have you ever wondered what are koi fish or what do they do? well I’m here to tell you. heres my essay on Koi Fish
Koi fish are very pretty colored fish and we see them everywhere but did you know that koi fish were originally made to eat. They were bred by rice farmers to eat but then decided that they could sell them because of their pretty colors. The word “Koi” means “Carp”, koi fish are also called “Nishikigoi”. One of the most beautiful koi is the Butterfly Koi. The butterfly koi is just like the regular koi but it has longer fins and a longer tail, it looks like it’s gliding in the water. There are about 50 different koi varieties. Koi fish come in many different colors such as black, red, orange, yellow/cream and white, some rare colors to have in koi are pink, blue and green. Pink, blue and green koi exist but it’s only because of a couple reasons, because their diet has changed, cold water temperatures or they have been moved. Koi can change colors but only because of stress levels and diet. Some rare types of koi are completely white koi with one red dot on their head and “Gin Rin” which is a type of koi where its scales are a certain pattern so its scales look like it glows.
Koi fish typically live in a pond with lots of other koi fish, you can have 4 koi per 1,000 gallons of water you have. Koi fish are omnivores and can eat anything such as pond plants as well as different kinds of fish, eggs, lettuce, and watermelon. Typical koi can weigh up to 30 pounds and can be 3 feet long! The world’s largest koi was 91 pounds and 4 feet. Koi are highly sociable and thrive in the company of other koi around them, they can get stressed and depressed if kept in isolation for too long. Koi are symbols of courage, perseverance, and accomplishment. Koi fish can get sun burns if they are in a shallow pond and have no shade to swim to. Koi can live to 25-50 years old, the oldest koi fish lived to be 226 years old. Koi fish can lay up to 50,000 eggs in one breeding season and one breeding season for koi is about 1 year.
You can sell an adult koi for about $40,000- $60,000 and you can sell a juvenile koi, which means young koi, for $10. The most expensive koi ever was sold for $1.1 million because it was a red and white Kohaku. Koi fish that are usually raised are in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and the U.S. They are usually considered a family heirloom in some families. Koi fish are very smart; they can recognize their caretaker, remember feeding times and navigate mazes, since they are so smart you can train them to eat out of your hand. Did you know that goldfish and koi are related! It’s because they are both descendants of carp. In the U.S a superstition is usually if a black cat crosses your path its bad luck but for japan a black koi is bad luck. Koi fish have teeth but located in the back of their throat. Although koi are usually in japan and are associated with japan, koi originated in china around the fourth century. Koi fish are usually born in the beginning of spring. Spring is when Koi fish are most active and in the winter they hibernate so they move to the bottom of the pond to conserve heat.
Koi are found all over the world in different art pieces, temples and more especially in Japanese art pieces because of what they symbolize. There is a japanese legend called “The Legend of The Dragons Gate”. The legend starts off when a group of koi fish embark on a challenging journey to reach the “Dragon’s Gate”, a mythical waterfall at the end of the Yellow River in China, and those koi who manage to reach the top of the waterfall are transformed into powerful, golden dragons, a symbol of strength, power and achievement. At night koi jump, they jump out of the water to get used to their new environment. Koi can live in freshwater ponds and lakes. Wild koi are found around the Black, Caspian and Aral seas. A fun fact about koi is that you can tell how old they are by looking at their scales, the scales produce rings just like a tree.
If you ever get a koi fish here are some tips on how to take care of them. Test water quality after new additions, replace water test kits yearly, feed twice a day, daily care, provide a balanced diet of high-quality koi pellets, give them vegetables once in a while and only give them fruit as a treat. You can add tap water to the pond but make sure it is filtered well, if you put chlorine make sure to put a dechlorinator. You can gently pet your koi after being fed but don’t pick them straight out of the water or they will get stressed out and overstimulated.
In conclusion, these are some of the things you may have not known about the beloved, colorful koi fish, what they eat, what they look like and varieties of koi and so many other things. But these are just some of the facts about koi fish.