What Makes Koi Very Charming?
Koi are very popular fish bred and taken care of by hobbyists around the world. Koi is a Japanese word that 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 that are bred for their beauty. Although the proper expression for these "living jewels" is nishikigoi, most people, especially 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 selected 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 beautiful 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 established 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 charming, colorful fish mesmerized the whole of Japan and some kept koi because they seemed great for their water gardens. It did not take long before the rest of the world caught up on the hobby. Nowadays, Niigata continues to be the home of the finest 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 vary according to the very koi-like feature of the fish.
Koi Attributes
You can find koi with different 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 matured koi can grow as long as 36 inches and weigh over 17 pounds. The koi are hardy and tough, and can live for decades depending on their genetics and living conditions. The oldest koi ever reported was "Hanako" that reportedly lived around 226 years.
The Koi are omnivores and 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 dash away when disturbed, they usually recognize the person routinely feeding your koi fish. It is common to see koi gathering close to their keeper during feeding times with some eating directly from the hand.
Varieties of Koi
There are several kinds of koi that are recognized by the color, pattern and 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 varieties of the true Nishikigoi are the following:
- Kohaku - white koi with big red marks on top
- Taisho Sanshoku - looks like 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 the head
- Asagi - is colored light blue on top and red beneath
- Utsurimono - black with very koi marks of red, white or yellow
- Bekko - base color 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 except for a single row of large mirror scales running down the dorsal area, from head to tail
Koi Breeding: Find Out More About It
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.
Tropical Fish Guide - Avoiding Traps And Hard Fish
The tropical fish guide will tell you that marine fish can be difficult. They are often more aggressive than freshwater fish particularly with members of their own species.
Essential Info Regarding Nitrogen Levels Inside Salt Water Aquariums
With salt water aquariums it is very important to keep the nitrogen levels down or else the fish will die. Fish are living creatures and like humans they will eat food and release waste.
When Selecting 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 All You Need To Properly Enhance Your Aquarium
Decorating your salt water fish tanks with rocks and pieces of coral is imperative in order to make the fish feel at home.
How Many Fish Is Way Too Many In A Salt Water Tank
The number one mistake people make when buying salt water fish tanks is to buy one that is too small. Marine fish are used to a lot of space and deep water so you need to buy as large a tank as possible.
Varied Features Of Salt-Water Fish
If you are interested in buying salt water fish tanks, it goes without saying that you are fascinated by fish. With so many different species of fish, have you ever thought about how a fish is classified as such? Fish have certain common characteristics being:
How To Get Around New Aquarium Problem Associated With Salt Water Fish Tanks
If you are interested in salt water fish tanks you have probably heard of new tank syndrome. This is where people who buy a load of new fish find that they all die very quickly.
Related Articles
Partner Links