Koi for Dummies

298 Pages·2007·5.94 MB·English

by  R. D. Bartlett

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Koi
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by R.D.Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett
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Koi
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by R.D.Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett
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Koi For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2006939497
ISBN: 978-0-470-09913-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Authors
R. D. Bartlettbegan his pet fish-keeping when he netted minnows
out of the brooks near Springfield, Massachusetts. He moved to
Florida and began working as the general manager for Aquarium
Supply, a tropical fish, goldfish, and koi wholesaler, and then
opened his own pet shop.
Patricia Bartlettgrew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and began
keeping fish at age 10.She has journeyed to Costa Rica and Peru to
net and write about angelfish, discus, and knife fish.She is a recent
convert to the wonderful world of koi.
The Bartlettshave co-authored numerous pet care books, mostly
centering on reptiles and amphibians.
Authors’ Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the many koi keepers who have
shared their knowledge so freely, especially Butch Kuhl of Pond
Amour and John Hadley of Superior Koi Heaters. We would also
like to express our appreciation to Grace Freedson.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online
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Cover Photos: © Anna Yu/Alamy Special Help:Victoria M. Adang
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
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Publishing for Technology Dummies
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Composition Services
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Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction.......................................................1
Part I: Koi Basics...............................................7
Chapter 1: Going “Koi Kichi” — Crazy for Koi........................................9
Chapter 2: Knowing Your Koi..................................................................17
Chapter 3: Making Sure Koi Are Right for You......................................35
Chapter 4: A Koi Buyer’s Guide..............................................................47
Part II: Living with Koi, Inside and Out.............61
Chapter 5: Preparing for Your Koi’s Homecoming...............................63
Chapter 6: Planning Your Koi Pond........................................................77
Chapter 7: Building Your Pond...............................................................93
Chapter 8: Making It Pretty: Landscaping the Pond..........................119
Chapter 9: Maintaining Your Pond.......................................................133
Chapter 10: Keeping Koi Inside............................................................151
Part III: Caring for Koi and Keeping
Them Healthy................................................169
Chapter 11: Koi Nutrition 101...............................................................171
Chapter 12: Diffusing Koi Stress...........................................................183
Chapter 13: Spotting and Treating Common Koi Ailments...............191
Part IV: The Big Leagues: Koi Breeding
and Showing..................................................215
Chapter 14: Breeding Koi.......................................................................217
Chapter 15: The Small Fry: Bringing Up Baby Koi..............................231
Chapter 16: Koi Shows: Your All-Access Pass to Koi Kichi-dom......241
Part V: The Part of Tens..................................255
Chapter 17: Ten Things to Do When the Power Goes Out................257
Chapter 18: Ten Things to Check If Your Koi Seem Sick....................261
Index.............................................................265
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Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................1
About This Book.........................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book................................................2
What You’re Not to Read............................................................2
Foolish Assumptions..................................................................3
How This Book Is Organized......................................................3
Part I: Koi Basics...............................................................3
Part II: Living with Koi, Inside and Out..........................3
Part III: Caring for Koi and Keeping Them Healthy......4
Part IV: The Big Leagues: Koi Breeding and Showing..4
Part V: The Part of Tens...................................................4
Icons Used in This Book.............................................................5
Where to Go from Here..............................................................5
Part I: Koi Basics ...............................................7
Chapter 1: Going “Koi Kichi” — Crazy for Koi. . . . . . . . . 9
Appreciating the Beauty of Koi: The Underground Fad.......10
The Three Types of Koi-Keepers.............................................10
Knowing the Essentials for Any Koi-Keeper..........................11
The winner for “Most Obvious”: Koi............................11
A transitional home for your koi..................................11
A permanent home for your koi
(most likely a pond)...................................................12
Pond gadgets: The filter and pump..............................12
Understanding the Demands of a Koi Pond...........................13
Keeping Koi Healthy: A Brief How-To.....................................14
Joining a Koi Club: What It Can Do for You;
What You Can Do for It.........................................................15
Magnifying Your Pleasure: The Many Ways
to Enjoy Your Koi..................................................................16
Chapter 2: Knowing Your Koi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
In the Beginning: A Brief History of Koi.................................17
Taming of the carp: Koi’s grand pappy........................17
Moving from food to art.................................................18
Launching a hobby.........................................................19
Assessing the Beauty Marks of a Koi Today..........................19
First things first: Understanding the difference
between goldfish and koi...........................................20
The anatomy of a koi......................................................22
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Koi For Dummies
How big are we talking? The size of koi.......................22
Recognizing the finer points of koi...............................23
The Confusing Part (Made Simple): Koi Varieties.................26
Color me koi: The rainbow of many shades................27
Simply brilliant! The divisions of metallic
and nonmetallic koi....................................................28
The Popularity Contest: Which Varieties
Take the Trophy?...................................................................31
The Karate Kids of Koi: Tategoi and Their Potential............32
Chapter 3: Making Sure Koi Are Right for You . . . . . . . 35
Do You Have the Space It Takes?............................................36
Calculating a koi’s fin-flippin’ space.............................36
Estimating the space your koi’s habitat requires.......37
Is Time on Your Side?...............................................................38
Keeping up a koi pond...................................................38
Being prepared for a lifelong commitment..................39
Do You Have the Bread to Buy, House, and Care for Koi?...40
The cost of the fish alone..............................................40
The equipment that gives your koi a home................41
The necessary funds for koi maintenance..................42
Building a Pond? Construction Costs to Consider...............43
Securing the necessary permits...................................43
Digging the hole..............................................................43
Buying a preformed pond..............................................44
Installing a pond liner....................................................44
Pouring a cement pond..................................................45
Accounting for Your Climate...................................................46
Chapter 4: A Koi Buyer’s Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Oh Where, Oh Where to Buy My Koi?....................................47
Recognizing the major markets: Japan, Israel,
and the United States.................................................48
Visiting your local garden store (or pet store
or aquarium shop)......................................................50
Heading straight for the source: Local breeders........51
Going once, going twice, sold at a local koi auction...51
Surfing (online) for koi...................................................53
Going “away” for your koi..............................................53
Determining What You See and What You Get......................55
Choosing colors and patterns to suit your style........55
Considering size: What’s right for you?.......................56
Selecting healthy koi......................................................57
Best bets for the indecisive:
Advice from yours truly.............................................59
Buying Koi “To Go”...................................................................60