The modern day koi are tough but they have lost much of the resiliency of their ancestor, the magoi carp. They can thrive in the poorest water conditions and stay unaffected by the existence of parasites. This is because of the inbreeding process that started from way back when nishikigoi was first being established. Breeders have had to pair koi with parents and siblings to get the perfect body shape, intense colors and beautiful patterns that make the present koi so admirable.
Nonetheless, the koi of today rarely get sick and if they get sick or perish, you can find the underlying cause to water quality problems. Other threats to koi health are parasites, ulcer disease, predators, medicine overdose, jumping out of the water, virus infections, toxic pesticides, and tumor.
Water Quality
Poor water quality is the main cause of koi death. You will need to watch out for the pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and oxygen levels in your pond. Even marginal alterations in their levels can negatively affect koi health. PH pertains to the acid and alkaline content of your pond. Koi need a pH of 7.0 through 9.0. Ammonia is produced by your koi in the form of waste. It can be extracted effectively by using biological filter system that takes advantage of the nitrification cycle.
Bacteria will convert ammonia to nitrites. Even so, nitrites are still toxic to the koi and must also be converted by other bacteria into nitrates that are comparably safer to the koi. Nitrates, in turn, are consumed by the plants as well as algae in the pond. You already know how oxygen is needed to sustain life. As your koi grow in size, they will require more dissolved oxygen. To ensure that there is a lot of oxygen in the pond water install a waterfall, jets or air pump, or put air stones to add oxygen to the water.
Parasites, Ulcer Disease and Bacterial Infections
If the koi fish die or display irregular behavior regardless of the good quality of your water, you could expect the cause to be either parasites or bacterial infections. Parasites such as anchor worms and fish lice can be harmful to your fish. The initial signs are red or white pimples that quickly turn into sores. The ulcer can get into the muscles of the fish so you have to discover the disease during its early stages.
You will have to keep you koi clear of parasites. Hold the affected fish in salted water and feed with medicated food. You can swab the sores with betadine to help them recover. Talk to a veterinarian on how best to cure your koi.
Quarantine
You will need to isolate any new fish for at least three weeks before introducing them to the pond. During this period, you will need to treat the fish for parasites. If you lack a different quarantine tank, be sure to purchase your koi only from reputable dealers that guarantees their fish to be parasite-free. Also carefully choose the plants for addition to the pond which also has to be parasite-free.
Overcrowding
If you continue having koi health problems (like stunted growth or perhaps erratic behavior) despite that your water is of top quality and you bought only parasite-free fish, you may want to check your koi population. Your fish may be experiencing stress due to overcrowding.
What You Want To Know About Keeping Your Koi Healthy
Koi health is of paramount importance if you want to enjoy your fish for a long time. Koi fish are known to live for decades although the average life span is 20 to 30 years. Koi are hardy and durable; however, they can get sick.
The Correct Way To Feed Koi Fish
If you have a koi pond, you know that feeding koi can be fun. Koi are highly interactive fish; they are known to feed right out of their owner's hand. Many koi owners find pleasure in feeding koi because these fish actually learn to recognize the person who feeds them.
Factors To Think About When Planning To Make A Koi Garden
If you want to experience Mother Nature's beauty everyday right in your own backyard, you can do this by creating a koi garden. If there is already an existing pond in your property, why not add koi?
Salt Water Aquarium - Some Critical Points To Bear In Mind Before Buying One
A salt water aquarium is not a toy and shouldn't be wrapped up as such. By buying a fish tank you are taking responsibility for the care of these beautiful creatures and this is not something you should enter into lightly.
Koi Breeding: Everything And Anything You Have To Know About It
Koi breeding is not easy if what you aim for is to produce high-quality fish for competition purposes. Before you can obtain a prize-winning koi fish, you will have to cull and discard several thousand fry. The koi breeding process is long and difficult but it is all worth it.
Salt Water Aquariums - Numerous Shapes And Sizes
Salt Water Aquariums come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. The number of fish you can keep will depend on the size of the tank that you buy.
Custom Aquariums - Some Suggestions On How To Make Proper Use Of Plants And Algae
Plants and Algae are often left out when planning custom aquariums yet they fulfill various important functions. Plants act as water conditioners, a source of food as well as being objects of beauty
A Few Points On How To Start A Salt Water Aquarium - A Great Addition To Any Home
A salt water aquarium is a great addition to any home. Kids love all types of living creatures and will get lots of joy watching the fish swim about. As they get older you can teach them responsibility by giving them the job of looking after the fish tank and its inhabitants.
The Strenuous Demands Of Being A Customized Aquarium Owner
Owning custom fish tanks carries a lot of responsibility. Not only do you have to feed your fish and look after the water quality but you also must be their doctor and look after their health properly.
Ways To Best Maintain Your Fish In Your New Non-Natural Habitat
The confined space means that disease will spread rapidly through the aquarium if you don't take measures to prevent this happening. As your experience with fish grows, you will spot signs of illness early.