It can be confusing understanding all the varieties of koi fish, but this task becomes easier when you know the different groups in which koi are classified. The varieties have different standards although the patterns are usually what counts. There are a few immensely popular koi groups. Kahaku koi is one of the most popular varieties. These are white koi with red markings. Hirarimono is another popular variety, it can also be called Ogon.

The first part of the word stands for ‘metallic’. While the second part means ‘single color’. As you can guess, these koi are a single color. Ogon koi appear metallic. You will most likely see Ogon koi in yellow or silver/white, the yellow Ogon are called Yamabuki while the white/silver ones are called Platinum Ogon. With an Ogon Koi their color will remain the same from their head to their tails and right to the very tips of their fins. With an Ogon koi you want one with large fins because they make the fish look more attractive thanks to the plain body.

Within the realm of koi, Platinum Ogon and white koi are incredibly popular. Their hue makes them appear to shine as if they were expensive metal. These koi came onto the scene in 1963, they are most likely a cross between Kigoi and Nezu Ogon. They grow quickly and can survive in harsher conditions. They also look good in ponds that do not have effective filters, because of their coloration they stand out even inside the dirty water. There are other Ogon koi fish, such as the Nezu, Fuji and Orenji.

You will find that in a bid to make Platinum look even more shiny they will be cross bred with Ginrin scales. These Ginrin scales are far different than those you would see on metallic koi. Ginrin scales do not simply have reflective pigment that gives off a shine, they are instead covered in a reflective sheen that causes them to glimmer, they have been compared to diamonds. For the koi to be classed as a Ginrin, you must be unable to count the scales it has like this as it swims past you. As a rule of thumb, anything less than 20 scales is not good enough.

One of the biggest attractions to koi fish for people is how colorful they look in your pond, you can get koi in almost any color you could want. Koi fish look best when seen from above, which is handy because that is how you are most likely to see them. Most of their pigment is located on their top. There are koi fish events held in Asia, in such events the koi will also be looked at from above as the swim around a circular pond.

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Although keeping your koi pond in good repair can take some work. You will need to carry out a number of tasks in order to keep your koi fish in good health and the pond in good repair. You will need some koi pond supplies in order to maintain the pond.

If you have a waterfall in your pond it not only looks great but can help your koi remain healthy as well. Oxygen is added to the water thanks to the falling water, which as you can imagine is helpful for the fish. You will also need to take care of the filter in the pond. You should have a filter installed in your pond because it is vital for extracting pollutants from the water that could make the pond a difficult environment for the koi to survive in. Thanks to the size of a koi pond you will also need a water pump to help with the cleaning of the water. A koi pond filter alone will not be able to clean the entire pond. Even with a waterfall feature the water will not be stirred enough for the water filter to do its job without help. For these reasons you need a water pump.

The health of your koi is directly connected to the quality of the water in the pond. You will need a number of Koi Pond Supplies to keep the water quality of the pond up to standard. If the pond water level decreases too much you will need a hose in order to add water to it. When you do this however you will be adding chlorine to the water which is bad for the fish. So to get around this issue you will need some dechlorinator to add to the water in order to remove those chemicals that are dangerous for the fish. You will also need to get a water test kit, so you can keep an eye on the Nitrate and pH levels in the water. You will be able to find these at any store that sells Koi Pond Supplies. Depending on what the water test says, you can add pond salt or baking soda in order to regulate an imbalance.

Most people place a koi pond under a tree for the shade. This is a good idea to keep the fish from being in too much direct sunlight each day. It can also help the fish avoid birds, because a bird will be less likely to see the fish as it flies past. These are all good things, however the tree will also drop debris into the pond which is a bad thing. You will need a pond skimmer on hand in order to clean the pond from any fallen twigs or leaves and the such.

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Koi pond kits make creating a koi pond easy and quick. You will be able to find one the exact size you want and will not break the bank. You may only have a small amount of space in your backyard, in which case you would get a smaller koi pond kit.

With a koi pond kit you will get everything you could need to get started running a great koi pond. You will get liner, tubing, things you need to treat the water with, a pump and water filtration devices. You will either get liner that comes in a preformed shape, or some flexible liner that you need to place in the hole you have dug for the pond.

With flexible liner you can make your pond whichever shape you want. If you want a more extravagant pond you can pick up some koi pond kits that come with waterfall features. For creating a healthy koi pond you will need to have a pond that can hold at least 500 gallons of water.

Maintaining your pond is very important to the health of your koi. If you intend to provide your koi with a healthy environment you will need certain supplies. The first week you have the koi are the most important, you have to keep an eye on them, do not over feed them but make sure they have enough food. Giving them too much food will lead to problems for your pond.

With excess food in the pond you will see a boost in the growth of algae. If you feed your koi and they do not eat all of the food within 5 minutes you should take out any of the excess. To complete this task you will be better off using a pond skimmer. You will probably get one of these with decent koi pond kits, so do not worry about any added costs. You may even get lights and plastic plants with your kit, and possibly filter brushes.

For somebody just starting out with koi ponds spending money on a good starter kit is a great idea. Not only will the kit provide you with all the equipment you will need to maintain a healthy pond, you will also get some instructions and advice. Koi are very durable fish, which is part of their charm, however there are things you need to do to keep them healthy, keeping the water quality high and feeding them appropriately is important.

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A koi fish pond will need to be at least 500 gallons large to take into account how big the fish can get. If you want your koi fish to be healthy then you need to supply them with enough space and good quality water. The ideal temperature of the water should be around 60 – 67 degrees Fahrenheit because koi fish are cold water fish. This is great for people who may not live in the hottest of places, because there is no reason they can’t maintain a vibrant koi fish pond. When ice forms above the pond during wintertime the koi fish will hibernate. They make it through winter by slowing their digestive systems down to an almost standstill.

The koi fish alone will make your pond look great, but you can add other things as well. Lilies offer great shade for the fish. If you decide to have lilies on your pond you can cover up to 70% of it if you wish, but no more. Lilies are great for cleaning out the pond as well, with lilies you won’t get nearly as much algae.

Koi fish can only put up with 5 or so hours of direct sunlight, which is why having lilies to provide shade is a great idea, and not only that but the lilies look great as well. As well as the shade, aesthetics and cleaning bonus of lilies, they provide a great food source for koi fish, which eat both meat and plants, they can get at insects that live amongst the plants. You could also think about placing your koi fish pond under the shade of a tree to protect the fish. Although this is usually a shortcut to a messy pond, thanks to things dropping from the tree into the pond.

When thinking about building your koi fish pond give some thought to the depth you will build it. If the water is deep enough the koi fish will be able to swim deep to avoid predators. Something like a raccoon for example will happily get at koi fish in a shallow pond. Having a koi fish pond that is at least 4 feet deep is a good idea, this way they have shade, room to swim and can avoid predators.

Depending where you live you may have to combat Great Blue Herons as well. A single Heron could eat over a hundred 6″ koi in one sitting. If you have to worry about these Herons then you should dig your pond at least 8 feet deep. If you can not dig it this deep or you want some added protection from such predators you could always place a bird net over the pond.

When designing your koi fish pond you are only limited by your space and imagination. If you design it properly you can really make your backyard look lovely.

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Brilliance in color is a main characteristic of koi fish. A black koi should be a strong onyx and a red koi should be exceptionally vivid. A fish that does not have strong colors, has blotches or dullness is not ideal nor sought after by koi owners. Just like a white koi that has dark speckles instead of being an unblemished ivory.

The health of the of the fish can be determined by it’s color. The koi will change color if they are living in less than optimal surroundings or are in failing health. Their coloring will become muted and no longer vivid. Do some research and become familiar with how a koi is supposed to look when healthy so you know what you are looking for when you do decide to buy. You will be able to tell if you are giving your koi the ideal ministrations it deserves by closely observing its coloring.

You can find koi sporting a wide variety of colorings. Scarlet, saffron, onyx, azure, ivory and taupe are a few of the most popular koi colors available. Specific categories have been named to convey the various characteristics and colorings of koi fish. Breeders of koi fish have established and labeled a great number of classifications. The Taisho Sanshoki, Showa Sanshoki and the Kohaku koi fish all fall under the most widely known category, the Gosanke. Koi that have crimson markings upon a snowy white background are known as Kohaku.

The pure white background on this type of koi should be pristine and the crimson should be sharply delineated from the white, covering any where from 50 – 70% of the fish. The ivory koi fish that have crimson and onyx markings are called the Taisho Sanshoki, Taisho Sanke or merely Sanke for short. The crimson and onyx markings should be in vivid contrast to the ivory background and well delineated for this category of koi fish.

The Showa Sanshoki, or Showa for short, is much like the Sanke koi fish in that the Showa is also red, black and white. The dissimilarity arises in that the Showa is primarily black and it’s markings are white and red. Different colorings of koi put them into different categories. The koi fish that are a single color, even if they aren’t the same color as another is labeled under the Ogon category. The koi should be plain – no markings – and it’s coloring should be uniform.

With a well supplied diet, the koi’s vividness in coloring can be intensified. Commercially manufactured foods are mixed with other types of food designed to intensify a koi’s coloring, like Spirulina (marigold, plankton, shrimp and blue-green algae). Intensifying a koi’s coloring is possible when they are fed daphnia and brine shrimp that have been frozen or freeze dried. Large amounts of carotenoid colorants can be found in each of the above named foods. A koi’s skin is made up largely of carotenoid pigments.

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