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Hello all you Butterfly Koi Lovers,
Here is my experience with feeding Butterfly Koi in an aquarium. First, let me tell you about my aquarium setup. I have three beautiful butterfly Koi in which one is gold, one is white with orange markings, and the last one is white with black markings. When I purchased them, back in May, two were about 3 inches long and the other about 5inches in length. Now they are about 5 inches and 7 inches from mouth to the longest part of their tail fins. Yeah, rapid growth, but I have read that while Butterfly Koi raised in aquariums do not grow as large as those in ponds, and that their finnage grows longer and is more lush. It is this quality in the Butterfly Koi that attracted them to me. To watch them swim about is a pond or an aquarium with their long fins flowing after them is one of the most beautiful images I have ever witness.
I knew that I had to have them. However, for the longest time I did not purchase any because of their potential size as adults and that many retailers and hobbyists recommended and raised them in ponds. Bummer! However, the beautiful of the fish still haunted me. So I did more research and slowly I found information where Butterfly Koi hobbyists were winterizing them in aquariums over the winter and putting them back in pond in the summer, while other hobbyists raising them in large aquariums all year long.
Eureka! I found a way to raised Butterfly Koi, and considering that they might reach from 22 to 36 inches, I am undaunted. At their present size, there will be time to judge when I will need to upgrade their living quarters. For now, they are in a 55-gallon aquarium with an AquaTop 400 canister filtering system and two Tetra Whispers power filters. Because butterfly Koi produce a lot of waste like goldfish, I do a weekly 25% water change and once a monthly I breakdown and clean all filtering systems.
Having raised Goldfish for some years now, I have found that Butterfly Koi share some similarities in regards to their care. Both fish types live in cold water with the Butterfly Koi temperatures ranging from 33 to 90 degrees. Therefore, there is no need for a heater. Like my Goldfish the Butterfly Koi are omnivore, and in addition to their regular Koi diet, the enjoy many of the additions foods and treats that my Goldfish enjoy. This said all is well with my Butterfly Koi to date.
Now getting back to the topic of this post, which is combating cloudy water, I always purchase my fish young because I like raisin them and they tend to recognize the hand that feeds them are less sly. Anyway, I overfed them and within no time to water was cloudy. Knowing that it was my fault, I regained some sense and cut back to feeding them as I do my goldfish, which is small amount three times a day. I feed Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried Blood Worms for Pets, Ecological Labs MLLSPSM Microbe Lift Sinking Pellets Fish Food, peas, bread, Tetra Flaked Fish Food, 6.35-Ounce, and the Tetra Algae Wafers. Although wafers were intended for the loaches, the Butterfly Koi likes them as well.
After doing the monthly aquarium maintenance last week, the aquarium is clear. However, I am wondering if by cutting back on the amount I feed them for water clarity am I sacrificing the health and growth of my fish.
Thoughts on this would be helpful.
Until next time,
AquaristButterfly
Here is my experience with feeding Butterfly Koi in an aquarium. First, let me tell you about my aquarium setup. I have three beautiful butterfly Koi in which one is gold, one is white with orange markings, and the last one is white with black markings. When I purchased them, back in May, two were about 3 inches long and the other about 5inches in length. Now they are about 5 inches and 7 inches from mouth to the longest part of their tail fins. Yeah, rapid growth, but I have read that while Butterfly Koi raised in aquariums do not grow as large as those in ponds, and that their finnage grows longer and is more lush. It is this quality in the Butterfly Koi that attracted them to me. To watch them swim about is a pond or an aquarium with their long fins flowing after them is one of the most beautiful images I have ever witness.
I knew that I had to have them. However, for the longest time I did not purchase any because of their potential size as adults and that many retailers and hobbyists recommended and raised them in ponds. Bummer! However, the beautiful of the fish still haunted me. So I did more research and slowly I found information where Butterfly Koi hobbyists were winterizing them in aquariums over the winter and putting them back in pond in the summer, while other hobbyists raising them in large aquariums all year long.
Eureka! I found a way to raised Butterfly Koi, and considering that they might reach from 22 to 36 inches, I am undaunted. At their present size, there will be time to judge when I will need to upgrade their living quarters. For now, they are in a 55-gallon aquarium with an AquaTop 400 canister filtering system and two Tetra Whispers power filters. Because butterfly Koi produce a lot of waste like goldfish, I do a weekly 25% water change and once a monthly I breakdown and clean all filtering systems.
Having raised Goldfish for some years now, I have found that Butterfly Koi share some similarities in regards to their care. Both fish types live in cold water with the Butterfly Koi temperatures ranging from 33 to 90 degrees. Therefore, there is no need for a heater. Like my Goldfish the Butterfly Koi are omnivore, and in addition to their regular Koi diet, the enjoy many of the additions foods and treats that my Goldfish enjoy. This said all is well with my Butterfly Koi to date.
Now getting back to the topic of this post, which is combating cloudy water, I always purchase my fish young because I like raisin them and they tend to recognize the hand that feeds them are less sly. Anyway, I overfed them and within no time to water was cloudy. Knowing that it was my fault, I regained some sense and cut back to feeding them as I do my goldfish, which is small amount three times a day. I feed Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried Blood Worms for Pets, Ecological Labs MLLSPSM Microbe Lift Sinking Pellets Fish Food, peas, bread, Tetra Flaked Fish Food, 6.35-Ounce, and the Tetra Algae Wafers. Although wafers were intended for the loaches, the Butterfly Koi likes them as well.
After doing the monthly aquarium maintenance last week, the aquarium is clear. However, I am wondering if by cutting back on the amount I feed them for water clarity am I sacrificing the health and growth of my fish.
Thoughts on this would be helpful.
Until next time,
AquaristButterfly
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