Frequently asked questions on raising koi

How long can Koi live without food?

Koi are large fish and have more energy stored in their bodies. As long as they keep the water clean, they can last about half a month even without feeding. Because they are variable temperature animals, they need less energy in the winter when the temperature is low, so not feeding them for two or three months in winter is fine. Koi don’t have much of a problem with not feeding for short periods of time, but they can have problems if the water quality deteriorates. In general, as long as you adjust the water quality and turn on the filtration system, you’ll be fine even if you don’t feed for 15 days.

How big do koi grow?

Koi are large ornamental ornamental fish. With continuous improvement by the producers with better genetics and good feeding, most of the koi can exceed 80 cm and some of the best can even grow to over 1 meter.

How long do Koi live?

Koi can generally live 60-70 years and may live even longer if kept in good conditions. When keeping koi, you need to keep the water temperature at 21-27℃, constant water temperature. Secondly, you need to feed the Koi with food of high nutritional value to supplement their nutrients and maintain regular water changes to help them live longer. The life expectancy of koi carp is also related to the species, with the more mixed species of koi carp having a slightly shorter life expectancy.

Why are koi so expensive?

Koi are not expensive. The cheapest one is less than a dollar. However, in the koi breeding process, the production rate of koi that are truly ornamental is very low. It takes a lot of work to breed these good fish, so the price of a good Koi is high.

Are the koi easy to keep?

The most convenient thing about Koi is that you don’t need to add warmth to the water, you just need to consider changing the water a little once in a while. Koi are easy to keep, you just need to change the water occasionally.

What kind of Koi should I keep for beginners? How many are appropriate?

If you’ve never owned Koi before, the shopkeeper will definitely recommend you to start with the “cheap” ones. Koi that cost a few dollars a piece are not of good pedigree or beautiful appearance, but they are easy to keep and can be used by beginners for training. If you are a beginner, you can use it for practice. Don’t overpopulate the Koi for the first time, 3-5 Koi are recommended. Find out the character and characteristics of the Koi first, then gradually raise better Koi according to your own conditions. Eight Common Problems of Keeping Koi for Beginners and How to Deal With Them

How big is the smallest body of water needed to keep koi?

Keeping koi alive and keeping them alive are two different concepts. As an ornamental fish, Koi requires a much larger water body than other ornamental fish, and the first condition for keeping Koi is the size of the water body. The first requirement is the size of the water body. Although the requirements to keep Koi alive are not very high, and a tank of about one meter can be used to keep Koi, a small water body should not be used for the most common ornamental purposes.

How much do koi carp eat per day?

If you are new to koi carp farming, you may not know how koi waste and food affects water quality, so feeding once a day is enough, but not too much. For example, the amount of national material to be fed to koi carp should be enough for the fish to eat within 5 minutes, don’t overfeed them just because they are not full. Overfeeding will not only pollute the water, but also cause the koi to be overfull. After feeding, observe the effect of Koi feces on the water intestine and the digestive status of Koi, so that you can adjust the feeding amount.

How do I change the water for my Koi?

Do not keep koi carp for too long without changing the water, and when changing the water, be careful not to change the water too much. The frequency of water change varies according to the species of Koi and the amount of feeding. If the water body is large, beginners can usually choose to change the water once every 2 weeks. The rate of water change should be within 1/3 of the tank, and the rate of adding water should not be too fast, but should be controlled for 20-30 minutes. If too much water is added to the tank in a short period of time, the Koi may not be able to adapt to the new water and this may cause health problems.

Do I need to dry the water?

Water change is the most direct and effective way to regulate the water quality of the tank, before changing the water needs to take measures to dry the water, the tap water static 24 ~ 48 hours, can be put into the box. Drying water has the role of oxygen and chlorine overflow, is a necessary practice when changing the water. If you don’t dry the water, the temperature of the water you receive directly from the tap is significantly lower than the air temperature in summer and autumn, which will cause the Koi to get sick due to excessive changes in water temperature. Therefore, it is very necessary and important to air out the water.

What’s the deal with salt in the aquarium?

If you are a frequent visitor to koi websites, you may find that some experts recommend adding salt to your koi tank to sterilize, prevent disease and control bacterial growth. If you are new to keeping koi, you may not need to add salt as it may cause discoloration, dehydration and affect the water quality. If you need to add salt, choose coarse salt. The high iodine content in table salt is not good for the growth and development of fish. To add salt, dissolve the salt in a small amount of water before pouring it evenly into the aquarium or pool.

Do the germicidal lamps sold in the fish market work?

New germicidal lamp actually belongs to a low-pressure mercury lamp, emitting ultraviolet light, with a germicidal effect, in algae also has the effect of Zhuo, while the effect of insects is less than ideal. Germicidal lamp life is short, often half a year after the efficiency is not as good as before, when used, 1 to 2 hours a day can be. At the same time, some wavelengths of germicidal lamps will have a negative impact on people. So for beginners, it is better to balance the filtration system and cultivate nitrifying bacteria.

Do koi need sunlight?

In indoor aquariums, when the sunlight is directed into the room in the spring, autumn and winter, the illumination and time should be controlled as much as possible, otherwise the algae will overgrow and the glass will be covered with green moss. In an outdoor pond, Koi do not need to be sheltered from the sun. They can be exposed to several hours of sunlight a day, but they should be protected from the midday sun. Koi are free to adjust to the sunlight by where they swim in the water.

What should I do if my koi fade?

Koi fade broadly in the following ways:

  • First, the water temperature is too high, living in the environment where the water temperature exceeds 30C for a long time will cause the fish metabolize too fast and consume energy;
  • Second, water quality, long time not changing water, or filtration system does not play the role of purifying water, resulting in more harmful substances in the water, affecting Koi body quality, resulting in fading;
  • Third, changing water too often, or too much at a time, so that Koi constantly adapt to the water quality, constantly adjusting their own functions, the body is too tired to cause fading; Fourth, insufficient oxygen supply, Koi in an oxygen-deficient environment for a long time, frequent floating heads The condition will cause fading.