Take care of your koi carp and increase your enjoyment of keeping koi. We?ve got lots of interesting koi carp care information and fascinating facts about koi. Why not start with our beginners guide to koi care?
Although?goldfish and koi carp are sometimes kept together in the same pond, and are related, the two types of fish are actually different species.
In this article, we look at the origins of both koi carp and goldfish and compare the two species.
Read on to find out more about the differences and similarities between koi carp and goldfish.
To determine which fish are able to share a pond with koi carp, it is first important to consider the characteristics of koi and their environmental requirements.
Koi carp?are ideal for ponds that have a large capacity, plenty of cover and an efficient filter system. They require excellent?water conditions and only thrive in large, deep ponds. They are very resilient and can withstand winter in a frozen pond, as long as you provide and maintain an air stone or floating heater to promote exchange of gases.
The koi carp descends from the common carp, a large grouping of fish that are native to both Asia and Central Europe. Several different species of carp were originally kept in East Asia, where they were consumed as food.
During the 19th century, colorful common carp from wild ponds and lakes were domesticated within Japan, and selectively bred to produce the bright color and pattern variations that we are familiar with in the koi today.
Koi ponds lend unique aesthetic beauty to lawns and gardens. As you work to maintain an ideal environment for your fish while keeping them healthy, you will surely encounter a number of important issues that needs to be addressed. Being aware of these potential problems can help ensure that you are able to implement measures to prevent and/or address such issues before it?s too late.
Keeping koi is certainly a challenge. Aside from creating an ideal and stable aquatic environment for them to thrive in, keeping koi healthy and protected from predators are additional tasks that need to be undertaken seriously on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, the koi?s bright colors can easily attract predators. Against the green pond background, koi are easy to spot and make them vulnerable to predators including cats, raccoons, herons, and foxes.
Here are proven ways to secure your koi pond from predators:
Water quality is a very important factor in creating an ideal condition for the inhabitants of a koi pond. The condition of the water in the pond strongly influences the koi?s health and well-being. Poor water quality paves the way for various health problems that can endanger the pond inhabitants. With proper care and foresight, these problems can be avoided.
One of the most common questions we get asked is ?do koi carp sleep??.?You may assume that koi do sleep at some point; but is that correct? And, if so, how do koi sleep? How often do they sleep? And how can you tell they are sleeping? Read on to learn more…
Many of us will have seen koi owners and enthusiasts feeding their fish directly from their hands, and for many koi owners, having tame koi like this is one of the biggest rewards of fish keeping!
However, when you take into account how large koi carp can potentially grow, and the size of their mouths, it is only natural to be wary of putting your fingers too close to them in case you get nipped or bitten!
But should this real be a concern? Can koi carp bite you? Read on to find out!
