Are you considering adding a nice koi pond to your backyard? If so, it’s definitely a great idea to first learn some basic Koi fish facts. More and more people are learning about koi and adding them to their lives today. However, most people don’t know about the history or other basics of these lovely koi. Before you decide to create your own pond for enjoyment, here is a look at some of the basic koi fish information that you should know.
History
If you’re interesting in learning more koi fish information, it’s a good idea to look at the basic history. You may be surprised to find that they are a mixed breed. By breeding various types of carp, including German and Asian Carp, these lovely fish were first produced. By using selective breeding through the years, they were able to create a variety of different color patterns and mutations. As early as the year 1805, there are records of some of the color patterns showing up.
Today you can find many different color variations to choose from. However, the more popular colors include silver, green, red, white, orange, blue, black, and yellow. Combine these colors with the many patterns and you’ll see that the possibilities in looks are just about endless. Specific colors and patterns have names of their own. You will find that the favorite colors and patterns can vary, depending on the country you are in and the location within that country.
Where They’re Raised
Another important piece of koi fish information you should know is where these fish are raised today. Countries like Israel, Singapore, and Japan all raise these koi for purchase. Even some of the states in the U.S. that are warm raise these fish, such as California, Nevada, and Arizona. If you want to purchase them, they are usually easy to find at local pet stores. However, even if the store doesn’t have them on hand, you can easily order them. Armed with good koi fish information, it can be a great idea to order them. This means that you’ll have a lot more options. Just remember that you won’t be able to pick a specific fish when you have to order them.
Koi Growth
Understanding how koi grow is important. You may be surprised to find out that they’ll keep growing until they reach the size for their breed and growth usually doesn’t depend on the environment. This is important koi fish information to know before you build your own pond for them. While some of the babies may be only 3 inches long, some of the Jumbo Koi are actually known to get over three feet long. However, usually you’ll find that the average size is about two feet long.
Diet
A piece of koi fish information that many people don’t know is that these fish are actually omnivorous. This means that they eat plants and they eat meat. Since they are so versatile, they’ll eat about anything that is given to them, even if it isn’t something good for them. This is why it is so important that owners carefully keep their diets well controlled. Overfeeding can also be a big problem so it’s important to learn koi fish information on how often you should feed them and how much you should feed. They do not know how much they should eat, so you have to avoid giving them too much.
Some of the safest food options to give to the koi are foods that are naturally found in ponds. This includes earthworms. However, you can give them other things to eat and you can even find special food developed for this type of fish as well. Just make sure you avoid feeding them foods that have an outer shell that they are unable to digest.
Koi and Other Fish
You’ll find that koi happen to be fish that are non-aggressive, which is a great piece of koi fish information. Since they don’t have a problem with aggression, you can easily add other types of fish to your pond without a problem. The only problem may be that the koi tend to eat fast so some of the other fish could end up lacking for food.