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The Types Of Koi Fish
Koi are very popular fish bred and taken care of by hobbyists around the world. Koi is a Japanese word which means "carp" and includes the dull gray wild carp caught in rivers and 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, most people, particularly those in the United States, refer to them simply as koi.
A Very Koi Story
The carp originated from Central Europe and 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. Looking at the gorgeous color mutations, Japanese farmers in Niigata, a prefecture in Honshu, bred them for ornamental purposes and produced a number of 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 in the course of the annual exposition in Tokyo. The beautiful, colorful fish captivated the whole of Japan and many 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 continues to be the home of the best koi breeders although you can buy koi from most pet stores. However, 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 Attributes
You can find koi with various colors and patterns. The usual colors are white, black, red, yellow, blue and cream. Female koi are generally 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 tough, and can live for many years depending on their genetics and living conditions. The oldest koi ever documented 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 really shy and will run away when disturbed, they usually recognize the person regularly 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 recognized by the color, pattern and also scales. There are some hybrids like the Ghost koi and Butterfly koi that have also gained popularity but are not considered as true Nishikigoi. One of the prominent kinds of the true Nishikigoi are the following:
- Kohaku - white koi with big red marks on top
- Taisho Sanshoku - resembles the Kohaku but has additional small black markings
- Showa Sanshoku - black koi with 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 marks 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 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
All About Koi Health
Koi health is of paramount importance if you want to enjoy your fish for a long time. Koi fish are known to live for decades although the average life span is 20 to 30 years. Koi are hardy and durable; however, they can get sick.
Koi Supplies: Crucial To Having Vibrant-Looking Koi
If you want your koi fish to be healthy and vibrant-looking, you will need to make sure you have plenty of quality koi supplies. So what koi supplies are essential?
The Reason Why Adding A Koi Filter System Is Crucial
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.
Tips Concerning How To Properly Care Of Koi
Many pond owners around the world choose koi for pond fish. It's because koi are colorful and have interesting personalities. In addition, Koi fish tend to live long, from 25 to 35 years. It has even been reported that the koi fish's ancestral predecessors lived as long as 200 hundred years.
Learning More Regarding Koi Breeding
Koi breeding is not easy if what you aim for is to produce high-quality fish for competition purposes. Before you can obtain a prize-winning koi fish, you will have to cull and discard several thousand fry. The koi breeding process is long and difficult but it is all worth it.
Salt Water Aquarium - A Few Critical Information To Keep In Mind Before Buying One
A salt water aquarium is not a toy and shouldn't be wrapped up as such. By buying a fish tank you are taking responsibility for the care of these beautiful creatures and this is not something you should enter into lightly.
Vital Info About Caring For Fishes In Custom Aquariums
Custom aquariums allow you to develop exactly the type of fish community you want to own. Not only can you often determine the size and shape but you also get more input on how you are going to populate your new equipment.
Custom Made Aquaria - Blunders
People with custom aquariums tend to make the same mistakes as any other novice fish owner. The most common of these is overfeeding.
Creating Your Custom Made Aquarium - Golden Tips
When setting up your custom aquarium you need to follow some golden rules. It is extremely easy to destroy your own hard work by trying to take short cuts.
A Few Points On How To Begin A Salt Water Aquarium - An Excellent Addition To Any Home
A salt water aquarium is a great addition to any home. Kids love all types of living creatures and will get lots of joy watching the fish swim about. As they get older you can teach them responsibility by giving them the job of looking after the fish tank and its inhabitants.
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