Types:

There are many species of this kind of fish. First is the Magoi, the species which is one of the first all black mutations that can grow in really great lengths. When viewed from above, they may look black, but in reality their color is deep bronze. Due to their great possibilities in terms of size, their blood is being reintroduced to other species in order to speed up and maximize the growth potential of the others.

The Karasu (which means “crow” in Japanese) is another of those extremely old species. It is distinguished by its black body and fins. They can also have a white or an orange belly.

The Matsukawabake has areas or white on its body. This has the ability to change its color. Due to their diet and environment, their color will change from duller or brighter shade of color. The temperature of the seasons or water can change the color of this fish completely, wherein they can turn completely white or completely black. It will return to its original color once there’s a change in condition.

The Kumonryu is the most popular among these species. It first debuted in the 1980′s. The Japanese for dragon fish is “kumonryu”. It’s been called as such as its body resembles those of the bodies of dragons represented in ancient paintings. Some people think that they look like dragons ascending through the sky’s white clouds. It also has the means to change its pattern and color.

The broad array of colors of this species makes them a great attraction to spectators. What’s even more exciting is that you have the ability to own a fish that can really can change its color quickly, like some of the black Koi can!

Black Koi: Getting To Know Your Fish A Little Better is a post from: my Pet Kingdom

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These pets, by nature, are non-aggressive ones. They don’t have teeth, so you don’t have to worry about getting bitten if ever you decide in attempting to feed them with the use of your hand. This activity will also attract smaller kids, as they will be delighted and entertained by the pets’s gentle nature and beautiful patterns and colors. Like any other wild animal, they will have that fear of you in the start.

Their instincts are the ones that tell them to fear you, which is what keeps them alive and survive in the wild in the first place. So, what you have to do is to build up trust with your pets, and this will take a certain amount of time and patience in your part. Remember that hand feeding can’t be achieved over night!

Your pets feed on both meat and plants, as they are an omnivorous species. Being omnivorous brings versatility in their diets. They will eat almost everything that you give them, not caring whether it’s good for them or not. Since they don’t have the ability to judge what’s good or bad for them, you, as the owner, should be the one to control their diet.

Overfeeding is another problem, as your pets might get overweight from eating foods that are not nutritious for them. The healthiest treats for your pets are the natural ones, such as tadpoles and earthworms. Also, you can feed them with bread, lettuce, veggies and fruit. Just be careful when feeding your pets with food such as beans, corn and grapes, as they have those outer casings. These outer casings will be harmful for your pets if these are not properly digested by them. So, just make sure that you remove the outer casings before feeding them.

Now, the trick here is to start slow in feeding your pets. Don’t make any sudden movements, as this will scare away even the most trusting of your pets. What you should do is start hand training your pets right from the moment you get them (which is also applicable for those that are in your current population). You can start by placing few of the snacks or pellets in your hand and then put your hand under the water.

Then slowly allow the food to fall from your hand. Now, it may seem that your pets may not seem to pay any attention, but the reality is that they are aware of your hand (and that your hand is the ones giving them food). You can do this within a period of two days.

Doing this will help you gain the interest of your pets. Then as you have now gotten their interest, let the pets remove the food from your hand. Now, if your pet will refuse to take food from your hand, don’t feed them on that day (you’re not going to stare them in this process). They will have the notion that they must get the food from your hand if they want to feed. If you do this everyday, this will make them comfortable with you.

So once you have the pets feeding out of your hand, you can then start in making them feed from your fingers. And the same thing applies here: if they’re not going to feed from your fingers, don’t feed them on that day. Remember that food will serve as your motivator when it comes to feeding wild animals, and guaranteed, no fish will simply stare itself just because it is not sure of the situation it’s in.

In koi feeding, you have successfully made your pets feed from your hand, you can then alternate the routine between the regular and hand feeding. There’s no reason in trying to take the time in hand feeding if you’re in such a hurry. And another important thing is that once you get your pets to feed from your hand, always be careful in allowing your visitors to feed your pets. Supervise them (both the kids and the adults) in feeding your pets properly; no sudden movements and give your pets the right foods for them.

Koi nourishing: Tips On Hand Feeding Your Fish is a post from: my Pet Kingdom

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Fish diet

Ready and prepared foods for koi are available in the market nowadays. It is availabe in some miscellaneous species: you can choose between, pelleted or extruded, flakes, pondstick formulae. While these kinds of food are all right, other types of food can be given as a sort of treat just to break the monotonous regimen of feeding koi. It is also possible to choose between the following food: edges of orange, watermelon slices, cultured earthworm and prawns. This is an easy way to give the koi some change and make them feel good.

However, there are some foods that should not be given as food to the fishes. Foods like peas, sweet corn and potatoes should not be fed, as these foods are high in moisture and carbohydrates. Foods that are high in solid fats are also the ones to be avoided, especially meat and dairy products like cheese.

One important thing: Koi are born without stomachs. They digest their food through the long gut, and the more they are going to eat, the more time it will take for them to digest it. This is because of the humble water-temperature. The food will be eaten, and then it will be partly digested inside the digestive system, and then drop the unwanted loading in the biofilter.

Feeding Koi the right food and time

In feeding koi, you need to be dependent in the temperature. It is never a problem for koi keepers that are living in a tropical climate, as they can feed them all year round. When you are living in a northern climate, where it snows and gets cold in the autumn and winter, you need to know the preferred food in different seasons.

When the temperature rises to 50 degree Fahrenheit, it is recommended to feed the koi with easy-to-digest sinking pellet that are wheat germ based. With increased temperatur you can use more protein enriched food. When the temperature is shooting down, slip back to wheat germ based foods before cutting the food feeding for the hibernation period. This is when the koi’s metabolism slows down and the energy stored in them is going to be used all throughout winter.

A lot of people do not even care as to how much is the amount of food to be fed per day: the recommended amount is between one and two percent of the body each day. There are other people who apply the 5 minute rule: the process of which is to feed them at a certain amount and let them eat for five minutes, after five minutes, cut back the amount if there is leftovers.

Learn more about Koi Feeding is a post from: my Pet Kingdom

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