Saturday, September 25, 2010

Maintaining Your Koi Fish Aquarium


Undoubtedly, fish make popular pets while being great stress busters at the same time. A koi fish aquarium full of colorful koi swimming gracefully is enough to mesmerize anyone. If you have a passion for taking care of fish then you may be thinking of buying a koi fish aquarium. The wide range and colorful patterns that these fish sport can brighten up any home. However, there are some important things to consider prior to purchasing a koi aquarium.

Serious koi breeders aren't too keen on these fish being housed in an indoor aquarium. However, for the average enthusiast, an indoor koi fish aquarium is a great way to protect these fish from the weather and proudly display their collection. In colder conditions, monitoring them indoors is a convenient option. The best part of an aquarium is that they the fish can be seen from different angles, unlike a koi pond where they can be observed only from the top.

To begin with, your koi fish aquarium needs to be of a reasonable size. These fish grow to large proportions, depending on the amount of space they have. Ten gallons of water is needed for every inch of koi, excluding the tail. So make sure you are able to work within this calculation. Koi can grow to a large size very quickly, which is another factor you need to consider. A four inch Koi can grow up to 12 inches in a year, which means your tank will fill up soon. Don't think of overcrowding them or else that could spell doom for your koi fish aquarium.

Koi are playful fish and there is danger of them jumping out of the water, therefore, you will need to install a net over the koi fish aquarium to prevent any disaster. You also need to provide sufficient aeration and filtration for the aquarium since koi excrete plenty of waste due to their frequent eating habits. Negligence on your behalf can cause the fish to fall ill or even die, not to mention the wasted effort and money that you invest.

Koi fish need to be fed much less during winter months, while they tend to eat much more in summer. They are omnivorous and eat a variety of food. Koi are much like many other pets and grow accustomed to the person feeding them, and will eventually end up feeding from your hand. During spring, you need to pay extra attention to the water temperature of your aquarium. This is the time when the temperature is irregular, which is not good for koi. Don't refrain seeking the advice of koi fish experts or pet shop owners if you have any apprehensions about taking care of a koi fish aquarium.

Koi fish are harmless and never pose a danger to smaller fish. Moreover, their mouths are soft and toothless. As long as you take care of your aquarium you can expect them to live for many years, sometimes as long as twenty or thirty years. These beautiful and colorful creatures are a symbol of love and friendship in Japan and make great gifts. They are also said to bring good luck to people who receive them, so why not gift your friends and family a koi fish aquarium today.








Nelson Williams offers more info about your kio fish aquarium. Nelson has raised, studied, bred and cared for hundreds of varieties of Koi. He has become a well respected source of information for breeders and pet care professionals internationally. His twenty plus years of practical experience and research are available in his latest book, Insider's Secrets To Raising Healthy Koi.


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