What Are Koi Fish? By Kao Lee Platinum Quality Author

Have you ever heard of a Koi fish? A Koi is a descendant of the carp, although the Koi is more colorful than its more common ancestor is. Japanese people bred the Koi some 200 years ago and named the fish Nishikigoi. Some people who see Koi fish have the mistaken belief that a Koi is nothing more than a large goldfish. Actually, goldfish are only distantly related to the Koi.

Koi fish were bred to display and enjoy. What can be better for your personal relaxation and enjoyment than fantastically colored Koi, swimming gracefully in your personally designed water garden which is teeming with colorful and gorgeous aquatic plants.

Not only are Koi fish great for your own personal Koi pond, you can also breed and raise them to compete in Koi shows throughout the world if you wish. Another option is to breed and raise Koi to sell in a commercial enterprise. One Koi can sell for hundreds of dollars. They may very well be worth the time and expense your are willing to expend on them.

Koi are most often found in outdoor fishponds, which are designed to be as gorgeous as the Koi themselves. Many Koi fishponds sport elaborate water gardens that add greatly to the beauty of the surrounding landscape. But the plants do more than add color and variety to the pond. They actually provide protection to the fish from predators such as cats and other prowling carnivores. However, Koi water gardens are of necessity distinct from other outdoor fish water gardens because Koi eat some of the typical plants found therein.

You must know how to care for a Koi pond. Any Koi pond, whether indoor or outdoor, should be sufficiently oxygenated, pH balanced, and filtered with recirculated freshwater to keep the fish healthy. The fish should be fed more often in the summer than in the winter. Once a day is usually sufficient in the winter, but they should be fed twice per day in the summer.

An average sized Koi might grow to be 24 to 36 inches long. Most Koi live 25 or 30 years. However, on rare occasion, a well cared for Koi can live more than 200 years.

You should know many more things about raising Koi for a home fishpond or competition. There is also much to learn before creating a proper Koi pond and water garden. There is insufficient room in this small space to provide all the facts you need for such an enterprise. Check out all available literature so you can raise the healthiest, prettiest Koi fish and keep them in the most exultant pond you can imagine.

Koa Lee is a major importer of Japanese Koi Fish. You can find out for information about KOI at Koi.

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How to Choose Koi Fish By Jemma Wu Platinum Quality Author

Those two reasons alone make them enough to fall in love with Koi fish. If you are considering purchasing Koi for your garden pond then this article is for you.

The first thing that's recommended for you to do is to acquire as much information as you possibly can about Koi fish. This information could be acquired from your local pet shop owners, a reputable breeder and even online.

The staff of the breeder and pet shops should be knowledgeable about Koi fish and should be able to answer lots of questions for you. One of the questions you may need to ask is if the Koi Fish are imported or from a local source? Of those two choices the imported Japanese Koi fish is usually going to be the highest quality.

If it is at all possible for you to visit fish farms, where Koi are raised, that would be an excellent thing for you to do. While there check the conditions at the farm. See how well the fish are being taken care of, how they are maintained and the overall general cleanliness of the farm. The Koi fish farms ponds water should be clean and odorless; their supplies for sale should be of excellent quality.

As you probably already realize Koi fish come in unique stunning color patterns with no two Koi ever being exactly alike. Each Koi has all of their own unique colors and markings. Did you know however that the young Koi will change as they grow more mature? As they mature and grow their colors will usually darken so remember this when shopping for your new Koi fish.

Koi fish are generally very social creatures and will normally be seen socializing and swimming with other Koi. If by chance you see one or two swimming alone off to themselves then I would recommend avoiding these fish. Chances are they are not healthy fish.

A healthy Koi fish will swim effortlessly and glide through the water with ease. They should have no jerking type motions and no twitching when swimming. Their gills should move at an even pace and rhythmically together. If you do happen to notice that they are only breathing through one gill or if they have any redness around their gills this is also a sign that they could have an infection called gill flukes. This would be another sign that they are not healthy Koi.

When observing a healthy Koi's body it should be gently tapered, well defined and thick. There should be no visible signs of damage, any ulcers or spots of discoloration on the fish. Their scales should lay flat against the fish with no lesions of any kind.

Experts cannot agree on the amount of Koi fish that should be kept in a garden pond. The best answer really is that it would depend upon the size of your pond as well as the efficiency of the filtration system.

Your garden Koi pond should be at least 1000 gallons big with a minimum water depth of 4 foot. As excited as you are to go out and purchase your new Koi it is very important to make sure your pond has been built and has an excellent filtration system already working. After these things have been accomplished then your pond is ready for all of your new Koi fish.

Jemma Wu is a Entrepreneur, Author and Koi fish hobbyist. To learn more about Koi Fish check out the website at http://www.KoiAnswers.com/ or sign up for the free mini Koi Fish email course and learn the secrets of the Koi Fish Hobby and maintaining healthy pond life.

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Koi Fish By Don M Miller

It's easy to understand why many people mistakenly believe that the colourful Koi fish that we know today is a species of Goldfish.

However, they are not goldfish, but a different variety of carp that can be found in virtually every Chinese and Japanese garden where there is a pond.

This beautifully coloured fish originates from the common carp 'cyprinus carpio', that were originally cultivated by Chinese rice growers thousands of year ago, in small pond fisheries purely as a cheap food source.

With cross border travel with its neighbours, the cultivation of koi carp flourished under the Chinese Qing Dynasty and Japanese Edo period. It was during this period that the Japanese began to breed Koi fish, not as a food source, but specifically for both their colour and form.

In the 1800's, with the widespread popularity of owning these colourful fish, the incentive for the refinement of existing varieties of Koi grew even stronger in Japan, with the development of new colours and patterns

In Japanese mythology, koi carp are thought to swim up stream against the current, symbolizing strength and individualism. According to Japanese legend if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River it would be transformed into a dragon.

Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.

Dragon Carp, Butterfly Koi, or Long fin Koi, are a type of ornamental koi fish notable for their elongated finnage. However, they all originate from the 'cyprinus Carp (which includes numerous wild carp species as well as the domesticated variety called 'Nishikigoi')

Nishikigoi' are most often referred to as 'koi' by those who speak English, probably due to the fact that "koi" is easier to say. Regardless of what we call them, they are still basically the same carp that have been bred for colour rather than food

Colourful Koi fish are now bred all over the world, not only for their aesthetic beauty but also for a great potential as a dollar earner. To date, Koi are considered to be the most expensive ornamental fish in existence. A prize example can be valued in the $100,000 range and live a long time.

As garden ponds become more and more popular in the west, one of the favourites is one containing koi fish. They are considered some of the most beautiful ornamental fish in the world, and are truly living jewels in your garden pond and can really make your garden pond come alive.

To get the most pleasure from your koi fish however, you will need to create the ideal environment for such wonderful tiny creatures to enjoy, with various koi pond plants and other pond animals

Creating a Koi pond is a marvellously satisfying hobby that will not only provide you with years of enjoyment, but can also have a calming affect on you after a hectic day at work.

Your efforts will be rewarded not just with magnificent Koi fish, but you'll see beauty and tranquillity within you and your home.

Koi Guide | If you found the article on' Koi Fish' of interest, you will also find further information and articles at the Koi Guide website http://www.go-to1.com/koi

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Types of Japanese Koi Fish By: Mary Murtha

Types of Japanese Koi Fish

By: Mary Murtha

Koi fish are a form of carp fish originally from Japan. They are very similar to goldfish, and some experts believe kois were an attempt by Japanese breeders to imitate goldfish. Raising koi fish was not introduced worldwide until 1914, and before that date it was solely a Japanese affair. During this time period, shipping became faster and safer and so the threat of fish death was very low. The hobby of raising koi exploded.

Different types of koi fish are classified by their patterning, scalations and coloration. Koi fish come in many different colors. A few of the main ones are blue, yellow, purple, white, and black. On the scales of a koi, it is possible to see a metallic gleam. This is what's called Gin Rin. Also, there are types of koi that have no scales. Scaleless kois are usually called Doitsu. Doitsu fish were made by crossbreeding Nishikigoi and German mirrored carp.

Although there are endless variations of koi fish, there are some varieties in specific categories. An example of a popular type of koi is the Gosanke. Fish that fall into this group are Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The main groups of named koi are Kohaku, a white and red striped fish; Taisho Sanshoku, a white fish with red and black design; Showa Sanshoku, a black fish with a red and white design; Asagi, a fish with blue scales on top and red scales on the bottom; Shusui, a similar fish to Asagi with less scales; Bekko, a white, yellow and red fish with a black design; Utsurimono, a black fish with a yellow, red and white design; Goshiki, a black fish with touches of brown, blue, white and red; Ogon, a fish that's all one color ( can be red, orange, platinum and yellow); and KinGinRin, a fish with shiny scales.

Today, there are fourteen types of koi and they have been bred especially to draw attention to their visual appearance. A lot of koi are bred in the US, but some koi come from Japan, China and Israel. There is a wide range of prices for purchasing koi, starting at $3 for baby koi and skyrocketing up to $20,000 for a prize fish.

Really, to pick a good fish you want to start with a good koi dealer. They can give you advice on color and sizes that will fit how much you can spend and how much experience you already have with koi. Usually dealers will sell inexperienced owners fish that range between three and five dollars. Then they can trade in for bigger fish once they have more experience.

About the Author

For more information about Koi, Koi Pond or koi Fish, please visit Azlan and Irda website at http://www.myownkoipond.com