Koi / Aquarium Tropical Fish

The Koi is a carp that was selectively bred originally in Japan for desirable colors. They can get to be very large with 2 feet plus being a common size for adult fish. Because of their large size, they do best in large outside ponds. Each fish needs several hundred gallons of water to adequately care for them. A common mistake is to buy too many fish for your pond. While young, the volume of water in the pond may be fine, but as these fish grow they will need larger volumes of water to prevent growth stunting.

There are many varieties available with some fetching ridiculous prices. The names of various koi are based on the patterns and colors exhibited by the fish. The Tancho variety is highly sought after having a primarily pure white body with an orange colored pattern on the top of the head. It is a beauty.

People often confuse goldfish and koi. These fish are similar, both being carps, but koi get much larger and have barbels on the sides of the mouth that they use for foraging and finding food. They also have similar care requirements such as feeding and temperature but Koi need much larger living quarters than goldfish.

The great thing about keeping them is that they can and will develop personalities which makes them great pets. This fish lives for a very long time with a life span of 20 years or more if cared for properly. Proper care means providing large enough volumes of water, feeding high quality foods and keeping the water clean. Clean out the pond filter media often and remove debris from the water surface and the substrate on a regular basis.

Overall, this is a fantastic fish for the properly sized pond. Keeping them in climates where it drops below freezing or gets above 90 °F (32 °C) for extended periods of time will be difficult. If you do live in an area like this, you will need a deeper pond, that is if you're even able to have one.

You can find more information just by visit www.grandaquatic.com

Article Source: http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-koi.htm