The Types Of Koi Fish
Koi are very popular fish bred and taken care of by hobbyists the world over. Koi is a Japanese word which means "carp" and includes the dull gray wild carp caught in rivers and also lakes for food, as well as the brightly colored varieties. It is the vibrant koi fish which are bred for their beauty. Although the proper expression for these "living jewels" is nishikigoi, many people, particularly those in the United States, refer to them simply as koi.
A Very Koi Story
The carp originated from Central Europe and also Asia where it was basically a food fish. It was the Chinese who started to propagate specific species of carp until they developed the gold fish more than a thousand years ago. The Chinese first brought koi as food to Japan in 200 AD. Seeing the wonderful color mutations, Japanese farmers in Niigata, a prefecture in Honshu, bred them for ornamental purposes and produced several color patterns. The first kind to be popular is the kohaku, the red-and-white koi.
The Niigata koi was first seen by the community in 1914 during the annual exposition in Tokyo. The beautiful, colorful fish mesmerized the whole of Japan and some kept koi because they seemed great for their water gardens. It didn't take long before the rest of the world caught up on the hobby. These days, Niigata remains to be the home of the best koi breeders although you can buy koi from most pet stores. Then again, you have to go to specialist dealers if you prefer the higher-quality fish. Prices of koi differ according to the very koi-like feature of the fish.
Koi Characteristics
You can find koi with various colors and patterns. The usual colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue and cream. Female koi are usually plump while the males are more sleek with torpedo shapes. A fully-grown koi can grow as long as 36 inches and weigh over 17 pounds. The koi are hardy and durable, and can live for many years depending on their genetics and living conditions. The oldest koi ever reported was "Hanako" that reportedly lived around 226 years.
The Koi are omnivores which means they eat almost anything including vegetables. It is very koi of the fish to look for food at the bottom of the pond. Although koi fish are basically shy and will run away when disturbed, they usually recognize the person frequently feeding your koi fish. It is common to see koi gathering close to their keeper during feeding times with several eating directly from the hand.
Varieties of Koi
There are several types of koi that are distinguished by the color, pattern and also scales. There are some hybrids like the Ghost koi and Butterfly koi that have also acquired popularity but are not considered as true Nishikigoi. One of the prominent types of the true Nishikigoi are the following:
- Kohaku - white koi with big red markings on top
- Taisho Sanshoku - resembles the Kohaku but has additional small black markings
- Showa Sanshoku - black koi having red and white markings
- Tancho - virtually any koi with a lone red patch on top of its head
- Asagi - is colored light blue on top and red beneath
- Utsurimono - black with very koi markings of red, white or yellow
- Bekko - base colour of red, white or yellow with small black markings
- Goshiki - black koi accented with red, white, brown and also blue marks
- Shusui - doesn't have scales other than a single row of large mirror scales running down the dorsal area, from head to tail
Building Your Koi Pond Water Garden
If you want to keep koi, you will need to build them their habitat. It will be cruel to keep your koi fish in an aquarium because they can grow large and need ample space and depth to swim around. You need to build a koi pond water garden.
Why Adding A Koi Filter System Is Necessary
Not only does having a koi filter system installed help make your koi pond more attractive, it also does a lot to keep your koi fish healthy. Koi fish are highly sensitive to the pH balance and density of the water they're in compared to other types of fish.
Choosing Custom Made Fish Tanks
When choosing custom aquariums you will need to decide if you are going to keep freshwater or marine fish. There are many factors involved in setting up your fish tank and water quality is probably the most important.
What To Contemplate When Purchasing Salt Water Marine Life For Your New Aquarium
If you are interested in getting a saltwater fish tank, it means you probably want to have a load of lovely tropical fish in your home. But be warned they take more care than a freshwater equivalent.
Bearing In Mind The Bulk Of An Aquarium And The Requirements It Puts Forth
When looking at salt water fish tanks you need to be aware that the size of the marine aquarium needs to be a lot bigger than that for freshwater fish.
Learn More About The Best Way To Look After Aquariums Using Tropical Fish Guides
Tropical fish guides can help you decide on how to populate your new aquarium. These books will describe the different varieties of fish available.
Do You Wish Eels In Your Salt Water Fish Tanks? How To Deal With Them Properly?
If you want to own salt water aquariums but fancy something different, have a think about Moray Eels. They do not appeal to everyone but those that love these creatures will talk for hours about how beautiful they are. They will study them at length too.
Do You Know What Kinds Of Species Of Fish Are Suitable For Saltwater Aquariums
Generally speaking salt water aquariums are populated by those fish that live in the tropical coral reefs. Some like the Surgeonfish are shoaling fish, meaning they prefer to swim in large numbers, so if bought on their own are likely to pine and die from loneliness.
A Very Koi Story
The carp originated from Central Europe and also Asia where it was basically a food fish. It was the Chinese who started to propagate specific species of carp until they developed the gold fish more than a thousand years ago. The Chinese first brought koi as food to Japan in 200 AD. Seeing the wonderful color mutations, Japanese farmers in Niigata, a prefecture in Honshu, bred them for ornamental purposes and produced several color patterns. The first kind to be popular is the kohaku, the red-and-white koi.
The Niigata koi was first seen by the community in 1914 during the annual exposition in Tokyo. The beautiful, colorful fish mesmerized the whole of Japan and some kept koi because they seemed great for their water gardens. It didn't take long before the rest of the world caught up on the hobby. These days, Niigata remains to be the home of the best koi breeders although you can buy koi from most pet stores. Then again, you have to go to specialist dealers if you prefer the higher-quality fish. Prices of koi differ according to the very koi-like feature of the fish.
Koi Characteristics
You can find koi with various colors and patterns. The usual colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue and cream. Female koi are usually plump while the males are more sleek with torpedo shapes. A fully-grown koi can grow as long as 36 inches and weigh over 17 pounds. The koi are hardy and durable, and can live for many years depending on their genetics and living conditions. The oldest koi ever reported was "Hanako" that reportedly lived around 226 years.
The Koi are omnivores which means they eat almost anything including vegetables. It is very koi of the fish to look for food at the bottom of the pond. Although koi fish are basically shy and will run away when disturbed, they usually recognize the person frequently feeding your koi fish. It is common to see koi gathering close to their keeper during feeding times with several eating directly from the hand.
Varieties of Koi
There are several types of koi that are distinguished by the color, pattern and also scales. There are some hybrids like the Ghost koi and Butterfly koi that have also acquired popularity but are not considered as true Nishikigoi. One of the prominent types of the true Nishikigoi are the following:
- Kohaku - white koi with big red markings on top
- Taisho Sanshoku - resembles the Kohaku but has additional small black markings
- Showa Sanshoku - black koi having red and white markings
- Tancho - virtually any koi with a lone red patch on top of its head
- Asagi - is colored light blue on top and red beneath
- Utsurimono - black with very koi markings of red, white or yellow
- Bekko - base colour of red, white or yellow with small black markings
- Goshiki - black koi accented with red, white, brown and also blue marks
- Shusui - doesn't have scales other than a single row of large mirror scales running down the dorsal area, from head to tail
Building Your Koi Pond Water Garden
If you want to keep koi, you will need to build them their habitat. It will be cruel to keep your koi fish in an aquarium because they can grow large and need ample space and depth to swim around. You need to build a koi pond water garden.
Why Adding A Koi Filter System Is Necessary
Not only does having a koi filter system installed help make your koi pond more attractive, it also does a lot to keep your koi fish healthy. Koi fish are highly sensitive to the pH balance and density of the water they're in compared to other types of fish.
Choosing Custom Made Fish Tanks
When choosing custom aquariums you will need to decide if you are going to keep freshwater or marine fish. There are many factors involved in setting up your fish tank and water quality is probably the most important.
What To Contemplate When Purchasing Salt Water Marine Life For Your New Aquarium
If you are interested in getting a saltwater fish tank, it means you probably want to have a load of lovely tropical fish in your home. But be warned they take more care than a freshwater equivalent.
Bearing In Mind The Bulk Of An Aquarium And The Requirements It Puts Forth
When looking at salt water fish tanks you need to be aware that the size of the marine aquarium needs to be a lot bigger than that for freshwater fish.
Learn More About The Best Way To Look After Aquariums Using Tropical Fish Guides
Tropical fish guides can help you decide on how to populate your new aquarium. These books will describe the different varieties of fish available.
Do You Wish Eels In Your Salt Water Fish Tanks? How To Deal With Them Properly?
If you want to own salt water aquariums but fancy something different, have a think about Moray Eels. They do not appeal to everyone but those that love these creatures will talk for hours about how beautiful they are. They will study them at length too.
Do You Know What Kinds Of Species Of Fish Are Suitable For Saltwater Aquariums
Generally speaking salt water aquariums are populated by those fish that live in the tropical coral reefs. Some like the Surgeonfish are shoaling fish, meaning they prefer to swim in large numbers, so if bought on their own are likely to pine and die from loneliness.