Koi carp: description of Japanese ornamental fish, their types and breeding at home
The practice of arranging ornamental ponds in Japan has been around for many years. It is believed that the presence of pond fish can bring joy, long life and protect a person from danger. Koi, or brocade carp, are the most preferred pond fish in Japan and around the world. However, in order for these fish to continue to please with their appearance, you need to learn everything about their content.
Description of the fish
Japanese koi is an artificially bred decorative variety derived from domesticated carp, which belongs to the Amur subspecies.For centuries, carps have been an important fish for industry due to their hardiness and delicious taste. As early as the 15th and 16th centuries, people were breeding them in man-made food ponds. In some mountainous regions, it was the only source of animal protein available.
A series of genetic changes have produced fish with unique and vibrant colors. Instead of being eaten, these animals were used to decorate water gardens. These days, it's hard to find a Japanese garden that doesn't have koi swimming in the pond. They are common everywhere - from small courtyards to large city parks. They are also often located next to temples built in honor of the Buddha - these ponds are ideal for reflection and contemplation.
The Japanese mentality has been heavily influenced by the huge admiration for koi. Pisces are considered to be signs of friendship and love, which is why the word "koi" is very similar to the Japanese word, which can be translated as "love" or "friendliness" .
The calmness that koi show while waiting to be cooked in the kitchen impressed the Japanese so much that they made these fish the central symbol of the celebration of Boys' Day every year on the fifth day of May. On this holiday, all families with sons hang coinobori - paper or textile images of koi - near their homes to symbolize their sons. The longer figures represent older boys.
There are many stories about how this tradition was born, one of them tells about a brave carp who managed to overcome all the difficulties and trials while traveling to the sacred river and was reborn into a powerful dragon. Another legend tells how a carp helped Empress Jingu find her way through Korea during her conquests.
In the beginning, it was the natives of China who mastered the breeding of ornamental carps. The most impressive fish were given to the gardens of the nobility, and the knowledge of how to breed them was passed from mouth to mouth from father to son.Eventually, Japanese breeders adopted this tradition and used their hard work, perseverance and patience to create a wide range of koi with variations in color, fin shape and size. The first carp show in history was held in 1914, where people could see some of the best specimens of this species.
Koi are bred in many parts of the world these days, but Japan remains a leader in setting trends. There, rules were developed for evaluating the appearance of a koi to judge body structure, scale shade and pattern, and overall quality.
Highly valued are fish with a full body (often females) and beautifully arranged fins that are the same on both sides. Scales in ideal representatives without defects; color spots are easily distinguishable and harmonious - the larger the fish, the larger its pattern. Equally important is how she behaves while swimming in the water - her posture and movements are also taken into account, as well as her general appearance.Size is also a significant factor; the Japanese do not recognize a fish as a "real" carp if it is less than 45-55 cm in length. The largest registered koi measured 120 cm in length and weighed about 40 kg; some tribal specimens can cost thousands of dollars each.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionProfessional breeders are very meticulous about their work, not allowing any fish to be used for breeding, even with slight deviations from the desired characteristics. It is important to note that a carp goes through six selections before it is assigned a certain category.Besides excellent decorative qualities, koi are known for their hardiness and ease of care. This species is known for its longevity; so, the star of Japan - a fish named Hanako lived an amazing 226 years! Although this is an exceptional case, under proper conditions, koi can live up to five decades.
The impressive intelligence of koi is impossible to ignore. These sociable creatures quickly get to know their owner and calmly accept food directly from his hands. They also don't mind being patted on the back and rarely try to swim away. Some individuals even display distinct personality traits, something that can only be seen in one particular individual. Koi are relatively easy to train, they can easily perform up to 20 commands.
Enthusiast koi breeders can be found almost anywhere in the world. Associations have brought together millions of aquarists around the world. In addition, they organize local and international events to showcase the most attractive specimens of this species, the "cream of the selection" . The Japanese joke about their koi becoming a global phenomenon, saying that they discovered a new way to conquer the world - Nishikigoi (which literally translates to "colored carp" ).
Carp appearance
Due to a long period of selective breeding, Japanese koi have changed a lot in terms of shape and color, no longer resembling their original "appearance" . Despite these changes, some features, such as small antennae-like appendages, remained unchanged in brocade fish. Colored carp grown in ponds reach a length of about sixty cm and weigh an average of six kg.
The head is large, and in females it is noticeably wider. The body is slender. The tail fin is single and strong, which helps it to move easily in the water. All fins are evenly distributed over the body and well formed. Body color varies by species and can also be influenced by environmental conditions such as water quality, light intensity, and food quality.
Main Breeds
Through centuries of selective work, 80 different varieties of Chinese koi have been developed and are now classified into 16 categories based on common traits.At the same time, a huge variety of colors can be attributed to several fundamental shades: cream, yellow, orange, white, black, red and blue. The presence or absence of a particular color depends on how much pigment is present in the scales - melanophores (black), xanthophores (yellow-orange) and guanophores (which give a shimmering effect). For example, orange varieties are devoid of melanophores, while blue varieties have only a small number of xanthopores; the white varieties contain neither melanophores nor xanthophores.
Let's look at the different varieties of koi in terms of their coloration:
- Asagi has a dark blue back with a light mesh pattern, red sides, belly and fins.
- The Shusui variety is similar but lacks scales.
- Bekko are characterized by a whitish, purple or yellow body with dark markings.
- At the same time Goshiki is black with streaks of various other colors such as red, white, brown and blue.
- Doitsu is a type that was created by crossing German hairless carps and can be any color without scales or with only some rows resembling a mirror carp.
- Kawarimono is another group that includes non-metallic carps that don't fit in the other categories.
- Kin-Gin-Rin show off gold or silver scales for extra sparkle.
- Koromo are distinguished by dark patterns over the main red hue.
- Another equally important species is the Kohaku, which is the most famous species - its white body is speckled with bright purple or red-orange spots that are clearly defined.
- Fire is distinguished by its one-color bodies without spots. It can be red, orange, grey, yellow or light yellow.
- Shusui is blue on the back, with noticeable red spots on the sides.
- Taishe Sanke, named after Emperor Taishe, has a white body with black and red spots.
- Tancho are especially unique as they are white with a single red spot resembling a Japanese flag on their head.
- Utsurimono has a black body, covered with stripes of either white, or red, or yellow.
- Hikari-moemono are characterized by metallic golden-silver scales.
- Seva Sanseku has black scales with patches of both red and white; they were also named after Emperor Showa.
- Finally, Kumonryu is known as "dragon fish" in Japan; in appearance it is an unremarkable black fish, but with white spots all over the body, on the head and in the abdomen.
How to keep fish
Koi in captivity can live an average of 35 years, which is quite a long lifespan. Some red koi breeds that are genetically closer to their wild carp ancestor can be up to 120 centimeters long; however, the typical size of a koi is 90-100 centimeters.Given this, koi are best kept in a pond rather than an aquarium.
In the aquarium
It is not recommended to keep koi in an aquarium as their beautiful colors are best seen from above. Therefore, for aquarium breeding, it is recommended to choose goldfish instead.
If you still decide to start these lucky fish, then remember that for koi carp you need to use a larger aquarium. You should choose a capacity of at least 500 liters. Then the number of fish can be calculated by the formula: one centimeter of body length per five liters of water.
The key to success in keeping koi carp is to have a well-functioning filtration system that takes into account both mechanical and biological factors. It is recommended to install a flow system, but if this is not possible, then a 30% water change should be performed once a week. Koi are hardy fish that can tolerate a range of temperatures (15-30°C) and water hardness/acidity (soft to medium hardness around 7).
Lighting should be sufficient to make the fish look their best. It is wise to install an aquarium UV sterilizer to stop the growth of microbes and algae. In an aquarium, it is worthwhile to establish a good nitrogen cycle - without the presence of ammonia and nitrites. And the concentration of nitrates should not go off scale for 40 mg / l. For the substrate, it is ideal to use a fine to medium grain size.
In the pond
Obviously the best environment for koi to grow and thrive in is a pond, given their potential size from 100 cm. No matter how big an aquarium, it cannot give these ornamental fish enough space to fully feel free and show off their beauty .
It is recommended that the pond is 3m x 2.5m x 1.4m as these fish are very active swimmers; the bigger the pond, the better. It is ideally located in a quiet location on the site and is built either on a concrete base or using a soft waterproofing material.
In a koi pond, it is important to provide effective two-stage filtration, or rather, biological and mechanical types. The first helps to rid the water of suspended particles and solids, and the second - to start the nitrogen cycle. Supplemental oxygenation is needed when there are many fish in the pond, the water temperature is high, or during the winter months.
Koi can tolerate water temperatures up to +4 °C; at the same time, their vital processes become slower; and the depth of the pond should be 1.4 m so that it does not freeze completely. It is permissible to use sedge, water irises and other moisture-loving species as plants; reeds and water lilies can be placed on top of the surface but need to be firmly anchored as koi love to dig into the substrate.
Who better to place with
When keeping koi in ponds, the options for fish that can be kept as neighbors are limited. Not many species of fish can thrive in such an environment, and those that survive are not as brightly colored as koi, making them unsuitable for an ornamental pond.The ideal choice as neighbors are species of goldfish with an elongated, torpedo-shaped body shape (comets, veil-tailed shubunkins) and golden orphs.
When choosing tankmates for koi, size is a top priority. Any fish small enough to fit in a carr's mouth will eventually be eaten. Good aquarium companions include fast swimming goldfish without long fins or protruding body parts, massive catfish species and some rainbowfish.
How to feed carps
Koi are fish that consume both animal and plant matter to meet their nutritional needs. In order for the fish to look even brighter, food containing natural color enhancers is used. Ideally, the food is scattered on top of the water to make it easier for them to locate and swallow it. Many koi owners find that their pets get along with them so well that they can take food directly from their hands.
Tetra provides a line of quality Terta Pond Koi complete foods specifically for the many koi enthusiasts. Each food is balanced in composition and contains all the necessary vitamins and nutrients to strengthen the immune system of the fish. The use of high quality ingredients makes the food highly digestible, which helps to keep the water in ponds and aquariums clean.
Pellets come in different sizes, so it's easy to find the right food for each phase of the fish's life cycle. Foods with naturally derived colors will greatly enhance the natural colors of koi, such as reds, yellows and oranges. It wouldn't be wise to spoil your pets with a combination of krill meat and seaweed.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionFeeding koi several times a day in limited quantities is the best way.It can be difficult for fish to process excess food at one time, so do not give them too much, as they will not be able to stop themselves - they will eat as much as they can find. Daily intake does not exceed 2-3% of their total body weight.Reproduction
Koi farming is essentially identical to farming other types of carp. The hardest part is choosing the right parents and doing the necessary selection process to get juveniles with bright colors and high survival rates.
Koi reach sexual maturity between 3 and 6 years of age. It is impossible to determine the sex of fish until they reach a size of 22-26 cm. To accurately determine the sex, a person will have to pay attention to certain signs. Males have sharp front fins, and during the spawning period, dense growths appear on their gills, resembling semolina to the touch. Females are larger and rounder, with a massive body shape.
The structure of the anus will indicate a clear difference between the sexes. To absolutely determine the sex, place a koi in a container, wait until it calms down. Then carefully take it in your hands and turn it over on your back. In males, the anuses are oblong, stretching towards the tail, while in females, the anus area has round openings. Sexual products will protrude when patting the sides of males, but with the same movements, females do not produce any discharge.
It is recommended to mate one female with two or three males to increase the percentage of fertilized eggs. Stimulation to reproduction of koi carp occurs with a sharp change in water conditions. The spawning season for these fish begins in late spring and early spring when temperatures reach at least 20°C.
With a large population of koi in the pond, mass spawning often occurs; but experienced breeders try to limit it, since the color of the offspring is lighter.The best option would be to transfer the producers to another pool and regularly change the water, as well as feeding them protein-rich feed.
After the eggs are laid, the adults should be removed from the pond because they will consume their own offspring. Water in a pond with newly hatched fish should be well aerated. Six to seven days after laying, the larvae will emerge and will cling to the walls of the pond for two to three days until they have used up all their yolk sacs. After that, they are free to move around and are ready to take food from the owner of the pond.
It is important to note that breeding koi at home is quite difficult, as it requires very large tanks or aquariums.
