14 Year Old Builds Koi Pond

Take a look at this inspiring video of a 14 year old koi enthusiast who built his own koi pond. Marvelous job!

I love the koi he’s got….especially the butterfly koi.

Barbels, Teeth, Stomach and Stuff You Thought You Knew about Koi

Here’s a Pop Quiz:

1. What are koi barbels?

Well, if you do not know what ‘barbels’ mean, it’s ok. Many people wouldn’t know either.

Most people just call ‘em ‘whiskers’, for want of a better word. I’m referring to the long protrusions at the top of a koi’s mouth.

Koi Barbels

Actually, the koi has 2 pairs of barbels, the top pair being more prominent than the bottom one. Barbels are actually tactile organs that contain taste buds and are used by the koi to sense food especially in murky waters or under the sand.

2. Do koi have teeth? How about a stomach?

It may surprise you, but koi do NOT have teeth or a stomach.

How do they digest their food, then?

Well, when the koi eat, their food actually goes through the mouth and are crushed by bony projections in their gills before passing through the esophagus into the intestines. The koi’s intestines are very long and that’s where the food is completely digested.

Do You Know Your Koi’s Nature and Personality?

Many years ago, I used to keep small aquarium fishes indoors. I had some goldfish, guppies, tetras, black mollies and others. One day, I bought some tiger barb and green barb fishes. Tiger barbs are striped while the green barbs are a beautiful emerald green and I thought they would be nice additions to my aquarium. Size-wise, they were no bigger than some of the other fishes, such as the goldfishes and mollies.

Little did I know how fierce and aggressive tiger barbs and green barbs are. They killed some of the other fish the day I put them into the tank. I still remember the look of sheer terror on the face of some of my goldfish being chased around the tank by the menacing tiger barbs. I then realized that they don’t call them tiger barbs because of their stripes!

I gave up keeping aquarium fishes and eventually took to keeping koi. What a welcome change!

Koi are very peaceful and non-aggressive fish although they have a tendency to mess up the bottom of the pond and might even destroy some plants. But koi do not have teeth, so you will not get bitten even if you try to feed them out of your hand (one of the special things about owning koi).

By the way, I’ve just added another interesting page on this website entitled, ‘How To Hand Feed Your Koi’. Check it out!

Koi are omnivorous fish, which means they will eat both plants and meat, making their diet very versatile. But the downside of it is that, as their owner you must control their diet otherwise they may overeat or eat food that is not good for them.

Your Koi’s Personality

Did you know that koi actually have personalities similar to other animals? The more time you spend with your koi, the more you will notice each koi individual characteristics and traits. For example, I have a Kohaku that is the most active and is the first get to the food everytime. I call him Speedy. He’s also a natural leader. Where he goes, there are bound to be others that will follow.

My special koi, Speedy

Koi have been known to live as long as 200 years, but generally the average lifespan of a healthy koi is about 30 to 50 years. So if you are looking for a long term pet companion, koi is definitely a good choice.

Learning how to keep koi is easy if you have a good step-by-step guide.

To start on this exciting adventure of owing your very own koi fish and pond, just sign up for my FREE 10-part mini course, ‘How to Keep Koi’ Tips and Tricks. Signing up is simple. Just fill in your name and email in the box on the right or down below.

If you want to know everything there is to know about koi keeping, get my e-book ‘What Your Pet Shop Owner Won’t Tell You About Keeping Koi’. This is the most comprehensive manual on koi keeping available on the Internet. Just follow my step-by-step guide and pretty soon, you will have the most vibrant, healthy and colorful koi you could ever dream of owning. Grab your copy today and you will receive some kick-butt bonuses for FREE as well.