Koi For Dummies

by Bartlett, R. D.; Bartlett, Patricia

• ISBN13: 9780470099131
• ISBN10: 0470099135
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-12
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Known throughout the world for its beauty and personality, koi is one of the most carefully bred fish species around. Raising koi is especially time-consuming and requires more than just sprinkling little flakes in the fish bowl. But thankfully, you don't have to be an expert to maintain your own koi pond. Koi For Dummies shows you how easy and fun it can be to own and care for these delicate fish. Whether building a pond or aquarium for the indoors or outdoors, this easy-to-understand guide explores all of your options. Clear, concise advice helps you: Appreciate your koi's beauty Build, design, and maintain your koi pond or aquarium Find and select koi and the proper supplies Keep your koi happy and healthy Treat your koi for parasites, bacterial infections, and viruses Breed and care for baby koi Show off your koi to other koi enthusiasts This fun, friendly guide also explains what to do during a power outage and how to check your koi for illness. Featuring 8 pages of full-color photos, Koi for Dummies is all you need to get started raising your very own koi. No matter where you live, you'll be able to care for and breed this beautiful fish!

Author Biography

R. D. Bartlett began his pet fish-keeping when he netted minnows out of the brooks near Springfield, Massachusetts. He moved to Florida and began working as the general manager for Aquarium Supply, a tropical fish, goldfish, and koi wholesaler, and then opened his own pet shop.

Patricia Bartlett grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and began keeping fish at age 10. She has journeyed to Costa Rica and Peru to net and write about angelfish, discus, and knife fish. She is a recent convert to the wonderful world of koi.
The Bartletts have co-authored numerous pet care books, mostly centering on reptiles and amphibians.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 7
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
What You're Not to Read	p. 2
Foolish Assumptions	p. 3
How This Book Is Organized	p. 3
Koi Basics	p. 3
Living with Koi, Inside and Out	p. 3
Caring for Koi and Keeping Them Healthy	p. 4
The Big Leagues: Koi Breeding and Showing	p. 4
The Part of Tens	p. 4
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 5
Koi Basics	p. 7
Going "Koi Kichi" - Crazy for Koi	p. 9
Appreciating the Beauty of Koi: The Underground Fad	p. 10
The Three Types of Koi-Keepers	p. 10
Knowing the Essentials for Any Koi-Keeper	p. 11
The winner for "Most Obvious": Koi	p. 11
A transitional home for your koi	p. 11
A permanent home for your koi (most likely a pond)	p. 12
Pond gadgets: The filter and pump	p. 12
Understanding the Demands of a Koi Pond	p. 13
Keeping Koi Healthy: A Brief How-To	p. 14
Joining a Koi Club: What It Can Do for You; What You Can Do for It	p. 15
Magnifying Your Pleasure: The Many Ways to Enjoy Your Koi	p. 16
Knowing Your Koi	p. 17
In the Beginning: A Brief History of Koi	p. 17
Taming of the carp: Koi's grand pappy	p. 17
Moving from food to art	p. 18
Launching a hobby	p. 19
Assessing the Beauty Marks of a Koi Today	p. 19
First things first: Understanding the difference between goldfish and koi	p. 20
The anatomy of a koi	p. 22
How big are we talking? The size of koi	p. 22
Recognizing the finer points of koi	p. 23
The Confusing Part (Made Simple): Koi Varieties	p. 26
Color me koi: The rainbow of many shades	p. 27
Simply brilliant! The divisions of metallic and nonmetallic koi	p. 28
The Popularity Contest: Which Varieties Take the Trophy?	p. 31
The Karate Kids of Koi: Tategoi and Their Potential	p. 32
Making Sure Koi Are Right for You	p. 35
Do You Have the Space It Takes?	p. 36
Calculating a koi's fin-flippin' space	p. 36
Estimating the space your koi's habitat requires	p. 37
Is Time on Your Side?	p. 38
Keeping up a koi pond	p. 38
Being prepared for a lifelong commitment	p. 39
Do You Have the Bread to Buy, House, and Care for Koi?	p. 40
The cost of the fish alone	p. 40
The equipment that gives your koi a home	p. 41
The necessary funds for koi maintenance	p. 42
Building a Pond? Construction Costs to Consider	p. 43
Securing the necessary permits	p. 43
Digging the hole	p. 43
Buying a preformed pond	p. 44
Installing a pond liner	p. 44
Pouring a cement pond	p. 45
Accounting for Your Climate	p. 46
A Koi Buyer's Guide	p. 47
Oh Where, Oh Where to Buy My Koi?	p. 47
Recognizing the major markets: Japan, Israel, and the United States	p. 48
Visiting your local garden store (or pet store or aquarium shop)	p. 50
Heading straight for the source: Local breeders	p. 51
Going once, going twice, sold at a local koi auction	p. 51
Surfing (online) for koi	p. 53
Going "away" for your koi	p. 53
Determining What You See and What You Get	p. 55
Choosing colors and patterns to suit your style	p. 55
Considering size: What's right for you?	p. 56
Selecting healthy koi	p. 57
Best bets for the indecisive: Advice from yours truly	p. 59
Buying Koi "To Go"	p. 60
Living with Koi, Inside and Out	p. 61
Preparing for Your Koi's Homecoming	p. 63
Deciding Where Your Koi Will Live (Temporarily or For Always)	p. 63
Taking Necessary Precautions: Preparing the Quarantine Tub	p. 64
What you need for the job	p. 65
Rub-a-dub-dub, setting up the tub	p. 66
Shopping for Initial Supplies	p. 68
Getting Your Koi Home	p. 69
Bringing home local koi	p. 69
Shipping your koi	p. 70
After You Get Home-Sweet-Home	p. 72
Easing your fish from bag to quarantine tub	p. 12
Let the quarantine begin!	p. 74
Transferring koi into the aquarium or pond	p. 75
Planning Your Koi Pond	p. 77
Considerations to Toss Around Before You Dig	p. 77
Avoiding potential problems	p. 78
Cutting your way through the red tape	p. 79
What if you already have a pond (or pool)?	p. 80
Deciding to take it indoors: Knowing what you're taking on	p. 81
Planning for weather changes with an outdoor pond	p. 82
Looking at Your Pond Options	p. 82
Choosing your material	p. 82
A good design now makes a difference down the road	p. 84
Where to Dig Your Pond - Location, Location, Location	p. 86
Finding the Right Filtration System	p. 87
How a filtration system works	p. 88
Choosing the right features for your system	p. 90
The cost factor: What does a pump cost to run?	p. 92
Building Your Pond	p. 93
Who Will Dig (And Build) Your Pond?	p. 94
Doing it yourself	p. 94
Hiring a professional for the entire project	p. 95
Converting a Swimming Pool into a Koi Pond	p. 97
Selecting the Building Materials for Your Spanking New Pond	p. 100
Going with a Liner-Alone Pond	p. 101
Starting with a pond wall ring	p. 101
Excavating and adding the drains	p. 103
Inserting the liner	p. 104
Creating a Pond with a Liner and Concrete-Block Walls	p. 106
Shoveling dirt: Dig time	p. 106
Laying the block walls	p. 107
Aligning the drains	p. 109
Adding the liner	p. 110
The all-concrete-block pond	p. 110
Identifying (And Adding) Other Construction Components	p. 112
Installing the filtration unit	p. 112
Adding lighting	p. 113
Skimmer units, protein and otherwise	p. 114
Finishing work	p. 114
New Pond Syndrome and What to Do about It	p. 117
Aging the pond water and the biological filter	p. 117
Making It Pretty: Landscaping the Pond	p. 119
A Habitat Fit for Your Koi: Furnishing Their Digs	p. 119
Avoiding the holey-plant problem	p. 120
Opting for plastic to avoid the hassle	p. 123
Stepping over the edge (of your pond)	p. 123
Creating the Landscape of Your Heart's Desire	p. 124
The two popular styles: Japanese and just plain wild	p. 124
Putting fish first and landscape second: Controlling the sunlight	p. 125
Finding plants that suit your fancy	p. 126
Pond-edge plantings: Balancing heights, textures, and colors	p. 126
Setting the Mood with Lighting	p. 129
Lighting up from down below: Submersible lights	p. 129
Lighting your koi from above: Accent lights	p. 129
Adding the Finishing Touches: Garden Accessories	p. 130
Planting a statue	p. 130
Positioning a bench	p. 131
Going the Extra Mile: Adding a Patio or Deck	p. 131
Patios - Simply beautiful	p. 131
Decks - Naturally versatile	p. 132
Maintaining Your Pond	p. 133
Maintaining Your Equipment	p. 133
Testing for Proper Water Chemistry	p. 134
Ammonia	p. 135
pH	p. 136
Nitrites	p. 136
Dissolved oxygen	p. 137
When You Need to Change the Water	p. 138
Maintaining a Stable Temperature	p. 139
When the weather gets cold	p. 140
Dealing with hotter temps	p. 143
Keeping Predators Away	p. 144
Caring for the Pond through the Four Seasons	p. 146
Falling into a slower routine	p. 146
Settling into winter	p. 146
Spring into (careful) action	p. 147
Easing into summer	p. 148
Keeping Koi Inside	p. 151
Addressing Humidity and Its Effect on Your Home	p. 152
Planning Ahead for Your Indoor Spectacle	p. 153
Considering the aquarium option	p. 155
Deciding on the setup type	p. 155
Figuring out how big to make it	p. 155
Buying the necessary indoor pond equipment	p. 156
Getting Down to Business: Setting Up Your Indoor Pond	p. 159
Starting out simple with an aquarium	p. 160
Setting up a preformed pond	p. 161
Building and setting up a timber-and-liner pond	p. 162
Monitoring Water Quality	p. 165
Adding the Finishing Touch: Releasing the Koi	p. 167
How to Tell When Something's Wrong (And How to Fix It)	p. 167
Caring for Koi and Keeping Them Healthy	p. 169
Koi Nutrition 101	p. 171
Eating Right: It's All about Variety	p. 171
Making the Best Commercial Food Choices	p. 172
What to look for in koi food	p. 172
Sinking versus floating food	p. 175
Adding Some Simple (And Lively) Treats	p. 176
Avoiding Foods that Do No Good	p. 177
Supplying Supplements	p. 179
Feeding Koi through the Seasons	p. 180
Establishing the Timing and Right Amounts for Feedings	p. 181
Feeding times	p. 182
Hand feeding	p. 182
Using automatic feeders	p. 182
Diffusing Koi Stress	p. 183
How Can a Fish Possibly Feel Stress?	p. 183
Signs Your Koi Are Stressing Out	p. 184
Sources of Stress and How to Fix Them	p. 185
Water quality	p. 186
Low oxygen levels	p. 186
Crowding	p. 187
Moving your fish	p. 187
Temperature extremes	p. 189
Other potential causes	p. 190
Spotting and Treating Common Koi Ailments	p. 191
Empowering You, Because Koi Vets Are Few	p. 192
Taking a Close Look: The Do-It-Yourself Koi Exam	p. 193
Catching your koi	p. 193
Examining your sickly fish	p. 193
Dealing with Mild Traumatic Injuries	p. 195
The Most Famous Parasites of All	p. 196
Anchor worms	p. 197
Apiosoma	p. 198
Chilodonella	p. 199
Costia	p. 200
Fish lice	p. 200
Flukes	p. 201
Ich	p. 202
Bacterial Infections: Bad News Anywhere	p. 203
The exterior attack	p. 203
The inside attack: Internal infections	p. 205
Preventing bacterial infection	p. 205
Swimmer's Gill (Or Skin): Fungal Infections	p. 206
Got fungus on the gills?	p. 207
Fluffy white fur isn't always a good thing	p. 207
The Three Greatest Viral Threats: Pox, SVK, and KHV	p. 208
Forget the chicken - koi get carp pox	p. 209
Spring viremia of carp: Predator of koi at their most vulnerable	p. 209
The quick, sneaky killer: Koi herpes virus	p. 210
Keeping your old koi safe from viral infection	p. 211
Setting up the Hospital Tank	p. 211
Sedating Your Koi, Giving Injections, and Other First-Aid Tasks	p. 212
The Big Leagues: Koi Breeding and Showing	p. 215
Breeding Koi	p. 217
To Breed or Not to Breed: That Is the Question	p. 217
Predictions You Can Make (And Those You Can't)	p. 218
Preparing for the Dirty Deed	p. 220
Gathering the necessary tools	p. 220
Getting the breeding grounds ready for showtime	p. 221
Casting the stars of the show	p. 222
Grooming your koi for the rendezvous	p. 224
Getting Down to Business	p. 225
Beginning the breeding	p. 225
Letting your koi have at it	p. 225
Reaping Your Reward: Parenting the Eggs Till They Hatch	p. 226
In the beginning	p. 227
Moving on up	p. 228
Low-Maintenance Breeding: The All-Natural Love Pond	p. 229
Sectioning off the in-pond romping grounds	p. 229
Preparing your pond for babies	p. 230
The Small Fry: Bringing Up Baby Koi	p. 231
Feeding Fry	p. 231
A fry's feeding schedule	p. 233
Hatching brine shrimp	p. 236
Culling: It Ain't Easy, but Somebody Has To Do It	p. 237
What to cull	p. 238
How much to cull	p. 239
Evaluating Your Young Koi	p. 239
Koi Shows: Your All-Access Pass to Koi Kichi-dom	p. 241
Showing Your Koi - Why Bother?	p. 242
You win gold in terms of knowledge	p. 242
You get to know your koi better	p. 242
You see what you're up against and what's in vogue	p. 243
Finding a Show Near You (Or Even Far Away)	p. 243
Showing Off Your Pride and Joy	p. 244
Registering for a show	p. 244
A brief rundown of the affair	p. 245
Surveying the many ways to win	p. 246
The judging process	p. 247
After the show: Packing up and heading out	p. 249
Attending a Show Just for Kicks and Giggles	p. 250
Playing Host: Setting Up Your Own Show	p. 250
House-to-house shows	p. 250
Regional shows	p. 251
The Part of Tens	p. 255
Ten Things to Do When the Power Goes Out	p. 257
Lower the Fish Load in Your Pond	p. 257
Stop Feeding Your Fish	p. 258
Do a 30-Percent Water Change	p. 258
Test Your Water Daily for Ammonia and Nitrites	p. 258
Add Salt or Zeolite	p. 259
Use an Inverter to Power Your Air Pump	p. 259
Let ol'Sol Power Your Pond	p. 259
Mist Your Pond	p. 260
Use Compressed Air	p. 260
Use a Portable Battery System to Power Your Filter	p. 260
Ten Things to Check If Your Koi Seem Sick	p. 261
The Pond's Water Quality	p. 261
The Pond's Water Temperature	p. 261
Your Koi's Scales	p. 262
Your Koi's Gills	p. 262
Your Koi's Finny-Fin-Fins	p. 262
Your Koi's Underside	p. 263
Your Koi's Body	p. 263
Your Koi's Belly-Side Behavior (Are You Being Flashed?)	p. 264
Your Koi's Swimming Style	p. 264
Your Koi's Social Savvy	p. 264
Index	p. 265
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.