Koi carp is a Japanese goldfish. A symbol of good luck and perseverance in achieving your goal. Brocade carp Black carp for the Japanese 5 letters

Koi carps, keeping and breeding, ponds for Koi carps - 4.5 out of 5 based on 39 votes

You can see photos of our koi carps, as well as find out their prices.

Brocade carp (or koi carp) is an ornamental variety of common carp. Moreover, only those fish that have passed 6 selective selections can be considered koi. There are approximately 80 breeds of koi carp in the world. They are divided into 16 groups, which are united by several or one common characteristics:

Utsurimono,
Showa Sanshoku,
Taisho Sanshoku,
Kohaku,
Tancho,
Asagi,
Bakko,
Fire,
Kawarimono,
Hikari-moyomono,
Koromo,
Kinginrin,
Shusui,
Gosicki,
Doitsu goyim,
Kumonryu.

Each koi carp is assessed according to the following parameters:
-body structure: general body composition, that is, the shape of the body, fins and head and their relative proportions;
-pattern and color: texture and appearance of the skin; the quality of the patterns, their edges, colors and pattern balance;
-quality: specific species requirements for each breed, the posture of the fish (i.e., how it holds itself in the water, swims), the overall impression it makes (i.e., an indicator that summarizes all evaluation parameters).
After evaluation, the koi is assigned a specific category.

To receive a high rating for its parameters, a koi carp must have the following characteristics:

the shape and size of the fins are proportional to the body;
head shape – not too long, short or curved in any direction;
the body, when viewed from above, should be proportional and even on both sides;
the skin should have a healthy glow;
a certain combination and brightness of skin colors;
color spots are clearly limited;
colors are balanced;
there should be no “heavy” areas in the middle, in the tail or in front of the fish;
the pattern is proportional to the body (for example, a large pattern on a large individual).

The color of koi carp can be very different. Primary color colors: white, red, yellow, cream, black, blue and orange.

The color of the fish may depend on the dyes consumed, the sun's color and the quality of the water.
The length of this type of carp can reach from 45cm to 90cm.

The lifespan of koi is approximately 27-30 years in artificial conditions. Old fish, as a rule, die from improper housing conditions, and not from old age.

Koi carps are mainly kept outdoors in ponds, but they also do well in large aquariums.

They are unpretentious to food, good-natured, not shy, they quickly get used to people, and some can even be touched. Koi thrives in ponds/garden pools all year round, but in winter it is recommended to transplant them to a place protected from frost, or cover the pond with a plastic shelter.

These carps are undemanding, but you should still consider them biological features when kept: they are large, bright in color, live a long time, and easily get used to people. If the reservoir is subject to the necessary conditions, then the fish are not afraid of frost. Koi carps can live in both large and small ponds. But if they are not provided with a pond of sufficient size, then the growth and development of the fish will be very slow, which will ultimately lead to irreparable consequences: the koi will grow plump, short and dull. And even if you then move them to a pond with the necessary conditions, the appearance of the fish will not change. Therefore, if you decide to seriously keep koi carp, then you need a specially equipped pond - with drainage and a filter.

Basic optimal characteristics of water:

water temperature is 15-30? C, but they can also easily tolerate temperatures from 2? C to 35? C;
pH 7-7.5, but can tolerate alkalinity in the range of 5.5-9;
oxygen 4-5 mg/l, but are also able to tolerate oxygen up to 0.5 mg/l.

As you can see, the conditions of detention are quite accessible and uncomplicated, that is, they are typical for our reservoirs, which are located in the open air.

The following fish may be suitable as neighbors for koi carp: platie, golden carp, minnows (minnows), bitterling, goldfish, trout, mollies, catfish.

Koi Ponds

To build a pond, you can use two materials: with a concrete base and with soft waterproofing. The latter uses synthetic rubber (EPDM). With its help you can create ponds of any shape and size. If there are sharp stones in the soil, then it is also necessary to use fleece (special backing), which will prevent damage to the EPDM film used. A pond with a concrete base is more expensive, but most durable. A concrete pond allows you to create steep vertical banks, which saves space while increasing the water volume of the pond.

Featured minimum dimensions pond:
- depth from 1.4 m,
-volume 8t (3m x 2.46m x 1.23m).
It should be remembered that koi are quite active fish, they need to swim, and accordingly they need a spacious pond. Naturally, there is no specific data on how deep and volume the pond should be, since it all depends on how many koi carps you want to put in the pond.

Optimal pond location:

a quiet, calm corner of the garden (as far as possible from noisy places, such as sports fields or roads), but close to the house (so that you can admire the koi in any weather without leaving the house);
the rays of the sun should illuminate the reservoir/pond all day with a “lunch break” of 1.5-2 hours (there may be longer breaks, but this may affect some aquatic plants, for example, nymphs);
during melting of snow or rain, water from the adjacent areas should not flow into the pond/reservoir (for this purpose, storm drainage is built around the pond or the pond is created elevated).

It is important to equip the pond with a two-stage filtration system: biological and mechanical. She must guarantee effective removal dissolved fish metabolites and suspended particles (fish excrement, plant remains and feed) from water, and also maintain normal gas mode.

In flow big pond With aquatic plants in large quantities, the filtration system in principle does not need to be used. But there is a high probability that koi will begin to eat underwater vegetation or dig through the soil in search of food (all plants may soon be dug up). Optimal options: 1) build an additional regeneration pond/reservoir with aquatic plants or 2) create a bioplato - a stream or small pond, entirely covered with pebbles with aquatic plants planted in it, through which water will circulate from the pond.

Most of the factors that influence biological equilibrium depend on the volume of the pond: the amount of dissolved oxygen, temperature regime. Thus, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain biological balance.

Koi food

Koi are omnivores, so their diet can be quite varied: pellets, soaked barley or bread, vegetables (e.g. carrots, lettuce), fruits (e.g. papaya, watermelon, oranges), pre-cooked frozen shrimp, pathogen-free live food (e.g. , insects, worms, undercooked shrimp).

Pellet (food in the form of floating sticks) is a fairly common and safe food for fish. Advice: choose food from one particular well-known manufacturer and feed only that. For small koi, choose a small pellet size.

Some types of food contain natural color enhancers (vitamin A or carotenoids): shrimp, fruit, spirulina. Small koi do not need additional food color enhancers, because this can harm their young and immature liver. You need to be careful with color enhancers, because prolonged feeding of koi carps with carotenoids can cause the fish to develop yellow color initially White color- a signal that the fish liver cannot cope with so much vitamin A. In some koi, the white spots next to the red spots become reddish or pinkish - a consequence of the same problem.

If you prefer to feed carp several types of food (standard, vegetable, with added dyes), then it is better to create a feeding schedule for a certain period (for example, a week) and strictly follow it.

Rules for feeding koi carp:

fish should eat food within 5-10 minutes,
feed should not pollute water,
It’s better to underfeed than to overfeed,
feed frequently (2-3 times a day) in small portions,
the fish should receive daily feed equal to 3% of its own weight.

It is useless to give koi carp a large portion of food once a day, since they will not be able to digest everything at once - instead of a stomach, there is a long intestinal tract.

Initial food for fry: artemia, daphnia, ciliates, wheat yeast, spirulina. Live food is recommended, but if this is not available, then a hard-boiled egg yolk will do. After a week, the fry can be fed with crushed pellets. When they reach 1.5 cm in length, they can be given small granules, which need to be increased in size as the fish grow.

It is impossible to determine the sex of koi carp until they reach sexual maturity. They usually enter spawning age when they reach a length of 23cm. But sometimes even adults have difficulty determining sex. The main signs of gender differences:
- males have sharper and visually larger (relative to the body) pectoral fins;
-females have a “heavier” body, which is associated with a greater need for nutrients (for the normal functioning of eggs);
-during the mating season, males develop tubercles on their gill covers (they look like semolina);
-The anal openings of males and females are different.

If the carp live in a pond, they will most likely spawn in late spring or early summer (that is, when the temperature rises), of course, provided that they are sexually mature, healthy and have been fed enough. The ideal temperature for spawning is 20? C.

If there are a lot of koi in the pond, then you can observe mass spawning. This spawning produces healthy offspring, but many aquarists avoid it because these fry are usually much paler in color than their parents. Professional breeders select a specific pair of parents and place them in a separate pond. You will need 2-3 males and one female. If there is no special pond for spawning carp, and you do not want to dig it out, then a children's mini-pool will do just fine. To increase the chances of spawning, more frequent water changes are made. You can also add more live food to your koi menu. Koi carp lay eggs.

It is typical for adult individuals of these carps to eat not only caviar, but also fry. Therefore, if you need greater spawning productivity, then after spawning the eggs should be placed in a separate pond or aquarium. The fry require large amounts of oxygen, otherwise they will not survive.

After 3-7 days (depending on the temperature), the fry begin to hatch. You will know about this by the specific shine of the eggs. As soon as they appear, they immediately attach themselves to the edges of the pond. The fry have a special adhesive pad on their heads, which allows them to attach to some surface and hang there for 2-3 days. After these days, the koi fry swim freely, only periodically swimming up to the surface for air. Air enters the swim bladder, and the koi can swim quietly in the water for some time. Until the fry begin to swim freely (that is, until they peel off the surface), they do not need to be fed.

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Koi carp is an ornamental carp that is bred from the common carp. Koi is a fish that must go through 6 selective selections, and only after that it will be assigned a category.

There are now a large number of koi carp in Japan, but only fourteen are considered standard, identified by their shape and coloring.

Koi carps - decoration for your pond

Koi carp, its varieties and features

Carp were brought to China from the Caspian coast 2500 years ago. In Japan, carp was first mentioned in the 14th century. It was grown at home and eaten. During the growing process, some fish acquired a different color. Such fish were not eaten, but simply lived in the pond. Over time, growing colored fish at home has become a hobby for the Japanese. Special breeding of fish began to occur and new colors were produced.

In 1914, ornamental carp was first introduced in Tokyo. Nowadays there are clubs and associations of koi lovers that hold exhibitions.

Selected carp, in order to receive a high rating, must meet the following characteristics:

Body structure, which is assessed by the shape of the head, fins and their proportions.

Females have some advantageous differences from males, who do not gain the required volume.
The fins should be in proportion to the body.
The head should be of normal size and not curved, as in the photo:

Carp color, patterns and skin. Quality is assessed skin, brightness, and color combination.

The fish's skin should be shiny and the spots should have clear boundaries.
A large spot in front or in the tail is undesirable.

Posture, which is assessed by how the koi holds itself in the water and how it swims.

More than 80 species of koi are now known, they are divided into 16 main groups, which are determined mainly by the original colors of the fish. The size and location of the color spots are a distinctive feature and are individual for each group.

Here is a list of group names: Kohaku, Taisho Sanseku, Showa Sanseku, Utsurimono, Bekko, Tante, Asagi, Shusui, Koromo, Kinginrin, Kawarimono, Ogon, Hikari - Momono, Goshiki, Kumonryu, Doitsu-goi (samples in the photo).

Koi come in a wide variety of colors. More often they are white, red, yellow, black and blue.

Carps are 45-90 cm in length. This fish lives 27-30 years.

Keeping Koi Carps

Carp feel good in the pond all year round, but wintering of such fish should take place in a place protected from ice.

If the reservoir is of normal size, then fish can winter there. You can leave fish in the pond if there is an area with a depth of at least 2-2.5 m.

Wintering in such a pit is possible if all the fish can fit into it.

Wintering can go well if you install a pump that will raise the water, saturating it with oxygen and preventing the pond from freezing (pictured).
You should not break the ice - this can stun and frighten the fish.
Wintering in a pond is dangerous not because of the cold, but because of the ice.
The water temperature in this pit, even in severe frost, will not drop below +4° C.
If a pond is covered with ice for more than one day, then the amount of harmful gases in it increases, and oxygen does not flow.
Part of the pond should not freeze.
Overwintering of koi should take place in a pond cleared of plants.

If your pond is shallow, then wintering should take place in an aquarium placed in a cool place.

Koi live in small ponds and in aquariums, but if the size is not suitable, the fish will grow poorly and develop slowly. This will result in koi that are plump, short, and dull in color.

Koi require appropriate conditions - drainage and filtration.

It is advisable to maintain the water temperature in the range of 15-30 ° C, but fish can tolerate 2 ° C.

Carps do not like alkaline water. The required oxygen content is 5 mg/l.

Platies, minnows, bitterlings, trout, and catfish can live next to koi.

You can build a pond from concrete or synthetic rubber. Koi carp are active, so they need to swim, and for this they need a spacious body of water.

For a pond with koi, it is better to choose a quiet place, not far from the house, as in the photo. The place should be sunny, and located so that during precipitation and melting snow, water from the site does not flow into it.
Calculate the required size of the reservoir based on the number of fish you plan to keep in it.
It is advisable to do biological and mechanical filtration in the pond to remove fish excrement, food residues, as well as for normal oxygen conditions.
If the reservoir is large and flowing, then filters may not be needed. And in general - what larger size reservoir, the easier it is to provide the necessary conditions for keeping fish.

You can feed Koi barley, vegetables, fruits, insects, and worms.

If you decide to feed carp with pellets, then choose food from well-known manufacturers. For small fish, buy small pellets. Certain foods contain color enhancers, for example fruits, spirulina.

Amplifiers are harmful for small fish. In general, you need to be more careful with food containing enhancers. Long-term feeding of such foods can lead to undesirable changes in their color, and in young individuals – to liver diseases.

Carp need to be fed on a schedule.

The fish should eat all the food within 5-10 minutes so that the water does not become dirty.
It is better to underfeed koi than to overfeed them.
Feeding should be done in small portions several times a day.
Carp should consume as much food every day as is 3% of its weight.

For initial feeding of fry, daphnia, ciliates, and spirulina are suitable.

It is better to feed the fry with live food.
After a few days, the fry can already consume the crushed granules.
And having reached 1.5 cm in length, they will be able to digest small granules.

Koi breeding

It is impossible to know what sex a koi is before it reaches maturity. Carp begins to spawn when its length is 23 cm. But even in adult koi, it is sometimes very difficult to determine the sex.

The main sexual characteristics are:

pectoral fins, which are larger and sharper in males;
females have a “heavier” body, which ensures the functioning of the eggs;
males have tubercles on their gills during the mating season;
You can tell the sex of a fish by its anus.

Koi living in the pond will begin spawning in the spring (pictured). The optimal temperature for spawning is +20 C.

If there are a lot of fish in the pond, then spawning can be massive. But professional fish farmers try to prevent this, as the fry may turn out paler than their parents.

They place one or more pairs of parents in a separate pond. They usually take 2-3 males and one female.
If there is no separate pond, you can keep the parents in an aquarium.
In order to increase the chance of spawning, you need to change the water more often and add live food to the fish’s diet.
Koi carps reproduce using eggs.

Adult fish can eat eggs and fry. If you want productive spawning, then it is better to keep the eggs in an aquarium.

The fry from the eggs hatch on days 3-7. The beginning of this process can be determined by the special shine of the eggs. As soon as the fry hatch, they will immediately attach themselves to the edge of the pond or aquarium with a special pad.

- a very unusual and beautiful fish. It is not found in the wild, but is specially bred to be kept in decorative ponds and aquariums. Koi carps are famous for their unusual colors.

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

Koi breeding soon became a popular hobby among the upper classes throughout Japan. In 1914, the Taisho exhibition was held in Tokyo, where colored koi were first seen by guests from other countries. Now the Japanese koi carp is popular not only in its homeland, but throughout the world. The Japanese joke that koi carps helped them conquer the world.

Japanese carp can come in a variety of colors: black, yellow, orange, red, white, blue, green or even spotted. There are 14 koi colors as standard. Depending on the color there are different Koi carp breeds, in total there are 16 groups of breeds, the total number of different breeds is more than 80. The most famous koi breeds are kohaku(white carp with red pattern), sanke(white carp with red and black pattern) and seam(black carp with red and white pattern).

Koi carps are elegant 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 koi carp is quite gets used to people quickly, will eat from your hand and may even allow you to touch it.

Koi carp maintenance won't cause you much trouble. Japanese carp is unpretentious in food, it can be kept in a country pond and even in an aquarium. But you need to buy koi carp only in specialized nurseries with an impeccable reputation - these fish can be carriers of diseases that are dangerous to humans. Before placing a koi carp in its designated pond, you need to keep it in quarantine, especially if you already have other carp living with you.

Most often koi are kept in open waters- concrete, plastic or equipped with a special waterproofing film. Koi carp do not need a huge body of water. For normal development, fish need a reservoir about 1.5 meters deep, holding 10 tons of water. The size of such a reservoir will be approximately 2x3x1.5 meters. Optimal temperature water in the warm season - 20-25 degrees. In winter, the temperature should not fall below 4 degrees, so heating will be needed, or you will have to provide your carp with wintering in a closed reservoir. The following are also important for keeping koi carp: water parameters:

pH value - from 7 to 8.5;
carbonate hardness (KH) - from 1 to 7 dKH (from 72 to 125 ppm);
total hardness (GH) - from 4 to 10 dGH (from 72 to 125 ppm);
nitrite and ammonium content - 0 ppm;
nitrate content - no more than 40 ppm;
oxygen content - at least 5 ppm.

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

If you don’t have a pond, but have a great desire to buy koi, Japanese carp can be kept in a spacious aquarium. Everything must be present in the aquarium. Certainly, big fish You can’t put them in an aquarium, so it’s better to put young animals there. Koi carp in an aquarium will never reach the same size as they could grow in a pond. When kept in an aquarium, the body shape of a koi may change, and the colors will not be as bright.

For koi carp in the aquarium there is more It is not the volume of water that is important, but its composition. Therefore, you need to monitor the filtration and aeration of the aquarium, 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 your koi food from one manufacturer. Carp need to be fed often, but in small portions, so as not to pollute the water. The food should be eaten by the fish within 5 minutes. Every day the fish should receive an amount of food equal to 3% of its weight. This amount should be divided into several feedings. In addition, you can give koi carp special food in the form of paste, bread, fruits, vegetables and boiled frozen shrimp. Live food should be given with caution.

Elite purebred Japanese koi carps can cost several thousand euros, however fry of common breeds will not cost much more than ordinary aquarium fish. Moreover, koi carps are bred not only in Japan, but also in Israel, Malaysia and other countries. Japanese koi carps are original and interesting pets.

The widespread hobby of growing colored carp today has conquered the whole world. Koi lovers create clubs, associations, organize exhibitions and shows. If you have a desire to have a pond on your site that would not only delight you with its beauty, but also bring benefits, then the most the best option to do this Breeding and keeping Koi carp. These fish are also suitable for growing at home. in aquariums.

How to choose the right Koi carp

When purchasing young Koi for breeding in a pond or aquarium, you should pay attention to specimens with shiny scales, richer and brighter colors, and a body that is symmetrical on both sides. It is advisable to purchase several fish at once, then your aquarium will sparkle with bright colors.

Photos with names of varieties of Koi carp

Today, there are about 50 breeds of Koi carp that are suitable for keeping in aquariums, swimming pools and ponds. At first glance, keeping fish for beginners seems simple, but in reality you will have to take care of creating favorable conditions for their maintenance.

Pond for growing Koi carp

When choosing a reservoir for keeping Koi carp, it is worth remembering that by the age of six, the fish can reach a size of up to 60 cm and weigh about 7 kg. Based on this, immediately buy an aquarium for keeping Koi with a volume of about 1000 liters. If you plan to start breeding carp at home, you will have to buy an aquarium of up to 2 tons. A 400 liter aquarium is suitable for keeping several individuals.

The optimal body of water for keeping carp is an indoor pool or a pond in a country house. In this case, you can breed a large number of fish and not worry about them being crowded. It is better to equip the pond immediately according to all the necessary rules for a comfortable stay of carp in it.

You should not place tall trees near the pond, since the leaves falling from these trees will be a source of pollution to the pond, and over time the roots can destroy the bottom and cause it to become shallow. To create an artificial bottom, PVC film is used that lasts up to 15 years. Rubber is also widely used for these purposes, which is a more expensive material, but its service life reaches 35 years.

Photo of decorative Koi carp in an artificial pond

The above materials are absolutely non-toxic and can withstand temperatures from -30 to +40 degrees, therefore they are suitable for keeping carp at home. The bottom of the pond is laid out non-woven material— geotextiles. Its advantage is that it does not rot. This is done to prevent sharp stones, rodents or plant rhizomes from damaging the bottom of the pond.

The most suitable conditions for growing Koi carp are when the pond is exposed to sunlight every day (up to 6 hours). If a pond or pool is in complete shade all day, then the death of algae and other plants may occur due to the lack of photosynthesis, and the scorching rays of the sun can destroy both Koi carp and plants. Excessive heat contributes to the blooming of water, because under such conditions the very rapid growth of blue-green and filamentous algae begins. River snails help fight algae, but they cannot completely control algae, so a pump with a filter is usually used to eliminate it.

Photo of Koi carp when kept in a pond

An ultraviolet sterilizer is used effectively against algae.
The water temperature in the pond should be approximately 10-23;
In the presence of large quantity algae, the pond must be heavily filtered.
The reservoir must have sufficient depth so as not to freeze completely in winter.

Photos of beautiful Koi carp for keeping in an aquarium

How to properly plant fish in a new pond or pool

After importing Koi carp, you must first adapt to living in new conditions (in a pool, pond or aquarium). To do this you need to follow these steps:

A suitable container is installed near the new pond, sufficient in volume for the purchased fish.
First, some water from the pond is poured into the container where the Koi carp will be moved after acquisition.
Koi carp carefully move there along with water from the container in which it was transported.
After this, an anti-stress drug is necessarily added and aeration is turned on.
Add little by little using a small ladle pond water. From time to time, water can be poured from the container, but preferably not into the pond. This operation is carried out over a period of two hours, due to which the fish quickly gets used to the conditions of detention in a new place and after which it is transplanted into the pond using a net.

What to feed Koi carp in an aquarium and pond

The main product for feeding Koi carp is compound feed. It can be bought in pet stores or at a specialized market. It is also allowed to feed Koi carp with frozen food.

Photo of Koi carp feeding

Koi carp is a very picky eater and happily eats plant foods, so feeding is done with any fresh vegetables. You just need to make sure that the pieces are no larger than 6 centimeters in size, because larger ones do not fit into the fish’s mouth. Feeding should be done twice a day. In this case, you need to make sure that the Koi carps eat all the food within 5 minutes.

The feeding diet for Koi carp when kept in a pond or aquarium is best prepared after consulting a specialist. After some time, the fish will begin to recognize their owner, they will no longer be afraid when they swim up to the feeding place, and after eating the treat they will begin to grunt cheerfully.

Watch the video: Keeping Koi carp in an aquarium during feeding

Even beginners can keep Koi carp in a pond or aquarium; the main thing is to properly equip the pond and think through the diet of the fish. Now you can decorate country cottage area, home interior or start breeding carp for sale. On our website you will find a lot useful tips on fishing and farming, which is never too late to start.

(Cyprinus carpio) is perhaps the most beautiful of pond fish. This miracle of nature was created by human hands; such carp do not exist in nature. Its roots, history of origin koi goes back to ancient times. The biological ancestor of ornamental carp was the carp.

There is a myth that koi carp These are genetically modified common carp. Many ignorant people believe this.
They differ from ordinary carp only in color. What kind of genetic engineering can we talk about when the first colored carps appeared back in the 13th century? All currently existing breeds were obtained solely as a result of breeding work.

Koi carp in the pond

History is silent about who and when began breeding ornamental carp. But already in the 13th-14th centuries, the supply of unusually colored fish to the court of the Japanese emperor was established. And the secrets of this craft were carefully protected from outsiders and passed down from father to son.

It is believed that people from China were the first to start doing this, and only many years later the business passed to the Japanese. It is thanks to their diligence, patience and great efficiency that today we have: white, black, red, yellow, greenish and blue, matte and with a metallic tint, single-color, two-color and variegated, with shortened or, conversely, veil fins koi, which have become the most popular decorative pond and aquarium fish these days.

Today, in large quantities, koi carp bred on special farms in China, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Female koi are much larger than males and are 5-6 summer age can reach 80 cm in length and weigh 15 kilograms.

Biggest koi carp belonged to the Kigoi (yellow koi) breed, and with a length of 120 cm, he weighed 41 kilograms.

Some individuals quickly get used to people, take food from their hands and allow themselves to be petted.

Today, there are more than 100 breeds in the world koi ranging in size from 45 to 100 cm. All breeds koi They differ in their color and appearance.

The predominant colors of koi are white, red, black, yellow, orange, blue and cream. Moreover, the color koi depends not only on the breed, but also on the conditions of detention, water quality and diet.

The standard is 14 breeds that have a characteristic shape and color for the breed.

They go well with other fish species, such as common and mirror carp, goldfish, tench, sturgeon, trout, crucian carp and many others.

Koi are true long-livers in the world of fish. 50 years is not the limit for them. In world practice, it was registered koi carp, named Hanako, who lived 226 years.

Depending on the breed and origin, the price for koi may differ by several orders of magnitude: from 300-500 rubles. for an ordinary 10-centimeter fingerling, up to ten thousand dollars for a half-meter carp with a pedigree and unique exterior characteristics.

Having decided to start growing and breeding koi, first of all, you need to decide on the body of water in which they will live.

As mentioned above, some large fish reaching up to favorable conditions impressive in size, surpassing the half-meter mark by the age of ten.

In a cramped body of water, the growth rate of carp can be halved, while the exterior will inevitably suffer; such individuals, as a rule, are not able to fully demonstrate the color and shape characteristic of the breed.

From this we can conclude that the more spacious the reservoir, the better they will feel in it. koi carp. The minimum recommended volume of such a reservoir should be at least 10,000 liters of water, with a depth of 1.7-2 meters.

What exactly is a pond with 10 tons of water? This is a container with sides 2 by 3 meters and a depth of 1.5 meters. If the depth is made greater, the surface area of the pond will correspondingly decrease. Consequently, to build such a pond, only 10 square meters will be required (6 square meters will be for the pond itself and 4 square meters necessary for water filtration).

Koi carp in a plastic container

The design of the reservoir does not play a big role. Carp thrive both in plastic containers and in ponds with a film or concrete coating.
In the summer, the pond should be covered with a light awning to prevent overheating and blooming of the water.

The depth of such a reservoir depends on the mode of keeping carp in the open air and local climatic conditions.
In areas with positive winter temperatures, a depth of 50-70 cm is sufficient; in this case, based on the above-mentioned value of 10,000 liters, the area of the reservoir should be proportionally increased.
The same reservoir may exist in the more northern climatic zone, if with the onset of winter the carps are transferred to a closed heated room.

If planned, year-round maintenance koi in a pond, and local climatic conditions suggest harsh winters, it is necessary to have a wintering pit - at least 1.5 m deep, not freezing even in severe frosts.

Minimum temperature for koi is +4°C, and this is exactly the water temperature that occurs in winter in the bottom layers of stagnant reservoirs.

Filters, pumps and other special equipment are turned off for the winter. If the number of carp is large and the size of the wintering pit is not large, several holes must be drilled in the ice to prevent freezing. These ventilation holes should be inspected regularly, de-icing if necessary. You can equip them with special heating pads that prevent the holes from freezing.

The hydrochemical parameters of water for koi carp are not of fundamental importance: they feel equally good both in hard water with an alkaline reaction and in soft, slightly acidic water.

As for the top temperature limit for these fish, it should be remembered that an increase in water temperature leads to a significant decrease in the concentration of oxygen dissolved in it, and if this parameter approaches a critical value, and for carp it is 4-5 mg/l, it is necessary to take emergency measures, in in the form of increased circulation, connection air pumps or the use of special drugs - oxidizers.

To create in a pond comfortable conditions, it is recommended to maintain the following water parameters: temperature from 15 to 26°C, total hardness - from 8 to 10°dGH, carbonate hardness - up to 7°dKH, pH 7-8, concentration of oxygen dissolved in water at least 6 -8 mg/l.

The species composition of aquatic and near-aquatic flora is selected by the owner, depending on his taste and capabilities.
Various sedges, certain types of irises, chastuha, arrowheads and other moisture-loving flora are ideal as coastal vegetation.

Egg capsules and nymphs, with their floating leaves, will perfectly shade the pond from sun rays, while decorating the surface of the water with beautiful flowers.

Fast-growing elodea, pinnate leaves and other small-leaved, long-stemmed, aquatic plants serve as effective natural biofilters, while at the same time being an excellent addition to the carp diet.

Koi diet

Basic diet koi consists of plant foods: grains (millet, oats, corn), legumes, vegetables (pumpkin, potatoes, cucumbers, etc.), salads, bread, etc. They will not refuse fruits: apples, pears, watermelons and melons.

In addition to plant foods, foods of animal origin are needed, such as: earthworms, bloodworms, all kinds of flying insects, grasshoppers, etc.

The above natural foods can be replaced with a variety of artificial ones, which are offered in a large assortment by many manufacturers.

Koi do not have problems with appetite, so feed should be dosed correctly to prevent the fish from becoming obese. The second problem with overdose is contamination of the water with organic matter, which can result in an algae problem.

Daily feed allowance, for one koi carp constitutes from 2 to 3% of its weight, in other words, each carp measuring 50-70 cm and weighing 10-15 kg requires 200-450 g of feed.

It is better to feed more often, but in small portions that the fish can eat in 5-10 minutes.

Once a week it is useful to have a fasting day and not feed the fish at all. Carps can withstand a longer hunger strike without harm to their health.

Sexual dimorphism of koi carp

Determine gender by appearance, in juvenile koi carp it is almost impossible. Kom carp become sexually mature when they reach a size of about 23-25cm.

In sexually mature individuals, sex can be determined by the following characteristics:

males have larger and sharper pectoral fins;
in males, a spawning rash appears on the gill covers during the breeding season (they look like semolina);
Females of the same age as males are noticeably larger.

Koi breeding

Regarding breeding koi, then there is nothing complicated about it. Spawning occurs in the same way as with ordinary carp, mainly in late spring - early summer, when the water temperature rises.

Temperatures around 20C are considered ideal for spawning.

The fertility of fish is quite high. The main thing in this matter is the selection of manufacturers. The age of females should not be less than 5 years, while males can be taken even three years old. There should be two or three males per female; this ratio guarantees the maximum percentage of fertilization and allows the female to completely free herself from her eggs.

Frequent water changes and inclusion in the diet koi live food stimulates spawning.

Koi carp ready to spawn

Adults koi carp have a tendency to eat eggs and fry.

Therefore, to obtain maximum quantity fry, the eggs should be transferred to a separate container.

Depending on the water temperature, larvae appear from the eggs on approximately 3-7 days. They have a special adhesive pad on their heads, thanks to which they are able to attach to any surface. After another 2-3 days, the larva turns into a fry and begins to swim.

Already at this stage for some koi breeds it is necessary to begin selection. Thus, for the Kohaku and Sanke breeds, only light-colored fry are left, and for the Showa and Shiro Utsuri breeds, only dark-colored ones.

This is a rather important stage. During the season, this sorting is carried out several times (from 3 to 8).
And in order to leave the best specimens for cultivation koi, you need to have a good idea of what will ultimately come out of a fry of one color or another.