How and when you feed your KOI fish?

Water temperature can dictate how and when you feed your fish. Careful consideration should be given to the condition of the environment as well as the activity level of your pets. Also consider your own knowledge and experience with your fish! Use the chart below as a guide to help you in chilly times.

86°F or higher (30°C)
Feed no more than 2 times daily(no more than 4 times daily for small koi)

At higher water temperatures koi can lose their appetite. Feed smaller amounts of an easily digested food if your fish are in good condition. Try to reduce the water temperature by providing shelter from direct sunlight. Baby koi are less affected by higher water temperatures and can be fed small amounts more often (Use premium, max growth/Color food).

68-86°F (20-30°C)
Feed 2 to 4 times daily or more in smaller amounts

Koi are most active in this temperature range. You can feed as often as you like any of our color enhancing, growth or staple diets. Feeding smaller amounts more often can actually increase weight and girth more rapidly. Always monitor your water quality and the activity level when deciding how much to feed. Always avoid feeding within one hour of sunrise or sunset.

59-68°F (15-20°C)
Feed 1 to 2 times daily

Carefully monitor your pets activity level in this temperature range. As the water temperature drops so does your koi’s digestive capacity. Care should be taken to avoid over-feeding and offering food during periods of inactivity. Always feed during the warmest part of the day if your water temperature is not stable.

50-59°F (10-15°C)
Feed no more than 2 times daily

When your water temperature is in this range you should monitor your koi’s activity level carefully and avoid feeding if you pets do not readily eat. (Use only easily digested diets cool season food) . Try to feed between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm if possible.

41-50°F (5-10°C)
Feed no more than 2 to 3 times weekly

When the water temperature is in this range, technically you may stop feeding until spring. If your koi are active and you want you can feed an amount they will consume within a minute or so, but never more. Always try to feed between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Below 41°F (Below 5°C)
Stop feeding

Your koi should be in their hibernation mode now and no feeding is necessary.

By Hikari

BEFORE & AFTER BY SPLENDOR KOI

Japanese Koi carp - The Origins, The History and Today

Koi, a Japanese word meaning carp. Today,
it is the Japanese that are revered as the authority
on Koi fish, as it is there continued breeding efforts
that have led to many of today’s
colour varieties and species.
In Japan the Japanese Koi Carp is a symbol of strength,
and it is the Japanese Koi Carp ‘NISHIKIGOI’ (brocaded Carp)
that are revered all over the world as the most stunning
of decorative pet fish. It is also widely known that all carp
are direct offspring of black Koi known in Japan as ‘Magoi’.
But, the history of Koi goes back much further then
the widely popular Japanese Koi Carp of today.

Let’s dive in.

There are carp fossils in China dating back some
20 million years, and there are historical records

which point towards China as being the first to breed
carp for colour mutations. In fact, Prussian carp were
selectively bred leading to the development of
the ever-popular goldfish. Now goldfish were not

introduced to Japan until the 16^th century.

In all accounts, it is recognized that Koi,
from the Latin name Cyprinus Carpio meaning Carp,

originated in the surrounding areas of the Caspian Sea.

Koi had an exceptional ability for survival and adaptation
to divers water and climate conditions, thus making

the domesticated species ideal for circulation to
new places including Japan. Legend has it that Koi
were introduced to Central Europe around the 14^th century

by the crusaders. Later, Monks adopted this role continuing
the distribution of Koi throughout China and South East Asia,
all as a major source of food.

Now no one really seems to know exactly how or when Koi
were first introduced to Japan. Some have theories of Koi being i

ntroduced to Japan during an invasion by the Chinese, while others
speculate about Koi having been kept by a Japanese emperor
dating back to 200 AD. But, Koi history is still a mystery
from the 2^nd to the 17^th century as the investigation continues today.

As time moved on, historical commentary tells us that Japanese
rice farmers of Ojiya in the Niigata province, were raising common

Japanese Koi carp as a food source for sale in local markets.
These farmers became Koi breeders between the 1820s and

the early to mid 1840’s. This transformation occurred
when farmers began to notice random pigment irregularities

 in some of their Koi food stock. This is said to have led to the
development of Koi keeping as a hobby among local working class farmers.
These early Koi breeders began keeping these specially
colored carp as pets. Soon after, as a leisurely past time,
neighboring farmers would collaborate on breeding
their collection of colored Koi together.

Now up until the early 1900’s, only the farmers themselves kept

their colored carp as a private hobby and pastime.
But in 1914, during the Tokyo Taisho Exhibition,
Koi farmers/breeders brought their colored carp to the attention
of the Japanese public. It was then that the interest in Japanese Koi carp
exploded throughout Japan. With the national enthusiasm of Koi sparked,
and an ever-growing popularity of Koi, there began a kind of competition

among owners to breed new colors and species of Japanese Koi carp.
The hobby of Koi keeping eventually spread worldwide.

By http://www.koifishschool.com/japanese-koi-carp.html

http://www.mpks.org/articles/RayJordan/KoiHistory2.shtml

Spring Cleaning!

Small Ponds less than 1.000 Gal - 2 Men Crew  $150.oo X hour

Regular and Large Ponds 1.000 or more - 3 men Crew &185 x hour

Cleaning Includes:
Put fish in secure and safe container, empty completely the pond, pressure wash, fills back the pond and treat water, put aquatic plants back and decorative items, and ultimate put the fish back in the pond.
We can put your new aquatic plants in the pond for you.

How many fish can I have in my pond?

This is one of the most common questions pond owners ask, and there are no simple answers.
Most recommendations that you'll hear involve formulas expressed in terms of inches of fish per 100 or 1000 gallons.  Following that formula without some modifications can be risky.  Consider that one 24" koi and 12 two inch koi both constitute 24 inches of fish, yet the one large koi weighs at least 10 times as much as the 12 small fish and will therefore need to consume 10 times the amount of food to thrive.  The amount of food going into the pond and therefore the amount of waste coming out of the fish is the biggest contributor to poor water quality, mostly in the form of excessive ammonia and nitrite readings.

So in order to allow for this huge difference in weight per length of fish, we will divide the sizes of koi into  small, medium, and large. If we assume small koi or goldfish are 3 to 6 inches, medium koi are 6 to 12 inches and large koi are 12 to 24 inches, recommendations for inches of fish per gallon make a little more sense.
We also need to consider what type of pond and what type of pond keeper we're dealing with.  Is it a "natural" pond with little or no filtration, or one with the latest advanced filtration?  Is the hobbyist  diligent about water changes and filter maintenance?  Does the pond have adequate circulation? Is it in the sun most of the day?  Do they want to grow and maintain show fish, or are they more interested in goldfish?  Also realize that koi will grow quickly, and a reasonably stocked pond will become overcrowded soon.
So here are my recommendations:

Small Fish (3-6 inches)  10 to 15 fish per 1000 gallons

Medium Fish (6-12 inches) 5 to 10 fish per 1000 gallons

Large Fish (12-24 inches) 1 to 3 fish per 1000 gallons

Given that there are so many variables involved, realize that these guidelines are very general and should be used as only as a starting point in discussions with your customer.

Randy LeFever 

Pond-Vent Ice Preventer 900

Every winter, the same problem occurs: The pond freezes up completely, and toxic gases build up at the bottom of the pond and cannot escape. Toxic gases create a lack of oxygen in the water and cause the poisoning of living organisms. Due to this lack of oxygen, fish and microorganisms have practically no chance of survival.

The OASE Pond-Vent Ice Preventer 900 is the solution to this problem.

How does it work?

The Pond-Vent pump pulls the lower layer of water (which has been warmed up to around 39°F by the higher temperature of the earth) from the bottom of the pond. The water is then pumped through the hose, using extremely little energy, and is let out at the surface directly below the floating bowl. 220 gallons per hour are being delivered by the Pond-Vent without breaking up the water layers. The warmth of the water is sufficient to keep a hole with a radius of 11-11.5" ice free. This allows toxic gases caused by decomposition processes (fish excrement, leaves, etc.) to evaporate. This aeration process helps ensure the survival of fish and other microorganisms. In order to operate the Pond-Vent Ice Preventer properly, the pump, which hangs on the floating bowl, should be 8" above the bottom of the pond. The depth of the pond should be 24-32". The enclosed hose, which connects to the floating bowl, is 32" long and can be shortened if necessary. This product has been thoroughly tested and functions in temperatures as low as -4° F.

Dual Purpose Pump: The Pond-Vent ice preventer 900 includes a 1/2" cascade nozzle so that it can be used as a fountain pump during the warmer seasons of the year.

Available at Splendor Koi & pond 770 321 3473  $76.99

Happy Thanksgiving!