Koi Blog

Would you walk a fish?

2011-11-18T08:52:00.001-06:00

If your Koi has a mobile tank, would you take it for a walk?

Minecraft Koi Fish Mob

2011-11-01T09:26:00.003-05:00

Check out this Minecraft mod that has Koi fish in it. Now you can build your very own Koi pond in the game. The Koi fish in the mod include Tancho, Kawarimono, Shusui, Chagoi, Doitsu, Butterfly, Budda, and Dragon varieties. Feeding your collection of fish some Koi food is also possible, they swarm to it just like in real life.

2011 Nogyosai Grand Champion

2011-10-31T12:19:00.001-05:00

The 2011 Nogyosai Grand Champion was produced by the Nogomi Koi Farm.

Underwater Koi Habitat Video

2011-08-20T14:23:00.003-05:00

The camera follows the Koi around the pond as they swim through their environment. Lilies and other plants provide a nice backdrop for the school of fish. Both regular and butterfly Koi are in this hobbyist's collection.

New Koi Fish Variety - Irish First Minister

2011-05-03T17:51:00.000-05:00

Irish First Minister was feeling sorry for neglecting his Koi pond when he decided to help his colorful carps out by cleaning some of the algae off of the sides. He lost his footing and tumbled into the pond. According to his twitter feed, his cries for help (the pond edges were almost too slippery to climb) were met with laugher and inspections of his life insurance policy. No news yet on how the Koi fish liked their new pond mate.

[Source]

Taiwanese Firefighters Rescue Trapped Koi

2011-05-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

A Taiwanese Koi hobbyist's two foot long Koi became trapped behind a boulder in her Koi pond. She called the Tainan City fire department, who showed up and were able to free the Koi after smashing the boulder apart. The Koi was brought to a local aquarium to receive veterinary care for the injuries it sustained during the ordeal. This wasn't the Koi fish's only brush with death, it survived Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which wiped out all of the other Koi in the pond.

[Source]

A Three year old sells Koi painting for $500.00

2011-04-28T01:25:00.000-05:00

A three year old name Osmar Pete Hernandez sold a Koi painting that he made when he was only a toddler. A toddler art connoisseur nabbed the piece for a cool $500.00. The painting entitled "The Koi" can be viewed here. Even though "The Koi" fetched a decent price, it isn't his most expensive painting available. That title goes to a painting known as "Universal Faces", which is worth $2,500.00.

Would you buy a painting that cost that much from someone who isn't even in preschool yet?

[Source]

New Fish Lice Treatment

2011-04-21T00:41:00.000-05:00

There is a study in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health from the University of Florida that details a new fish lice treatment that is being developed. It is a medicated fish that kills the lice when the attach to the Koi. There were fish lice treatments in the past, but they were toxic and are no longer available to the pond or aquarium enthusiast. The new treatment targets the individual fish that is afflicted while leaving the rest of the pond unaffected.

Fish lice (Argulus) will grab onto Koi with a pair of suckers. They then use a sharp probiscus to draw blood from the fish. This damages the Koi and can cause an infection. Sever fish lice infestations can even cause the fish to go anemic.

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Sarasota Herald Tribune Fish Story

2011-04-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

In an article entitled "Couple open Country Creek garden for a cause" in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, a couple is interviewed about their Koi pond.

One of the owners is quoted "Carl's oldest fish is 13 but, he says, Koi routinely live to 100 if they survive infancy and grow to more than three inches."

In actuality, Koi routinely live from 20 to 30 years. Most grow to be 12 to 24 inches, while the lucky ones with jumbo genetics grow to over three feet in length.

If you look at one of the photos accompanying the article, you will see that their pond is full of Koi that are larger than three inches.

[ Source ]

Retro Drain

2011-04-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

I am thinking of installing a retro bottom drain in my pond. I would connect to a sequence 3600 pump to a bead filter and UV clarifier. The drain would be about 6 feet from the side of the pond. Should I run the tubing through a bulkhead on the side of the pond? Do I need a sensor to shut off the pump if there is a leak in the tubing to prevent the pond from draining? Thanks - Chris

If you live in an area where you can run the pond year round, you can use a bulkhead near the bottom of the side of the pond.

If you live in a cold area, you will need to shut down the pond and drain out any pipes. If you put the bulkhead fitting near the bottom of the pond, during the wintertime when everything is shut down, the water in the pipe will freeze. Place the bulkhead in the top foot pond wall (then lower the water level below it when the pond is shut down) or snake a pipe over the edge of the pond. You should have the retro drain and pipe setup that is in the pond on a union so that you can unscrew it in the fall and remove it in the fall so it won't freeze and bust up.

You can place a float switch in the pond or you can use a Levolor to shut off the pump if a leak occurs. Keep it out of an area where the fish can bump it and accidentally shut off your pond.

Royal Koi

2011-04-08T00:34:00.000-05:00

I believe I am in posession of a very rare Koi, almost 3 feet long weighing over 20lbs and probably over 60 years old and possible of royal lineage. What is something like this worth? - Skyclub

The value of a Koi fish is determined by its size, skin luster, color potential, variety and pattern of color.

There are no Koi with "royal lineage". Bloodlines are used to help determine how a Koi will develop when they are bought from certain breeders, but no Japanese royals breed Koi. Koi that are over three feet in length are rare, but if it is 60 years old, its colors and skin luster will be long past their peak condition.

It is impossible to tell how much a Koi is worth without seeing it. You should contact a local dealer or Koi club to help you determine the value of your fish.

Koi with eggs

2011-03-28T23:37:00.000-05:00

My koi is full of eggs how long before she lays them? We noticed on Friday and its now Monday and no sign of the eggs yet. - Sage

Koi usually lay their eggs in late spring or early summer. Changing temperatures are usually the trigger for the spawn. You will notice that a couple male Koi are banging into the female one to get her to expel the eggs.

If your Koi's abdomen becomes abnormally large, it may be the sign of a tumor. Only a trained vet can diagnose and remove a tumor.

New 5,000 gallon pond - Should I put rock in it?

2011-03-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

I am building my 1st Koi pond - 5,000 gal. I have done a lot of research and feel I am ready. I have someone who will excavate the hole, and place the liner. He majored in landscape design at an excellent university and has been working for about 7 years. He recommends after the liner is placed to cover the bottom with pebbles, and stack cobblestone sized rocks up the sides to cover the entire liner. This is for esthetic reasons, especially since the pond will be lighted. This sounds like a great idea, but I can't find anything that either recommends or discourages this design. I am concerned about debris getting trapped between the rocks and not reaching the bottom drains. Any suggestions? - Bill

You are correct, the rock on the bottom of the pond will trap debris and it will prevent the bottom drain from working correctly.

Fish waste and leaves will slide across the liner on the bottom of the pond and into the bottom drain, but if there are pebbles on the bottom, they will catch everything. Koi fish love rooting around at the bottom, expect a lot of pebbles to end up in the bottom drain.

Any rock on the bottom of the pond will need to be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. When fish waste builds up and fills the small spaces in between the rock, it creates perfect conditions for anaerobic bacteria to grow: a low oxygen environment with tons of nutrients. Anerobic bacteria release hydrogen sulfide, which is poisonous to fish. Hydrogen sulfide gas smells like rotten eggs and is released into the pond if the rock is disturbed.

To clean the rock at the bottom of the pond, you will need to:

Catch the Koi and place then in a temporary tank
Drain the water out of the Koi pond
Power wash the rock on the bottom
Fill the pond back up and let the water dechlorinate for a few days
Place the Koi back into the pond

To summarize, you can put pebble rocks on the bottom and clean the pond out often, or you can leave the bottom of the pond open and let the bottom drain do all of the work for you.

Aesthetically speaking, algae will cover any surface in the pond. Both liner and small rocks will end up looking the same after a year or so. It is ok to place the larger stones along the pond walls. They won't capture debris and will add to the water scape.

Sudden Fish loss

2011-03-18T22:55:00.000-05:00

In about 12 hours all my koi died. We had done nothing different with the pond, the water seemed normal, pump working. Since I'm in Southern California, near the beach, the temperature range is narrow. We have had the pond for 11 years. What could have caused this? - Helen

Did you leave your hose running?

The most common cause of a pond die-off is the fish being exposed to chlorinated water. Chlorinated water kills organic tissue of the fish that it comes in contact with. Gills are sensitive tissue, and when the chlorinated water comes in contact with them, the cells start dieing off. The Koi fish then suffocates because is will be unable to breathe.

If enough chlorinated water is added to the pond because the hose is left on, it will overpower the dechlorinator and will cause a die off.

Shy Koi won't bottle feed

2011-03-17T02:48:00.001-05:00

How do you get Koi to start feeding from bottle? Mine are a little shy. - Babs

I would start by getting your Koi fish to eat from your hand before you try to get them to eat from a bottle. You "train" them by being near the pond when they eat. Move a little closer each time you feed them until you can kneel next to the pond. When they are comfortable with that, put your hand in the water while they are eating. Start keeping some food in your hand, they will eventually eat from it. Pretty soon they will start to associate your hand with being fed, so they will come right up to you. Then train your Koi to eat from a baby bottle.

Things to remember

Not scaring your Koi is very important
Introducing a Koi that will eat from your hand into your pond will make your other Koi in your collection more likely to hand feed

8.9 Earthquake in Japan

2011-03-11T00:43:00.008-06:00

An 8.9 magnatude earthquake struck off of the eastern coast of japan. The epicenter was about 231 miles from Tokyo and only 201 miles from Nagaoka. No word yet on the condition of the Koi farms in Niigata.

More info on the USGS website here: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xgp.php

Edit: Reuters is now reporting that a 10 meter tall tsunami wave has hit the port of Sendei, Japan.

Frozen Koi

2011-03-10T07:04:00.019-06:00

I have 3 Koi and 3 gold fish and live in Michigan we had a extremely cold winter. We just had a break in the weather and the thaw produced one frozen dead goldfish and a half frozen 15 in Koi. The Koi worked his way to a shallow 18 in deep part of the pond. The other fish are moving around fine, but the frozen koi is moving when pushed and for the most part is laying on his side. The water temperature is still at 32 degrees, a heater and aerator are still running. Will this Koi recover? Is there something we can do to help the frozen Koi? - Chris

You should move the Koi to a deeper part of the pond. Koi can live in a wide temperature range, but 32 degrees F is too cold. 34 degrees is the absolute minimum that a Koi can withstand. The temperature at the bottom of the pond will be warmer, it will be closer to 40 degrees. The chances of the Koi recovering are greater if it wasn't in the shallow area for too long.

Koi eggs left behind

2011-03-10T00:02:00.000-06:00

We clean our pond and we take out the Kois we put them in a plactic drums and in the morning we found out that the female Koi laid thousands of eggs. We took the Kois back to the pond, but what will happen to the eggs? - Mariz

If the eggs were fertilized, there is a good chance that they will hatch into the Koi fry. If not, then nothing will happen. If you notice fry appearing in the tub, keep the water quality pristine until they are large enough to move to your pond.

Fish Story

2011-03-08T15:26:00.000-06:00

In an article entitled "Koi story Pair raise and rescue colorful fish" in the Clarion Ledger about a couple that raises "domestic" Koi fish, they claim that Koi can grow up to five feet long in Japan. It is common knowledge that Koi can only grow to three to three and a half feet long. A five foot long Koi would be ridiculous. A quick internet search reveals that the only available five foot long Koi in Japan are the Koinobori, the carp wind socks that are brought out on Children's Day (May 5th). Sounds like they fed the reporter a fish story.

Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/gLk1RS

2011 Central Florida Koi Show

2011-03-08T05:00:00.028-06:00

The 2011 Central Florida Koi Show is happening this weekend. It is put on by a group of the finest Koi clubs from all Over Florida.

They include:

Florida East Coast Koi and Pond Club
Gainesville Koi Club
Orlando Area Koi & Pond Club
Rainbow River Koi Club
Southern Koi Association

There are several seminars to attend. The speakers are:

Steve Childers
Joe White
Dr. Richard and Luanne Porter
Joe Sprinkle
Bill McGurk
Stan Ellis
Henry Culpepper
Ray Jordan

Don't miss this show. It will be a great opportunity to see some of the best Koi in the region.

Where
International Palms Resort & Conference Center Orlando
6515 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819

When
March 11, 2011 to March 13, 2011

For more information, visit: http://www.centralfloridakoishow.org/

Scratching

2011-03-03T12:57:00.000-06:00

My Kois have been scratching their backs at the bottom of the tanks recently. I have read up on Ich, but I can't see the white sand like salt on them? Also what product should I buy to cure this? -Sam

There are a whole range of parasites that can live on a Koi, including ich. Ich will have the tell tale salt "spots" and since you don't see them on your Koi, they probably have another parasite that is bothering them. You can try using a broad range parasite treatment from a pet store.

How to Fold an Origami Koi Fish

2011-02-27T04:12:00.002-06:00

Follow the instructions on the video clip to find out how to fold an origami Koi fish.

Staying at bottom of the pond

2011-02-26T19:05:00.000-06:00

My new Kois are just staying at bottom of pond all curled up together, my question is why do they do that? When will they get active? -Aileen

Koi fish will hide at the bottom, in rocks or even in a skimmer basket when they are introduced into new surroundings. Some people will float a couple pieces of Styrofoam on the surface to provide cover for the Koi so they will feel safer. It can take two to four weeks for your Koi to get used to their new pond.

Koi Cam

2011-02-26T16:09:00.000-06:00

Check out this underwater camera footage of a group of Koi swimming around their pond.

Bringing the Koi In

2011-02-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

Well I have a Koi pond outside and there is a a very pretty koi in it. He is so pretty that I want to bring him in the house. What size tank should i get for him? He is only about 4 to 5 inches big. -Megan

You can fit in a 30 gallon tank, but he will probably grow in the future, so you may want to go with a 55 gallon one. You can also go with a horse trough if it gets too big for an aquarium.