| People from all walks of life with yards big and small | | | | that the koi are receiving a balanced diet. You can |
| keep koi fish in their ponds. If you're thinking of | | | | purchase koi pellets with a range of benefits to |
| installing a pond on your property, there's a lot of | | | | ensure your fish are healthy. Simply talk to the |
| planning that will go into this process. Believe it or not, | | | | person at the store you're purchasing the pellets |
| the actual construction of the pond is the easy part, | | | | from. If you're buying them online, read some user |
| even if you choose to lay brick instead of using a | | | | reviews. Make sure the pellets have the right |
| liner. At least with building work you can go at your | | | | nutritional balance before giving them to your koi. |
| own pace, being meticulous with the construction. | | | | As your koi feed, they will come to the top of the |
| However, with koi, the care for these fish may feel | | | | water. This is where tip number-three comes in: |
| like tedious work, especially when you first start out. | | | | always make sure they're healthy. You can usually tell |
| Luckily, there are millions of koi owners on the planet | | | | if they're having any problems by the color of their |
| who, sometimes, lend their expertise and offer up | | | | skin. Koi should always be bright and vibrant. If |
| tips on how to care for these beautiful Japanese fish. | | | | they're not, then it's a sure sign that you need to |
| Koi are omnivorous and will eat meats and | | | | change their diet. Try mixing it up some and give |
| vegetables with no problem. Basically, they will eat | | | | more protein or more vitamins to your fish. |
| whatever you give them, especially after they know | | | | Koi fish live in water temperatures of 60 to 75 |
| you and gather around you for feeding time, so you | | | | degrees Fahrenheit. If your water is within that |
| have to be careful of what you feed them and when | | | | range, then it's best to feed them at least twice |
| you feed them. Koi will also eat underwater foliage | | | | daily. If your water is between 60 and 50 degrees, |
| and all types of insects and worms if they make | | | | you want to cut that feeding schedule down to one |
| their way to the pond. | | | | time per day. If it's anywhere below 50 degrees, you |
| With this information, the first tip is to child-proof | | | | don't want to feed them at all. Instead, the koi's |
| your environment. Make sure you have no fertilizer | | | | digestive system slows to a halt and they will eat |
| run-off or any types of harmful plants growing | | | | only the algae. If you keep feeding the koi in cold |
| around the pond. If it makes its way into the pond, | | | | weather, food will go bad in their stomachs and |
| the koi are going to ingest it in one form or another. | | | | cause illness. |
| You want to keep the pond skimmed of debris and | | | | It's tedious at first, but once you get the first |
| you definitely want to keep garbage out of it. | | | | schedule going, have a clean pond and adhere to |
| The second tip is another one of those common | | | | feeding times and diet foods, the process will be |
| sense rules of thumb that come with being a | | | | easy. |
| responsible pet owner. It's your job to make sure | | | | |