Butterfly Koi-New Butterfly Koi Domestically Bred

New Butterfly Koi Domestically Bred-Ogkoi.com

Butterfly Koi, Longfin Koi, or Dragon Carp are a type of ornamental fish notable for their elongated finnage. The fish are a breed of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, which includes numerous wild carp races as well as domesticated koi ("Nishikigoi").

Butterfly Koi originated in the mid-20th century as a result of an effort to increase the hardiness of traditional koi. Japanese breeders interbred wild Indonesian Longfin river carp with traditional koi. The resulting fish had longer fins, long barbells, pompom nostrils, and were hardier than koi. These were known in Japan as "onagaoi" or "hire naga koi", or translated in English "long tail koi". Randy LeFever, the son of Wyatt LeFever, a noted breeder of koi, is credited with suggesting they looked like butterflies, a trait for which the breed is named. They are also sometimes referred to as Dragon Koi.

Nishikigoi Judging

Butterfly koi, viewed from above

Butterfly koi cannot be judged using the traditional criteria of used for koi judging. The standard criteria used in these events has evolved over many years, and they are specifically tailored to rate the characteristics of koi. According to an article in KOI USA magazine, the following characteristics are largely the basis for the unsuitability of butterfly koi in traditional competition.

Conformation - The ideal shape of a koi has been set by tradition to be generously oval. By contrast, butterfly koi are naturally more slender. This difference is amplified by the fact that traditional koi judging is done from a top-down viewing angle.

Relationship Of Fin To Body – The ratio of fin-to-body is an important scoring criteria in nishikigoi competitions. By design, Longfin embody a ratio that exceeds the standards applied to nishikigoi by 500 to 1000 percent.

Pattern Differences - Great energy has been given to developing butterfly koi versions of traditional koi patterns, (eg: kohaku, sanke, showa, utsuri and ogon). Butterfly koi, however, exhibit these patterns in a slightly different way.

For these reasons, Japan’s airinkai (an organization that sanctions Japanese nishikigoi hobbyist competitions) have disallowed butterfly koi from competitive judging for many years, although their American counterpart the American Koi Club Association (AKCA) has (as of June, 2006) reportedly created new standards for judging butterfly koi at future AKCA competitions if you are showing thw butterfly koi show only females.

Popularity

Butterfly koi are strongly disliked by many keepers of traditional koi who view the breed as inferior to koi. This polarization of traditional keepers may be the reason why some koi retailers do not sell butterfly koi, and why many of Japan’s famous and most prestigious breeders do not breed butterfly koi today. They are largely unpopular in Europe and Asia, but are popular in the United States where they are more readily available. The popularity of these fish in the United States has earned them the nickname American Koi.

Health, maintenance and longevity

Traditional Japanese garden with koi

The common carp is a hardy fish, and koi retain that durability. Koi are cold-water fish, but benefit from being kept in the 15-25 °C (59-77°F) range, and do not react well to long, cold, winter temperatures; their immune systems "turn off" below 10°C. Koi ponds usually have a meter or more of depth in areas of the world that become warm during the summer, whereas in areas that have harsher winters, ponds generally have a minimum of 1.5 meters (4½ feet). Specific pond construction has evolved by koi keepers intent on raising show-quality koi.

Koi's bright colors put them at a severe disadvantage against predators; a white-skinned Kohaku is a visual dinner bell against the dark green of a pond. Herons, kingfishers, otters, raccoons, cats, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs are all capable of emptying a pond of its fish. A well-designed outdoor pond will have areas too deep for herons to stand, overhangs high enough above the water that mammals cannot reach in, and shade trees overhead to block the view of aerial passers-by. It may prove necessary to string nets or wires above the surface. A pond usually includes a pump and filtration system to keep the water clear.

Koi are an omnivorous fish, and will eat a wide variety of foods, including peas, lettuce, lemons and watermelon. Koi food is designed not only to be nutritionally balanced, but also to float so as to encourage them to come to the surface. When they are eating, it is possible to check koi for parasites and ulcers.

Koi will recognize the persons feeding them and gather around them at feeding times. They can be trained to take food from one's hand. In the winter, their digestive systems slow nearly to a halt, and they eat very little, perhaps no more than nibbles of algae from the bottom. Care should be taken by hobbyists that proper oxygenation and off-gassing occurs over the winter months in small water ponds, so they do not perish.

Their appetites will not come back until the water becomes warm in the spring. When the temperature drops below 50°F (10°C), feeding, particularly with protein, is halted or the food can spoil in their stomachs, causing sickness and death.

One famous scarlet koi, named "Hanako" (c. 1751 – July 7, 1977) was owned by several individuals, the last of whom was Dr. Komei Koshihara. Hanako was supposedly 226 years old upon her death, based on examining one of her scales in 1966. Koi "maximum longevity" is listed as 47 years old.

Breeding

Koi Outdoor Koi Pond

Like most fish, koi reproduce through spawning in which a female lays a vast number of eggs and one or more males fertilize them. Nurturing the resulting offspring (referred to as "fry") is a tricky and tedious job, usually done only by professionals. Although a koi breeder may carefully select the parents they wish based on their desired characteristics, the resulting fry will nonetheless exhibit a wide range of color and quality.

Koi will produce thousands of offspring from a single spawning. However, unlike cattle, purebred dogs, or more relevantly, goldfish, the large majority of these offspring, even from the best champion-grade koi, will not be acceptable as nishikigoi (they have no interesting colors) or may even be genetically defective. These unacceptable offspring are culled at various stages of development based on the breeder's expert eye and closely guarded trade techniques. Culled fry are usually destroyed or used as feeder fish (mostly used for feeding arowana due to the belief it will enhance its color), while older culls, within their first year between 3" to 6" long (also called "Tosai"), are often sold as lower-grade, pond-quality koi.

The semirandomized result of the koi's reproductive process has both advantages and disadvantages for the breeder. While it requires diligent oversight to narrow down the favorable result the breeder wants, it also makes possible the development of new varieties of koi within relatively few generations.

In the wild

Koi have been accidentally or deliberately released into the wild in every continent except Antarctica. They quickly revert to the natural coloration of common carp within a few generations. In many areas, they are considered an invasive species and pests. They greatly increase the turbidity of the water because they are constantly stirring up the substrate.

This makes waterways unattractive, reduces the abundance of aquatic plants, and can render the water unsuitable for swimming or drinking, even by livestock. In some countries, koi have caused so much damage to waterways that vast amounts of money and effort have been spent trying to eradicate them, largely unsuccessfully.

By Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What Do Koi Eat

What Do Koi Eat

Koi are gregarious eaters. This means that they eat a lot for their relative size, relative to other fish species. Koi can typically consume 2% of body weight per day even when fully grown which for a fish is doing pretty well.

They are omnivorous and they have grinding teeth at the back of their mouths. They are not piscivorous in that they do not eat other fish but they will eat small crustaceans, worms, larvae and the like that they like to dig up in the mud in their natural environment. They are natural bottom feeders although in Koi ponds they learn to surface feed very quickly.

Koi will also consume a large quantity of vegetable matter such as algae and plants as anyone who has had unprotected plants in their pond will attest. But pretty much anything and everything that they can get into their mouths, Koi will eat.

As such their diet is highly varied in the wild, allowing them access to a wide range of habitats and contributing to the successful propagation of the species into just about every water course in the world. It has in fact also contributed to the black listing of the species in many nations in the world, ours included. In South Africa, cyprinus carpio has been listed as an invasive species, with Koi requiring specialist regulation overseen by an industry body in order for it to be sold.

Koi are thus relatively easy animals to feed. Herein lies potential danger however because as an aquatic life form the Koi's natural source of food lies within the aquatic eco-system. This means that the protein (amino acid profile), carbohydrate, fats and oils, mineral profile etc of the food you feed your Koi should reflect this.

Koi will adapt to eating dog food pellets if this is all they receive. However, this is not a long term solution as gaps in the nutritional profile requirements of a Koi will manifest themselves in deficiencies within the animal itself that will result in a long term compromise of the overall health of the Koi. In other words, there may be small trace elements and essential amino acids and lipids that are missing that cause the Koi to develop abnormalities. These can sometimes be seen physically on the Koi and can manifest as bad body shapes, lumps in the Koi, poor color, poor luster, lethargy, tumors, cancers and all manner of physical ailments that we may or may not be able to diagnose.

The important word is thus 'balance'. Whatever you feed your Koi it needs to be along term nutritionally balanced Koi specific food. It is not a trout food modified to suit Koi - this cannot and does not work. It is not a Tilapia feed, similarly modified. It is also not green and red pellets comprised of wood shavings bound together by glue!

A good quality Koi food is expensive. But it is necessary to maintain the long term health of your pets. And don't necessarily believe the labels on the side of the bag. We have seen too many times a food, reputable brands included, that report a 36% protein count, only to reflect a 12% content upon analysis! There is NO legal requirement in South Africa to back claims on a label when it comes to Koi food, and unscrupulous vendors take advantage of this fact blatantly.

A good quality Koi food should cost a bit. This is because the quality of the ingredients going into the food need to meet a certain minimum standard. As sad as it maybe, price is a great indication of what you are getting in your food. A bit of basic research online (you're doing it right now) will also tell you very quickly which foods to consider, and which to avoid like the plague!

Of course, as the importers of Hikari we have a vested interest in promoting Hikari Koi food. We make money like this - it is an important revenue stream for our business. We make no bones about it, and nor we claim Hikari to be a cheap food. It is not. What it is is the world's best fish food manufacturer, particularly when it comes to Koi. It has no equal and that is the sole reason we chose this brand to import above any other. You cannot get better, and when it comes to our Koi we Never, Ever compromise in providing them, and you, with nothing less than the very best.





 

Koi Varieties for Sale

Koi Variety

Kikokiryu New Kio Variety

Selecting Asagi/Shusui 

Selecting Kohaku

Selecting Sanke

Selecting Showa

Selecting Utsuri

Selecting Asagi

Selecting Bekko

Selecting Young Hikari Mono

Selecting Young Kohaku

Selecting Young Koromo

Selecting Sanke

Selecting Showa

Selecting Tancho

Selecting Young Utsurimono

How Transfer Koi Into Aquarium or Pond

Bagging Koi After Purchase Australia Koi Auction

By R. D. Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett

When you're confident that your new koi are healthy after three-week quarantine, you can finally introduce your new koi to their new aquatic citadel, whether it's an aquarium or pond. Koi can go directly from quarantine tub to pond  only if the pH values and temperatures are close (0.2 range for pH, and a 5 degree Fahrenheit difference for temperature).

If you're using an outside pond, keep in mind that the water must be 70 degrees F or higher. Adding a new fish to a too-cold pond shuts down the fish's immune system exactly when he needs it the most. If the water isn't warm enough, leave your koi in its quarantine tub until warmer weather arrives.

Koi Shipped To You

1. The pond temperature is likely to be different from your quarantine tub's temperature. Take a few precautions to avoid stressing or shocking your fish:

2. Turn off the heater in the quarantine tub and let the tub reach room temperature overnight.

3. You want less than a 10-degree difference between pond and tub temperatures so your fish aren't shocked.

4. The next morning, if the tub and pond temperatures are more than 5 degrees apart, you need to bag and float your koi in the pond.

5. Use your koi net to bowl your koi (take the handle extension off your net if you're inside).

6. Pour the bowl into a waiting and partially submerged poly bag or lift your koi into the bag. You want just enough water in the bag to cover the fish so the bag isn't too heavy. Rubber-band the bag closed and lift the bag out of the tub.

7. Carry the bag to your aquarium or pond, ease it into the water, and let it float for 20 minutes to equalize the temperatures and keep eye on the bag do not allow the bag to heat up from the sun

8. Open the bag, lift out your koi, and release it.

Millons Koi Killed October 23rd - a Day to Remember-by Mamoru Kodama, Japan

Above was once a mud pond When the earthquake hit the
earth cracked open and all the water and koi were lost

Dear Big Fans of Japanese "Nishikigoi"

On October 23rd, big earthquakes struck the home of Nishikigoi in Niigata prefecture and killed 39 people (as of November 5th). Some 84,000 people are in shelters including all of Nishikigoi producers. As one of Japanese Nishikigoi dealers lived with the producers and their Nishikigoi for over 40 years, I want to ask your support to help them.

Please read my report (below) as well as other pages of this site www.save nishikigoi.net showing you the real story occurred in the home of Nishikigoi. Please (again, please) help us protect Japan's very important heritage. Please support the Nishikigoi producers who have been protecting and growing Japanese Nishikigoi over 200 years.

Yours sincerely,

Mamoru Kodama Chair of Nishikigoi Protection Network

REPORT

At 17:56 pm on October 23rd in 2004, a 6.8-magnitude quake centered only about 80 meters (262 feet) beneath the Earth's surface in the Yamakoshi Village, Koshi-County, Niigata prefecture in Japan rocked the area, ripping through roadways and rattling buildings.

About 84,000 people who lived within 30 km (18.7 miles) away from the Yamakoshi Village and Ojiya City are still temporary shelters: in gyms at public schools or at their automobiles, because of the fear that hundreds of aftershocks continued to jolt the area even after two weeks of the biggest quake.

I assume that you keep Nishikigoi from Japan. If so, there are more than 95 percents possibilities that they were born in Yamakoshi or Ojiya area in Niigata. In other words, the skillful producers grew your Nishikigoi were suffered by the worst earthquake. I have worked with the producers in Ojiya City as well as Yamakoshi Village in the past 40 years as a Nishikigoi dealer.

On October 23rd, I was in Yamakoshi Village on business, however, around the time, it was my fortunate that I was out of the center of the quake, which had an intensity of 7 on the Japanese earthquake scale. When I went back to the area, I lost any of my words because of the astonished disaster and the sight of misery.

My other home town, Yamakoshi, was completely cut off after its only road was torn away in a landslide that upended homes and Koi ponds. Most of the ponds in which the beautiful Nishikigoi were grown up were disappeared. I suppose that this disaster had widely released into all over the world and you know it happened far away from your place. However, I would like to you to take this matter more seriously because it took placed at your precious Nishikigoi's hometown.

There were about 650 Nishikigoi producers in the mountain village. They were completely isolated because roads were ripped in half and overpasses fell from the force of the quakes right after the first big earthquake took place at 17:56 pm on 23rd.

Unfortunately, it killed about 30 people in the area. On 24th, all of residents were rescued by helicopters of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Your Koi's family members in Japan, parent Kois and sibling Kois were discharged from the landslide that upended Koi Ponds. It was nightmare that Yamakoshi Village and Ojiya City which has been proud of the origin of the artistic beauty of Nishikigoi and gives the perfect Nishikigoi to the worshipers all over the world, lost most of the precious Koi at the quake.

Nobody could find any ways to against the disaster which changed all of their daily lives at a moment. However, after a week later, I saw that some of the producers were back to their village on foot and were working at the destroyed Koi ponds that they abandoned for a week.

Apparently, they might lose their lives under the critical condition. The area was still isolated and none could predict when large aftershocks rock all sudden. It was their sincere mission to last the origin of Nishikigoi to the future.

 

As the Japanese Self-Defense Forces did for the residents, they hired helicopters to bring out the survivor Koi to the secure place. The numbers are very small if you compared to the original numbers of the parent Koi. However, the best quality Nishikigoi was not annihilated by the disaster.

I would like to send this message to all Nishikigoi fans. The birthplace of Nishikigoi, Ojiya City and Yamakoshi Village managed to survive. As long as the respectable bravery producers work for the Nishikigoi, the area shall be recovered and enjoy a large natural fortune of Nishikigoi again.

I would greatly appreciate for your warm understanding to the critical situation and kind support for Nishikigoi in Niigata to make the recovery as soon as possible. Your kind encouragements surely give a big power to the people; who have been struggled to overcome their despondencies.

Editor’s Note: This article reprinted from

www.savenishikigoi.net