Blog
Click on the ARTICLE TITLE or READ MORE to read the content.
Hello Koi Enthusiasts!
This blog is here to provide a spot for various things that do or might pertain to Koi. This stuff is intended for your entertainment, and is not meant to meet the stricter standards of our ebooks and courses, so use this info carefully and at your own risk. The short articles here may be descriptions of techniques that have proved effective, an introduction to new fish research, facts, graphs or just something FUN about fish! This information can be a springboard for your imagination and an entertaining place to learn something new. Information that was first published in Question of the Week can be found here.
The more we learn about Koi, the more FUN this hobby is - and we always say - if you're not havin' FUN, you're not doin' it right!
Did you know that the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy? Read about what this may mean for you by clicking on the title or picture...
Light-activated nanoparticles prove effective against antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” Read the story by clicking on the picture or title...
We have all heard that spending time watching fish can have health benefits, but did you know that DONATING money to non-profits that help people (and their Koi!) can actually lower your blood pressure? The first studies suggested that donating time to help others made people healthier, but then it was proved that giving money actually caused a significant reduction in blood pressure! Before presenting the article, I thought I would mention that K.O.I. is a 501c3 Not-For-Profit group, and that all donations are tax deductible! Here's the link in order to donate:
http://koiorganisationinternational.org/?q=koi-donations
So here's the double-whammy - take a course from K.O.I. - learn something new which will help your Koi, and then share your knowledge with other Koi keepers - then you get both health benefits for having supported K.O.I., and of helping others! Read the full article about the research by clicking on the picture or title...
It has often been said that we underestimate the amount of stress on our Koi and the ramifications of stress on Koi health... This article reviews fish handling guidelines, and also discusses the problems of improving fish welfare because of the lack of human empathy with fish.. This is an excellent article for people who fish, and emphasizes the need for humane euthanasia of our Koi. Read the article by clicking on the title or picture...
Not only can Koi survive in murky water, they can also navigate. This study shows one possible reason why. Learn more by clicking on the title or picture...
This was the question that was posed to a vet, and you'll find his response below by clicking on the title or picture...
We all know that introducing pathogens into our pond systems causes disease. Some can be prevented by good Biosecurity, and this article re-iterates key points for Biosecurity. While it is written for recirculating aquaculture (raising prawns) - the points are definitely good review for all Koi keepers! I've highlighted the material in Bold in the article - that can be read by clicking on the title or picture above... Further information can be found in K.O.I. Course #208 - Biosecurity, Quarantine and Record Keeping - CLICK HERE
This document was prepared and distributed by Dr. Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet, Australia. His blog and web site often have excellent information relating to Koi, and he presents FREE webinars. While his practice in Australia includes public aquariums and work with Salmon, he also does pond calls and works with Koi. His web site is: http://thefishvet.com.au/index.html. To get to the link to the New Koi Protocol, click on the picture or title...
Bet you never thought this was possible - the Aussie scientists of CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Org) are actually considering introducing KHV as a means to control unwanted carp! And yes, that's the same species as our Koi! Read the full article by clicking on the title or picture...
Please help K.O.I. to spread the word – Koi should never be released into the wild! Nearly every Koi club in the country will help you deal with unwanted Koi. Please contact your local club and deal with unwanted Koi responsibly by re-homing them, or euthanizing them.
Here’s the list of top 100 invasive species: http://www.issg.org/worst100_species.html
Click on the picture or title to read what they say about the environmental impact of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)...
This elementary school teacher teaches children how to draw Koi! And it will work for you too! Follow the pictoral instructions by clicking on this article's title or picture. From: http://elementaryartfun.blogspot.com/2012/05/koi-fish.html
Koi have actually evolved to be hard to catch - not from predation, but do to the way males chase females to breed. The picture above shows how males corner a female in the shallows or a mud pond during natural breeding. The study below was done on guppies, but directly relates to our Koi. Read more by clicking on the picture or title...
Turns out that the answer to this is in the evolutionary advantage of small fish over big fish. Find out more by clicking on the title or picture...
The genetic traits of shiny scales (Hikari varieties) and metallic scales (GinRin varieties) are very strong. Often even the best-bred Koi will have a stray GinRin scale. Turns out that the genetic traits for shiny and metallic scales are part of fish defense mechanisms that have been millions of years in the making! Read more about this fascinating research by clicking on the title or picture...
While most common in fancy goldfish, most of us have seen Koi that have compromised swim bladders. They either can't dive, or have trouble getting off the bottom. This interesting article on Swim Bladder disease was posted on The Fish Channel.com, and written by Dr. Chad Harris, DVM on November 4th 2015. Read the full article by clicking on the title or picutre.
These beautiful goldfish-shaped teabags make a strong case for the tasteful (and tasty) presentation for using a tea bag rather than an infuser.
The tea bags don’t look like much before the hot water has been added, but once they’re submerged and colored by the tea within, they really do look like goldfish! Find out where you can buy them and see more pics by clicking on the title or picture. Note - The nice folks at creativeteabags have offered a SPECIAL 20% DISCOUNT for K.O.I. ONLY! See the full article to take advantage of the discount...
You've all heard of KHV and perhaps less frequently of SVC, but did you know there's a 3rd deadly virus that affects our Koi, and it's spreading... Read more by clicking on the picture or title... This article was dated June 16, 2015.
One of the most beneficial and FUN things to do when you're a Koi keeper is to spend time watching the Koi! We learn what normal behavior and respiration rates are for each fish, which makes it a lot easier to diagnose a problem when it occurs. Turns out that watching the fish is also something that's good for science... Read the article by clicking on the title or picture.
Lots of Koi keepers advocate keeing plants in their ponds. Those who don't have plants in their landscape around their ponds, so it seemed reasonable to post this very interesting (albeit a bit geeky) article about the taxonomy of plants. Read the article by clicking on the title or picture.
It's fall, and lots of Koi keepers are preparing their ponds for the winter. One of my club members asked me how much salt they should add for the winter. My reply was NONE! Read why by clicking on the title or picture...
What's your guess - 2 years? 5 years? Find out the answer by clicking on the title or picture...
A high fish diet lowers the risk of becoming depressed by around 17 per cent, studies show. For men it is even higher, cutting the likelihood by 20 per cent. Read more about this recent research by clicking on the title or photo...
Blue Planet Aquarium, Cheshire Oaks, England, will showcase a novel automated fish health monitor for the first time on Saturday, September 12th. Read more by clicking on the picture or title...
Pages
!If you're not havin' FUN, you're not doin' it right
