Facts About Koi Fishes
A little history about Japanese Koi fishes which is the domesticated variant of ordinary carp. The Koi fish lives and breeds in freshwaters of Eastern Asia which is said to be its place of origin.
They can be found in a wide variety of colours like white, black, yellow, blue, red, gold and silver. Koi fish are covered with many different patches throughout their body.
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As per Japanese belief, the colour and patterns on a koi fish signify wealth, prosperity, love, successful career and luck. Each category of Koi represents each of these values.
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Gold koi fish - symbolises wealth and prosperity.
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Metallic koi fish - means success in business.
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A blue koi - is believed to bring peace.
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Asagi koi of blue, red, and grey patches means positivity.
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Black koi are believed to resemble the Father red referring to the mother, blue denotes the son, and pink the daughter.
Its beauty and fame have helped the koi fishes to reach all corners of the world. Koi fish is not on the list of endangered species.
Facts About Koi Fishes
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Koi fish is a large fish and can grow up to a meter in length. The growth rate of a koi fish depends on the given living conditions.
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An adequate amount of food, constant water temperature, and oxygen is vital for its growth. An efficient filtration system is a must for the healthy survival of the fishes.
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Patches and the colours of the koi fish change as per its classification. The cost of the fishes also depends on their breed classification, patterns, shape and behaviour.
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The koi fish has an average life expectancy of 30 to 40 years. We can find many koi in history that has lived for more than 200 years.
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Koi fish and goldfish are closely related to each other. They often share similarities in appearance but, one of the main features of a koi fish is the barbels on its upper lip.
What is the normal diet of Koi fishes?
Koi fish is an omnivorous fish which eats both plants and small creatures. Koi fishes ideally are fed a balanced diet of protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates to sustain healthy growth.
Favourite Food Of Koi Fishes?
Koi enjoys to eat algae, spirulina, plants, animal matter, black soldier fly larvae, peas, fruits, and watermelon are some of the favourite foods.
Can Koi fishes recognize people?
Koi is an intellectual fish which can identify persons who feed them and can be trained to have food from his or her hands.
Do Koi fishes have predators?
Koi fish have various predators, raccoons, badgers, birds of prey, snakes, wild cats, dogs are some of them.
What is the best temperature for keeping Koi Fishes?
Koi fishes are very cosy creatures they stress out very easily with slight temperature changes. The prefered water temperature is between 15 to 25 ° C. Rapid changes in pond water temperature can some times lead to fatalities.
Another important factor for the growth of koi is the pH of water. Ideal pH range is said to be between 7.5 to 8.5.
How does Koi survive extremely cold weather conditions?
Koi fish which inhabit in temperate geographic zones hibernate during the winter. It swims to the bottom of the pond and remains dormant until the climatic conditions changes.
Does direct Sunlight effect Koi?
Koi fish are also sensitive to the scorching sun. Sunburns are very common in ponds where the water depth is less, and if there is not enough shade.
Does a Koi Pond Need Filtration System?
Koi fish release a lot of waste such as ammonia into the water which should be removed continuously. An efficient filtration system can take are of water quality in large ponds. We can help you in designing and installing the right filter system for your ponds.
Koi fishes enjoy the company of other koi fishes. During the spawning, a female koi produces about 50,000 eggs. Out of this, it is estimated that only 50% of eggs will survive. Koi fishes are treated as an invasive species in some parts of the world, such as in North America. They are capable to wipe out the local species if dumped intentional or unintentionally into the lakes or natural ponds.
Can You Eat Koi?
As per early history, Chinese farmers originally bred koi for dining. It was after the 1800s the fish was bred as a pet for its unique patches and spectacular colours. They aren’t at all poisonous to eat, but normally the koi fishes which are kept as pets are not consumed as a fish for sentimental reasons.
To read more about building Garden water features, Koi fish pond designs, koi fish pond filters, and Koi Fish Ponds follow the links below.
