Koi Story: A Beginner’s Guide To Raising Koi Fish

Congratulations! You're made the most excellent decision to start raising koi fish of your own. Although it can be a little daunting at first to take on a new pet, you'll soon discover how easy it is to raise these hearty fish. Koi Story has put together this little guide to jump-start your knowledge on your fish pond/habitat, koi care and other general koi  knowledge.

RAISING KOI FISH IN A POND

Koi are a hearty member of the carp fish family and can handle quite a bit if the conditions of your koi carp pond are right. Seasonal ponds should be at least a 1.5 deep (half a meter) while year-long ponds should be at least 4.5 feet (1.5 meters). Water should be kept between 60 and 75 degrees F (about 15-25 degrees C)

Beyond depth and temperature, your koi/carp/fish need a few important things in a pond habitat:

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Common Freshwater Tropical Fish Diseases

Learn about common fish illnesses and how to effectively treat them.

Looking into your aquarium and seeing one of your fish ill for the first time can be alarming for many hobbyists. Unlike cats and dogs, you can’t just hop in the car and take them to the vet. Moreover, because of the delicate nature of tropical fish, if not treated quickly, the illness may not only kill the infected fish, it could spread to the rest of the tank potentially harming your entire population.

So the obvious question for fish owners when their fish is infected is, “What illness does my fish have and how can I treat it?” The good news is that many of the most common aquarium fish diseases are treatable and if done properly, your fish has a good chance of survival. Moreover, many of the treatments are relatively simple to perform (and a lot cheaper than taking a cat or a dog to the vet).

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Have You Ever Owned a Betta Fish? They Are Truly Beautiful Fish!

Have you ever owned a betta fish? If you have then you know the beauty of this little fish! If you have not…Then you don’t know what you are missing!

Several years ago my husband came home from work and surprised me with a beautiful burgundy fish in a vase with a peace lily flower in it. After staring at it for several seconds, I asked where he had gotten it. He told me that a lady on his job was selling them and that he had previously ordered it for me.  She told him that I should keep it in the vase and that it would eat off of the roots.

I ended up getting my betta fish, who we named, fishy-fish, a one gallon aquarium and fed him flakes. He was so cute. He would come close to the glass when he saw us, and would wave his fins. He lived to be 2 years old.

Facts about betta fish:

• They originate in the shallow waters in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and parts of China.
• The water for keeping healthy bettas should be soft, warm, with a neutral to slightly acidic pH.
• They thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees.
• They are one of the most colorful and amusing breed of pet fish to have.
• Betta fish can live for up to 5 years.
• 90% of problems with bettas start from stress
• Poor tank conditions make them sick live foods are best for the betta, however, they will adapt to eating flake foods, frozen and freeze dried foods.
• Their digestive tract is built to digest meat, rather than vegetable material.
• Their upturned mouth is designed to grab insects that have fallen into the water.
• Water movement should be kept to a minimum, which means that power filters and powerheads are not suitable.
• Only one male may be kept in each aquarium, unless they are separated by a barrier, they will fight.
• They may be kept in a community tank as long as the water conditions are met, and there are no aggressive fish.

When it comes to owning a pet, most people prefer to start small. Some like to start with hamsters, fish in aquariums. Some people think that the smaller in the pet, the less work!

How to Raise Koi

Those colorful fish you frequently see in large ponds in Japanese restaurants or shopping areas are becoming increasingly popular as the centerpiece of a backyard garden. The brightly-colored fish are called Koi, and they are the result of selective breeding of German and Asian carp. If you are considering installing a Koi pond, you should first study how to raise Koi.

1 - Select a proper pond. You can purchase a Koi pond made of several different materials from pet stores or Koi specialty retailers. A good rule of thumb is that the Koi pond measurements should be at least 3 feet (0.914 m) deep and contain 300 gallons (1136 liters) per fish. You may want to get a larger pond than you need right away, so that you can add additional fish later.

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Tropical Fish Diseases

A home aquarium can host a large variety of bacterial, fungal & parasitic infections. Early treatment is best but there are few things you can do to increase the chance everyone will heal quickly.

Most illnesses are contagious so medicating the entire tank is suggested. Even if the disease is not contagious, it’s not going to harm a healthy fish to give him a dose of treatment too.

If you have a large aquarium it’s advised to set up a hospital tank. Use a smaller 5 gallon aquarium with air pump to place infected fish. Treating a 5 gallon tank is much easier and cheaper then treating a 90 gallon, hence the popularity of hospital tanks for advanced hobbyists and fish breeders.

Always remove carbon for the duration of treatment. In a power filter, you will need to remove the entire cartridge (carbon is located inside). Carbon absorbs medication from the water rending the treatment ineffective.

Adding freshwater aquarium salt helps with healing. A general tonic with electrolytes promoting good health, salt also can counteract the harsh effect of medication by reducing stress. Dissolve some in a cup of water before adding to the aquarium. Follow directions on the box for the proper amount to add according to tank size.

 Most diseases are caused by stress & poor water quality. After the disease outbreak is cleared, you may want to increase the frequency of water changes and perhaps consider using a stronger filter or adding a second filter. Excellent filtration can help prevent disease by keeping water chemistry prime for living conditions.

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