Koi

Koi, belonging to the carp family in biology, there are more than 3700 species of carp in 210 genera in the world, it is a kind of high-end ornamental fish that is popular in the world today, known as the "living gems in water" and "swimming artworks". Koi has a healthy body, colorful appearance, varied patterns, and majestic swimming posture, with extremely high ornamental and breeding value. Its body length can reach 1-1.5 meters. The colors of Koi include one to several colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, black, and blue (a light gray shadow caused by the black color under the fish scales), with or without gloss. Although the patterns have endless variations, the best patterns are the circular spots on the top of the head and the ladder-like patterns on the back. The fish scales can be present or absent, large or small, or have wrinkles, like "diamonds".

Koi, originally a variety of red carp. As an ornamental fish, red carp was very popular in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that Koi originated from Longzhou Koi in Guangxi, Xingguo red carp in Jiangxi, and jinli in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. In the early 19th century, it was introduced to Japan from China and underwent long-term artificial selection by the Japanese people. In 1973, as a friendly envoy between China and Japan, Japanese Koi settled in China. Koi is distinguished by different colors, patterns, and fish scales. Among them, butterfly Koi was successfully bred in the 1980s. It is known for its long and smooth fins. In fact, it is a hybrid of Koi and Asian carp, not a true Koi.

Koi is suitable for feeding by fish enthusiasts. Koi has a gentle temperament, which is in line with the traditional Confucian cultural ideology in China. A gentleman is indifferent, gentle as jade, knowledgeable in etiquette and integrity. Koi swims with elegance and grace, with a plain character, and is highly sought after. In fact, Koi has always represented a kind of beautiful aspiration and longing, as well as good luck and happiness.

1. Saprolaria disease

It is found that the fish body grows "white hair". The disease progresses and the affected muscles rot, leading to decreased appetite and eventual death. This disease can occur at any time of the year.

Treatment methods: A. Soak the diseased fish in 3% salt water once a day for 5-10 minutes each time. B. Soak the diseased fish in a solution of 2 ppm potassium permanganate and 5% salt water for 20-30 minutes, once a day. C. Wash the diseased fish with a 1-2 ppm malachite green solution for 20-30 minutes, twice a day. D. Soak the diseased fish in a 5 ppm furazolidone solution until it recovers.

2. Scale loosening disease (pine cone disease)

The scales of the diseased fish stand upright like pine cones.

Treatment methods: A. Soak the diseased fish in a solution of 1/100,000 units of tetracycline for bathing, twice a day for one hour each time. B. Mix a 2% sodium chloride solution with a 3% sodium bicarbonate solution, and bathe the diseased fish twice a day for 10 minutes each time. C. Add 0.5 grams of chloramphenicol to every 40 kilograms of water for bathing.

3. Trematode disease

After being infected, the fish will swim rapidly in the tank.

Treatment methods: Put the diseased fish in a formalin solution, and add formalin ICC to the 4 kilograms of water. After soaking the diseased fish for one or two seconds, immediately take it out and put it back into the original tank. Repeat this process twice a day for 2-3 consecutive days to cure the disease.

4. Cold

The fish stays still, floats on the water surface, and its skin and fins lose luster, with a dull color.

Treatment methods: Keep the water temperature constant, soak the diseased fish in a solution of baking soda or 1% salt water to increase illumination, so as to gradually restore its health.

5. Fish lice disease

The skin of the diseased fish becomes inflamed and ulcerated. When parasites attach to the fish body, the fish will rub against the glass, etc. with its body.

Treatment methods: Put the diseased fish in 1.0-1.5% salt water, and after 2-3 days, the parasites can be expelled.

6. Ichthyophthiriasis

In the early stage, there are individual small white spots on the fins and body, with appetite and no significant change in spirit. In the middle stage, white spots appear all over the fins and body, with no appetite, no activity, itching, and darkening. In the late stage, white spots cover the whole body, the fish floats on the water surface or sinks to the bottom of the tank. The fish becomes weak, sways from side to side, the surface of the body becomes slimy, breathing becomes difficult, and it dies of suffocation.

Treatment: This disease requires comprehensive treatment, and using medicine alone has little effect. Strengthening breeding management is important. Firstly, stop feeding for 4-5 days to reduce pollution; at the same time, keep the water temperature constant, and it is better to raise the temperature by 2-3°C higher than the original water temperature. Medication can be used appropriately in the absence of water plants, as water plants quickly die when exposed to various drugs.

7. Black spot disease

"Black spots" grow on the fish body, appearing grayish-white. Mycelium and cell tissue from wounds intertwine and adhere, causing tissue necrosis. At the same time, the diseased fish has decreased appetite and eventually dies.

Treatment: When stocking a new fish in an aquarium, a small amount of salt can be added to suppress the occurrence of saprolaria, and attention should be paid to cleaning and disinfection when adding live feed. Keep the water clean to isolate the growth of saprolaria fungi. Generally, this disease can be prevented.

1, control density

When breeding koi, the first thing to do is to control the density. It is incorrect to breed too many koi in a small tank, as it will cause poor growth. Generally, if the specifications of the fish tank are 60*30*15 cm, the number of koi that can be bred is about 6, not too many.

2, regular water change

When breeding koi, it is also very important to keep the water quality suitable. Therefore, it is necessary to change the water regularly and clean the impurities in the fish tank to provide a clean environment for the growth of koi. Specifically, the frequency of water change can be controlled within 3-7 days, and the water change in summer needs to be more frequent, while in winter, it can be slightly longer. Each time you change the water, you can change one third of it. In order to ensure that the water temperature does not undergo drastic changes, it is necessary to control the flow rate of the water and slowly inject the new water.

3, proper feeding

Another important issue is feeding, which needs to be done in a proper way. First of all, you need to choose good food. Koi are omnivorous, so try not to use only one type of food, as the nutrition may be insufficient. You can combine plant-based and animal-based foods, such as vegetables, earthworms, and red worms. You can feed them once or twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

4, proper lighting

When breeding koi, it is also necessary to provide a certain amount of lighting every day. Especially when there are other plants in the fish tank, lighting is needed for them to perform photosynthesis. However, in summer, considering that the light is relatively strong, you can appropriately shade them.

5, precautions

In winter, special treatment can be carried out to let the koi overwinter, putting them in a pool with a water temperature of 5-10 degrees. At this time, there is no need to feed them too often, feeding them once every 3-5 days is enough.