How to Keep Ornamental Koi? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods
As life gets better and better, many people today have started keeping ornamental fish, and ornamental koi are a common type of ornamental fish. So what are the methods for keeping ornamental koi?
1. Feeding
They like to eat live fish or fish worms and the like. If there are no live fish worms, we can actually buy dried fish worms to feed them. If there are no fish worms at all, you can cook millet until it splits open, rinse it with cold water, and goldfish actually love eating it too. Goldfish are best fed once a day, and the best time to feed is in the morning or at noon; if you feed them in the afternoon, the leftover bait is especially likely to pollute the water quality. Feed should always be given according to the principle of rather too little than too much; if the fish cannot finish it and there is leftover, it will create waste and pollute the tank water.
2. Temperature
Ornamental koi are koi carp, gentle by nature, fond of swimming in groups, easy to keep, and highly adaptable to water temperature. They can live in water environments of 5-30°C, and their growth water temperature is 21-27°C. When keeping them in spring and moving them from indoors to outdoors, pay special attention to sudden temperature drops; cover them with plastic film in time to keep the water temperature stable. Feed mainly plant-based bait, gradually increasing the amount from small quantities to aid digestion and absorption. Winter weather is relatively cold; when the temperature drops to 0°C, move them indoors to a fish pond in time to overwinter, and the indoor water temperature should be kept at 2°C to 10°C. The key points are keeping them warm, feeding appropriately, maintaining body condition and preventing disease. The period from November to March of the following year is the overwintering period.
3. Changing the water
For keeping koi in a home aquarium, a partial water change is best. As the name suggests, you cannot replace all the water; replacing part of it is enough, and it is simpler to do. When keeping koi in an aquarium, in the relatively hot summer or autumn, even if you do not feed much, the water color will change within a few days and gradually turn green, and water quality that is too poor will definitely affect the growth of the koi. First scoop all the koi out of the aquarium, then stir the water in the aquarium vigorously, but stir in a spiral motion, then stop and wait for it to settle, then use a plastic rubber hose to siphon out part of the dirt in the middle of the aquarium along with the old water. You do not need to siphon it all out; siphoning out about one third to one half is enough.
Keeping ornamental koi is relatively simple, and raising them well can provide a wonderful ornamental scene for the home.