Koi carp have a long history that can be traced back to ancient China. Later, they were introduced to Japan and have seen more development and cultivation there.
Koi carp have a beautiful body shape with smooth lines. Their body length can reach several dozen centimeters or even more than one meter.
Koi carp live a long time. If well cared for, they can live for 60 to 70 years.
Koi carp are usually good-tempered, but during breeding and when competing for food, they may show some competitiveness.
01
There are many varieties of koi carp, and each one is extremely beautiful.
Hi Utsuri Koi: The body base color is white, and the red patches are particularly vivid and beautiful, evenly distributed with clear edges. The shape and position of the red patches are particular. For example, there are "Nidan Hi Utsuri" and "Sandan Hi Utsuri." The shapes can be round, square, triangular, and so on.
Taisho Sanshoku Koi: They have three colors of red, white, and black. On a white base, there are evenly distributed red and black patches. The red patches should be large and vivid, and the black patches should be purely black without any other colors. The patterns of Taisho Sanshoku Koi are various. Some are symmetrically beautiful, and some are particularly unique.
Showa Sanshoku Koi: Somewhat similar to Taisho Sanshoku Koi, but the base color is black, with red and white patches on it. The black patches of Showa Sanshoku Koi are larger and blacker than those of Taisho Sanshoku Koi, looking stable and majestic.
In addition to these common varieties, there is also Kin Koi, which is golden all over and shiny, like wearing golden armor.
Tancho Koi: There is a round red patch on the head, just like wearing a red hat, which means good luck. Shiro Utsuri Koi: On a white base, there are black markings, like writing, very artistic.
Moreover, there are some rare varieties, such as Bekko Koi and Aki Shigure Koi. Bekko Koi is divided into Shiro Bekko, Ki Bekko, and Aka Bekko according to the base color. The characteristic is that the black patches are in sharp contrast to the base color.
Aki Shigure Koi has a blue back and a white belly, with a very special color combination.
When choosing a koi carp variety, not only do you have to consider whether it looks good, but also think about the size of the place you keep them and what kind you like.
If the place is small, choose a smaller one with a simpler pattern.
If you want it to be beautiful and attractive, choose a larger one with a more complex pattern.
Moreover, different varieties have different difficulties in raising and different habits. You need to understand clearly when choosing.
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Raising koi carp is not an easy task.
They need a large space to move around and like to swim in the middle and lower layers of ponds or aquariums.
If raising in a pond, the pond must be large enough for koi carp to swim freely. The pond depth is preferably more than 1.5 meters so that the water temperature can be more stable in different seasons.
If raising in an aquarium, the size of the aquarium depends on the number and size of koi carp. Generally, for a 50-centimeter-long koi carp, there should be at least an aquarium with 200 liters of water.
Water quality is extremely crucial. Koi carp have high requirements for water quality. They like clean water with oxygen. The water temperature is suitable at 20 - 25℃. You have to frequently check whether the water is acidic or hard, as well as indicators such as ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, and nitrate.
The water is preferably slightly alkaline with appropriate hardness. The less ammonia nitrogen and nitrite there are, the better, and nitrate should not be too much.
At least 20% - 30% of the water should be changed every week. The new water must have chlorine removed first, and the temperature and pH should be similar to the original water.
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Koi carp eat almost everything. They like plant-based foods and also insects and small crustaceans.
Feed also needs to be selected carefully. Good koi carp feed should contain a lot of protein, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
There are floating feeds and sinking feeds. Feed the type that koi carp like.
Feed 2 - 3 times a day, and each time, the amount should be such that koi carp can finish eating in 5 - 10 minutes.
Occasionally, you can also feed some vegetables, fruits, small insects, and small crustaceans to make the nutrition more comprehensive.
When raising koi carp usually, if they don't like to eat, swim abnormally, have injuries on their bodies, or have parasites, you need to find solutions quickly.
Common health problems of koi carp include parasite infections, bacterial infections, and fungal infections.
To diagnose diseases, you need to look at the symptoms such as the fish's behavior and appearance. Treatment methods include using medicine, improving water quality, and adjusting the breeding environment.
In China, koi carp symbolize auspiciousness, wealth, and good luck. In Japan, koi carp are regarded as symbols of courage and perseverance.
In different cultures, koi carp have special symbolic meanings.