In Japan, a new species of carps — koi, or brocade carps — was bred by breeders. A fish is considered a koi carp if it has gone through six or more stages of selection. Representatives of this species do not live in the wild, as they were hatched for breeding in ponds as ornamental fish. As for the other characteristics, koi carp, the photo of which you will see below, differs from other representatives of the species only in color.
Body
As mentioned earlier, breeders carry out long-term work on the breeding of koi carps. Therefore, the professional owners of these fish are very serious about the selection of individuals. It is very important that the ratio of the size of the body, tail and head is correct.
- The head of the carps is blunt, rather wide. In adult females, sometimes “cheeks” grow, so their head may be slightly larger.
- The body tapers evenly from the base of the dorsal fin to the tip of the tail. Thanks to the right proportions, the fish look powerful.
- The pectoral fins are strong, they allow aquatic inhabitants to easily find the balance of the body. The dorsal fin is medium in size, it is proportional to the entire body.
Dimensions
Koi carp grows to medium size in the aquarium. Its body length is about 20 cm. When breeding in ponds, fish can grow up to 90 cm. However, if you turn to Japanese standards, you can find information that the length of a koi reaches 70 cm. Representatives of this species weigh about 4-10 kg. If the conditions are favorable, then the fish live up to thirty years. In aquariums, the size of koi is about 15-20 cm. This is due to lack of space.
Color
The most important characteristic of koi carp in an aquarium or pond is the color of the individual. Scales can be dyed in various colors, but they are always very saturated. The most valuable are individuals that have a uniform uniform color. Noble look aquatic inhabitants, whose body is generously decorated with patterns and drawings. Bright colors, such as yellow and blue, red and white, as well as stripes and patterns on the body - all this is the result of the painstaking work of breeders.
Depending on the color of the fish, they are referred to different subspecies of the cyprinid family. There are at least 60 such groups. The wise inhabitants of the country of the Rising Sun identified 14 main groups, each of which has its own name in Japanese. Therefore, most often in working with koi carps in aquariums and ponds, they use terminology in the Japanese language.
Character and intelligence
Japanese brocade carp, or koi, is a fairly peaceful aquarium inhabitant. It can be adjacent to other representatives of the ichthyofauna, for example, catfish, ancytrus, goldfish, and even mollies. However, the neighboring fish should not be too small, otherwise carps can eat them.
If you talk with koi breeders, you can find out that these fish have developed intelligence. They get used to their masters, their appearance and voice. If you gain the trust of a carp, it can let you stroke yourself. In addition, koi carp in the aquarium get used to the sounds that accompany feeding. For example, if every time before this procedure you start tapping your fingers on the glass, the fish will remember this sound and will know when the meal begins.
Koi carps have a livable character, innate grace and power, fantastic color and good immunity. Diseases that affect them (rubella or aeromonosis) are easily treated with special medications. Sometimes carps briefly emerge and swallow air. This indicates that it is necessary to enhance aeration. Among the representatives of this species there are champions. For example, carp is known that lived 226 years. This is a real long-liver. The largest koi reached a length of 153 cm, and its body weight was 45 kg.
Floor
Koi carps, the contents of which are described in this article, are amazing inhabitants of the water body. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that it is impossible to determine the sex of an individual before it reaches maturity. An adult is considered to be a card if its body length exceeds 23 cm. Since fish do not grow to such sizes in small aquariums, the owners often do not know which sex their carps have. There are a number of sexual characteristics by which to determine the gender of the fish.
- In males, the fins on the chest are larger and sharper than in females.
- In females, the body is more massive, it is necessary for the correct formation of eggs.
- If tubercles appear in the fish during the mating season, then this is a male.
Breeding
As mentioned earlier, reproduction is not possible for koi carps in an aquarium. The reason lies in the fact that koi reach puberty when their sizes are 25-30 cm. This requires a very spacious aquarium.
Therefore, spawning is usually carried out in special ponds where a female and several males are placed. As soon as caviar has appeared, adults are returned to the aquarium, as they can eat eggs and offspring. Soon fry appear. With the help of special sticky pads they hold onto various surfaces. During this period, they do not need feeding. However, they need to be given food as soon as they begin to swim.
In the early days of life, fry should be fed organic protein-rich foods. Only after some time, when the body length of the fish reaches 1.5 cm, it is possible to add food in capsules to the diet.
Aquarium
Before you ask yourself how to keep koi carp in an aquarium, you need to take care of a comfortable habitat for the fish. Since carps are large creatures, they need to be provided with freedom of movement. In a natural habitat, koi reach a length of 70 cm in the sixth year of life. In aquariums, their size is about five times smaller, but this does not mean that fish do not need free space. The volume of the aquarium is calculated based on the fact that for every centimeter of body length there should be at least five liters of water. In addition, it must be borne in mind that fish are constantly growing, which means that you need to fill the aquarium with water with a margin.
Conditions of detention
Representatives of this species are unpretentious. They are demanding only to one characteristic of the environment - the cleanliness of the reservoir. It is necessary to replace 30% of the volume with clean water every day. However, if the aquarium is connected to a system of continuous supply of running water, this will improve the quality of life of carps and save you from unnecessary trouble. It is very important to provide fish with constant access to fresh air. Since the content of koi carp in the aquarium requires a lot of space, it is necessary to use at least two external filters that work continuously.
In addition, there are a number of requirements for the quality of the water in which the fish live. The most comfortable pH is between 7.0 and 7.5. This value may shift slightly towards acidity, but it should not be less than 6 units. The nitrite content should be minimized, this can be achieved using biological filtration. Koi carps are undemanding to ambient temperature. The optimum temperature varies from +15 to +30 degrees, but deviations of five degrees are permissible. Lighting at the aquarium should be intense. Amazing coloring will look advantageous in very bright light.
Food
It is not enough just to create favorable environmental conditions for the fish, you also need to know how to feed the koi carp in the aquarium. You need to start with the fact that ornamental fish are omnivorous, they eat both animals and plant foods. Under natural conditions, representatives of this species feed on natural proteins found in frog eggs, small tadpoles, earthworms and bloodworms. All of the above products should be given to carps in moderate amounts as a delicious top dressing for special foods.
Commercial food for koi carps enriches the body of fish with macro- and microelements. A similar mixture of nutrients can enhance the color of fish. For this reason, many breeders use JBL products. These feeds can be given to carps constantly. It is necessary to feed the fish three times a day at about the same time. Servings should be small. This will allow the aquatic inhabitants to eat up, but at the same time the remnants of food will not decompose in the aquarium. Sometimes you can arrange koi fasting weeks and not feed them for several days. This will beneficially affect the health of the fish. Do not be afraid to underfeed koi, for these fish the danger is an excess of food. In total, carps should eat such a quantity of food daily that its weight is 3% of the weight of the fish. At the same time, water inhabitants should eat food within 5-10 minutes, this will prevent water pollution.
Scenery
In an aquarium, koi carps, the photo of which is presented in this article, can be adjacent to some plants. However, it must be taken into account that they will not be able to exist in the soil for a long time, since powerful fish can easily tear and destroy them. The best option is small pots with water lilies, suspended at a height of 15 cm from the bottom. Since koi need space, do not place too many decorations in the aquarium.
The soil in the fish habitat should consist of fine or medium sand. All kinds of bottom communications must be securely fixed with special silicone, and then sprinkled with sand. Carps are active and powerful creatures that easily break through the soil and move elements of the aquarium interior. For this reason, you can not pay much attention to the scenery. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the aquarium is in harmony with the rest of the room. Carps are already a decoration; too many ornaments will look too elaborate. A large role is played by the location of the aquarium.
