi to eat from your hand is patience and conditioning. Like any wild animal Koi have a natural distrust for anything that they think can hurt them, and you're plenty big enough to do that as far as they are concerned.
If your goal is hand feeding then you need to start training from the very first time that you feed a new fish. Of course, it's not too late to start training your existing fish, but it's easier if you start out that way.
If you have been feeding your fish by simply broadcasting the food on top of the water then stop doing that immediately. Instead, bring your feed bag next to the pond and kneel down. Then, place a few pellets in your hand, submerge your hand, and let the pellets slowly fall out.
Don't worry if your fish seem to not be paying attention. They know that your hand is in the water and they know that pellets just appeared out of nowhere.
Eventually one or two will swim up and eat. When that happens, the rest of them will follow. Continue slowly dropping pellets from your hand until you have fed your normal amount. Repeat that process for about a week.
The following week, set up as you did last week, but this time submerge your hand and hold the pellets in your slightly cupped palm. Hold your hand steady and don't make any movements. Eventually at least one fish should come over and eat from your hand. It is essential that you do not make any quick movements while this is happening. Remove your empty hand and repeat the process. If the fish will not approach your hand to feed, then do not feed them that day. They won't starve to death, believe me, and they will be a little bit more likely to eat form your hand the next time that you offer them food.
Once you have them to the point that they will eat form your palm, it is time to teach them to take the food directly from your finger tips. Simply grasp a pellet, submerge your hand, and wait until the boldest fish approaches. Once he eats the others will follow. If they don't you know what do to. Just feed the ones that will eat from your hand and let the others miss a meal. Hunger is a great motivator for Koi.
Once you have your Koi eating out of your hands you can alternate between normal feeding and hand feeding for those times when you're in a rush and just can't sit down and enjoy your fish.
To read the full article, click here: https://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/Newsletters/September2004/Hand-feeding-koi.shtml

About The Author
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at http://www.macarthurwatergardens.com/. brett@macarthurwatergardens.com