How to Keep Butterfly Koi? Breeding Methods and Daily Management Tips

Butterfly koi is a common ornamental fish, and generally anyone who likes keeping fish will keep a few. To keep butterfly koi well, you need to master the techniques, otherwise they will all die within a few days. So how do you keep butterfly koi?

1. Choosing a fish tank

When breeding butterfly koi, choose a fish tank of appropriate size. If the tank is relatively small, the water quality will be harder to control; if the tank is relatively large, the difficulty of controlling waste concentration will be lower. Many beginners who have just started breeding buy a small tank with 1 filter compartment inside. This kind of tank is relatively hard to clean, and to clean it thoroughly requires a very large water change, so it is not recommended to choose this kind of tank for breeding.

2. Adjusting water quality

Put an appropriate amount of nitrifying bacteria into the purchased fish tank to adjust the water quality, then on the 3rd day release the butterfly koi fry.

3. Feeding in appropriate amounts

Generally, feeding once a day is appropriate. Remember not to feed more than 2 times. Because beginners who have just started keeping butterfly koi have not yet fully grasped the water quality conditions and do not yet understand the impact of excrement and leftover food on water quality, feeding once a day is already enough. During this period, the feeding amount should not be too much either, because the probability of butterfly koi starving to death is relatively low; overfeeding will be detrimental to their robust growth and, in serious cases, can even lead to direct death.

4. Cleaning the filter

The filter is very important to the growth of butterfly koi. Among other things, the nitrifying bacteria colony on the filter media is an important guarantee for ensuring the robust growth of butterfly koi. Cleaning the filter media too frequently or replacing all of it will be detrimental to their normal growth and development.

The correct approach is to separate the timing of water changes and filter media cleaning. You can rinse the filter media casually or clean it in batches. If butterfly koi show abnormal reactions after cleaning the filter, stop feeding for 2-3 days and add an appropriate amount of nitrifying bacteria to adjust the water quality.

5. Water change frequency

During the breeding process, adjust the tank water temperature well and change the water in time according to the water quality conditions. When changing water, do not change too much. The frequency of water changes should be determined according to the feeding amount. Generally, change the water once every 15 days, with a water change amount of 1/3. When changing water, note that the speed of adding water should not be too fast either; it can be controlled within 20-30 minutes. Because changes in the water pH value have a relatively large impact on butterfly koi, you can add a small amount of water stabilizer before changing the water. Note that it should not be added after the water has been added.

In summary, butterfly koi are very easy to keep. As long as you choose a suitable fish tank, buy an oxygen pump, then add an appropriate amount of nitrifying bacteria to adjust the water quality before putting them into the water, and finally feed them good feed and change the water well when they are put into the water, they can grow healthily.