Koi is one of the most colorful and beautiful fish that owners can have in their koi pool, but keeping them in good health and great condition will require at the basic knowledge about outdoor koi pool and pets, and a few necessary koi stock as well.

First off, you need to have filtration system that will maintain the water quality of your koi pool. There are two types of filters, the biological and the mechanical ones. The function of the filter is to remove those unwanted pollutants which will decrease illnesses that may affect your fish.

Now, the only way for the filtration system to work in processing the water is when the water will move, that’s why there’s a need for you to install a pump, which is another important factor that will promote the health of your koi pool. Although you can have a waterfall or fountain in the pond to aid water movement, they should not completely replace the pump, as they don’t have the necessary strength to help with the filtration of the koi pool.

The advantage of having a fountain in your koi pool is that it will give you feeling of tranquility, which will drown those unwanted noise, stir the water, and provide oxygen to the koi pool.

Other koi pool supplies, although they’re not needed on a daily basis, should still be kept available when the need for it arises. The dechlorinator is a device used to replenish the water level of your koi pool with tap water (but you need to eliminate and remove the harmful chemicals of the tap water first).

The nitrate and pH levels of the water should be checked weekly with the use of test kits available in local pet stores. Pond salt and baking soda can be added to the water in regulating the nitrate and pH levels of the water when the test will show that the levels of chemicals are off.

Food is perhaps the most important koi supplies. Although they eat a variety of natural foods, it is still necessary for you to keep a basic food source ready at all times. The fish can eat out of their owner’s hand, so treats and snacks can also be offered to your fish.

Also, watch out for those predators. These are the herons, kingfishers, cats, foxes, badgers and raccoons. A good koi pool design can keep them in safety. Pond waters should be deep enough to prevent heron attacks. You can also create overhangs on the side of the pond to prevent these predators from reaching the water.

Another way to do this is by placing the koi pool under a tree, to cover the aerial view of the birds. Nets can also be placed entirely over the koi pool, and this will work two-fold: protection from predators and prevention for debris like leaves from falling into the water (which will really mess up your pond if left to fall).

Remember that your fish will take a little effort on your part in taking care of them when setting up your pond and considering all of the koi supplies that you’ll be needing for it. But rest assured that these are beautiful and magnificent fish that are truly worth your time and effort!

Winter is nearly here, and this will be the first time your koi pond will go through such a cold weather. You see, winter is considered as the down period for your koi pond, because during this time, less events happen compared to other seasons. To make sure that your koi and koi pond survive the weather, here are some special precautions that you need to take in your koi plot before winter comes to your doorstep.

First of all, clean up: Take your time as you go over your koi pond, which can take about a weekend. Remove the unwanted bulk material inside and around it. Inside the koi pond, remove all the materials like leaves and slits from the bottom. Remove those plants and flowers that won’t survive the cold. Around your koi pond, clean up those things that can be blown and pushed into it, as you will not see the debris until the end of the cold weather. This will also prevent harmful parasites and bacteria in the near future.

Second, stop feeding your pets: Remember that your pets needs to stop feeding during the winter. Feed your pets only once daily when the fall starts and temperatures goes at 55 degrees to 60 degrees. Stop the feeding completely once the temperature hits below 50 degrees (even if the temperature goes above this level, refrain from feeding your pets). Most take at least 4 days to digest their food completely when they’re healthy and temperature is above 50 degrees. If you forget this one, you will kill your pets! Never mistake it for hunger when your pets open their mouths to you, because it’s only a learned reflex rather than hunger. Don’t worry about you not feeding, because your pets will feed on something else besides the food that you provide them (especially if your koi pond has a great amount of natural plants). If you’re not feeding them and if ever they get hungry, they will feed on this.

Third, check up your equipments: Do a seasonal check up on your equipments, from your filtration system to your array of medications. The majority of the koi ponds all over the world lie dormant during the winter time, you’d be able to less likely find the stuff that you’re going to need. Ensure that your emergency kit (including the nets, medications, bags, and water testing kits) is always ready and up to date.

Fourth, prepare for the cold times: Prepare for the cold weather by investing in the items that you’ll need for the summer. The pets can withstand constant temperatures as low as 39 degrees for short periods of time (including those slightly lower than 39 degrees).If you purchase a heater, research first on what size you’d be needing in order to heat your koi pond during the winter rightly. Otherwise, ice will still form, causing danger given by the gas content in the water, as it is trapped under the ice. You can put an emergency tank inside of the koi pond in case of extreme events.

Lastly, turn off all of the sources of water: Your heater will be working harder to maintain the kind of water temperature that’s enough to keep your pets alive in colder weather. If your koi pond has those additional koi plot water features such as streams, waterfalls, or those fountains that move constantly, make it a point that you turn them off during the winter time (these will circulate water, constantly bringing new and cold water to your koi pond. Switching these features off will make the standing water in your koi pond the only water that your heater will be responsible for.

The Koi come in a wide variety of patterns and colors. The black koi family are distinguished from the other varieties due to their coloring and pattern, and not much else. They can grow up to about 36 inches in length, that is why there’s also a need for them to be kept in large ponds like all of the other koi. It has the same lifespan as the others, around 25 to 35 years of age. They are seen regularly in outdoor ponds anywhere in the globe.

Types Of black koi variant:

There are many types of the black koi variant. The Kumonryu koi is the most popular of the species. It first appeared in the 1980′s. The word “Kumonryu” means “dragon fish” in Japanese. It has been coined as such due to its body is nostalgic of the bodies of dragons drawn in ancient paintings. Others think that these fish look like dragons rising up through the clouds. It can also change its color and pattern.

The Magoi koi is one of the first all black mutation that can grow very long. Seemingly black in color when viewed from above, their actual color is deep bronze. Because of their great possibilities in size, their blood is being reintroduced to other koi so as to hasten and maximize the growth potential of the others.

The Matsukawabake koi has areas or white on its body. They can change color, and because of the environmental effects and their diet, their color changes from a duller or brighter shade of color. The temperature can completely change their color, turning completely white or completely black. It will only return to its original color once there’s a change in temperature. The Karasu koi (meaning “crow” in Japanese) is another of those very old species. This koi is known by its black-colored body and fins. Others can also have an white or orange belly.

The wide array of colors of the black koi variant is one of the factors that makes them an attraction to people. What’s even more exciting is that you have the ability to own a koi that can amazingly change its color in an instant just like some of the species of the black koi variant can!

To have a healthy pet Koi, you have to feed them with the proper koi fish food that will keep them in great shape. For this, you should know the nature of your pets when it comes to their diet and feeding patterns.

Generally, Koi are omnivorous fish, which means that they eat both plants and meat alike. They are known to have sharp appetites when the water temperature falls on 61 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit. The summertime is when they are most active in their appetites, this is why they should be fed with koi food that will give them a good quality diet (those nutritious koi food).

Your fish eat almost anything that comes in their way, ranging from insects, worms, snails, to the foliage of underwater plants (which could sometimes give their owners quite a bit of a headache!). Some of them would also feast on those acorn and grasses which they manage to eat by pulling themselves part of the way out of the water!

Wintertime, however, is when their digestive system slows down, almost to a stop. Now, this is the time when there’s no need for you to feed them with koi food. Why? It’s because they may take the liberty of nibbling on the algae that can be found at the bottom of the pond (or any available natural food there is). But there’s one thing that you must always remember: once the temperature will fall to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, any food that will be left and stored in their stomach will become bad, that it may cause them to fall ill.

So, what are the good and healthy koi food that you can give to your fish? You must always keep in mind that they need to have the right and proper combination of fats, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. To get these, you can feed them with pellet foods, which can be made to float on the top of the water so that they’ll come out of the water’s surface to snatch it.

In addition to this, you can also feed your fish with special treats like watermelons, peas and lettuce. Be careful though in feeding them with koi food such as corn, beans and grapes, as they contain an outer casing, which can’t be properly digested if swallowed by your fish. So make sure that you remove the outer casings before feeding them with it.

Other koi food include prawns (edible crustaceans which has similarities to shrimp, only that they are bigger), bread (which can be broken down, rolled into small balls and thrown into the pond), lettuce (high in essential vitamins and minerals) and fruits (but should only be fed occasionally, as most of them have high amounts of natural sugar).

You should ensure that your fish are in great health and also free from injuries. As they have great appetites, you needn’t put a lot of stress into how and how much they’re being fed. Feeding your fish with koi food is when you can take the pleasure of your pet’s eagerness to interact with you. A healthy diet can give your fish bright colors, making them even more attractive to you and others!

The Koi is considered to be one of the most popular fresh-water pond fish today, and they can be found gracing their way to the waters of millions of outdoor ponds throughout the world. They are well-loved for their variation in colors and patterns, as well as their long life (the oldest of which was recorded to have reached around 226 years!). In caring for koi, they are the perfect choice for pets to be taken care of in an outdoor pond.

These fish are domesticated types of carp (the word “Koi” comes from the Japanese word which means “carp”). They come in different patterns and colors, including black, yellow, red, orange, blue, silver and green. Outside elements (such as the environment where they live) and their diet affect the pets’s color. With this, you can see the amount of skill and patience it actually took the first Japanese breeders to produce such a magnificent fish!

These pets can mingle with other breeds of fish (as long as their size isn’t small enough to be eaten by the larger fish that are opportunistic predators). They tend to school together in smaller areas, but divide into smaller numbers in larger ones.

They can grow very long, so you’ll need, at the very least, 500 gallons of pond water in order to contain them. If you decide to put them in small ponds, just look at how big your pets can grow. If there’s overcrowding, change the size of the pond and make it bigger, or you can choose to give your larger pets away so that you can get smaller ones. Keep the number of pets with respect to the amount of water that the pond holds (you see, space is quite important for the health of your pets). They can be hard to replace with because they are expensive.

These pets live in cold water, doing well in temperatures between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. These are amazing fish that live in colder temperatures, and they can be kept outside in the winter. In koi care, ensure that the pond is no less than 3 feet deep. As winter comes, they will begin hibernating. Their digestive system will slow down. The food stored in their stomach may turn rancid and make them sick, making it very important not to feed your pets in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The pond can be soothing and relaxing when you get to hear its rippling water flows in your yard, but to make it complete, it should have a magnificent and ornamental fish like the Koi. Owners of the pets consider themselves as lucky to have this kind of pet that they take good care of, as it really touches their lives and gives them happiness!

Summer is the best and most lively season for your koi pool. During this time, the temperatures are favorable, which lets you enjoy your koi pool more. But you should continue to maintain your koi pool during this time. In caring for koi, remembering those few important things during the summer months will help you keep the beauty and liveliness of your koi pool.

Higher level of temperatures can cause less amount of oxygen:

During summer, the level of oxygen in your koi pool will decrease. Therefore, necessary measures should be taken, especially if you live in places where warm temperatures are experienced most of the time. A good indication that your pond doesn’t have high enough concentration of oxygen is when you see your fish hanging out towards the top of the surface of the pond, seemingly gasping for air. You can put extra water features in your koi pool like fountains and waterfalls to keep the oxygen moving.

Remember this: the more motion the water has, the more available oxygen there is for your koi. Also, if these features are not available, you can always change the koi pool’s water frequently to give your koi the necessary amount of oxygen that they need.

Watch out for evaporation:

Higher amounts of heat can cause the water to evaporate quickly. What you should do for this is to pay close attention to your koi pool’s water levels, and then do the necessary adjustments. It is important to remove all of the chlorine from the water that you’re going to add.

Summertime is the time for parasites:

Heat brings on those parasites and illnesses, and as most of these parasites are invisible to the naked eye, it is important for you to watch your koi for those signs of illness. Symptoms such as scratching, rubbing against objects, shaking or shivering could indicate different types of illnesses.

Pay attention to your koi if they start to develop visible spots or changes on their body (they may also knock off their fins!). If you see any of these changes, contact your local pet store, vet, or your dealer as soon as you can. Some parasites may cause only minimal damage, but illnesses like the KHV (or Koi herpes virus) can cause real serious problems to your koi, that’s why it should be treated immediately.

Feeding your koi:

To ensure the health of your koi throughout the summertime, feed them with nutritious foods. In koi watch, give them food that are low in protein at least one to three times daily. If your koi seem to be still hungry after you have fed them, you can slightly increase the feeding amount. Take note that feeding your koi with only small amounts of food will prevent the spoiling of food. Feeding them with larger amounts will give way to uneaten foods that will spoil quickly (which can cause issues in water quality).

Your koi will only eat what’s necessary for their survival, and will leave those extra ones. Feeding your koi will also cause less oxygen content in the koi pool’s water, and this can be an issue during the summertime, as oxygen gets depleted in high levels of temperatures. This can be resolved by feeding your koi in the cooler times of the day.

In koi watch, summer is the best season to feed your koi through your hand. Feeding them like this will let you to get to know your koi better, and they in turn get to familiarize you as someone who takes care of them. You can even get your kids involved in feeding them (which would be an unforgettable experience for them!).

The hobby of propagating koi (also known as “Nishikigoi” in Japan) is rapidly becoming popular in the United States. However, few people know where and how they came to be. The first of the species were produced by breeding the Asian and German carp. They have been selectively bred for years, after which different kinds of color mutations started to show up. The earliest recorded color patterns was around 1805. To date, there are many (by the thousands) of color variations available.

Among the popular colors of the koi are white, yellow, black, silver, orange, blue, red and green. There are countless possibilities of pattern combinations. Each Koi are named based on their color and pattern. Among the people, their favorite types of Koi may differ, depending on the location and country.

These koi are raised and bred for sale in many countries, like Japan, Israel, Singapore, and in warmer states in the U.S. like California and Nevada. The koi can be purchased at many local pet stores. They can also be ordered if they don’t have the stock readily available. The advantage of ordering is that the purchaser will have more options, for they do not have to pick from the stock on hand. The only disadvantage here is that the purchaser won’t be able to pick the specific koi they like.

The unique quality of the Koi is that they will continually grow until they have reached the maximum size of their breed, no matter what habitat they’re in. The babies are in lengths of 3 inches, while the biggest koi can reach around 3 feet long, or even more! The most common size is around 2 feet. They have been known to live up to 30 years under the right conditions, and the oldest of which have lived up to 233 years, around 2 centuries!

The Koi are omnivorous animals, feeding on both meat and plants alike. This means that they have a versatile diet. Your koi will eat almost anything that you give them, no matter if it’s good for them or not. In reproducing koi, the owner should be the ones to control their diet, for they don’t know what’s good or not for their diet, and the amount of food that they should be taking everyday. The best treats for your koi are the natural food, like earthworms and tadpoles, and other food like lettuce, bread, fruit and veggies.

Owners should be careful when feeding them with treats like corns, grapes and beans, because these food have an outer casing, which can be improperly digested by your koi if eaten by them. The outer casings should be completely removed before feeding those to your koi.

The Koi are known to be non-aggressive fish, suitable of living and mingling with other fish like the goldfish and comet. The only problem here is that if they will find smaller fish in their path, probability is that they may eat them (for they are quick eaters!). This kind of fish don’t have teeth, which is why they can be fed out of their owners hand as well (a great past time for their owners!). For this, reproducing koi is a truly a fun hobby for lovers of this fish.

Spring is the time when your koi pond will literally come to life. From hibernating, the living things in your koi pool are ready to spring to life at the first signs of the hot weather. In koi care, this is the best time to maintain your koi pool before your fish, plant, and other biological components in your koi pool will come back to live from their winter slumber. Changes can be seen as the days get hotter. Look for temperatures around 50 degrees, because this is the best time to maintain your pond.

The maintenance required for your koi pool will depend on what has happened during the winter season. A hard ones calls for a need for you to perform more changes, and this makes it a good idea to start as soon as you observe changes in the weather. Always keep in mind that maintenance in the spring should be completed on a yearly basis, and it doesn’t matter how mild or harsh the previous winter has been.

Check for the water quality of your koi pool. You’ll notice that your koi pool’s water is very clear when the seasons shift from winter to spring. Don’t let this one fool you, because there will be factors that will cause real problems once summertime will come if you don’t resolve these issues as soon as possible.

During the fall and winter seasons, leafs and other plant material may have found its way to the koi pool. Although the water seems clear, these materials have placed large amounts of nutrients in the water, causing rapid algae growth once the spring will arrive. Plus, large amount of organic material in the koi pool will start to undergo decomposition, which in turn reduces the oxygen in the water.

Now, since the water in your koi pool is really clear, this is the perfect opportunity to clear all of those unwanted slit and debris. And you can do this by:

1) Hiring a koi pool professional from your local pet store or dealer. These people have the right equipment needed to vacuum most of those slit and debris out of your pond. This could be an option that will cost you more money, but you are guaranteed that the majority of those problem-causing materials will be removed from your koi pool.

2) Using a fine mesh net to scoop out much of those debris as possible. Now, the only problem here is that most nets will only cause more slit in your koi pool rather than removing them from it. After you have removed those unwanted debris and slits, test out your water. The winter will cause changes in the pH levels of the pond. Now, at the beginning of the spring season, the pH level of the water should be 8. This can be attained by putting treated tap water (buffered slightly to be alkaline by your water company) into your koi pool.

Most of all, never forget to maintain and take care of your koi. Keep in mind that spring is a very weak time for your koi as they have not eaten for months and they have been living on a relatively low level of energy. This can cause your koi to be more prone to attacks by parasites, bacteria, fungi and viruses. In koi watch, this would be a good time to take all of the necessary preventative measures for your koi and your koi pool.

You can add a wide array of treatment solutions to your koi pool to lessen the dangerous pests and materials. And once the weather heats up, another dose of such treatment solutions will serve as a protection for your koi as they redevelop their immune systems to protect themselves from diseases once the temperature rises up.

Breeding koi is quickly becoming a famous hobby among fish enthusiasts today. The nature of this hobby makes it almost essential in communicating with other people who breed the fish. The network of enthusiasts will be very helpful when you run into problems and then your Koi dealer, vet or local pet store is unavailable. They provide you with complete entertainment and fun. This is a place to discuss your hobby with others who equally interested in it as you are!

Many Koi communities online are accessible 24/7, and they’re free to use as well. What you need to do is just go through the sign up process, then begin reading, posting stuff, and then responding to the posts of the other members. This is how you can share helpful information to others in breeding koi, with which you can benefit from it as well. Joining an online community is quite easy to do, and it is truly rewarding too. Here are the few steps that you need to follow:

1) Find an active community. Just be careful not to join those old, outdated and unvisited pet communities (as the most of them are). You can look for the stats of the message boards on their main page. These stats include the number of posts done for a specific day and month, total number of users (members), and also the total number of members that are signed in currently in the message board.

The larger the number, the better. If you see high amount of members online, this will be a great opportunity for you to post and respond to messages, as well as talk to the other members right then and there.

2) After finding the suitable community, you must then become a member of it. Some will not require any sign ups to be done, which is a good idea if you’re not planning to post more than a couple of times. But if you plan to visit the board more often, it’s good to have an “identity” by obtaining your own member name and password. So once this is done, you can create your member profile. Just add and share the info that you want the people to see.

3) Now that you’re already a member, you can now see various topic boards online. These boards will break different topics into divisions, such as koi breeding, which will allow the users to find and discuss what interests them the most easily. Topics can cover breeding koi for newbies, advanced Koi keeping, pet behavior and the various health issues, and much more.

4) After you find the board that you like, you can now read and post messages. Make it a point that you only post messages on the topic listed so as not to confuse others and prevent the deletion and removal of your post. Follow the necessary etiquette and procedures when posting your messages: don’t post in all caps, never argue with others, make sure to spell out each word and don’t use catharsis (or abreactions), etc.

5) Lastly, lend a hand to others. The newbies, as well as the other Koi enthusiasts, will find your opinion quite helpful to them. Providing the knowledge you have about breeding koi, feeding, taking care of the fish, etc., will help others make their own ponds a better place for their pet.