Will my koi get color?

[davidoffbeat]

I keep coming here expecting one word responses but you guys are like encyclopedias full of koi info. Thanks again.

I do have all the above test kits, a good filter as well as a UPS battery backup incase the power goes out. I have a smaller 30 gallon tank with some black moor goldfish and tetras that I've had a while now...So I'm not COMPLETELY new to aquariums, just new to koi. I think the hardest part will be knowing how much to feed them. I know the rule of thumb is to feed them as much as they can eat for 5 minutes but sometimes that seems like a lot.

So far I'm in love with my koi, their tank is near my desk at home and often times I look over and see them in the corner of the tank closest to me, and they stare right at me. They also usually come to the top of the tank if I approach them...so far they are not shy at all.

[CarolinaGirl]

There is a koi show coming up in Charlotte in a couple of weeks. You should try to get to that one!! There will be some wonderful show fish there, lots of vendors and some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

Welcome to Piedmont Koi and Watergarden Society for more information.

[davidoffbeat]

Hi guys, I'm a big of a tech nerd and thought of another question to ask about lighting. Right now I have the standard aquarium lighting. I'm considering buying/building an LED lighting set up. Does color of light affect the koi at all? I know they have standard white colors and often time sell blue colored lights. Any idea if this would have a negative effect?

[PapaBear]

I don't think LED's provide any light spectrum that would be of value to their development. Koi with vibrant colors require a reasonable amount of natural light for it to develop properly. Without good light Reds and Oranges tend to wash out and have a thin, dull appearance.

[davidoffbeat]

Heres a video of them.

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by davidoffbeat Hi guys, I'm a big of a tech nerd and thought of another question to ask about lighting. Right now I have the standard aquarium lighting. I'm considering buying/building an LED lighting set up. Does color of light affect the koi at all? I know they have standard white colors and often time sell blue colored lights. Any idea if this would have a negative effect?

Yes, the color of the light is extremely important when providing illumination for your aquarium. You can buy full-spectrum fluorescent tubes that will provide an equivalent light to natural sunlight. Make sure it is Full-Spectrum, not wide spectrum. I just don't know if LED can make an equivalent to natural sunlight. Nothing less will do.

I use a 75 gallon aquarium as a QT (quarantine tank) for my new arrivals. They actually love being able to see around them through the glass and always greet me with excited wags and smooshed beaks against the sides when they see me coming. Some people don't seem to have this same experience with their koi in a glass or plexi enclosure, but I have had extremely good success with it.

Small pellet food is what you're looking for to feed them, not flakes. Koi are not tropical fish, but piscean pigs that would love nothing more than to eat you out of house and home. *LOL* Hikari, Dainichi, Hai Feng are all brands that I have tried and liked. Don't go cheap on the food. Cheap food will really make a mess of your tank in no time at all by the amount of poop produced by the fish, which sometimes seems to be evacuated in a greater amount than what you actually fed.

Marie

[davidoffbeat]

Another pic, the 2 I bought from the fish pros store are STARTING to get color where as the one from petsmart is already really orange.

It's weird to me that one can develop color so quickly (younger/smaller orange one) and the other 2 are way bigger/older and getting color just veryyy slow.

[Auntiesue]

Very Kool!!! Now you see what the breeders in Japan go through when they have to decide what to keep and what to .... well, not keep!! This is part of the joy of collecting koi. They change!!! Sometimes, not for the good I'm afraid!! LOL