Koi carp - Cyprinus carpio carpio
Scientific name: Cyprinus carpio carpio
Common name: Koi carp
Family: Cyprinidae
Usual size in fish tanks: 60 - 100 cm (23.62 - 39.37 inch)
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Recommended pH range for the species: 7 - 7.5
Recommended water hardness (dGH): 0 - 30°N (0 - 535.71ppm)
0°C 32°F30°C 86°F
Recommended temperature: 15 - 25 °C (59 - 77°F)
The way how these fish reproduce: Spawning
Where the species comes from: Europe
Temperament to its own species: peaceful
Temperament toward other fish species: peaceful
Usual place in the tank: Bottom levels
Koi carp often have the reputation for being very expensive and difficult to keep, some varieties can be expensive especially the show specimens but generally the more common varieties can be found for reasonable prices and if given the correct conditions are quite easy to keep healthy and they provide a great talking point to any garden pond.
Planning is key before you purchase any Koi Carp, some specimens can grow up to 3 feet (91.44 cm) in length so the size of your pond needs to be large enough so house the fish comfortable and allow them to grow to their full potential.
An easy way to work out the size of your pond and how many Koi you can keep in it is to allow at least 10 gallons (45.46 litre, 12.01 US gallon) of water volume for each fish in there, smaller ponds will only house a few Koi so bear this in mind and never overstock. They are also high waste producers as expected so make sure that the filtration system is adequate and rated large enough for the water volume in your pond.
Feeding your Koi Carp
Basically Koi Carp will eat anything, they are classed as omnivorous and will eat both meaty foods and vegetable based foods. The best way to satisfy their needs is to supply them with good quality pellets that are specially designed for Koi, you can also give them treats of chopped vegetables and fruit, over time the fish will know when it is feeding time and they should become tame enough to eat out of your hands with patience.
Selecting your Koi Carp
Always be fussy when purchasing the Koi Carp for your pond and never impulse buy, use a reliable supplier for your fish and watch them swimming around for a while, study the fish for any signs of infections or imperfections. Healthy specimens can live for over 20 years and will bring enjoyment to your life.
Besides original carps species, which live in lakes and rivers, there are many Koi’s colour varieties which can be found in the aquarium shops.
The most known types of koi are:
- The Long Fin Koi
- Butterfly Koi
- Assorted Koi
Nowdays, the most of Koi’s are produced in Asia. However, it’s easy to breed this fish at your own garden/fish pond. Due to large adult size, it’s not recommended to keep Koi’s in ordinary tanks. Beginners use to buy this kind of carps because of their colours, fins and peaceful behaviour. As fish grow, small tanks are getting unusable.Since this fish can be found almost everywhere within the freshwater biotopes of Europe, Asia, Euro-Asia, they will survive freezing colds easily. If the temperature is lower than 5°C (41.00°F), you should consider moving fish into a bit warm water.
Koi’s will appreciate enough plants and driftwood pieces. Feed them with spinach, lettuce, tubifex worms, blood worms, small fish, daphnia, or brine shrimp. Feeding should be processed at least 3 times a day.
Pictures
Thanks to Yves Rubin of rubinphoto.com for allowing us to use the pictures!
Want to buy a Koi?
Koi Fish - Quality Koi Company, Inc. is a Japanese-style Koi farm located in Salem County, NJ, with the goal of producing top-grade Koi from carefully selected, high-grade imported Japanese stocks.