Koi For Dummies

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