What to look for when buying fish Koi ?

• Koi Dealers
• Health
• Appearance
• Price

Koi Dealers

The dealer you buy from Koi must have a clean object. A dealer can have a much higher population density than an amateur, since he keeps Koi will not be there for a long period of time. The tanks in which the Koi is housed should not be filled, and they should either be placed a few feet apart, or there must be a barrier between them. If your dealer has a shipment under quarantine, you do not want to purchase Koi from a reservoir that can potentially be assembled. The water into which the fish got caught must be clean with adequate filtration to support the heavy load on the fish.

The dealer must carry out quarantine and perform viral tests on each of his shipments. Avoid any dealers who ship the cargo to Koi, and then immediately offer them for sale.

Health

Koi, to whom you look, should be healthy. He should show normal behavior. If you notice that the Koi flash (by scratching yourself on the side of the tank) avoids this, it may have a problem with the parasite. Look at Koi for any visible parasites and ulcers. Inspect another Koi from the dealer, if you notice a lot of health problems with your fish, you can go somewhere else.

Appearance

Select the Koi fish:

Body conformation

The body of the fish Koi must be symmetrical, without physical deformations. Women Koi is preferable to men, because of their body shape, when they mature. A mature female has a large body that has a shape resembling an airship. A mature man will have the shape of a cigar.

Skin gloss

Skin condition strongly affects the appearance of the color. If Koi is sick, malnourished, or if he is in a bad environment, the quality of the skin suffers along with the color.

Color Quality

The color should be even throughout the fish. If you were looking at Kohaku, you would not want the red spots to be darker than the others. Keep in mind that the color on the head will look different on the body, as it will not extend to the scale. Inspect Koi for any colour loss. It will be a patch or part that will look faded. Colours should be strong, for example, white should be bright, without yellowing.

Border

It is necessary to define the border of the colour template. Blurred edges will look worse as Koi grows.

Colour scheme

The colour should be evenly distributed over the upper body of the fish. Kohaku with red patterns towards the back of the fish will look less impressive than one with a stepping pattern on the back.

Price

Most small Koi have a fixed price. Larger Koi are calculated on an individual basis. Japanese Koi adorn the highest prices. They are the winners of the show, and they retain their colour because of the strict rules of reproduction. Most domestic (US divorced) And imported (Malaysia, Indonesia, China, etc.) Pisces Koi are readily available, but often remain small and lose their colour. Be careful with the dealers who try to sell you Koi with inflated prices. Often, they will designate Koi as "imported", or they will sell domestic Koi with "Japanese parents" to "improve" the value of their Koi. Any dealer worthy of his salt will know the source of his Koi.

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Cycling Koi pond

Biofilters rely on nitrifying bacteria to remove toxins produced by Koi from water and then oxidize them as virtually innocuous by-products. Since all bacterias are living organisms, you require two basic things, food and shelter. Their shelter is your biological filter and their food is ammonia that Koi excretes.

Nitrifying bacteria need time to multiply and colonize your filter. This is known as cycling. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for the nitrifying bacteria to accumulate sufficient numbers to track the fish load in the pond. There are two types of nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomonas, which take care of Ammonia and Nitrobacter, which takes care of nitrite.

Before putting your Koi in your pond, your biological filter is dead. There are no nitrifying bacteria living on the media. This means that if you put Koi in your pond, the toxins are not oxidized and accumulate. If no action is taken, the toxins will harm your Koi.

Now, as the bacteria grow and colonizes your filter, the level of ammonia will continue to increase until there is an adequate amount of Nitrosomonas. When there is enough in the filter, the ammonia level will reach its peak, or peak, and it will begin to fall. It will be slow at first, but will grow as more and more bacteria grow. Soon you will end up with enough Nitrosomonas bacteria needed to absorb the ammonia, so that the number of them in your filter will drop a little after the peak, unless you continue to add more ammonia. The same thing will happen for Nitrite with the bacterium Nitrobacter.

If you did not know, Nitrobacter turns nitrite into nitrate. Nitrate is not toxic at low concentrations, but high levels may be immunosuppressive. Nitrate is controlled by changes in water and / or large amounts of vegetation.

If you did not run a biological filter, your Koi will have to pass through the ammonia and nitrite Spike.

There are two things you can do to prevent this:

Buy a cheap goldfish and put it in your pond to run the filter.

Put ammonia in your pond to run the filter.

The best option is to put ammonia in the pond. The cheap goldfish can be loaded with parasites and it is not good to pass them through the ammonia / nitrite tips.

How to cycle a filter

Add Some ammonia to the water, enough to bring the level to 5 - 8 ppm. Add more or less ammonia depending on the initial fish load. Remember, it is safer to grow more nitrifying bacteria than necessary. Make sure there are no additives in the ammonia that you use that could harm your Koi. Also make sure there are no fish in the pond. Ammonia is a poison to fish.

Be wary of pond products that claim they can speed up the recycling process.

The cycle is the natural way to clean organic toxins. Nitrifying bacteria are slow-growing bacteria and nothing in a pot or box will grow them faster.

Make sure you have a test kit and frequently check the quality of the water.

You will need to be able to test for:

• Ammonia
• Nitrite
• Nitrate

After a while, you will notice that the nitrite levels will increase and ammonia levels will fall. This means that Nitrosomonas grows in your filters. The level of ammonia will continue to drop until it is gone and you will still have a lot of nitrite in your pond. After a while, you will notice that there will be an accumulation of nitrate in the water. It is Nitrobacter that does its job, it turns Nitrite into nitrate. When all the nitrite is gone, the cycle is complete and your biological filter is ready for the expected fish load.

Before adding fish, make a large change of water to remove nitrate. If you are not able to put Koi in your pond right now, add more ammonia to keep the nitrifying bacteria alive.

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Koi care in different season

Spring

Spring is one of the worst times of the year for Koi, there are so many things to deal with. There are water temperatures that have more ups and downs than on a roller coaster. Then there are a large number of predators that are probably really hungry and are looking for pleasant fresh food after a long winter. Do not forget Aeromonas Alley, a danger zone of 40 ° F - 50 ° F, when your Koi immune system is closed, but harmful bacteria are still active. Your Koi also must deal with those people who deplete organisms, parasites.
But do not let everything that knocks you down. The best thing you can do for your Koi is to equip them with enough oxygen and make sure that they have as little stress as possible. If you are lucky enough to have a pond heating system, you must pass through this zone 40 ° F - 50 ° F as quickly as possible. You can also use it to check for these temperature fluctuations.
Watch out for your Koi. Look for any signs of a disaster, such as an ulcer, or if your Koi does not swim to the right. If you have emergency care, contact a veterinarian who is knowledgeable about Koi's health.
Begin to feed your Koi when the water temperature is constantly above 50 ° F. A good rule of thumb: if your Koi asks for money on the surface of the water, they are probably hungry and decide it's time to start eating. It is a good idea to use Koi food, which is high in wheat germs, it is easy to digest.

Summer

Summer is the warmest and sunny season. The temperature of warm water increases the metabolism of Koi and their immune system. Summer is a period of growth for Koi, they will be easy to eat 3-5 times a day. You just need to make sure that your filter can handle all of your Koi waste, otherwise they will suffer from the accumulation of ammonia and dissolved solids in the water. In addition, if you do not have a filter of sufficient size, your pond will probably look like a bowl of pea soup!
One thing you should look at in the summer is your DO (dissolved oxygen) level. The warmer your water is, the less oxygen it can hold. Store a sufficient amount of aeration in your pond at any time. It does not matter if it's an air pump and an air stone, or a big waterfall. The minimum level required by Koi is 4 ppm (parts per million). Keep in mind that 4 ppm is the minimum level, the DO level should always be much higher. Your Koi needs oxygen to live.
The ideal temperature for Koi in summer is around 70 ° F - 75 ° F. This is the most convenient temperature range for them. See these dog days. If you have a shallow pond, the water temperature can rise to dangerous levels, and your Koi can suffer. Provide some cover or some shade for your Koi so that they have a place to get out from under direct sunlight.

Koi likes to make mistakes. It's not uncommon to hear them splash on the surface at night, when they try to get insects that are near the surface of the water. The use of beetles, as well as the daily diet and the temperature of warm water will make them grow very quickly.

Autumn

Fall, a season when everything seems to fall: leaves, water temperature and do not forget the worst, immune system. Koi are Poikilothermic, which means cold-blooded. The temperature of their body corresponds to the temperature of the water. You will notice that when the water drops below 60 degrees, your Koi will slow down. This is a critical period of time. Watch your Koi for any signs of distress or any complications with parasites. If you have an indoor over the winter tank, now is the best time to take a Koi for the winter. You do not want to wait until the water temperature becomes too low, otherwise you will damage the Koi with a large temperature change. Make sure that your overly wintering tank is covered, Koi seems to like to jump when they get a new environment.
When the temperature begins to fall, switch to Koi food, which has a high percentage of wheat germ and a low percentage of protein. This mixture will be easy for your Koi to digest and help purify their digestive system. Stop feeding your Koi at all when the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. They may look hungry, but if you feed them, the food in the stomach will rot and they will suffer.
Loosen your pond completely clean. I will write again, KEEP CLEAN CLEAN. This means that you immediately remove leaves and other debris from your pond. If you leave this material in your pond all winter, it will start to decompose, and it will release toxic gases. It will also contain anaerobic bacteria, they also produce toxic gas, hydrogen sulphide.

winter

Winter, the coldest season of the year. If you live in the lower regions, then you probably get snow and ice. Koi does not sleep in the winter, so they do not eat or produce any toxins. Do not feed your Koi if the water temperature is below 50 ° F. Food will sit in the koi's stomach and rot.
It's a good idea to save space in your pond for gas exchange. Carbon dioxide must come out of the water, and fresh oxygen must get into the water. This can be done with the electric drive of an aquarium and / or an air navigator. You can also use a heater for gutters, but they are expensive to run. It's also a good idea to put an airstone in your pond to put your Koi with new oxygen. Place the airway near the surface so that you do not mix water from the pond.
You will probably notice that your Koi sits at the bottom of your pond. This is normal, Koi are Poikilothermic (cold-blooded), so their activity level coincides with the water temperature. In winter, Koi will go to the warmest area. As the water is denser at 39.2 ° F, warmer water will be at the bottom of your pond.
Make sure that the water temperature does not drop below 34 ° F. If this happens, ice crystals will begin to form on the gills of Koi. Crystals of ice can kill Koi. Do not add salt to the pond in winter. Salt reduces the freezing point of water, so if you add something to your pond, it can kill your Koi, because the water temperature can drop below 30 ° F.
It's also a good idea to close the waterfall. The only thing that will make a waterfall in winter is to lower the temperature of the water. The waterfall can even freeze, because of what all the water is pumped out of your pond.

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Koi fish care - Water parameters.

Water quality is a very significant aspect of Koi Keeping. It is all-important that the perfect water quality is maintained for your Koi to thrive. If a pond is under filtered, the Koi and the other fish will suffer. The four most significant water quality parameters are explained below▪

•Ammonia (NH3)

Humans and other animals usually convert ammonia to carbamoyl phosphate from the enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthase, and then it is either used or expelled in different ways.But Koi and other fish have a lack of this mechanism, so that they are released directly into the water.

•Nitrite (NO2-)

Nitrite is formed in the second stage of the nitrogen cycle. It is not as toxic as ammonia, but long-term exposure can cause problems.

•Nitrate (NO3)

Nitrate is a by-product of the nitrogen cycle, which is the process by which bacteria transform the toxins produced by Koi into non-harmful substances. The bacterium, Nitrobacter, converts toxic nitrite to nitrate.

•pH

PH is the measurement of active and floating hydrogen ions in water. A pH level of 7 is neutral, a pH level below 7 isPHcidic and a pH level above 7 is alkaline.

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How to acclimatize Koi fish ?

Acclimation is the process of soft introduction of Koi into a new environment.

There are many reasons why you may need to acclimatize Koi fish into a new pond or tank. Perhaps you bought a new Koi and take it home to quarantine. You may need to bring your Koi in the room in the fall. Other reasons include:

Moving patient Koi to a hospital tank
Moving to a new house
Your fish is a Koi show participant
temperature
The most important factor when introducing Koi into a new pond is the equalization of the temperature of water in a bag with water in a pond or quarantine tank. A sudden change in temperature will interfere with the metabolism of Koi and can kill the fish. Slowly acclimating fish, their metabolism will allow for the change in temperature.

Koi fish can withstand temperature fluctuations in Fahrenheit 20 degrees during acclimatization. A greater temperature difference should be avoided. Think about how to adjust the temperature of the new pond, Koi will be within 20 degrees F from the old pond. Koi is easier to adapt to a higher temperature than to adjust the temperature of colder.

Steps of acclimatization

Pond or tank, which includes fish, must have a pristine water quality. Moving and acclimatization of Koi is quite difficult, not dealing with poor water quality. Float the bag or tube in which Koi is located for 1/2 hour (longer if the temperature change exceeds 10 degrees F). Take Koi out of the bag with your hands or a sock net. Do not use a conventional mesh, it will remove the mucus when you lift the fish from the water. Discard the water in the bag. Do not unload it into a pond, it contains fish waste, and water will have an unstable pH level. Cover the tank with a mesh. Koi change when their environment changes. Place one or more (depending on the size of the reservoir or pond) of polystyrene foam, one to two square feet in size. This will provide a place for Koi to hide while they adjust to their new home.

old style

If you think: "Wait a second, should I not slowly introduce Koi into fresh water from the pond?" Then you are partially right.
The old school of thought was:
To swim the bag for 20 minutes, open it, and then add 25 percent water. Repeating until the bag barely swims, and then lets go Koi.

or,

Drop the water and Koi into the tub. Float the tub in a pond and slowly add water for half an hour.

Now the general consensus (see Koi Kichi) is that equalizing the temperature and getting Koi out of the water with a dirty bag as soon as possible is better than equalizing all the water parameters before introducing Koi into your pond. It is believed that a rapid pH change has less harm than Koi, immersed in water with a high content of ammonia and CO2 for a long period of time.

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Every Koi pond should contain

Bottom drain

The bottom drain is placed in the deepest  portion of the pond. It takes in all heavy and solid waste that is found at the bottom part of the pond.

Pump

This is used to fill your pond water.

Air pump

An air pump and an air stone will supply fresh oxygen to the Koi.

Surface skimmer

The surface skimmer removes all types floating debris such as uneaten food and leaves.

Bead filter

The bead filter performs two types of filtration. The filter media provides a place for growing nitrifying bacteria and captures all types small pieces of waste. Bead filters have a backwash function for easy cleaning.

UV ligh

The UV light sterilizes the algae that makes the water of the pond green.

Optional equipment

Protein skimmer

A protein skimmer removes the waste that dissolves in water. By establishing the water super clean, it allows the Koi fish to grow more because they will not feel that the pond is crowded.

Sieve of Cetus or Vortex chamber

A Cetus sieve or vortex chamber takes the waste that flows from the bottom drain and separates it from the water in the pond. These will cut down a lot of maintenance on the ponds that are near the trees.

Create a safe environment

The easiest way to build a pond for Koi stable in all seasons is to make it deep. A pond which is five feet deep will not experience the same temperature fluctuations as those two feet deep.

Most ponds that have predator problems are built with shallow sloping sides that allow the creatures to wade into the pond. A Koi pond built with steep walls will deter most predators from getting into the pond.

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