Page 61 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 69
P. 61
CHOOSING KOI
Mark Davis, Cuttlebrook Koi Farm.
1 If you are choosing Koi the first thing you need to do
is find a retailer that knows something about the fish
that they are selling you. You are more likely to find this
at a specialist Koi dealership although some Aquatic The fish that you are
Centres will also have staff who know the history of the looking at should be alert
Koi they are selling. The best way to start is to give and interested in what’s
going on.
them a ring and ask a few questions about where the
Koi they sell are sourced from and what quarantine
procedures they use when they bring new fish in. fish will rub itself against the bottom of the pond. This
Ideally, they will have quarantine facilities in a separate is normal behaviour for a fish with an itch (we all have
HEAT CYCLING building from their sales area and will have the ability to to scratch sometime!) but if several fish are continually
SHOULD BE raise the temperature of the fish from around 15ºC to doing this it could indicate that there is a parasite
23ºC and to hold it there for three weeks. This is called problem in the pond. Make sure that the fish in the
DONE AT heat cycling and should be done at least once, and tank don’t have any holes or ulcers as this could
preferably twice, to any new shipment of fish that they indicate a bacterial problem in the pond. The odd
LEAST ONCE, bring in before they are placed in sales tanks. Of raised or dislodged scale shouldn’t be a problem, and
PREFERABLY course, not every dealer has the facility to do this and it can sometimes happen to frisky fish, but anything
may be that they feel that because they have never more could be. Don’t consider buying a fish that is in
TWICE experienced any problems in the past, that they are anything less than perfect health.
unlikely to do so in the future – if that’s the case then
they, and you, must understand and accept the risks
that are associated with not quarantining. It isn’t just 3 OK, so you’re happy with the health of the fish that
KHV that quarantining can stop spreading but, if done you are looking at and spot one that you like the look
properly, other more common parasite and bacterial CONSIDER of. Before you go any further, have a think about
THE EXTRA whether your pond is suitable for the Koi that you are
problems can be picked up too.
LOAD THAT A considering. Small fish don’t always mix well with large
fish as large Koi will eat pretty much anything that will
2 When you enter the dealership that you have LARGE FISH fit in their mouths – even if that’s another Koi! Maybe
chosen, take a look in all the sales tanks. What you are the fish you have spotted is a bargain monster but is it
looking for is happy fish. How do you spot a happy Koi WILL PLACE going to be too big for your pond? You need to
though? Well, a happy Koi is one that is bright and consider the extra load that a large fish will place on
alert, swimming around the pond looking interested in ON YOUR your filtration – can it cope? If your pond is fairly well
its environment and you. What you don’t want to see is FILTRATION stocked already then a particularly big fish may be
fish that are sat on the floor of the pond with their fins enough to cause overstocking which can lead to water
in – this means that they are feeling poorly or are quality issues and health problems. Don’t buy too
particularly stressed. Stand for a few minutes watching many fish either as this will lead to the same problems.
the fish as they glide around their pond. Sometimes a
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