I have a Yamabuki Ogon. How can I tell how old he is? -Beka

Unless you were told by the breeder or the dealer, it is almost impossible to guess the age of your Koi. All Koi grow at different rates, most 2-6 inches a year. Over a few year period, some Koi will be a lot bigger than others. Koi have growth rings in their scales, not unlike the rings in tree trunks. These rings can be counted with a microscope, although this method is sometimes inaccurate. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

PH Level Dropping

Since the weather has turned cold here in Perth Australia over the last month my PH level has dropped continually down from 7 to around 5.5 - 5. I have adjusted it with Bi-Carb soda to bring it back up at a rate of about 1.5 Tsp per 1000 litres but then a week later it will have dropped again. All my other water levels are spot on. Can you tell me why this is happening as during the summer months it was OK. Is Bi-Carb soda the correct way to raise the levels? What can you suggest to maintain a steady level of PH? Thank you, look forward to your suggestions. -William I would do a water change and I would do it regularly. All your Koi are doing right now when they are hibernating is breathing. They breath in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is acidic and will slowly eat away at carbonate levels in the water. As the carbonate levels go down, the water's ability to buffer acid also drops. That is why you pH keeps dropping. Doing a regular water change or adding Bi-Carb soda will keep the carbonate levels in your pond up. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

How can Koi be tamed to hand feeding? Is it just feeding at a particular time or are there attractant foods? -Arthut

Getting Koi to be hand tame takes time. First, get your Koi used to your presence. This can be achieved by first standing at the edge of your pond while you feed them. Then put your hand in the water and hold some food in it. Hold some food in you hand while it's in the water every day and eventually your Koi will get used to their food being in your hand. They will then eat from it. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Koi and Other Fish

Can a freshwater shark and fighter fish co-exist and breed with carp fish in a large pond? How about adding turtles to the collection? -Adam Carp and Koi are docile. That means they won't harm any fish. Those other types of fish, including the turtle, are aggressive. That means they will tear apart any other type of fish in the pond. They carp will be lucky if they last a day. I would not mix any of those fish together. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Koi In A Livestock Tank

A friend of mine was telling me that I could put Koi in our livestock tank to help keep it clean. I don't think this is right? What do you think? -Melissa A Koi will keep it clean, until their waste builds up. They will eat any grass and bugs that get into the tank, but they will pollute it with their waste. You are better off just getting a filter for the tank. If you have Koi, they will need a filter, food, care, ect. It is much simpler to just put a filter on for the tank. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Koi in Dubai

I want to ask if koi fish can survive in middle east particularly in Dubai since the temperature here is rising and up to what degree of temperature does koi fish can tolerate? -Jasmin Koi can live in water temperatures from 34 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have plenty of shade and good pond depth, I don't think that having Koi in Dubai would be out of the question. You may even want to look into installing a chiller to keep your water cool. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Breeding Koi

I HAVE A LARGE WELL(cistern) AT HOME WITH DIMENSIONS 3*4*2METERS WITH FILLED ALMOST COMPLETELY WITH RAINFALL WATER RIGHT NOW I AM KEEPING ABOUT 60 FISH MOSTLY KOI OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND GOLDFISH. THE WELL IS VERY VENTILATED WITH AN OPENING OF ABOUT60*60 CM. I AM KEEPING THEM FOR TWO MONTHS. THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL. MY INTENTION IS TO MAKE THEM BREED, WILL THEY DO LIVE AND BREED IN SUCH ENVIRONMENT? DO YOU ENCOURAGE ME TO PUT TURTLES INTO WELL? THANK YOU VERY MUCH - DR KHALID When the Japanese breeders spawn Koi, they usually put a couple males in a pond with one female. They will allow the Koi to spawn and then they will move the parents out of the pond so that they won't eat the eggs. They should live in the well, make sure that you have good water quality. You might want to separate them if you want to breed, the other Koi will eat the eggs. I wouldn't put any turtles in with they Koi, they might hurt the Koi and they might eat the eggs. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Ogon Not Eating

HELLO HOW ARE YOU, I HAVE A QUESTION. I HAVE A FEMALE GIN RIN OGON,,SHE IS ABOUT 15 INCHES MAYBE LARGER,,,I GOT HER LIKE 3 WEEKS AGO AND SHE IS FINE BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW OGONS ACT, I HAVE ABOUT 8 OTHER KOI IN MY 7000 GALLON POND (THE WORKS)...ALL THE KOI ARE LIKE 10 INCHES AND UNDER ACTUALLY THERE ARE ONLY 2 10INCHERS...KOHAKU,,,,ANYWAY MY QUESTION IS SHE DOESN’T EAT LIKE THE OTHER LITTLE PIGS DUE AND WHEN SHE GETS READY TO COME UP FOR FOOD ITS ALL GONE,,SHE MIGHT BE GETTING ONE OR TWO PELLETS THAT’S IT,,,WHEN I GOT HER SHE WAS VERY HAND TAME BUT SINCE I BEEN TRYING TO GET OUT 3 LITTLE GOLDFISH IN MY POND SHE HASN’T. WELL WHAT SHE IS DOING IS NOT GETTING THE FOOD RIGHT, SHE TRIES TO SUCK IT IN, BUT SHE ISN'T DOING IT HARD ENOUGH, SHE TRIES MORE AROUND THE EDGE OF THE POND BECAUSE ITS EASIER FOR HER TO GRAB IT,,,SHE SWIMS FINE SHES NOT ANTI SOCIABLE,,,, AND SHE ISN'T GASPING,,,SHE DOES HAVE A LITTLE BACTERIA INFECTION THAT IS VERY SMALL THAT I TREATED AND I THINK IT IS UNDER CONTROL,,,,IT WAS A BIG RED SPOT BUT NOW ITS LITTLE SINCE I RAISED MY SALT IN MY POND AND TREATED ONE WITH BIO BANDAGE,,I DON’T THINK THIS IS THE PROBLEM SO I WAS WONDERING CAN TELL ME SOME INFO ON GIN RIN OGON,,,,IS IT BECAUSE SHE MIGHT BE PREGNANT, BUT SHE HAS NO STOMACH SIGN AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY ACTIVITY,,,IS IT BECAUSE SHE IS JUST LAZY OUR WHAT,,CAN YOU PLEASE HELP! Your Ogon that's shy is probably just got scared from the net that you've been using to try and capture the goldfish with. She also might feel sick from the small ulcer. When you feed your Koi, toss some food around the Ogon when it eventually goes to the surface. You can try to hand tame the Ogon again by putting your hand in the water with the food. Eventually it will get used to your presence and it will eat from your hand. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Scared Koi

I have this Koi in my pond and it seems like every time I walk past it, he is skittish and darts around in the pond like a madman. What in the world is going on?? -Anthony Something probably scared your Koi in the past, and now it gets scared whenever someone goes by the pond. There's not much you can do other than trying to train it with food. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Do koi eat goldfish? -Daniel

Koi do not usually eat goldfish. The only time that could happen is if you have large Koi in a pond with tiny goldfish that could fit inside a Koi's mouth. Both Koi and goldfish are considered docile, so they get along great and won't fight. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Spring Fed Pond and Koi

I have a natural pond that is fed by a natural spring. The water runs into the pond at one end and exits at the other end. Do I need a filter? The pond is about 20 ft in diameter and about 2.5 ft. deep. I inherited this pond when I purchased the house. I need advise on how to maintain it and the Koi that are in the pond. The property sat empty for about a year and a half. - Masaie Since the pond is spring fed, you probably don't need a filter system. The water is being constantly changed. This is also known as a flow-through system. For more information on Koi keeping, refer the the Koi keeping articles. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Waterfall and Aereation

I now have 6 Koi in my pond. On hot days the water gets warm (80 degrees). I have a waterfall running. Will this be enough oxygen for the fish? -Anthony The waterfall should provide enough aeration. Six Koi don't require massive amounts of aeration. It would be a different story if you said that you had 30 or 40 large Koi in your pond. If you are concerned about your Koi not getting enough oxygen, then go to a local Koi supply store or pet shop and get a good sized air pump with some good sized air stones. Hook everything up and put it in your pond. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

How can I get my 4 Koi and 2 goldfish to eat from my hand? -Anthony

It takes time to train a Koi to hand feed. Start by putting your hand in the water with the Koi when you put food in it. At first they will be nervous and probably won't go anywhere near you. Eventually they will get used to the presence of your hand and will eat near it. When they are used to your hand being in the water, cup your hand and put some food in it. Lower your hand in the water and hold it near the surface. They Koi will smell the food in your hand and will be curious. Eventually they will build up the nerve to eat from it. Training your Koi to eat from your hand is one of the funnest parts of this hobby. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Stressed Koi and Goldfish

I have 4 Koi and 2 Goldfish in my pond. Every time I walk by the pond they quickly dart down to the deepest part of our pond. Am I stressing them out? -Anthony Something probably scared your fish in your pond. Walking by does stress them a little but don't worry about it. If you want to calm them down, add more fish to your pond. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Mating Koi

Do male Koi mate multiple times with other female Koi or do they just mate once with one female Koi? -Bethann Male Koi will mate multiple times with other female Koi. Monogamy is an abstract concept for fish. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Should I have a constant concentration of salt in the pond? If so, what concentration? -Glenn

The only time salt is absolutely needed is when your Koi have a parasitic infestation. Salt hurts freshwater parasites because they are used to living in a saline-free environment. Salt irritates Koi, so it makes them produce a thicker slime coat. Some people keep a low level of salt in their ponds to help their Koi osmoregulate too. From the Wikipedia article: Osmoregulation is the active regulation of the osmotic pressure of bodily fluids to maintain the homeostasis of the body's water content; that is it keeps the body's fluids from becoming too dilute or too concentrated. Osmotic pressure is a measure of the tendency of water to move into one solution from another by osmosis. The higher the osmotic pressure of a solution the more water wants to go into the solution. The pressure that must be exerted on the hypertonic side of a selectively permeable membrane to prevent diffusion of water by osmosis from the side containing pure water. Animals in all environments (aquatic and terrestrial) must maintain the right concentration of solutes and amount of water in their body fluids; this involves excretion: getting rid of metabolic wastes and other substances such as hormones which would be toxic if allowed to accumulate in the blood via organs such as the skin and the kidneys; keeping the water and dissolved solutes in balance is referred to as osmoregulation. If you want to keep a low level of salt, add one pound of rock salt per 100 gallons of water. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Koi in Aquarium

I would like to have Koi in an aquarium. I'm getting a 29 gallon tank and filter along with other stuff since I don't have a pond or have the money for it. Is there anything else I need to do to keep them healthy? Like vitamins? -Sydney Just make sure that you have adequate filtration on your tank and you feed them a good Koi food. Maybe plan ahead and find someone that could take them if they outgrow your tank. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Small Pond, Large Koi?

I am only 20 years old and very new to the world of the Nishikigoi and becoming extremely interested in this hobby. I am worried about the size of my pond (only 90 gallons). How many Koi under 12" can this comfortably support?? and also...Could it support Koi larger than that until next year when I have the money to work on a new pond? Any tips to help would be much appreciated! Thanks! -Tweek Your pond can probably support 4 to 5 small Koi, for a while. Eventually they will outgrow that size of a pond and will need a bigger area to live in. I would not get any Koi that are larger than six inches until you get a bigger pond. Larger Koi need more water volume, more aeration, more filtration, ect. You will run into problems with putting large Koi in a small pond. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

I have lost two fish who seem to have dirt or old food coming out of thier gills? What caused this? -Dave

That dirt or old food is probably a fungus. A fungus is a secondary or tertiary infection. It basically means that something damaged your Koi and its immune system was weakened, so the fungus was allowed to take over. You need to find out what caused this and then take the appropriate action. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

I have two Koi, the smaller slender one always swims under the larger rounder Koi. Why? -Phyllis

Koi aren't really anywhere near the top of the food chain, so they will do whatever it takes to not get eaten. Your smaller Koi probably feels safe while hiding under the big one. Maybe he will be more friendly if you put some more Koi into your pond. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Do Koi fish die after giving birth like salmon? -Angie

Koi do not die after "giving birth". Koi don't actually give birth, they are egg layers. The females release their eggs and the males then fertilize them. When they reach sexual maturity, they are able to spawn every year for the rest of their lives. Most people find this out the hard way. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Do Koi Hide?

I recently purchased 3 koi and put them in my man made pond. I am unable to locate them. Do koi hide and stay out of sight? I do have a lot of rocks/barriers in the pond. -Mary When Koi are introduced into a new environment, they are skittish and will hide for a while until they know that it is safe. They are probably hiding in your rocks, you'll be surprised to see how small of a space a Koi can fit into. If you don't find your Koi for a long time, then something probably has happened to them, either getting sucked into a pump, a bad parasitic infestation, ulcers, or a predator. Try putting some Koi food into your pond at dawn or dusk to see if they will come out to eat. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Koi Attacked

I have a pond with Koi at about 2 years old but when I put some new small Koi in the pond, the rest of the fish attacked them! Why? - skimflint622 Koi are classified as a "docile" fish, meaning under normal circumstances, they will not harm their own species and any other species of fish. You didn't elaborate much on the extent of the amount of damage that the new Koi received from your old Koi. My guess is that the old Koi were trying to spawn with your new Koi. When Koi spawn, the males will chase the females around your pond and they will bump the females hard to try to make their eggs come out. If this is the case, then you might notice a lot of tin Koi swimming around in your pond soon. Share: Del.icio.us Digg Reddit

Is it okay to have underwater plants in a Koi aquarium? If so what kind would you recommend? Thank You -Lou