Koi Care

Koi are one of the most popular fresh-water pond fish. Often you will see them gliding through the waters of a multitude of outdoor ponds around the world today. They are loved so well since they generally live to be quite old and come in an assortment of beautiful colors. In fact, the longest living Koi lived to be two hundred twenty-six. They make the best choice to include in an outside pond.

Koi are actually a domesticated variety of a common carp fish. The word Koi is the word used for carp in the Japanese language. They were the first to begin breeding these fish back in the 1820's. They come in a wonderful assortment of colors and patterns, which include black, white, yellow, orange, silver, red, green and blue. You can easy understand the skill and patience that the first Japanese breeders had for developing such wonderfully amazing Koi fish, as it is the outside element that does influence their ability to change colors. The diet and water temperatures as well as the season contribute to this ability.

Koi are generally not a schooling type of fish, however they are very social with other breeds of fish. There is exception to this however, as they do love to eat and will eat smaller breeds given the opportunity. Koi will school together in smaller ponds, however it is their nature to split up into smaller groups when they inhabit larger areas. Ponds of approximately 500 gallons of water or more are quite suitable for Koi to grow and thrive, because they can grow to be very large.

You must pay special attention to your Koi when you choose to house them in smaller ponds because of their growth potential. When you find they are becoming too big, you may want to make you pond bigger or even build a new larger pond. Unless of course, you choose to give away any larger fish and replace them with Koi of a smaller size to fit the size of pond you already have available. It is essential that the size of the pond and the amount of water that it holds be relative to the number and size of your fish. The amount of space that you choose to provide for your Koi fish will also influence the health of your fish.

The most vital factor concerning the health of Koi fish it the quality of water, in which they live. They can be very hard to replace, since they are more expensive than goldfish, another popular type of pond fish. Koi are cold-water fish and are healthiest in water temperatures that range between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wintertime provides them with some of the best cold-water temperatures, so they love it in outside ponds. However, their pond should never be any less than 3 feet in depth. Koi fish begin their winter hibernation as the temperatures begin dropping in the winter. At this time, their digestive system begins to degrease to nearly a halt. The foods in their stomachs can cause the fish to become sick as it begins to become rancid. Therefore, you should never feed you Koi in weather that is less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Outdoor ponds are inspiring and relaxing with all the babbling of rippling water, however this experience is heighten when you include any of these gorgeous ornamental Koi fish. The world of a Koi fish owner is truly blessed by the simple presence of their Koi fish.