Japanese carp koi

"Koi" is translated from Japanese as "carp". The history of carp koi has more than 2000 years. From the territories adjacent to the Caspian Sea,These carp were first brought to China (it was there that they first began to be called "koi"), and then the Chinese conquerors brought carp koi to Japan. Initially, the Japanese peasants bred it for consumption - in some regions carp koi was the staple food. But the color and pattern of some carp was unusually bright. Such carp were not eaten, but kept at home as an ornamental animal. Gradually, the peasants began to specifically cross colored carp to get new colors.

Soon the breeding of koi carpwidespread fad and among representatives of the higher classes in all of Japan. In 1914, Tokyo hosted the Taisho exhibition, where colorful co-workers first saw visitors from other countries. Now Japanese carp koi is popular not only at home, but in the whole world. The Japanese joke that the koi carp helped them conquer the world.

Japanese carp can be of a variety of colors: black, yellow, orange, red, white, blue, green or even spotty. As a standard, 14 koi colorings are accepted. Depending on the color, different breeds of koi carp, allot 16 groups of rocks, the total number of different breeds - more than 80. The most famous breeds of koi are coho (white carp with a red pattern), sled (white carp with a red-black pattern) and chauffeur (black carp with a red and white pattern).

The koi carps are graceful and graceful, watching these fish is a pleasure! They say that fish are apathetic and do not pay attention to the owner. But the good-natured and not shy carp koi is pretty quickly get used to people, will eat at you from hands and can even allow itself to touch.

Contents of koi carp will not give you much trouble. Japanese carp is unpretentious in food, it can be kept in a dacha pond and even in an aquarium. But buying the koi carp needs only in specialized nurseries with an impeccable reputation - these fish canto transmit diseases that are dangerous to humans. Before settling the koi carp into the reservoir allocated to it, it is necessary to keep it in quarantine, especially if you already have other carps.

Most often, koi are kept in open reservoirs - concrete, plastic or equippedspecial waterproofing film. Karam koi does not need a huge pond. For normal development the fish needs a pond depth of about 1.5 meters, containing 10 tons of water. The size of such a reservoir will be approximately 2х3х1.5 meters. The optimum temperature of water in the warm season is 20-25 degrees. In winter, the temperature should not fall below 4 degrees, so you will need to warm up, or you will have to provide your carp with wintering in a closed pond. To keep carp koi, the following are also important water parameters:

• the pH is between 7 and 8.5;


• carbonate hardness (KH) - from 1 to 7 dKH (from 72 to 125 ppm);


• total hardness (GH) is from 4 to 10 dGH (from 72 to 125 ppm);


• the content of nitrites and ammonium is 0 ppm;


• the content of nitrates is not more than 40 ppm;


• the oxygen content is not less than 5 ppm.

ppm is a millionth part, the number of parts permillion (say, milligram per kilogram or milliliters per cubic meter). In principle, this water composition is not unusual - this water is suitable for most aquatic plants, animals and fish.

If you do not have a pond, but there is a huge desire to buy koi, Japanese carp can be kept in a spacious aquarium. In the aquarium must be presentall the necessary equipment. Of course, you will not settle a big fish in an aquarium, so it's better to plant young animals there. Carp koi in an aquarium will never reach such a size, which could grow into a pond. If the content in the aquarium koi can change the shape of the body, and the color will not be so bright.

For carp koi in the aquarium more It is not the volume of water that matters, but its composition. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the filtration and aeration of the aquarium by controlling the content of the substances mentioned above.

Japanese carp eat Special food in the form of sticks (pellets). It is better to constantly feed koi with one feedmanufacturer. Feed the carp often, but in small portions, so as not to pollute the water. Feed should be eaten by fish in 5 minutes. Every day the fish should receive a meal amount of 3% of its weight. This amount should be divided into several feedings. In addition, you can give koi carp a special food in the form of pasta, bread, fruits, vegetables and boiled frozen shrimps. Live food should be given with caution.

Elite thoroughbred Japanese koi carps can cost several thousand euros, however Fry of common breeds will cost slightly more than ordinary aquarium fish. Especially since carp koi is bred not only in Japan, but also in Israel, Malaysia and other countries. Japanese koi carps are original and interesting pets.