Koi fish are a breed that are well known and popular for the water garden as they are variant in colors, sizes, and they are one of the easier types of fish to care for. Koi are going to balance the water garden, and will live in harmony with your plants.
What you should avoid when purchasing koi:
Avoid fish that have parasites, as these fish will require medication often not living long at all. learn more about the different types of parasites on fish through the articles on this site. Parasites live and eat from the fish itself, eventually killing off the fish when it is heavily infested.
Avoid koi that have gill plates that stick out from the head, otherwise known as standing proud from the head. The gills that are sticking out become caught, irritated and can become infected easily.
Do not purchase koi that have bumps on the side of the head. The bumps on the sides of the head mean that this fish has some other type of medical problem and will not be a species that will live long or thrive in the water garden.
Koi that have red on the body or fins that looks like blood under the skin or under the gills are not a fish that you will have success with. Raised scales or holes that appear in the skin of the fish means infection or disease, stay away from fish with this problem.
If you find fish that have cloudy eyes, or that have white blooming looking sections on the gills, these are sick fish. Fins that are looking black, brown or that are broken are not fish that will thrive without attention as they are sick or diseased.
In purchasing koi for your water garden, avoid purchasing fish that are swimming near the top of the water. Fish that are swimming near the top of the water are in stress, having a hard time breathing and could be ill.
courtesy pondsupply.com
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