White Koi and Koi Pond Algae By Max Lara Platinum Quality Author

A koi is a carp that is being bred because of its color. The whole breeding craze started in Japan during the 1800's. Back then only two colors were bred. A century later, more colors became available and continue to increase up to the present day. Koi eventually won the title for being the most beautiful fish in the world. The colors are red, white, black, yellow, blue, gray, and green. But the most famous of them is the white.

Growing kois is an expensive affair. The pond alone has to be wide and deep enough to cater to a certain number of koi population. Other requirements include location, security, and devices that regulate the environment of the pond to ensure the kois grow in the best way possible. Kois grow up to 3 ft so for serious growers, they need a serious pond to grow them in. A fish tank will not suffice unless it is big enough for the koi to swim and grow in. Even though kois don't school much, it's the size of each one that has to be taken into consideration. Necessary consideration with the location must be taken to avoid Koi Pond Algae from growing as well.

The white koi is known for its visibility in murky waters. It's body is attractive due to the trait of being quite reflective. Kois under this category are the: sanke, kohaku, beko, and ogon. The only kois considered to be true white kois are probably the sanke and the kohaku because of having colored markings against the white background. But the bekko and ogon are not totally white making them similar to other breeds.

As for kohakus, 50 to 70 percent of their bodies are covered in red markings while the sanke is covered in black and red markings against a white background. There is a set of standards that koi enthusiasts follow in order to determine the kind of koi and these are the criteria.

The markings have to be of a particular color. In the case of a kohaku, red. The sanke has to be red and black.

Again in case of a kohaku, its body has to have markings and these markings must cover at least half to 70% of its body. The rest should be pure white.
The colors must follow a symmetrical pattern. When being observed, the colors on one side should reflect at the opposite side.

The color should be as deep as possible. A light color hue means the fish has a defect.
Color edges have to be clear especially on edges where the colors meet with the white background.
Since it's a fish, it should be covered in scales.

A koi that does not meet these standards for a white koi is disqualified. They are considered defective and not pure in breed. Only a few breeders know this fact and this had resulted to the breeding of unqualified white kois. Since kois are popular, these fishes are expensive but they make excellent pets to decorate the yard. These also make as excellent food source as well as income source for fish farmers.

Want to discover more about koi pond algae? Go here to download your FREE course that reveals how you can take care of your koi fish at www.kiofish.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Lara

Koi Pond Construction - Upgrade To Concrete or Fiberglass By Marshall Crum Platinum Quality Author

A recent comment on my website asked my opinion on making a liner koi pond a more permanent structure. That question started me thinking about the different materials and techniques available to upgrade a pond. I have a pond with about five years on the liner and it is a good possibility that it may have to be replaced eventually. That leads to a decision about what to replace it with. There are basically three choices in an upgrade. Replace the vinyl liner, or replace it with concrete or fiberglass.

Putting in another vinyl liner is by far the cheapest and the fastest. The downside is that the liner will not be permanent. Concrete or fiberglass is by far a more permanent solution but this type of upgrade is more suited to the DIY enthusiast.

Having worked in the construction industry for many years, I have had an opportunity to observe construction with the two most popular materials, concrete and fiberglass. There are advantages to both and some disadvantages as well.

Before you start an upgrade that significantly changes the construction of your pool, it might be a good idea to check with your local zoning board to get the current requirements for installing a pool. Hopefully, your in-ground pool was installed with all the required permits in place, but rules have a way of changing.

The cost of the upgrade is an important consideration. People who want to upgrade a liner pool need to decide how much money they want to spend on the project. It's important to take some time to think through this project, since upgrading to concrete or fiberglass will be a permanent change and not easily undone.

Making a realistic budget will help determine the type of materials to be used in the construction of the pool upgrade. If you are changing the liner material, you will have the opportunity to make changes in the pool size, shape and design extras. After doing all the preparation you can to upgrade your pond, do not forget the final rule of thumb. Any project you start will take more time and money than you thought. Plan on it and you might avoid sticker shock.

Concrete can come as a dry mix called gunite, or pre-mixed (sometimes called shotcrete). The terms Gunite and Shotcrete are sometimes used interchangeably but there is a significant technical difference between the two. Gunite is a dry-mix process while shotcrete refers to the wet-mix process that most people are familiar with.

Both types of concrete can be sprayed on to make a seamless finish. The big difference between the two is that the gunite mixture has water added to it at the construction site by the nozzle operator while it is being sprayed while premixed concrete has the water added at the plant before it is delivered to the pool site.

Several considerations about concrete could be called disadvantages:

1. The concrete has to be sprayed in thickness of six to eight inches over steel rebar to get the structural strength needed for the pool. This increases the total cost and time to construct the pool and you might end up with a pool that is smaller than you start with.

2. Concrete is subject to cracking while it is curing. The only way around this is to keep the surface wet while it is curing. This puts an extra step in the process.

3. It is more difficult to make a non-porous surface that algae and other materials will not cling to. The surface may have to be polished or troweled until it is smooth to apply a finish coat of plaster.

Fiberglass is a plastic resin sprayed with what is called a chopper gun that also applies small fiberglass strands to add structural strength to the liner. The fiberglass surface is non-porous and a gel coat of any color can be applied.

The big advantage that fiberglass that there appears to be less prep work required. Fiberglass can be sprayed on the existing pool wall that is smooth and the cure time is much shorter. The finished liner will be on the order of one to two inches thick.

In my (non-expert) opinion, there is not much difference in the durability of concrete and fiberglass pools. Which one is better and how long either will last depends upon whom you are asking, so the choice comes down to one of price and availability of contractors to do the work. Both concrete and fiberglass require some expertise and experience to get it done right.

NO-ONE should have to go to a lot of trouble alone just to build or upgrade a simple koi pond. There are tons of information available online through forums and commercial websites. Just ask and you will receive, I have learned that anyone with a koi pond or aquarium is more than willing to talk about it.

The hard part of any change to your koi pond is making the decision. Do your research, make your budget and a plan and enjoy your new pond.

The author has spent many hours trying to figure out how to build a koi pond without going broke. After conducting a lot of research and doing a lot of talking at fish shops, I have decided that the only limitations are time and money. Visit my koi fish website where I have put what I have learned out there for other people to learn from and avoid some common mistakes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marshall_Crum

Koi Food For The Different Seasons By RC Moore

There has been a lot of discussion about koi food - how much to feed, how often to feed and what type to feed. A lot of time and energy is spent creating an artificial environment for Japanese koi. Some may try to create a natural environment in a koi watergarden with plants and even a gravel bottom. The koi watergarden uses both mechanical and biological filtration as well as plants to keep the water quality high. A koi only pond relies totally on mechanical and biological filtration to keep the water quality high. So what does koi food have to do with water quality? Why feed an easy to digest food in cooler water temperatures and high protein in the summer months? Why is it best not to feed koi when the water temperature is below 50°F? To answer these questions we have to consider the natural environment of koi and where they originated.

Japanese Koi Natural Environment
Koi are basically colored carp that originated from mutated carp in the Niigata prefecture in Japan. This is a mountainous region that receives substantial snow fall in the winter months. In Niigata the carp were originally raised in earthen ponds as a food source until mutated colors were discovered in the early 1800s. Selective breeding has given way to the colorful varieties we have today. Koi are omnivorous, meaning that they eat vegetable and meat matter in the form of aquatic plants, algae, crustaceans, worms, larvae and silt. The protein content in their natural environment is much higher than the koi foods that we provide today. The whiskers on koi, like catfish, are like taste buds that help them forage for foods on the bottom. Since koi do not have stomachs, whatever they eat is not stored but instead digested for the purpose of growth, color and energy. Whatever is not utilized is excreted as waste. Japanese koi are cold blooded and their metabolism is dependant on the water temperature. This metabolism peaks at just over 70°F when most of their growth takes place. At this time most of the proteins are utilized for growth and there is little waste excreted. When the water temperature falls below 70°F they are not using the proteins for growth and there is more waste excreted in the form of ammonia. This matters little in their natural environment where population densities are much less than in a modern koi pond or koi watergarden.

The Metabolism of a Koi Pond or Koi Watergarden

Just as the metabolism of koi is dependant on water temperature, so is the metabolism of the koi pond or koi watergarden. They both tend to peak and go into a dormant state at the same time. In the winter months every thing seems to come to a stand still including biological activity. It is the biological activity of denitrifying bacteria that keeps the water quality high. Plants that would utilize and remove waste are also at a dormant state. Even though the mechanical filtration is doing its job of removing debris before it has a chance to break down, there is little if anything to deal with ammonia or nitrates that can build up. This is especially true in the transition months in the spring and fall. In the fall season plants are dying back and leaves are blowing into the pond as mechanical filters struggle to keep up. Feeding a high protein food at this time could very easily cause water quality that was in balance to degrade to an ammonia soup in a very short time. Likewise in the spring when the water temperature is below 70°F feeding a high protein diet would wreak havoc on water quality. Leaves and other debris that were not caught by mechanical filtration are starting to break down as the water temperature warms. Denitrifying bacteria lags behind in the metabolism peak which is why there is often an algae outbreak in the spring that tends to go away when water temperatures go up to over 70°F.

Different Koi Food For Different Seasons

High quality koi foods that are available today are formulated to the needs of koi in an artificial environment. In a totally natural koi pond we would not have to feed our koi at all. However, in this environment the waters would be turbid and enjoying the beauty of the koi greatly diminished. Having crystal clear water allows us to enjoy and interact with the beauty of these fish. It is imperative to feed a high quality koi food that is correct for the season and water temperature. A high quality all season koi food should be high in vegetable matter, lower in protein and easy to digest. It should also include vital nutrients and minerals that koi need for color and health. This will create less waste to foul the water in the cooler months. The best koi foods meeting this criteria are Dainichi All-Season and Saki-Hikari Multiseason. A high quality summer food should contain at least 40% protein to provide for high growth. It should also have nutrients and minerals for good color and health. The best koi foods in this category are Dainichi Growth and Saki-Hikari Growth. The recommendations are as follows. Never feed koi when the water temperature is below 50°F. From 50°F - 60°F feed an all season koi food 2-3 times a week. From 60°F - 70°F feed an all season food 1 - 2 times a day. From 70°F - 85°F feed a summer koi food 3 - 5 times a day. Slow the feeding when water temperature rises above 85°F to 1 - 2 times per day. Koi tend to lose their appetite when the water gets this warm. During the fall, when the water temperature starts to fall and the daylight hours are less, koi stop growing. This is also the time when their colors become richer. Many koi keepers at this time supplement the koi diet with a color intensifier. Koi naturally put on color at this time and it is important to provide a koi food with sufficient nutrients to help this process. The main ingredients in koi food for color enhancement is spirulina algae and krill. Dainichi Premium has color enhancers along with proteins for high growth. The Dainichi color Intensifier is loaded with krill and spirulina. Saki-Hikari Color Enhancer is loaded with Spirulina. Both Dainichi and Hikari koi foods have many years of research and development built into their koi food formulas. They also have a proven track record of creating champion koi. Feeding a high quality koi food may seem a little pricey, but the benefits far out weigh the cost, resulting in better growth and color with fewer outbreaks of disease and mortalities.

For more information visit KoiPondFever.com. RC Moore Owner of KoiPondFever.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RC_Moore

Tips About White Koi By Max Lara Platinum Quality Author

The koi is a carp that has been bred for many years for color. Its breeding can be traced to Japan during the 1800s. Only two colors were bred. During the early 1900s, koi was bred with more color varieties which have increased up to today. This makes it one of the most beautiful fish on earth. There are many color variations in koi. These include, white, black, red, yellow, blue, gray and green. The most popular among the koi varieties is the white koi.

The popularity of the white koi can be attributed to its easy visibility even in murky water. Also, the fish is quite attractive due to its reflective body. Types of white koi include the kohaku, sanke, ogon and bekko.

The kohaku and sanke can perhaps be termed as the only white koi. This is because they have color markings on a white background. The ogon and bekko are not totally white koi as there are members of these varieties which have other colors.

The kohaku has red markings on a white background. These red markings cover between 50% and 70% of the body. Sanke on the other hand has red and black markings on a white background.

The ogon koi has only one color. The colors range from metallic silver to yellow. Bekko koi can be white, red or yellow with ebony black spots scattered all over its body. Therefore only those members of these types of koi with white coloration can be called white koi.

This koi fish has standards set to determine if it is a kohaku or sanke. Some of the things that these standards outline are as follows:

• The markings on the body of the fish have to be a particular color. For the kohaku it has to be red and for the sanke, the color has to be red and black.
• The red color markings for the kohaku have to cover between 50% and 70% of the body. The remainder should be white only.
• The color markings should be symmetrical. That is, when observed, the amount of color on one side of the dorsal line should be equal to the amount of color on the other side. This applies for the colors when viewed individually or together.
• The colors should be deep in hue. Light colors indicate defects and poor health.
• The edges where the colors meet the white should be clear. This is for attractiveness as well as purity of the breed.
• The body should be covered in scales.

Any koi that is bred and found to be lacking in these standards is considered defective and not a pure white koi. However, very few koi breeders know about distinguishing pure white koi and defective white koi. This has resulted in the breeding of many defective light koi.

Because of their popularity, this kind of koi can be quite expensive to purchase. They make excellent pets and a good earner for fish farmers.

Want to discover more about white koi?

Go here to download your FREE course that reveals how you can take care of your koi fish at www.kiofish.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Lara

The 15 Types of Koi By Max Lara Platinum Quality Author

Koi is an ornamental carp that is quite attractive. They come in many different color patterns. The first koi were first koi were bred for color in the 1800s in Japan, since then different color variations have come up. There are many different types of koi. The following are 15 of the most common.

1. The kohaku which is red on a white background. The red should be a uniform shade with well defined edges where it meets the white. In addition it should be well balanced and cover between 50% and 70% of the body.

2. Sanke is a white koi which has red and black markings. The hue of the markings should be deep with well defined edges. Also, they should be balanced when observed together or individually.

3. The showa is also white, red and black in color. The black and red are dominant and should be deep.

4. The asagi is gray or blue on the back and red or orange on the underside. The scales should be darker blue or gray at the center and become lighter or white at the edges. The red or orange should also extend to the pectoral fins' base.

5. The ogon has only one color. This should be even without any markings.

6. The chagoi has a color that varies from light tan to a dark green. The edges of their scales are black.

7. Tancho koi has a red mark on its head. It is a variety of the other types.

8. The utsurimomo koi is black with white, yellow or red markings on the body. The black on the head should extend to its nose.

9. The bekko koi is white, red or yellow with ebony black spots scattered all over its body. The edges of the black markings should be well defined.

10. The shusui koi has a blue or gray marking along its dorsal line and red or orange extending from the underside to the lateral line. The blue or gray scales should be evenly aligned along the dorsal line. The shusui is also partially scaled.

11. Doitsu koi are either partially scaled or not scaled. The partially scaled doitsu have large scales along their dorsal and lateral lines.

12. Koromo are kohaku with red markings. What makes them different from the kohaku is an indigo along the edges of the scales on the red markings.

13. The goshiki koi is white, red, black, blue and dark blue in color. This often gives them a purplish appearance.

14. The ochiba shigure is green or gray with a filigree reticulation of brown.

15. Midori goi koi is yellow green in color and is either partially scaled or non-scaled.

Koi types are distinguished through their color and escalation. However, there are certain standards a fish has to meet for it to be termed a true koi. The main consideration is the balance in color and for the mixed color types, the definition of the edges where the colors meet.

For more information on the koi types, visit our website at www.kiofish.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Lara

Koi Types and Varieties By Kate Nakamura

Is it any wonder that more and more people world wide are finding themselves drawn into the aquatic realm of the Koi?

Following the historical growth in popularity in the early 20th century, from its humble origins as a humble food source in China to a captivating object of beauty in Japan, the Koi has established a special place in the hearts of many due to its ever-increasing range of color, pattern and scalation.

These days, what was once a fish with limited variety, has become a prized possession, due to an explosion in the flourishing breeding and cross-breeding programs world wide. These breeding programs have produced some of the most stunning and spectacular Koi specimens ever seen.

When the magical Koi first grabs your interest, you ought to gain a basic understanding of the Japanese Koi Jargon to appreciate the 13 classes of Koi that have been established over the years. Each of these classes (and their sub-classes) use Japanese nomenclature to define the traits of Koi.

In the simplest of terms, there are three main traits, primarily color & color pattern, brilliance and scale type. The long-term appeal of koi is that each one is unique - no two are the same. There can be brightly colored koi and koi with subtle, soft tones. You'll find koi covered from top to bottom with scales and others that are scale-less. There are koi that are metallic, or sparkling, or matte, and Koi that are mono-colored or multi-coloured.

For the amateur, the most important points to understand are:
Color and Color Pattern - in the early days there were just one or two colors available. With the passing of time and extensive breeding, there are now a myriad of colors to select from, and whilst the colors available generally include shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, white, cream, black and grey, there are the added choices of color patterning and combination. For instance, the solid foundation color might have one or more different colored markings. These markings may be spread over most of the body or develop on one part of the body only. On the other hand, the fish might be one solid color with no markings at all. The choices are astounding!

Brilliance
Non-Metallic Koi - are grouped based on their foundation color. These groups are then further broken down based on their accent colors and special features. Each color, marking type and feature has a Japanese name. Thus each koi variety name can be composed of multiple parts to specify each of these characteristics.

Metallic Koi - are grouped depending on the reflective nature of their scales. Metallic Koi are also identified as Hikari Koi from the Japanese word "Hikari" indicating "Shiny". These Koi are further divided into three groups being the Hikari Muji (mono-colored and shiny), the Hikari Utsuri (tri-colored and shiny) and the Hikari Moyo (shiny with platinum and either red or yellow).

Scale Types
Doitsu refers to either the leather-skinned or scaleless Koi, or to the mirror-scaled Koi which has noticeably large scales down each side. Doitsu can appear on both Metallic and Non-Metallic Koi but are quite rare. "Doitsu" comes from the Japanese word for "German" after the German Carp.

KinGinRin refers to those koi with extremely reflective scales. These reflective scales are very popular and have been bred into many of the varieties of Koi. Position of these scales can further divide the Koi into the KinRin (Gold) where the scales are over a red base color, or the GinRin (Silver) where the scales are on top of a black or white foundation color.

Koi Classes
Within the Metallic Koi Category there are 9 main classes and within the Non-Metallic, there are only 3. However, within each class there are frequently numerous sub-classes.

Non-Metallic Koi Classes include:

Asagi - blue back with a red belly / the blue scales of the back have white edges that produce a net appearance / the cheeks and pectoral fins are red and the head is light blue to white

Bekko - opposite to the Utsuri, the Bekko has a solid foundation color of red, white or yellow with black markings (sumi). The head of a Bekko should always be clean with no sumi markings.

Kawarimono - this class consists of all the varieties that are not able to be categorised into any of the standard koi types

Kohaku - the most popular of the koi varieties, is a two color, non-metallic koi with a white base color topped by red (hi) markings spaced uniformly over the body but not beyond the lateral line and not on the fin or tail

Koromo - literally means "robed" or "clothed". The Koromo is a cross-bred koi from Asagi and the Kohaku. It has a pure white foundation with the scale reticulation of the Asagi only noticeable in the red patterned areas

Sanke - a white base skin color with red (hi) and black (sumi) patterns scattered evenly over the body.

Showa - black base skin color with red and white markings. The earliest Showa had more black and red than white, however, more recently, the amounts of white have increased, making them more tricky to differentiate from Sanke's. Unlike the Sanke, the Showa must always have a black pattern on its head.

Tancho - named after the Tancho crane bearing a single red spot atop its head, the Tancho class of koi is made up of the Kohaku, Sanke and Showa varieties, which likewise sport a well-placed red spot (hi) on the head.

Metallic Koi Classes include:

Hikari Muji - these are Koi of one solid, metallic color. There are two sub-groups being the Matsuba, in the color of gold, silver, grey or orange and with a pine cone pattern. The other sub-group is the Ogon, yet again a solid, metallic color in either gold, silver (platinum), orange, or red and white, but without the pine cone pattern. The red and white Ogon is basically a Metallic form of the Kohaku.

Hikari Utsuri - metallic version of the Utsuri or Showa - that is, metallic red, black and white.

Hikari Moyo - multi-colored, platinum Koi with either red or yellow.

Are you looking for a realistic, user-friendly way to Create & Maintain a Stunning Koi Pond for Koi Fish Varieties to Suit your Budget, Time and Spaces? Get more tips and advice here today. While you are there, you can sign up for the Free Email Course on Complete Koi Fish Pond Construction Tips and Koi Maintenance.

This free step-by-step mini-course is designed to teach you all of the essentials on purchasing, identifying, keeping and breeding Koi fish, as well as planning, building and maintaining your Koi pond.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Nakamura

Koi Fish Data By Robert Cartledge Platinum Quality Author

Koi are the domestic variety of the frequent carp. The word "Koi" comes from the Japanese phrase meaning "carp". The Japanese began breeding Koi for the primary time from the 1820's. Right this moment, because of their popularity, Koi are available in a big number of patterns and colors like black, orange, yellow, silver, green and blue.

Outdoor Koi ponds can be relaxing because the sound of the rippling water flows through the yard. They're even more entrancing and interesting to take a look at when Koi pond house owners are in a position to efficiently mix residing plants inside their Koi ponds to be able to replicate a natural pond environment. Sadly, typically Koi and crops do not co-exist properly together. Koi can generally give their homeowners a hard time in terms of potted plants inside the pond. Some homeowners try to place potted crops throughout the pond that are supposed to sit on the pond floor. Bigger Koi might be able to knock the plant over which is able to lead to a messy pond and might create real problems for the owner. Koi may also have the tendency of "digging" up the soil.

But, that does not imply you can not have any crops in your pond at all. There are a number of solutions to fight these problems. You'll be able to wrap netting over the tops of the pots to keep the Koi from digging in them. You can even place pea gravel on high of the plants. Bigger pots can face up to the burden of river stones. With the stones on prime of the pots, the Koi fish can have a tougher time knocking them over resulting from their weight and they will be unable to get to the grime underneath the stones to be able to dig it up. Lilies are a beautiful selection to position within your Koi pond. They come in several totally different varieties contains ones that grow effectively in shallow water and ones that grow better in deeper water. Although they aren't oxygenating crops, they may be capable to present your Koi with shelter and shade. Plus, having plants in the water will attract insects. Koi fish are omnivores and can search the vegetation foliage to hunt out insects and larva to munch on.

In addition to the insects that get your hands on from crops, Koi fish enjoy many other kinds of food. It is not unusual for Koi fish owners to mention that they efficiently skilled their fish to eat out of their hands. Koi fish have the power to be able to acknowledge the one that feeds them and can method that individual throughout feeding time. In addition to pre-made Koi food, Koi fish enjoy a wide range of people meals like peas, lettuce and even watermelons. Having Koi grace the waters of an outdoor pond is really an enjoyable and unique experience. They space ready to add a large amount of enjoyment to their house owners lives and in turn are rewarded by the generosity and good care of their owners.

Robert Cartledge is a koi fish expert. For more great information on koi fish, visit http://www.koifishpondssecrets.com/. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Cartledge