Clik Seek Articles

"Who Else Wants To Know How To Learn How to Care For Your Koi Fish in 7 Days (Or Less) – Guaranteed?"

If you are interested in learning everything there is to know about koi fish, than this is going to be the most important information you’ll ever read…
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With this Koi manual "Koi Fish For Beginners" you can get started in this wonderful hobby the right way…

It’s perfect for the beginner, although the truth is most "experts" don’t know half of what’s covered in this easy to read, step-by-step, comprehensive manual.
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"Discover how easy it is to build a fish pond, biological filter, breed healthy fish and become a koi expert”

This started me thinking about a Do It Yourself Koi video series and Koi eBook, tailored made for beginners yet offered something valuable that the koi experts could also download in the privacy of their homes to learn new skills.
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by Naomi Ibuki

You probably chose to take care of the Koi species in your very own pond. This may be a challenging task for a beginner but can be very gratifying in the end. Since having a Koi pond at your very own home can be a very relaxing scenery to look at, it would still entail hard work to maintain it properly and you would certainly need to purchase supplies for that.

More often, the concern in having your own fish pond is the water supply. Since these are animals that live in the water, it is necessary that you would be able to provide them enough water supply which resembles their own habitat. It is essential that you provide your Koi fish with enough clean and fresh water to keep them alive and to avoid the fish from getting sick.

If you are to get your pond water from tap water, you have to make sure that you have water filters installed on it.

This is for the reason that some residential areas mostly had their water supply treated with chlorine and other chemicals. These chemicals may be harmful to your fish and could lessen its span of life. With the use of a water filter, you would be able to fitter out these additives before it reaches your pond.

Speaking of filters, aside from your own water filters, you should also include an efficient filtration system for your Koi pond. This would then keep the water clean and free from bacteria which may evolve from the waste material produced by the fish, as well as keep the water balanced for any possible chemical reaction that may occur within the pond.

You should also consider getting heaters for your fish pond to regulate the temperature of the water in the pond. To keep your fish alive for a longer period of time, you also have to monitor the temperature of the water in the pond.

If the water is too cold, heaters can help regulate the temperature to keep the environment fit for a vigorously growing Koi pond.

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by Elmo Keep

Ever since the Japanese interbred simple carp and began creating the beautiful fish known as koi, people have been enjoying these beautiful fish and keeping them as pets. Koi are perhaps the most popular of freshwater fish kept in backyard ponds and they can live for many years in these environments. That is, as long as the ponds themselves are well kept.

While koi fish are a hardy breed, like most other types of fish, they need a constant supply of fresh, clean, oxygenated water. Once your pond gets dirty, it won’t be long before your fish become sick and in worst case scenarios, die. Let’s look at some of the ways that a good water filter can help to increase the lifespan of your koi.

First of all, your koi filter will need to take the place of what nature does for fish in the wild. In open waters, the waste from fish is filtered simply because of the amount of water that exists in that environment.

The waste from fish that is created never concentrates in an area in large enough quantities to do harm to the fishes system. In addition, the natural currents of the oceans work to move the waste around thus increasing the dissipation of this waste matter. In a small pond environment, however, the water can quickly become contaminated by the waste from the fish. A good koi water filter will work to mimic the natural process of the oceans in two ways:

1. Mechanical – This aspect of the filter will work to rid the water of solid waste-The flow of the water as well as gravity allow the solid waste to become trapped in the filter to allow for easy removal

2. Biological – The solid waste, even if it is removed, leaves behind toxic by-products such as ammonia.

The biological function of the koi filter uses bacteria to break down the harmful waste into less harmful nitrates. Nitrates can only harm the fish if found in large amounts.

While the filter is a key component of a health fish pond, that alone may not be enough to do the job. In the case of a larger pond, you will want to add pump. Pumps are great additions to koi filters as they work to push the water through the filter, thereby trapping all the contaminants.

In addition to a quality filter for your koi pond, you may want to add a waterfall or even a fountain to your pond. While these add to the overall beauty of your backyard setting, the falling water works to stir up the water and is known as aeration, or adding oxygen to the water. If the water is stagnant, the oxygen contained in the water may be used up by the fish and they will surely die. If you take the time to install a proper koi water filter, clean it regularly and make proper use of a pump and/or waterfall as necessary, your koi pond will provide a healthy and happy home for your prized koi fish.

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by melanie_ko

Building your own Koi pond is basically not the same as any regular ponds you might have before. It has its own set of requirements and limitations that you need to keep in mind, if you want to provide an efficient habitat for your pet Koi fishes. To help you better understand, it is important to identify first what are the things you need to do and what are those that must be avoided at all times.

The most important thing you have to remind yourself is that a Koi pond is not as simple as building a hole in the ground and tossing the fishes right in where you can expect them to thrive and grow. In order to build a Koi pond that is properly working and sustain the growth of your fish, there are a number of factors to look into. These factors must be considered upon the initial stages of planning for the building of your pond. This will help save you time and money, and most importantly your pet fishes’ lives.

First and foremost, hire a professional to build on the basics of your Koi pond, specially for those with limited knowledge on landscaping and fish keeping.

Some people opt otherwise because they believe it will enable them to save more money. If you fail to build a workable pond at the beginning, you will most definitely have to rebuild or reconstruct it. If you are still unsatisfied with the results, then you will most likely go back to the start, which will cost you tons of money. Working with a professional to build your pond will ensure that all essentials are covered and that you will no longer have to crank up major expenses with all the fixing that you had to do.

Meanwhile, working with a professional will ensure that they will look into your personal preferences with the Koi pond and be satisfied with the results.

Just make sure to avoid opting for those professional pond constructors that offer cheap quotes as they might not offer the best quality jobs.

Most importantly, a Koi pond is more often permanent once you have built them. Therefore, choosing the best location for your pond is very important since you cannot easily transfer it from one location to another, whenever you wish. Careful planning is most important and this is something that you need to talk to with a professional since only you can make this decision, while they provide the professional insight that will help you in making that decision.

The best tip that you must keep in mind is to properly take care of your Koi pond once it has been built. The maintenance of the pond might require a significant amount of work and because Koi fishes have special needs apart from other types of pets, then you need to pay them extra attention.

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by dawning.ca

As any serious Koi keeper knows, care for Koi is not as simple as purchasing goldfish from a pet store and dumping them in a fish tank.

First of all, that fish tank should be a pond with enough room for Koi to grow in. The minimum recommended stocking rate for any Koi pond is one Koi per 250 gallons of water. However, for those who wish to care for Koi, particularly to ensure their proper body formation and maximum size potential, twice the amount of water per Koi is recommended.

As mentioned in a previous article, it is better to care for more Koi than less as the fish are “happier” in a populous environment. This of course, would require increasing your pond volume.

Depending on where in the world one resides, it is good to keep in mind that Koi construction should keep out predators such as birds and mammals. Shaded trees are thus a good idea to block the view of aerial predators.

To keep water clean of leaves and debris, stringing nets or wires above the surface is also important. This is because care for Koi begins with care for its pond water.

Koi can thrive in water temperatures of 15-25 degrees C (59-77 degrees F). The optimal temperatures however are at 23-30 degrees C (73.4-86 degrees F).

Pond water should be cycled once an hour for filtration. It should maintain a pH level of 6.5-9 and measured to keep a 5% salinity at all times. It should be free of waste material and be non-chlorinated. Keeping low ammonia levels (due to fish waste) is also necessary for to care for Koi. An ammonia measurement of one part per million is considered harmful for the fish.

One of many environmental problems which arise in the care for Koi is that of green water caused by algal blooms.

The nitrogen wastes and other chemicals in the pond nourish the growth of algae and cause the pond to darken or become green. This is not only toxic for the fish but for humans as well. Hence it is best to regularly test the water for chemicals and install proper mechanical and biological filtration and pump systems.

Care for Koi also includes a healthy Koi diet. Koi have evolved to be omnivorous fish with a high tendency towards the consumption of benthic organisms, such as water insects, worms, larvae and even Molluscs. Koi are also stimulated by the variety of eating fruit, shrimp or fish every so often.

Keeping this in mind, however, there are commercial Koi foods that come in pellets or rods for Koi to chew that make guesswork easy. Koi are known to eat more than necessary for their proper growth so feeding must be controlled. More food also means, more waste in the water. It is better to feed the Koi in short spurts several times a day than to give them one large feeding. For aesthetic purposes and in order to give Koi a physical check-up, it would be good to choose food that floats. When the fish come up to feed at the surface it is much easier to check them then for parasites and ulcers.

In countries where the weather above water drops below 10 degrees C (50 degrees F), it is advisable to slow down the feeding and eliminate protein from their diets. This is because their bodies cannot process food as much or as fast as in the warmth.

Care for Koi may initially seem a complicated task for first-time Koi owners. However, its rewards are found in nurturing the healthiest and happiest of these beautiful ornamental fish!

by Elmo Keep

You know the beauty of a waterfall, its serene look is peaceful and with the composed way it flows it just calms anyone who sees it. The same should be said for your Koi pond construction. The possibilities are endless, you don’t have to spend a fortune but if you want to create an unruffled place to relax you can design the pond that will last for years.

Depending on where you live there are some environmental issues that you might have to deal with. California has some ecological ponds that are eco friendly. Remnant of exotic Japanese gardens a Koi pond should be a tranquil place for you to relax at the end of a day and enjoy watching your Koi swim.

A lot of people try to build their own ponds and if you have the know how to do so then you can make a beautiful and engaging place. If you are not a builder then you might find yourself requesting the help of a qualified water landscaper.

It’s best to ask for help so you don’t loose any Koi due to any inadequate building or constructing.

Because you can design one of a kind pond there are several routes you can take. You can have waterfalls and lights and even vegetation. You can build one right outside your breakfast nook or on your property provided you have enough room. There are many designers who can give you an estimate on how much it will cost to craft your Koi pond co and how much it will cost to maintain it year round.

If you want to build a low maintenance Koi pond remember that natural doesn’t always mean healthy. You should always have an extra pond for water runoff and for when it rains. A filter is the best investment that you can make, you should choose one that will do everything you need such as clean the water and keep the Ph balance at optimal levels for your Koi.

Your Koi pond should be at least 3 feet deep, it should be between 4 and 6 feet so that your Koi can have plenty of room. If it gets cold where you are a deeper Koi pond construction might be better since you want to have enough water for them to survive. Deeper ponds give them a better chance.

Always make sure your pond is higher than normal ground. Water runoff from lawns and rainstorms will kill your Koi and even though a filter is designed to protect the water it cannot work overtime if it’s clogged with debris. Do not place a Koi pond under a tree. The roots will seek out the water and leaves will upset the Ph balance in your water.

Pond construction should be advanced enough that the pump and electrical equipment can work year round without too much maintenance. You can build a Koi pond that will last for years to come if you do it right the first time. Koi pond construction is based on your budget, create a place that you can afford to keep and build on later if you want to.

by wakingphotolife:

For a Koi hobbyist, making sure the quality of water in their aquarium or pond is one of the top priorities of taking care of their pets. Water is where fish get their oxygen from, just like we get ours from the surrounding atmosphere. Think about it, what happens to us when the air we breathe becomes dusty or clogged with all sorts of pollutants? This is the same thing with fish. For owners of Japanese Carp, the maintenance of water in their pond is one of the things they have to do to make sure their fish stay happy and healthy. True, Koi are relatively hardier than most tropical fish, but since they’re swimming around in an outdoor pond and not an aquarium in your living room, their home is more exposed to dirt, parasites and disease.

Keeping close watch on the quality of the water in your pond will also help ensure that your Koi aren’t stressed out.

Stress is a big factor in diminishing the appetite of these fish, so making sure they have a clean comfortable pond to swim around in means they’ll keep eating properly and reach their full size (36 inches) and color development (depends on variety).

A good filtration system is one of the best ways of ensuring the water quality of your pond. This can gather the various debris and foreign matter floating around in the water and force them through filter chambers. The biological component of a Koi pond filter keeps the amount of toxins such as ammonia in your pond in check. There are bacteria that convert the ammonia excreted by Koi, transforming this into benign nitrites. Make sure that the filter you get has a pump that’s ideal for the size of your pond. Filter pumps should be able to handle 33% of the total amount of water in your pond in order to be able to work efficiently.

Aside from the presence of ammonia and nitrates, Koi can also be sensitive to ph levels of the water. It’s important therefore to have test kits for these substances on hand so you can keep a close watch on the levels and make sure they don’t fluctuate. Koi can live with a ph level of 7 to 9, but drastic changes can spell disaster. Experts say a ph level of 7.4 is ideal for Koi, so it’s best to keep it around that.

Last, but certainly not least is the oxygen content of your Koi pond water. Just as in aquariums, Koi ponds need proper aeration to keep the fish healthy. Aeration in ponds can come in the form of waterfalls or air stones which blow out bubbles in the water while submerged. Waterfalls, although a bit more costly to have constructed, have the dual purpose of providing oxygen and improving the aesthetics to your pond.

by jeremyfoo

There is no doubt that the work horse of the Koi pond is the pump. Whether you have opted for a pump-fed or gravity-fed system, selecting the right pump is a critical step. The submersible pump is a common choice – widely available, relatively inexpensive and very easy to install. They are placed either in the pond for a pump-fed system or in the last chamber of the filtration system in the case of the gravity-fed system.

The submersible pump for all its simplicity does have a number of disadvantages. The biggest problem lies in the cleaning and maintenance. Since the pump is either in the pond or the filtration system, cleaning requires removing the unit. This can be especially time consuming when the pump is in the pond. The submersible pump in the pond can also become an obstacle on which your Koi could injure themselves. In the filtration system the pump takes up valuable space that could be used for filtration media.

The option I like best for a gravity-fed pond is the external pump.

The pump is placed after the filtration system and so pumps clean water back into the pond. This cuts down on the amount of cleaning required and being out of the water makes maintenance an easier chore. The biggest drawback is that they need to be kept undercover in a dry space protected from the elements.

When choosing your pump, make sure you get one large enough to maintain the desired flow rate and water pressure. Ideally you want to be able to turn the whole pond volume over at least every two hours. Also think about the power consumption. Today there new lower wattage pumps coming on the market. These, while more expensive to buy, will save in overall operating costs.

Just keep in mind these lower wattage pumps may not give you the power you need.

As always, do your homework before you make your choice. A little due diligence up front will save you time and headaches later on.