The Impressive Black Koi By Jack Fromwell

If you're looking for something new and exciting to add to your existing fishpond or are contemplating building a new one you should consider the Koi species of fish. They make an exciting and entertaining addition to your fishpond.

The Koi species of decorated carp come in various colours and patterns. Black Koi are similar to other varieties with the exception of their dark pigmentation and not much else. Koi are long-lived fish and can survive for as long as 200 years, but the normal expected lifespan should be between 25 and 35 years. Koi are regularly viewed in outdoor ponds all around the globe. The distinction between Koi males and females can easily be recognized by the males' concave anal section. On occasion the males also display breeding spots on the head. A Koi female can lay as many as 1000 eggs during one mating season. Immature Koi are referred to as fry and will start hatching in about four to seven days, depending on the variations of the water temperature. Koi pigmentation will not be displayed until the immature fish are between three to twelve weeks of age.

The Japanese people initially took carp mutations to breed these colourful fish. The colour selection was minimal at the start of this process, with only two colours being attained. More selective breeding of Koi produced different colour varieties and combinations of patterns.

Black Koi can reach an impressive 36 inches in length. Because of their length, large ponds are the most suitable way to keep all Koi including Black Koi. One of the first Koi black mutations was the Magoi Koi that also came with the ability to grow to a very large size. When closely looking at a Magoi Koi they appear black when viewed from above, but are actually deep bronze in colour. Magoi Koi DNA is now being reintroduced into other species because of the potential involved in increasing the size and to hasten the growth rate of a new species.

The Karasu meaning "crow" in Japanese was one of the initial species of Koi produced. The normal coloration of the Karasu is a fish that has both black fins and a black body but with a variation that can also have a white or orange belly.

Environment and diet have a tendency to change the colour of the Koi. The variations will make the fish appear a duller or brighter shade of pigmentation. Matsukawabake Koi has the adeptness to change colours. It's a Koi that is black in colour and has patches of white on its body. One of the amazing things about this Koi is that it can completely change its color according to the temperature of the water or the seasons of the year. This fish can actually change from totally black to totally white, but when the conditions return back to normal so will its original patches and colours.

A more recent Black Koi species the Kumonryu first appeared in the 1980s. It's the most popular Black Koi species and the name means Dragon Fish. This species received its name, because of the similarities of the bodies of dragons depicted in ancestral paintings. They also have the ability to change colours, like other species of Koi.

Koi come in a large variety of colours, and owning and raising these fish with the chameleon like ability of changing colours before your eyes, pond owners are naturally attracted to these beautiful fish. All of the above species of Koi would make a beautiful addition to your new fishpond.

Thanks
Jack Fromwell

Jack Fromwell is a koi enthusiast and author. He lives on the west coast of beautiful B.C. and spends his time teaching other koi hobbyist how t care for the health and well being of their Koi fish. His latest book " My Joy Of Koi" is available at http://myjoyofkoi.com/

Six Things to Avoid As a Newcomer to Marine Reef Keeping By Gareth P

So what should you avoid when keeping a reef aquarium when new to this fascinating hobby?

Lack of knowledge. This is very important, you should learn as much as possible before even thinking about buying anything. Books are expensive, but there are many other Articles and Informative Forums on-line packed with information and help.

Hard corals. These should be avoided until a full understanding of water chemistry and a confidence in maintaining these levels are achieved. These corals require more intense lighting requirements and feeding. Compatibility also creates issues too. As above really, learn about water chemistry, then research your coral selection carefully.

Expensive unnecessary equipment. As a newbie to Reef Keeping it is totally unnecessary to purchase Computers, Reactors, Top up devices, and any other fancy items that may arise. I say this because as a new Reef Keeper you need to understand and manage a Reef Aquarium. Having fancy computers and reactors will create loads of confusion. The same can be said about Calcium Reactors and so on, with issues such as overdosing.

Fancy expensive fish. Please walk before you run. There are loads of reasonably priced fish available, many colorful and rewarding too. Imagine how upset you would be to loose a expensive fish and think of the impact on the environment. Conservation is key to this hobby.

Overstocking. Don't rush out and buy everything you see and like, you will overload your aquarium and most likely kill your new livestock. Do it slowly and stock fish according to your aquarium size.

Overfeeding. This is something many get wrong. By overfeeding you are creating your livestock to produce more waste, Resulting in higher nitrates. Feed small amounts only when required.

For more articles and information visit my Blog - http://myreefblog.blogspot.com
Saltwater aquarium advice eBook, instant download - http://myreefblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/saltwater-aquarium-advice.html

Important Things You Need to Know About Koi Pond Building By Alan Deacon

Among prettiest aquatic fauna, Koi fish are member of the ornamental species of lovely Japanese fish, Carp or common Carp. This species is also known as Cyprinus Carpio. The Japanese have been taming these attractive fish for a long time and they are believed to be symbols of friendship, love and good fortune. Koi pond building can also be an artistic expression of ornamental design. There are, however, practical considerations that need to be kept in mind!

With time and advent of great technologies the tradition grew all across the world for people to tame these striking fish. This leisure pursuit was combined with a desire for beautiful backyards/gardens.

Hence, it has become the hottest gardening today. No modern garden is complete without a Koi pond. Koi ponds are believed to be a wonderful relaxation tool. After spending an exhausting or stressful day, everyone wants an opportunity to relax. Nothing is more relaxing than passing time your beautiful garden and feeding pretty Koi fish.

If you too are tempted with the idea but don't know how to build a Koi pond ... scroll down and learn some of the most important things you need to know about Koi pond building-

· The first guidelines on Koi pond building deals with a decision on some of the most important parts of the pond. This includes includes size, area, design and number of fish that you want to keep in your pond.

· You also need to understand the key to keeping your Koi healthy in the pond. Your pond will need to be be deeper than a gold fish pond or regular water garden. Normally the water garden and Gold Fish ponds are shallower than the Koi Fish pond. Koi grow very fast and become quite large. Therefore they need more room to maintain a good water quality. A standard Koi pond is always deeper and larger than other types of garden ponds. The minimum depth should be not less than 3' and if you increase it more, it will be better for the health of your lovely pet.

· A good Koi pond is always made above the ground level, as it ensures a complete protection of the fishes that are inside the pond. On average, people keep the edge of the pond minimum 6 inches above the ground while professional Koi keepers keep the height at least 18 inches.

· The filtration need is another important part of Koi pond building. Koi fish are among the most delicate fauna on the planet and they can not cope with non-filtered water. Hence, Koi ponds should be always filled with clean water. People use many different types of biofilters to provide a clean water to their pets. These biofilters are available in different sizes and ranges. Do your studying and be sure choose the right type and size for your pond.

· Knowledge of perfect water chemistry is also considered extremely important. You need to know how to test your water daily and make adjustments to keep the water chemistry stable.

Building a Koi pond is not too much of an ordeal apart from digging the pond area. Just make sure to keep all the most important components in mind when you undertake Koi pond building!

For more detailed information about Koi pond building and design visit ==> KoiCareBasics.com The author, Alan Deacon, is a longtime Koi enthusiast, always studying and sharing information on Koi keeping and Koi ponds

What Products Should I Use to Keep My Aquarium Clean? By Richard Gilliland

The first product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is an aquarium python. This product is very beneficial during water changes. It can help you clean the water of your aquarium without any hassle.

Aquarium pythons allow you to clean the gravel in the aquarium while doing a water change without disturbing the fish. The aquarium python is a long pipe that allows you to directly fill water from the tap and also let the water out the aquarium directly into the sink. Most aquarium pythons allow you to adjust the water flow and some of these devices come with extra fittings such as a splash proof outlets to prevent water splashing when you are letting the water out of the aquarium.

It is also possible to get battery operated siphons that can help you clean the gravel and water of an aquarium. Battery operated siphons are beneficial if you have aquariums that hold less than 15 gallons water.

The second product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is a magnetic glass cleaner. Magnetic glass cleaners allow you to clean algae from the insides of the glass without putting your hand inside the aquarium. It is important to note that special magnetic cleaners are available for acrylic aquariums and regular magnetic cleaners should not be used on acrylic aquariums since they can cause permanent scratches. It is also possible to get aquarium cloth mops or other algae cleaning accessories that are suspended on a stick and help you clean those hard to reach spots.

The third and most important product that can help you keep your aquarium is an aquarium filter. Sponge filters are beneficial for aquariums that are can hold less than 10 gallons water and internal filters or hang on back filters are beneficial for aquariums that can hold up to 40 gallons water. External canister filters are recommended for larger aquariums since these filters are apt for cleaning larger aquariums with more fish. An under gravel filter is not recommended for large aquariums since large aquariums generally have a bigger fish load which can cause the plates of the under gravel filter to clog. Under gravel filters require regular maintenance and siphoning the gravel is an important part of maintaining an under gravel filter.

Glass cleaners are required to clean the external glass of the aquarium and care should be taken that the glass cleaning liquid does not mix with the aquarium water while cleaning since this can prove toxic to the fish.

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Do I Need a Heater For My Aquarium? By Richard Gilliland

Both freshwater aquariums and saltwater aquariums can be classified into tropical water aquariums and cold water aquariums. If you own either a freshwater tropical aquarium or a saltwater tropical aquarium then you will require a heater for your aquarium. Tropical aquariums consist of fish that are from tropical areas such as Africa, America and Asia. These fish cannot live in water that is below 74 degree Fahrenheit and in order to help them survive winters, heaters are required. Cold water aquariums do not require artificial heating unless the temperature of the water goes below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aquarium heaters that are available online and in the market are of two kinds mainly being heaters with and without thermostats. Heaters without thermostats are the cheaper heaters and are not recommended for beginners since these heaters have to be manually turned off. If the heater is left on for an extended period of time without monitoring the water temperature then the water can get too hot and kill the fish. Heaters with thermostats are sophisticated heaters that have a thermostat that automatically turns off the heat when the temperature reaches a set degree. The heater then restarts when the temperature drops below the desired temperature and the cycle of heating and cooling continues. Heaters with thermostat are generally available with an in built thermometer and if you are planning to buy a manual heater then it is recommended to buy a timer device with the heater.

Discus and other delicate fish often get burnt if they go too close to the heater and certain fish like large Cichlids or Pacus are known to break heaters which can cause casualties due to electrical leakage in the water. Heater guards or heater covers provide protection from burns and casualties and are highly recommended if you have submersible or gravel heaters.

It is always recommended to have two heaters that split up the required wattage since this prevents problems in case one heater gets spoilt as the second heater will still manage to heat the water. If you have just one heater then a back up heater is highly recommended in case there are any problems with the original heater.

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Why You Should Use a Test Kit in Your Aquarium By Richard Gilliland

There is no doubt that aquariums help beautify your house since they contain colorful fish and other organisms that add a nice calming touch of class. In order to successfully beautify your house and enjoy fish keeping to the maximum it is important to take good care of your aquarium. This article is going to elaborate on how test kits can help you and why you should use a test kit in your aquarium.

Test kits are designed to help you determine if there is something wrong in your aquarium and help you keep problems at bay. Test kits provide results for PH levels, ammonia levels, nitrite levels and nitrate levels. Keeping track of these three levels are important because if any of the levels for the parameters go beyond the normal level then your fish can be in danger.

In a freshwater aquarium fish produce wastes that are basically ammonia and these wastes are excreted in the form of poop through the fish gills. Ammonia is extremely poisonous to all living organisms inside the aquarium. It can cause a great deal of harm to your fish and other marine life. Ammonia is broken down in the aquarium by helpful bacteria into a less toxic form known as nitrites, which are then further broken down into the least toxic form that is known as nitrates. This whole cycle of breaking down ammonia to finally nitrates is known as cycling of an aquarium and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits help determining if the cycle is going smoothly or extra measures need to be taken to speed up the cycle.

The PH of water is extremely important in determining the health of your fish since a slight change in PH can prove to be detrimental to the health of your fish. The PH of water ranges from 0 to 14 with 0 PH being completely acidic and 14 being completely alkaline. A PH of 7 in an aquarium is considered to be neutral and depending on your fish you will need to adjust the PH accordingly. Certain freshwater fish like tetras like acidic PH while many cichlids prefer alkaline PH and in order to know if you are adjusting the PH accordingly test kits are very important.

Lime rock and sea shells are often used to make the PH alkaline while driftwood and peat is used to make the PH acidic and it is important to check the PH regularly if you are buffering or altering the PH of the water. The PH of the water can also affect the ammonia levels in the tank and it is important to use ammonia test kits if you are adjusting the water's PH.

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