House & Home
Koi
published by Barnes & Noble
Learn how to care or these stunning, elegant fsh. Koi make beautiful, docile, and interesting pets. This guide shows you how to take the best possible care of your new fish, including:
Meet the Koi The keeping o koi is a hobby that can last a lietime: wellcared-or koi can live or decades. The care o these beautiul sh is relatively basic, but they require an enormous amount o space in which to live, so koi are almost always kept in large outdoor ponds. Keeping koi can be a wonderul and rewarding experience, but the high cost o the sh themselves and the construction o their habitat makes koi ownership a task that no one should enter into lightly.
Natural History Koi are descendants o the common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ). They originated in China and rst appeared in Chinese writings dating rom around 300 CE. When the common carp arrived in Japan roughly 1,000 years ago, armers kept the sh in their mud ponds to supplement their daily diet o rice and vegetables. Ater several centuries, reportedly around 1840 CE, the carp produced mutations that ormed the beginning o the modern koi’s colorul appearance. These rst “colored carp” originated in the Niigata preecture o Japan, where sh armers produced and kept the sh as a hobby (rather than eating them). A process o selective breeding over the ollowing decades produced the many color and pattern variations that exist among the dierent strains o koi now available.
Appearance Koi vary a great deal in terms o coloration and pattern, but in general they are very large sh capable o reaching up to 40" (1 m) in length. They have two pairs o barbels (slender protrusions covered in taste buds that help the koi nd ood), one pair on either side o the mouth. These barbels help dierentiate koi rom goldsh, which some koi can resemble.
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The best places to acquire a koi
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The gear you need to create the right environment environment for your koi
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Feeding and healthcare h ealthcare tips to prolong your koi’s life
mouth—a mouth pointAs juveniles, koi have an inerior mouth—a ed downward that helps the sh eed o the bottom o the pond. As the koi age, their mouths gradually turn upward.
Koi Classes Although all koi are o the same species ( Cyprinus carpio ), there are countless dierent types o koi within that species. The terms used to describe dierent koi are class and variety.. Each class comprises one or many varieties. For examety ple, Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa are all single-variety classes, while the Kawarimono class includes dozens o unique varieties o koi. There are also subvarieties within each group, with Japanese terminology to distinguish them rom other, similar koi. The Kohaku class alone has distinct terms or two, three, and our-step-pattern koi; words to describe their scalation; and other terms that describe their markings. This system can seem a bit overwhelming or people new to the hobby: or example, a Doitsu Sandan Maruten Kuchibeni Kohaku is a white and red nonmetallic sh (Kohaku) with mirror scales (Doitsu), a three-step pattern (Sandan), a separate patch o red on the head (Maruten), and red lips (Kuchibeni). Fortunately, you don’t need to know all o this terminology to select a quality sh. But being able to at least recognize some o the dierent classes o koi will help you choose the type that’s most aesthetically pleasing to you. The ollowing are just a ew o the dierent koi classes available or purchase. • Bekko: Koi with a white, red, or yellow base and black markings are classied as Bekko. The Shiro Bekko, a white koi with black markings in the same conguration as a Sanke, is the most common. Other varieties include the Aka Bekko, a red sh with black markings and no traces o white; and a Ki Bekko, a lemon-yellow koi with black, Sanke-type markings.
• Kohaku: The rst and most common koi variety, Kohaku are white sh with overlying red patterns in various shapes and sizes. Even distribution and high intensity o the red markings ( hi in Japanese) are the signs o a good-quality Kohaku.
• Sanke: A Sanke is essentially a Kohaku with additional black markings that shouldn’t extend below the lateral line. (The lateral line is a narrow canal under the scales that begins behind the gill cover and extends the entire length o the body to the base o the tail. It is made o small sensory pores that can detect the slightest vibration in the water.) Variations o Sanke include Matsunosuke Sanke, which show aint blue-gray colors that gradually deepen to black; Aka Sanke, which have large areas o red uninterrupted by the pattern; and Maruten Sanke, which have sel-contained red markings on the head and elsewhere on the body.
• Showa: First developed in 1927, the traditional Showa is predominantly red, with black and white in roughly equal proportions throughout the body. I more than hal the body appears red when viewed rom above, the sh is reerred to as a Hi Showa.
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www.quamut.com • Utsurimono: Although there are three varieties o koi classied as Utsurimono, only one, the Shiro Utsuri, is common to the pet trade. A Shiro Utsuri is a glossy, jetblack sh with white markings. The amount o black increases as the sh ages. Utsurimono with red as the secondary color instead o white are known as Hi Utsuri and closely resemble Hi Showa except that they lack white coloration.
How to Obtain a Koi You can obtain koi rom a variety o sources, including: • Aquarium stores • Internet vendors • Specialist dealers Until you gain experience in the hobby, ask a seasoned koi keeper to assist you in making the best possible choice. Allow yoursel plenty o time to view the sh, ask questions o the vendor, and avoid making a purchase unless you see a sh you really want.
I you choose to acquire a sh rom a dealer, nd a reputable one through an aquarium club or organization, or research sh breeders on the internet. When visiting a new dealer or the rst time, keep an eye out or the ollowing: • Are the premises nicely laid-out and tidy? • Does the sta use separate nets or each pond or vat and disinect them between uses? • Does the dealer stock all the necessary equipment or koi care as well as the sh? • Is the holding water in which the koi are kept well ltered and clear? • Do all the sh appear healthy?
Aquarium Stores
Personality Koi are among the most social o sh, especially with regard to their keepers. They possess an impressive ability to recognize their owner rom other humans, and it’s not uncommon or koi to come to the surace o their pond when their avorite human passes by (and ignore the presence o other people altogether). Koi are relatively docile sh and can’t share a pond with more aggressive types. Their placid nature, coupled with their bright colors, make them likely targets or bullies and other predatory sh.
Koi are available or purchase both in large chains and local fsh stores.. I you buy your stores koi rom one o these stores, it’s likely to be less expensive than it would be rom a specialized dealer, but the sh itsel will be o lesser quality, and the employees aren’t likely to know much about the proper way to keep koi. Aquarium stores are good sources or koi i you’re unable to purchase rom a dealer or are new to koi ownership and inexperienced in caring or these sh. I you buy a sh rom an aquarium store, you can take it home that day.
Internet Dealers Many koi retailers worldwide now have their own websites, enabling you to purchase koi online. These sites usually eature a description o the company, a list o available koi and associated products or sale by mail order, and images o available sh. However, even the best photos can give a misleading impression o the sh, so be cautious about buying a koi without seeing it rst, especially i you lack experience with the sh. Beore you make an online purchase, research any dealers that interest you to make sure that they are reputable. I you buy a sh in this manner, you’ll probably have to pay additional shipping charges to ensure speedy delivery.
Where to Get a Koi Although koi are expensive, in the long term the cost o the actual sh is small compared to the outlay o the pond and the ongoing bills or ood, medications, and electricity place. When purchasing koi, buy the best one you can aord. Japanese koi are considered the nest in the world and are consequently the most dicult and expensive to acquire. Even ordinary-grade Japanese koi compare avorably with the best koi rom other countries such as Israel, the United States, South Arica, China, Singapore, and Cyprus. As the quality o the sh improves, the asking price rises, so when acquiring a koi you must balance the sh you want against the sh you can aord.
Specialist Dealers A dealer is the ideal place to purchase your koi. Reputable dealers care about their sh and are a valuable source o advice and assistance to those who purchase rom them. Good dealers only sell to buyers they eel will take proper care o their sh, and they will likely reuse to sell until they are convinced the buyer’s pond is suitable or koi.
A dealer who meets all these criteria is likely to be an excellent source or koi.
How to Choose a Healthy Koi As with any animal, it’s important to pick a healthy individual. This is especially true or koi, which are more expensive than most other aquarium sh. When examining prospective koi, look or the ollowing characteristics: • Good body shape and skin quality • Well-distributed pattern along the ull length o the body • Nicely shaped head • Fins that are in proportion to the body • Straight spine • Lively, energetic behavior • No signs o illness, injury, or parasites No koi is perect—all sh exhibit both good and bad qualities. But the merits o top-quality koi invariably outweigh their aults. Even koi with minor abrasions and splits in their ns can heal with proper treatment. Still, try to purchase koi that are as healthy and ree o blemishes as possible.
Gear or Your Koi Because koi are such large sh, the setup you must provide or them is considerably dierent rom that required or a smaller aquarium ish. The biggest dierence is how koi are housed: rather than keep an indoor aquarium, most people keep koi in outdoor ponds that are much larger than the average sh tank.
Pond A koi pond is a large and expensive undertaking. Whether you purchase a precast berglass pond, design and build a pond on your own, or hire a proessional to install a pond or you, it must be well built, sturdy, easy to access and maintain, and o the right size to hold the number o koi you plan to purchase. I you choose to design and build your own pond, consult a proessional about your plans beore you attempt the project and as you proceed.
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Content derived rom the book The Essential Book of Koi: A Complete Guide to Keeping and Care ISBN: 978-0-7938 978-0-7938-0623-2 -0623-2 This document has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative inormation in regard to the subject matter within. While every reasonable precaution has been taken in preparation o this document, the author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility or any errors, omissions, or adverse eects arising rom the use or application o the inormation contained herein. The techniques and suggestions are used at the reader’s discretion and are not to be considered a substitute or veterinary care. I you suspect a medical problem consult your veterinarian.
Quamut is a registered trademark o Barnes & Noble, Inc. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States
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Size Plan to provide a minimum o 300 gallons (1136 L) per sh, but even more than this is ideal or allowing your koi ample room to grow. An improperly sized or overcrowded pond can lead not only to stunted growth but oten chronic diseases such as n rot or ich due to poor water quality and high stress levels. I you don’t have room in your yard or garden or a very large koi pond, adjust the number o sh you plan to keep in your pond according to the space you do have.
Also, because your pond will become a major eature o your yard, consider how it will aect the other aspects o your yard (and vice versa). For example, when you mow your lawn, will the grass clippings all into the water? Could any pesticides you use in your yard pollute the water? Will you need to prune any trees that would hang over the pond? I you build the pond using a liner, are there any roots rom nearby trees and large shrubs that could puncture it? You must address these questions beore installing your pond. I you have young children or pets, locate your pond careully to prevent accidents. A raised pond with a decorative pattern on the wall around the perimeter is an ideal design. When your children are old enough that the pond no longer poses a danger, you can remove the paneling.
Filters Koi have considerable body mass and consume ood accordingly, thus producing a lot o waste, which they expel into the water. A flter is the most important piece o equipment you will purchase or your pond because it removes toxins and impurities rom the water that these wastes cause. There are three basic pond ltration methods:
Temperature Water temperature has a proound infuence on the physiology and health o koi. Warmer temperatures cause koi to become more active, eat more, grow, produce more waste, and spawn. Decreased temperatures, on the other hand, cause koi to become less active, and their appetites decline, as does the eciency o their immune systems. Although heating your pond isn’t absolutely essential— as long as the water doesn’t reeze in the winter, your koi will adjust to seasonal temperatures—it does give you the ability to control your sh’s environment completely. Also, i you acquire your koi rom a breeder who keeps his sh in heated ponds, your sh has never experienced cold water conditions and should live in water at the temperature to which it’s accustomed. You can either acclimate your sh to colder temperatures over time or simply maintain a constant temperature by heating your pond. However you choose to heat your pond, the heater must have a thermostat that allows you to adjust the water temperature. Because your pond is outdoors and exposed to the elements, keep a thermometer in the pond and check the water temperature daily, adjusting the heat as needed.
Design A number o actors will determine the shape o your pond, including the amount o space it can occupy, the existing landscaping in your yard, and your own tastes. For example, i your pond will be built within or adjacent to a patio, the design is likely to be very ormal: rectangular, L-shaped, aboveground with brick walling, or something similar. Inormal circular or kidney shapes are usually associated with a more natural design, and it’s easier to control water fow with these types than with rectangular ponds.
Materials When building a new koi pond, your rst consideration must be what materials to use. Your decision should take into account the ground conditions in the intended location, nancial constraints, and the planned shape o your pond. The ollowing are the three most popular pond types: • Linerponds: The quickest and least expensive method o building a pond is to dig a hole and t a liner into it. The three main options are PVC (or small ponds only), butyl rubber, and EPDM rubber. Even though installing a liner is an easier method o building a koi pond, it’s still a large undertaking or which you will likely require proessional help. • Precastfberglass: Precast ponds are tough, durable, and quick to t. Not much building knowledge is necessary to install them, and they are available in a variety o shapes and designs rom several manuacturers. However, they are also relatively expensive, and most are too shallow to be suitable or koi. I you choose to install a precast pond, use one that can hold an excess o 1,000 gallons (3,785 L), because this volume reacts more slowly to temperature variations. (It also may be a good idea to add an inline heater to stabilize the water temperature.) • Renderedblock-built: Built out o cement blocks and then lined on the inside, this type o pond is strong and lacks the creases that might orm in a liner pond. However, they are expensive, time-consuming, and demand a wide range o skills, including bricklaying, plastering, plumbing, berglassing, and carpentry, as well as a thorough understanding understanding o electricity supply, loading, and wiring. This type o pond requires proessional installation.
Location Build your pond as close as possible to your home so that you can view the sh all year long and in all weather conditions. However, the excavation must be at least 39" (1 m) away rom the house, or you’ll risk undermining your house’s oundation.
• Mechanical: This lter removes matter in the pond, such as excrement, uneaten ood, and old vegetation rom aquatic plants. The water passes through a sponge or foss medium inside the lter and then fows back into the pond, capturing these waste particles. • Biological: The most important lter in your pond, a biological flter is a special bacterial colony growing in a medium through which the pond water is directed to pass. Some good bacteria eat ammonia produced by the sh, changing it to nitrite nitrite,, which is eaten by other bacteria, turning it into ar less harmul nitrate.. Bioltration bacteria must attach to a surace. nitrate Porous materials such as sponges and lava rocks provide an abundant surace area on which good bacteria can grow. • Chemical: Chemical fltration removes unwanted substances rom the water by chemical means. The most common medium is activated carbon, but resins are available to remove specic contaminants such as phosphate or ammonia. A chemical lter won’t remove all the pollutants in the water, however, and must be used in conjunction with other lter types.
How to Select a Filter You can choose rom a variety o commercially available lters. Some o these lters are basic and only provide one means o ltration, while others combine more than one or all three. These are the ideal lters or your koi pond. You want a lter that can keep up with the large amount o waste that koi produce, with an abundant surace area or colonization by good bacteria. Also, the lter should be easy enough to maintain that you won’t dread having to clean it (and thus do so less requently). Choosing the correct system can be a dicult decision, especially i you’re on a limited budget. Remember that this is the single most important purchase you’re likely to make when constructing your pond, and any mistake could be extremely costly in the long run. Research possible lters thoroughly beore deciding which system is best or you.
Decorations How you decorate or landscape your pond and the surrounding area is entirely up to you, as long as nothing that you add can be harmul to your sh. For example, beore adding any live plants, research the type you are thinking o including to make sure that it isn’t toxic to sh. Also, avoid including anything with sharp edges that your koi could scrape up against and hurt itsel on. As long as your decorative ideas are sae or your sh, you’re limited by only your imagination (and your budget).
Pond Maintenance With any aquarium comes a certain amount o necessary maintenance tasks that you must perorm on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the chore.
Daily Tasks You’ll need to perorm the ollowing tasks on a daily basis: • Check the water level o the pond. • Observe each inhabitant to see i any are behaving strangely or appear to have health problems. • Glance at the thermometer to make sure that the water temperature is adequate. • Check the lter to make sure that it is running properly—and that a particularly rambunctious sh hasn’t damaged it.
Weekly Tasks Weekly maintenance o your koi pond should include: • • • •
Perorm a partial water change. Inspect lter cartridges to see i they need replacing. Inspect hoses and the pond itsel or leakage. Oer your sh a treat in the orm o live insects or orange slices. • Test the water quality to make sure that the pH, oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are acceptable.
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www.quamut.com Monthly Tasks Perorm the ollowing tasks once every month: • Perorm a major water change. • Service the lter thoroughly (not at the same time as the water change). • Check all air hoses and connections.
Filter Care Clean your lters about once every month, but don’t clean them completely. A perectly clean pond with an immaculate lter is actually not healthy or your sh. Without the good bacteria that can grow on lters and other suraces, toxins such as ammonia are more likely to thrive. Rinse sponge lters gently in pond water so that the good bacteria remain undisturbed. Mechanical lters require more thorough cleaning so that the lter doesn’t get clogged and leave excess wastes in the water, producing more toxins than the good bacteria in the pond can handle. I your lter contains a cartridge, take the cartridge out and discard it, then replace it with a new cartridge that has rst been run under treated water (water with chlorine and chloramine removed with commercially available chemicals) at the same temperature as the water in the pond. Clean only one lter at a time in old pond water to remove as ew benecial bacteria rom the pond as possible.
How to Acclimate Your Koi The process o acclimating a new koi helps it adjust to the water in the new pond where it will live. Acclimation is absolutely necessary or all new sh: i the chemistry o the water in your pond is drastically dierent rom that o the water in which the koi arrived, the chemical shock can kill the koi outright or weaken it so badly that it succumbs in a short while. Acclimation not only keeps a new koi rom receiving these severe shocks but also prevents the introduction o any outside disease organisms or unwanted chemicals into your pond. The ollowing method o acclimation takes a little time but requires only a container and some airline tubing. tubing. 1. Place the koi in a large, shallow container with all the transport water. 2. Remove some o the transport water until it slightly exposes the back o the koi. 3. Tie a loose knot in the length o airline tubing. 4. Put one end o the tube into the pond, and suck on the other end to start a siphon. 5. As soon as the water begins to fow through the tube, tighten the knot until the water is merely dripping slowly rom the tubing into the container. (You want just a drop or two to escape per second.) 6. When the volume o water in the container has doubled or tripled, stop the drip and remove the volume o water needed to slightly expose the sh’s back again. 7. Repeat the siphoning process at least t wo more times to ensure that the majority o the old water has been removed. 8. Allow the koi to sit in the container (which now contains mostly new pond water) or another 10–15 minutes. 9. Careully net the koi out o the container, then release the sh into the pond.
This method equalizes all water conditions, including temperature, between the pond and the water in which the new koi has been swimming. It takes a while, but it’s time and eort well spent.
Koi Quarantine Regardless o where a koi originates or how expensive it is, there’s always the potential or it to be carrying serious bacterial inections or viral diseases upon arrival. I you are adding a new koi to an existing koi pond, you must quarantine your new arrival beore introducing it to its new environment so that you can watch or signs o any illness the new koi might be carrying.
the sh you have in mind would be a suitable pondmate or your koi. Even then, remember that each sh has its own personality, and you must watch them careully when kept with other sh to see how they get along.
How to Feed Your Koi Koi are omnivorous omnivorous,, meaning they eed on both plant and animal material, although they tend to preer aquatic insects and larvae. However, ew koi ponds contain aquatic plants because the koi are typically the main ocus o the eature, and owners don’t like to distract rom the sh. This absence o plant lie means you must provide your koi with an adequate diet.
How to Quarantine Your Koi A quarantine acility should provide a pond environment on a smaller scale, but not too small. The more swimming space you can aord your koi in quarantine, the better. Keep equipment solely or use in the quarantine phase, and mark it as such so that it doesn’t come into contact with your main pond. Fish don’t have to come into contact with one another to spread disease. Nets, hoses, or even your hands can transer pathogens rom one container to another. The length o the quarantine period is up to the individual hobbyist: some koi keepers hold sh back rom their ponds or up to a year to minimize the risk, while others quarantine or just a ew weeks. O course, the length o quarantine is not the only issue. The care o the koi, the quality o its accommodations, and other actors such as water quality and temperature all play a part in the maniestation o illness.
Koi Compatibility Koi are relatively docile sh that get along well with one another but may have problems sharing a pond with more aggressive or smaller types o sh.
Compatibility with Other Koi Your biggest concern when keeping multiple koi is the size o your pond. Koi o all dierent varieties can happily share the same space, but overcrowding reduces water quality and stresses the sh. As long as there is ample room in your pond to accommodate them, koi kept together will be peaceul and orm social bonds that can last their entire lietime.
Compatibility with Other Types of Fish Most koi owners only keep koi in their ponds, but you can mix dierent types o sh with your koi as long as you choose them properly. Koi can’t coexist with any larger or more aggressive sh because they will either be eaten or injured. Conversely, sh that are signicantly smaller than your koi are likely to be eaten themselves. Any sh you select or your pond not only must be as peaceul as koi but must also be capable o thriving in the environment provided by your pond. Beore adding new species o sh to your pond, nd out everything you can about the type o sh you’re considering. Talk to other koi keepers, pet shop employees, and anyone else you think could help you learn about whether
What to Feed Your Koi Koi are enthusiastic eaters, but it’s up to you to provide your sh with a balanced and nutritious diet to keep it healthy and happy. You can eed your koi commercially available ood items, live insects, or a combination o both, as well as occasional resh oods, treats, and dietary supplements.
Commercial Foods Prepared dry oods manuactured or use with koi are the most common and convenient to give to your sh. These products come in a variety o sizes and shapes, typically pellets, granules, tablets, fakes, and chunks. They are easy to use, relatively inexpensive, nutritious, and easily stored. The best type and size o ood to oer your koi depends on its age, size, and even the time o year. For example, smaller-sized pellets are usually given to koi two years o age or younger, while large pellets are best or larger adult koi. Also, koi require more protein in their diet during the summer and less during the autumn and spring, so you should eed products high in protein during warmer weather and use a dierent ood item (such as wheat germ sticks) during the cooler months. Changing suddenly to a new brand or dierent type o ood oten results in a koi reusing to eed. When switching rom one type o ood to another, always begin by mixing a little o the new ood in with the original one. Over a period o 7–10 days, gradually increase the amount o new ood and reduce the original eed.
Live Foods Insects and larvae make excellent additions to a koi’s diet, although your koi pond is likely to attract insects on its own. I you choose to oer your koi insects, then mealworms, waxworms, bloodworms, blackworms, tubiex worms, and sot-shelled crickets are all suitable ood items. Feed insects sparingly, and don’t eed them to your koi i you can’t guarantee they were collected in a pesticide-ree environment. Avoid stinging insects such as bees, wasps, and biting fies. Firefies are also dangerous to eed your koi. The chemicals that cause them to glow are toxic and can kill your sh i ingested.
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Seasonal Feeding
The Dangers of Overfeeding
Koi relish many resh oods that provide vitamins and minerals. The ollowing are some resh oods you can oer your koi. Keep in mind that these are meant to be occasional treats and shouldn’t unction as a dietary staple.
The amount o ood that koi consume varies according to the season—or specically, the temperature o their water. Koi in heated ponds can have a regular, year-round diet because they don’t have to adjust to a change in their water temperature. In unheated ponds, koi are most active in the summer and eed hungrily several times each day. With optimum temperatures and ood availability, availability, this is the season in which koi grow the most rapidly. Conversely, in the winter months, koi in unheated ponds consume little, and their growth is very slow.
Rather than eeding too much at once, it ’s better to eed your koi sparingly but requently, and to oer more ood only i it’s consumed very quickly. Excess ood won’t necessarily harm your koi, but it doesn’t get digested eciently and is simply voided as a waste product. This excess waste pollutes the water and places a burden on the ltration system. I you spot any uneaten ood in your koi pond, remove it immediately. Uneaten ood decomposes in the water, producing toxins that diminish the quality o the water and harm your sh.
How to Feed During the Summer
How Often to Feed
Food consumed during the summer provides energy, aids tissue maintenance and repair, spurs growth, and provides nutrients the sh can store to help it survive the winter. When water temperatures are 64–68°F (18–20°C), your koi should eat a high-protein diet designed to promote growth. In cooler temperatures, protein becomes more dicult or a koi to digest and is simply excreted, which not only does nothing to benet your koi nutritionally but also pollutes the pond water.
At temperatures around 68°F (20°C), koi should eat 2–3 times a day. Koi living in colder temperatures (50–59°F or 10–15°C) require eeding only once a day. I you keep your koi in a heated pond, eed it according to the temperature o the water in which you keep it.
• Garlic: Koi love garlic and are attracted to any ood coated with it. Coating ood with garlic is a good way to entice your koi to eat out o your hand. • Lettuce: Lettuce is an excellent treat or koi. At rst, serve lettuce by shredding the leaves yoursel and foating them on the pond. Ater several weeks, you can foat a whole head o lettuce on the water, and your koi will enjoy tearing o the pieces on its own. Once all the leaves have been eaten, remove the stalk rom the water. • Oranges: Another koi avorite, oranges are an excellent source o vitamin C, which helps reduce stress and improves the immune system. You can serve these by cutting them into segments and putting them in the pond with the rind let intact. Your koi will tear away the fesh, leaving the rind, which you should remove once your sh is nished eating. • Prawns: Koi thoroughly enjoy prawns, which are a good source o protein. Feed these to your koi in the summer, when the water temperature is higher and your sh can better digest protein.
Additives and Supplements Dietary additives can enhance the natural coloration o your sh. In the summer, hobbyists oten mix color-enhancing eeds, which typically contain shrimp meal and spirulina extract, into their sh’s diet. However, the red color patterns o koi are determined genetically, and although these colorenhancing eeds provide the raw ingredients necessary to enhance that color, i the red ades, these additives won’t restore it. Supplements boost the immune system and general health o koi. Some o these supplements are already incorporated into commercial oods, but manuacturers have developed new and more eective products in powdered orm that you can mix with existing eeds. You may want to speak to your veterinarian beore introducing a dietary supplement to your koi, however. Just as too little o any nutrient can be dangerous or your pet, so can too much o one be detrimental to its health.
Foods to Avoid Certain oods oten used with many other pond sh are not suitable or koi. These include: • • • • • •
Birdseed Bread Corn Peanuts Peas Rice
Bread-based oods and rice swell when exposed to water and can cause an intestinal blockage in your sh. Corn, peanuts, and seeds can also cause a blockage because koi can’t digest them. Peas and other oods rich in carbohydrates can lead to obesity in your sh.
How to Feed in Autumn and Spring As the water temperature drops in the cooler months, koi appetites gradually decline. During this time, reduce the amount o ood you oer and gradually change rom a highprotein eed to a wheat germ–based diet, which is easier to digest in lower temperatures. At temperatures o less than 46–50°F ( 8–10°C), koi cease to eed altogether. During the coldest periods o the year, a koi in an unheated pond won’t eed at all and will rely on the nutrients it’s already stored to last it through the winter. As the weather turns warmer again and the koi begins seeking out ood, oer the wheat germ–based diet again and gradually mix it with the summer eed as the water warms up.
How Much to Feed How much and how oten to eed your koi depends on its age and body temperature. Koi ry (newly hatched koi) and sh up to one year old eat 5–10% o their body weight on days when the water temperature is around 68°F (20°C). At these same temperatures, koi that are between one and three years o age consume about 5% o their body weight daily, and adult sh—three years o age or older—consume about 2%. In other words, an adult koi weighing 2.2 pounds (1 kg) should consume 0.7 oz (20 g) o ood on a daily basis in 68°F (20°C) weather weather.. A good rule o thumb to ollow when eeding your koi is to oer as much as your sh consumes within 2–3 minutes at each eeding. When you rst oer the ood, you’ll notice a surge o activity in your koi, but as it gets enough to eat it will begin to eed more lazily. The point at which your sh begins to eed more casually is the moment to s top adding more ood.
Koi Healthcare Keeping koi is a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, but whenever animals are held in a captive environment, there may be occasions when one becomes sick. Most o the illnesses a koi might experience are caused by poor water conditions and stress, so taking proper care o your pond and your sh should be enough to prevent most health issues. Test your water regularly, ensure that the lters are clean and well maintained, and observe your koi every day. Watching and learning your koi’s normal behavior will help you recognize signs o illness more readily. You should also nd a local veterinarian to whom you can bring your sh should it become ill. When keeping other, less expensive types o sh, aquarists can handle many health problems themselves by raising the water temperature slightly, adding a small amount o salt, or by administering medication. In the case o a koi, however, it’s best to have proessional help when dealing with health problems to ensure that it receives the best treatment possible.
Hospital Container Just as you would quarantine a new sh beore introducing it to a new pond, so should you quarantine a sick koi to prevent it rom inecting other sh in the pond. The hospital container should be large enough to comortably accommodate a single koi and should have a bare, easy-toclean setup that doesn’t oer parasites or other pathogens places to hide and reproduce. Whenever you need to isolate and treat a sick sh, you need only ll this container with water rom your pond to have it ready in minutes.
How to Administer Medication On occasions when you need to treat a condition or illness medication,, any medicine required by a single sick sh with medication should be administered in a hospital container. I you need to treat your entire sh population, you can add the medicine to your pond, but adding medicine to an environment that contains one sick sh among several healthy ones can hurt or kill the healthy sh and any live plants you might be keeping in the pond. Be sure to use the correct dose when administering medication. Overmedicating the water runs the risk o creating stronger bacteria that are resistant to the m edication.
Koi
www.quamut.com Signs of Illness Paying regular attention to your sh and its behavior patterns will make you more aware o small changes that may be the rst signs o illness. I you notice any o the ollowing symptoms in your koi, it is likely due to a health problem. • • • • • • • • • • • •
Bloating or emaciation Folded or clamped ns Hanging rom the surace o the water Lesions, spots, or bumps Loss o appetite Loss o luster Lying on the bottom o the pond Pale gills Ragged ns Rubbing against suraces (“glancing”) Slow reaction to disturbances Sluggish or aimless swimming
are most oten ound on the belly and throat o a koi, and occasionally at the base o the ns. Inected koi may rub themselves against the walls o the pond in an attempt to scrape the parasites rom their bodies, but doing so oten causes more damage to the sh than the parasites themselves. Inected areas appear infamed and fushed in color, and in severe cases, the sh can become so weak that they die. I you nd lice on your sh, you can remove them individually with a pair o tweezers, then treat the attachment spot with commercially available medication. You’ll have to repeat the treatment several times because the lice lay rows o tiny eggs along the pond walls that hatch and attach themselves to the sh. You can reduce the number o eggs in the pond by tying pieces o plants or even twigs into bundles and placing them in the water. Female lice will lay their eggs on the bundles, and you can remove and destroy them every week or so to gradually reduce the number o lice hatching in the pond.
Ich
Common Diseases and Conditions Fish ailments are requently misdiagnosed, and pet sh are oten overmedicated or treated with the wrong m edications as a result. I you suspect that your koi is sick, contact your veterinarian to determine the illness and proper treatment, but also check your water quality and address any environmental problems that may be at the root o the illness. The ollowing are some o the conditions and illnesses common to koi.
Bacterial and Fungal Infections There are many species o bacteria and ungi that can inect koi. Symptoms o bacterial inection include open lesions and ulcerations, while ungal inections appear as a gray, brown, or green (in severe cases) cottonlike web growing over the sh’s body. Both bacterial and ungal inections can become dangerous, even atal, but in some cases the treatment can be more problematic than the inection itsel. Some medications are so strong that they can harm the sh. I you think your koi has an inection, isolate it rom other sh immediately and contact your veterinaria veterinarian n to determine the best method o treatment. However, the saest way to combat inection is to prevent it rom happening in the rst place. To do so, simply maintain suitable water quality in your pond by keeping your lters clean and unctioning properly. And don’t overeed your sh—this will keep uneaten ood rom decomposing inside the pond.
Fish Lice Fish lice are small, round, ree-swimming crustaceans about 1/8" (3 mm) long. These tiny, saucer-shaped parasites (known as Argulus ) can be dicult to deal with because they are airly translucent and hard to see, and they asten themselves tightly against the body o the aficted sh. Once attached, they insert a short proboscis through the skin to extract blood and other fuids rom the host. They
I your sh has white spots that almost make it look like it’s been salted, a protozoan called ich (pronounced “ick”) is most likely the culprit. Ich spots are ormed by parasites embedded in the sh’s skin. These parasites also attack the gills, where they’re much more dicult to detect and much more dangerous to the sh. Ich is common and highly curable, but it’s also very contagious and usually atal i let untreated. For most sh, you can oten eliminate ich by raising the water temperature and adding a bit o salt to the water. However, with koi it’s best to consult a veterinarian, who will give you medication that you can add to the water to eliminate ich. Be very careul to add the correct dose to your koi’s water, because too much can harm the sh. You may be able to put a single aficted sh in a hospital container and treat it there, but chances are i you have one sh inected with ich, the other sh in your pond are also inected or will be soon, so it may be necessary to treat your entire pond.
The symptoms o KHV include rapid breathing; a patchy, pimply white appearance on the skin; eroded gills; and sunken eyes. There is no cure or this or any other viral inection, but you can reduce the likelihood o your koi contracting KHV by reraining rom sharing equipment with other hobbyists, disinecting your own equipment regularly, and quarantining any new sh you acquire (and keeping equipment associated with your quarantine acility separate rom that used in your pond).
Stress Stress, which can be brought on by many things, can lead to Stress, serious illness or even death in koi. When a sh experiences repeated or long-term stress, its immune system is compromised and it becomes susceptible to many illnesses. I your koi is not in optimal health, there is a good chance it’s being exposed to stress in one orm or another.
Potential Stress Factors Most stressors or your sh are the product o its environment. I your sh is behaving abnormally, evaluate the way you have been maintaining your pond. • Have you been overeeding your koi, and are you eeding it the proper diet? • Is your pond overcrowded? Overcrowding your koi can cause a breakdown in water quality and place major stress on inhabitants. • Is the pond o a proper size or the sh you’re keeping? • Are your biolters properly maintained? Good bacteria must fourish in abundance to keep up with ammonia and nitrates in the pond, and poor water quality is a major stressor or sh. • Is the water temperature at the right level?
Injuries Koi keepers commonly notice injuries among their sh. Injuries can result rom sharp rocks in the pond, bad netting, spawning activity, being poorly transported, or predator attacks, among other possible causes. Obvious signs o injury include missing scales, reddened areas, split ns, and grazes on nonscaled areas such as the mouth. I spotted early, most injuries are easy to treat with topical medications. However, i injuries go unnoticed or a length o time, bacterial or ungal inections may develop and require veterinary attention. The best step to take to prevent the occurrence o injury is to reduce the objects in the pond on which a koi can hurt itsel. I predators are the problem, consider netting the pond or installing another type o deterrent device.
Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) Koi herpes is a serious, potenially atal disease that causes signicant mortalities among koi and carp populations. It spread worldwide in a matter o years ater rst appearing in 1996. The disease, which appears to aect only koi and carp, spreads through eces and mucus, and is capable o surviving outside o a host or at least our hours. This virus is highly inectious and requires exposure o just a ew minutes to spread to an uninected koi.
How to Maintain Water Quality Nothing matters more to the health o a sh than proper water conditions. Quality lters do an excellent job o puriying water in a pond, but changing the water regularly removes impurities that even lters won’t remove. Test your koi’s water quality at least once a week. It’s easy to monitor ammonia and nitrite levels, which should remain as close to zero as possible at all times in your sh’s water. You can also purchase a test kit that shows results categorized within ranges o “sae,” “concern,” and “danger.” I you ever get measurable levels o ammonia or nitrite in your koi’s water, perorm a water change immediately to correct the situation and step up your changing regimen so that it doesn’t happen again.
Water Changes The best way to maintain healthy and clean pond water is to change it regularly. Ideally, you should drain 20–50% o the pond water and replace it with resh water once a week, and perorm more substantial water changes on a monthly basis. This is crucial even or very large ponds. Over time, many chemicals and sh wastes build up in the water and the pond becomes unhealthy. Beore adding resh water to your pond, treat it chemically to remove chlorine and chloramines. You can do this with products available rom your local pet retailer or a pond-supply catalog. Follow the manuacturer’s instructions careully when using these products.
