Tropical Fish Information – Your Fish Tank Guru

The Koi come in a wide variety of patterns and colors. The black koi family are distinguished from the other varieties due to their coloring and pattern, and not much else. They can grow up to about 36 inches in length, that is why there’s also a need for them to be kept in large ponds like all of the other fish. It has the same lifespan as the others, around 25 to 35 years of age. They are seen regularly in outdoor ponds anywhere in the globe.

Types Of black koi variety:

There are many types of the black koi variety. The Kumonryu koi is the most popular of the species. It first appeared in the 1980’s. The word “Kumonryu” means “dragon fish” in Japanese. It has been coined as such due to its body is nostalgic of the bodies of dragons drawn in ancient paintings. Others think that these fish look like dragons rising up through the clouds. It can also change its color and pattern.

The Magoi koi is one of the first all black mutation that can grow very long. Seemingly black in color when viewed from above, their actual color is deep bronze. Because of their great possibilities in size, their blood is being reintroduced to other koi so as to hasten and maximize the growth potential of the others.

The Matsukawabake koi has areas or white on its body. They can change color, and because of the environmental effects and their diet, their color changes from a duller or brighter shade of color. The temperature can completely change their color, turning completely white or completely black. It will only return to its original color once there’s a change in temperature. The Karasu koi (meaning “crow” in Japanese) is another of those very old species. This koi is known by its black-colored body and fins. Others can also have an white or orange belly.

The wide array of colors of the black koi variety is one of the factors that makes them an attraction to people. What’s even more exciting is that you have the ability to own a koi that can amazingly change its color in an instant just like some of the species of the black koi variety can!

The hobby of reproducing koi (also known as “Nishikigoi” in Japan) is rapidly becoming popular in the United States. However, few people know where and how they came to be. The first of the species were produced by breeding the Asian and German carp. They have been selectively bred for years, after which different kinds of color mutations started to show up. The earliest recorded color patterns was around 1805. To date, there are many (by the thousands) of color variations available.

Among the popular colors of the pets are white, yellow, black, silver, orange, blue, red and green. There are countless possibilities of pattern combinations. Each Koi are named based on their color and pattern. Among the people, their favorite types of Koi may differ, depending on the location and country.

These pets are raised and bred for sale in many countries, like Japan, Israel, Singapore, and in warmer states in the U.S. like California and Nevada. The pets can be purchased at many local pet stores. They can also be ordered if they don’t have the stock readily available. The advantage of ordering is that the purchaser will have more options, for they do not have to pick from the stock on hand. The only disadvantage here is that the purchaser won’t be able to pick the specific pets they like.

The unique quality of the Koi is that they will continually grow until they have reached the maximum size of their breed, no matter what habitat they’re in. The babies are in lengths of 3 inches, while the biggest pets can reach around 3 feet long, or even more! The most common size is around 2 feet. They have been known to live up to 30 years under the right conditions, and the oldest of which have lived up to 233 years, around 2 centuries!

The Koi are omnivorous animals, feeding on both meat and plants alike. This means that they have a versatile diet. Your pets will eat almost anything that you give them, no matter if it’s good for them or not. In reproducing koi, the owner should be the ones to control their diet, for they don’t know what’s good or not for their diet, and the amount of food that they should be taking everyday. The best treats for your pets are the natural food, like earthworms and tadpoles, and other food like lettuce, bread, fruit and veggies.

Owners should be careful when feeding them with treats like corns, grapes and beans, because these food have an outer casing, which can be improperly digested by your pets if eaten by them. The outer casings should be completely removed before feeding those to your pets.

The Koi are known to be non-aggressive fish, suitable of living and mingling with other fish like the goldfish and comet. The only problem here is that if they will find smaller fish in their path, probability is that they may eat them (for they are quick eaters!). This kind of fish don’t have teeth, which is why they can be fed out of their owners hand as well (a great past time for their owners!). For this, reproducing koi is a truly a fun hobby for lovers of this fish.