What type of water do koi live in

Dissolved oxygen refers to oxygen molecules that are dissolved in the water and available for respiration by aquatic life. Warm water does not deliver as much oxygen as cool water, which means koi require more oxygen in higher temperatures when they are very active and eating more often and less in cool water when their activity level is much slower.

You should pay close attention to the oxygen levels whenever a water change or addition is being performed. Digital meters and manual kits are just some of the equipment available for testing. Because dissolved oxygen levels in ponds fluctuate daily based on sunlight and water temperature, it is recommended to test the water several times over a period of several days to get the most accurate understanding of the average dissolved oxygen levels in your pond. Adding a waterfall or fountain is beneficial and can help to replenish the oxygen in a contained pond.

However, for ponds with a depth greater than 4 feet, a supplemental aeration system is recommended. In the winter , if the water is being aerated, you will need to create a small hole or outlet for the bubbles to escape at the surface of your partially frozen pond.

An hour causing stress to your fish. Greater splashing of the water with a water fall and shading may help control the temperature fluctuation. If your pond is subject to stressful temp changes, a 0.

Do it slowly. Koi can tolerate a low to high temp change better than they can a high to low change. Koi do better in hard water because of the relation of salt within their bodies to the dissolved salts in the pond water. In soft water, the difference in salt concentrations means the Koi have to work harder, through the process of osmo- regulation, to prevent the salts within their bodies from diffusing out through their gill membranes.

Harder water allows the Koi to ease up on osmo- regulation and therefore reduces stress. As mentioned above, bicarbonate ions buffer the water, reducing the PH shifts, another cause of stress in Koi. In most Koi ponds the water is too soft due to the fact that there is no natural mud bottom that leaches minerals into the water.

Marine salt and sodium bicarbonate increase hardness, and will also cause pH to go up. A permanent salt solution of 0. Check your pH if you add salt, and do not use table salt - the salt used to make salt water aquariums is the best. Salt will not evaporate out, and needs to be replaced only if water is drained from the pond.

Dissolved oxygen is usually only a warm weather concern, as it is associated with water temperature and algae. However, the larger the fish, the greater its oxygen demand - low oxygen levels will stress and kill your biggest fish. Ponds that have been safe may become unsafe as your fish grow larger. The colder the water, the greater its capacity to hold dissolved oxygen.

Algae take up oxygen at night, and an algae bloom can cause suffocation in large fish and inhibit the oxidation process of nitrifying bacteria. Also, dying algae and decaying organic material take up oxygen. Testing for dissolved oxygen allows you to determine if your pond has the maximum amount for the temperature of the water. Splashing the water into small droplets with a fountain or waterfalls is best for aeration, although venturi valves on underwater jets and air compressors also do a good job of oxygenation.

Chlorine and Chloramine should be tested for if your water supply is from any source other than your own well. Chlorine will burn off by itself in a day or so, but chloramine must be broken down and removed chemically. Check with your local water agency to determine whether they add chlorine or chloramine.

These chemicals damage the gills and liver, and even in low concentrations can cause stress that ultimately leads to disease. It can be done naturally or induced through artificial means such as hormone injections. The fish will reach sexual maturity between 2 and 5 years old and natural breeding will occur in the springtime. In a breeding pond, there should be males for every female. Larger, older females are the best spawners. They should be fed food high in protein and include both natural and commercial foods, up to 3 times a day.

Females will lay their eggs in your shallow-water vegetation, and the male will fertilize them once they are laid. This kind of external fertilization occurs in many different species of fish. Once the eggs are fertilized, they must be removed and placed in an incubation tank. They will hatch in 3 to 4 days. Your newborn fish will not look like much.

In the larval stage, they are extremely tiny and will drift through the water like zooplankton. Once they reach the fry stage and lose their yolk sacs, they will look like very tiny scale-less fish.

Fry can be reared in an indoor tank until they reach the juvenile stage. They should be fed larval brine shrimp and hardboiled eggs mixed with water. Once they reach the juvenile stage, they will look just like miniature versions of adult fish. They can then be placed in the pond and given the same foods that you give the adults. There is a reason that Koi fish are one of the most popular choices for garden ponds. They are a lovely addition to an outdoor pond and are not as difficult to care for as other large pond fish.

They are a favorite of fish keepers and gardeners alike and provide the perfect addition to any water garden. With so many beautiful colors to choose from, you can be sure to find just the right fish for your garden. Beginner fish keepers should start off with the more common Koi varieties before attempting to take on more expensive breeds.

If you are properly committed to the task, caring for these fish will be a fishkeeping experience like no other! What is the most rewarding part of keeping Koi? Let us know in the comments section below…. I had a pond for several years and had no problems in keeping my koi. But recently my fish are not eating the pellets floating which I have been giving them regularly. I would like some advice as to what to do.

My family has been raising and keeping giant Koi fish for more than 35 years. The pond has water features, blocks, ledges, shady secluded, shallow and open deep areas. There are rockscapes in the lawn and around the pond all with a natural stone waterfall as the central feature.

Areas with water lily pads, reeds and other aquatic plants need to be sheltered from the Koi or they will uproot, dig into or eat them and you can lose your aquatic plants. Planted along the south edge of the pond is a Japanese apple tree that offers partial summertime shade for high noon heat periods. The Koi eat insects and honey bees that come to a particular porous rock for water in the height of summertime adding to the Koi protein diet.

Koi also enjoy sucking the algae growing along the waterline. They are fed Koi specific pond food pellets I purchase in 50lb sacks at a time and whole-wheat Cheerios breakfast cereal bought in bulk.

The turtle eats the cereal as a favorite food along with the Koi pellets and what is found at the bottom of the pond any rotting and decayed organic matter. The pond requires very little maintenance with a separate skimmer fed gravel sump filter that finds organic bacterial balance and equilibrium for crystal-clear waters.

Recently we have had a large blue heron remove 3 koi right next to the plastic decoy and had problems with our auto water fill. One month later after the heron and three months after the auto fill problems the six remaining koi got ill with flukes and other diseases which I am having a difficult time identifying and eradicating. Have these diseases been caused because of the heron or water problems? Any suggestions?

Water quality issues are usually at the root of most koi and pond health problems so that is always where I advise people to start. The heron could have certainly caused some stress but that really would have been temporary stress can cause your fish to be more prone to disease. Most likely you are having an issue with water quality that is allowing things like harmful bacteria or fungi to thrive and affect your fish. If you think you have flukes you will need to treat the whole pond -here is an excerpt from my site about the topic:.

There are two main classes of flukes; 1 gill flukes and 2 skin flukes. Both kinds are microscopic so if you suspect your fish are suffering from flukes you will need a microscope to verify it. Dactylogyrus or gill flukes will attach to the gills and, as the name suggests, body flukes or gyrodactylus attach to the body.

They also are an irritant and cause your fish to itch and subsequently rub themselves on the bottom or side of the pond in an attempt to itch and rid themselves of the parasite. If you suspect a fluke infection be sure to look out for this behavior. Another thing you can do is regular water changes not too drastic and you will also want to boost your beneficial bacteria by using something called Microbe-lift PL.

If you have deaths in the future you can always take the carcass to someone that specializes in fish or perhaps a nearby university where they can look under a microscope for certain parasites. How do these dead fish look when you pull them out? I have built a pond 16ft x 8ft x 4. I have had disease after disease loosing many of my koi carp.

My most common disease are sores. I have also took the aquatic s advice on treatments but find that all the treatments I have use seem not to work. Can anyone out there carp expert advise me. Or better still come and view my pond. Well, sores are signs of bacterial infections and bacteria are always going to be present in any pond. If the fish are already compromised in some way then the existing bacteria will move in and affect your fish and cause ulcers and sores.

Is it possilble that you have animals trying to get at your fish and stressing them out or perhaps injuring them and causing the injuries to become ulcerous? My suggestion is start by bringing the salt concentration up to 0. You will need to do water changes after that to reduce the salt level but do it gradually.

Another thing you may want to think about is seepage of pesticides or other unwanted chemicals from sources that may not be obvious. Helo, I pulled up your site on google, I have a fresh water tank koi, he is about 5 inches long, and he a a problem with his mouth. It is awollen and redish pink, he is not eating and he goes to the top for a gulp of air accasionally and he just lays on the bottom of the tank.

Please help me figure out what wrong with him and what to do, he is in the tank with two small sword tail goldfish and one large goldfish, i have them in a 40 gal tank, thank you very much. Next thing would be a light salt bath treatment and perhaps a treatment of Mela-Fix. You will also want to monitor your water quality by testing it regularly. You can also remove the fish and treat the sores with hydrogen peroxide or iodine.

We moved into a home with a koi pond, but had no fish. We got 3 small koi and have had them for 3 months now, they loved to eat they are growing fast , swim around and they have never been social with us. They seem scared. Anyhow about 3 weeks ago they started hiding under the waterfall, never come out anymore during the day. They do swim around at night. The temp has changed. It was a very hot summer and now its much cooler especially at night?

Git any suggestions. One thing that koi in an unprotected outdoor pond may have issues with is predators such as large wading birds. They may be trying to get at your koi and thereby scaring the koi, making them not want to come out. Not eating as much is associated with falling water temps and slower metabolisms. See my latest infographic on my site for feeding charts based on temp.

We also have a few small real plants. My question is, why do they have a green tint devoloping on the white parts only?

Usually if you have color modifications occur they become more muted. Green tints are usually associated with algal growth. Hi Everyone,I am new in keeping kois. Plz can you suggest me the ideal water parameters in keeping kois. Can kois be kept in these conditions. What people will often do is shut down their filtration and keep aeration going in the pond throughout the winter. In terms of food there are lots of floating pellet style foods to choose from but here is a chart with some other foods they like.

Please advise me as to which plants or reeds are acceptable to the koi invoiroument. My mate has so many intruders in his pond.

The reeds have taken over. There is not much sun. The depth and width, Im not too sure of, but it seems large and ideal. He had 45 koi of note. Stunning colors, large in size, massive energy, jumping out the water, so very spectacular in every way. John lost them all as he had a four day power failure. He was given eight lovely little ones. He was also given many gold fish. They swim together in the reeds, the debris from huge trees, such as, yellow stink wood, syringas, jacarandas plus a host of other alien creepers.

If it helps I did write an article on pond vegetation in north america-maybe there is some species overlap? I have my first koi pond which was opened about 2 months ago.

I purchased a TDS-3 meter to check the salt level. I have the readings but have no clue what they mean. It is x 10 ppm. Is this bad or good?

My master test kit show every I know to measure is good. My pond now gas algae. If you have algae then you most likely have a build up of algae food like ammonia and nitrites.