Koi Feeding: Maximize Nutrition and Health
The easiest way you can beautify your surroundings, almost regardless of size is by adding a water feature in your yard. Once that’s done, you will want to add fish to the pond. You don’t have to wrack your brain for the type of fish to put in your pond; the most popular one is obvious to many people who love koi. When you already have this variety of fish in your pond, it is fairly easy to take care of them, but you will have to know the details of koi feeding.
With such beautiful fish as pets, it’s hard not to over feed your carp. Essentially, when you’ve stocked your pond well enough, you don’t have to feed your koi at all. They will easily live off the insects, algae and other little morsels that the environment provides. However, personally feeding koi allows you to build a stronger and more rewarding relationship with your fish. These varieties of fish are very sociable species and will gladly eat out of your hand when they get a little training. You have to start with feeding your carp in the same place.
As soon as you get them into your pond, make sure you stand in one place every time you feed them. Start with dropping a small handful of fish food into the water. At this point, you’ll easily distinguish the bravest of your fish as well as the hungriest. They’ll be the first ones to start eating. The rest will follow after them. While they’re eating, make sure that they can see you. This means you have to stand around until they’re done eating. Soon, they’ll begin to associate you with food sufficiently to eat out of the palm of your hand – wouldn’t it be wonderful to do koi feeding from your hand?
With regard to carp feeding guide, you have to know that your fish’ metabolism is at its best if the water is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Digestion becomes difficult if the water temp goes below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Aside from feeding your koi with pellets, you can also give your Koi bits and pieces of bread, squash, peas, watermelon and citrus fruits. These are a good source of carbohydrates for your koi.
One interesting thing to remember with koi feeding is that a koi’s mouth is characterized by pharyngeal teeth that are able to grind food material so thoroughly that it passes directly and usually harmlessly into the koi’s digestive tract eliminating the need for a stomach to pre-digest the food. A Koi also will spit out substances that it deems by their texture to be indigestible.
You only need to feed your fish small sprinkles of food for about three to five minutes. Anything past that is considered overfeeding and your fish could die from that. Take note that water temperature is a factor with koi feeding. If the water temperature is less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, don’t feed your fish. Beginning around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you can feed your fish once per day daily. You might like to add protein pellets into the mix as well as some fruit and vegetables. Koi pellets should be given to the Koi within three months of the purchase date.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Koi-Feeding:-Maximize-Nutrition-and-Health&id=5970014
Caring for Your Discus Fish
Discus are a popular tropical fish species to keep in the home. If looked after they can live for quite a few years but on average it is four to five. There are some key tips for keeping Discus Fish in good condition. Some of these are typical to all tropical fish and some are specific to Discus.
As they are quite a large fish, they need a lot of space and a large tropical fish tank should be used. The size will vary depending on how many fish you intend to keep but a tank of at least 40 gallons should be used.
The temperature needs to be kept at a fairly constant and Discus like it quite hot (about 82-86 deg Fahrenheit). To maintain this temperature, the tank should be kept away from sources of cold and heat such as draughts from windows and external doors, direct sunlight and fires or radiators. A reliable aquarium heater should be used, and if you have a large tank it is worth having more than one to distribute the heat evenly and as a back up.
The first time you fill the fish tank it should be left for two to three weeks for the filters to settle in and the water should be treated with a chemical agent. Any fish tank equipment, ornaments or gravels need to be thoroughly washed a few times, to remove dirt and bacteria, before placing them in the water.
Discus Fish will eat a variety of foods including flakes and frozen shrimp.
The tropical fish tank should be cleaned regularly and as Discus are a large fish, they produce a lot of waste so the water should be changed, or at least partially changed on a weekly basis to ensure a healthy environment. It is also a good idea to use a large and efficient filter to as Discus need very clean water.
Discus are a communal, and generally non-aggressive species and several can be kept together. Ideally if you intend to add any new fish to the aquarium, they should be kept in a separate quarantine tank for a few days and observed for any signs of disease or other issues before introducing them into the main fish tank with other fish. Other tropical fish can be kept in the same tank but it is best to avoid other large fish or fast swimmers. Bottom feeding catfish make an ideal tank companion.
Discus’s live on average four to five years but may last longer if you look after them well
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Caring-for-Your-Discus-Fish&id=6329857
.