The Living Jewels By Joseph Brown Often referred to as “swimming flowers,” koi fish are one of the most popular fresh-water ornamental pond fish today. The word “koi” actually comes from the Japanese word koi, which means carp.
Koi breeding rose to prominence during the 19th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. The farmers tilling the rice fields noticed that some carps were more colorful than the others and were attracting predators like birds more easily. Instead of letting the fish be captured by predators, they captured the fish and raised them themselves. By the turn of the 20th century, the carp had developed a number of color patterns like the red-and-white Kohaku. In 1914, the Niigata prefecture exhibited the koi and introduced this startling development to the rest of the outside world. Some of them were even offered to Hirohito, the Crown Prince of Japan. It was during that time that interest in koi spread throughout Japan. When the plastic bags and the shipping of koi became faster and safer for the fish, koi hobby exploded worldwide. Today, koi fish are sold in most pet stores, with the higher-quality ones available from select dealers only. Some koi fish sell for as high as a couple hundred thousand dollars.
Koi come in a variety of colors such as white, red, black, yellow, cream and blue. The most popular category of koi is the Gosanke, which is made up of the Showa Sanshoku, Kohaku and Taisho varieties. The varieties of koi are distinguished by their scales, their color and their patterns.
Koi are relatively easy to maintain. They can be kept in both small containers and large outdoor ponds. A round plastic tub is more desirable than the standard indoor aquarium. Since Koi are cold water fish, koi owners that live in areas of the world that
become warm during the summer are advised to have a meter or more of depth. For owners that live in areas with harsh winters, it would be advisable to have a pond that is 1.5 meters deep so that it won’t freeze over. It may also be good to keep an open space with a horse trough heater and a blubber.
One of the greatest pleasures of owning a koi fish lies in feeding them. It is particularly delightful to watch them eat. Koi fish will eat a variety of foods such as peas, lettuce and watermelon. They also recognize the person feeding them and can even be trained to take food from the person’s hand. If they are handled properly, koi fish can live up to about 40 years. In fact, some reports say they can live up to 200 years!
Indeed, these beautiful “living jewels” as they are often called, are one of the most lovable fish around. In fact, the word koi is synonymous to love and affection in Japan and are often used to symbolize love and friendship.
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