Before constructing your koi pond, you undoubtedly took a lot of time planning the design. Then once it was built, you probably checked and double checked that everything was in perfect working order. The plumbing, the filter, the pump etc. Well, taking as much care, thought and planning over your koi is just as important.
Most experienced koi breeders will agree that in order to give your koi the best chance to thrive and live healthy lives it is vital to get your stock from a respectable, experienced breeder. Preferably a local one, as a lot of travelling can stress the fish. Keeping your koi healthy is imperative if you want to make a success of breeding and getting yourself a good reputation. Dealing with other breeders and suppliers of an equally good reputation is a good way to start, because their good habits will rub off on you.
I know that it is not always possible to have a local koi breeder, so sometimes it is necessary to transport them. As long as their traveling conditions are just right, they should be fine.
Quarantine new koi fish
Whenever you get new koi fish it is important to keep them in quarantine for at least 3 weeks. Do not put them straight in with the rest of your stock. If they are not quarantined properly, they could easily infect and wipe out your stock due to bacteria and diseases they could be carrying, like fluke ands worms, so isolation is absolutely vital. This means no contact, water or mixed food between your new koi and your present stock. While they are in quarantine you are required to watch out for signs of stress and illness. These can include lack of appetite, discoloration of the eyes or scales, damaged fins and lethargy. These are all treatable, of course. For example, physical injuries, like torn fins, can be treated with antibiotics distributed with the food. Another example is loss of appetite. It is possible that your koi could have internal living organisms, in which case you could use something like PraziPro, which is a safe treatment for internal living organisms including flukes and worms. I would advise against using Potassium Permanganate, except as a last resort, i.e if all other treatments wee unsuccessful. Potassium Permanganate can cause burning to internal tissues.
Add them to your pond
Now that your koi have finished their quarantine period, and all is well with them, you can now add them to your pond. Remember, though, that now you have added extra koi to the pond, it means that you will have to increase your water changes. You should already be changing a minimum of 36% of the pond water per week to keep the ph value stable and the nitrates low. Adding more koi to the pond means an increase in waste to your filter. New nitrifying infections and bacteria may take some time to build up, so changing the water regularly will keep nitrites low. With regard to water changes, you should be adding salt daily. This is the iodine free salt that is used for ponds and aquariums. Salt is good for the koi. It helps with breathing, the coat, and killing off parasites. Plant fiber is also good for koi. Eating this will help prevent bloating.
Keeping your koi healthy can be challenging, but is definitely attainable by keeping them in a stress free, clean environment, with stable water and good quality food.
This is when you realize that all your hard work has been well worth it.
If you would like more information about breeding koi, please visit http://www.breedkoiforprofit.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Davidson