Koi content that appears in the print magazine.
Being a fourth-generation fish farmer, I grew up on my family’s ornamental goldfish and koi farm in rural Missouri. My love of fish was instilled in me as a young girl, and the process of shipping live fish has always fascinated me. My dual understanding of the importance of overall fish health and safely packaging …
Most pond owners come to have a passion not only for the aesthetic of their pond, but also for the aquatic life that inhabits it. At Fitz’s Fish Ponds, our passion lies with Japanese koi. Over the past decade, we have learned a lot about the optimal ways to keep koi healthy. Everything heavily relies …
Language of Koi | Keeping Koi Healthy with Water Quality Read More »
Ever so many years, thanks to breeders’ efforts, we enjoy encountering new varieties. Most of the time, however, they are a metallic, Ginrin or Doitsu version of existing varieties. I believe only few can be called a completely new variety. Golden Corn, which I am going to introduce here, is one of the few new …
Language of Koi | Golden Corn Koi Variety Debuts in Japan Read More »
We all know that koi can’t talk. So, what do we mean by the language of koi? Before you bought your first koi (and became koi kichi), I’m sure you saw the big red and white fish at the koi shows and went home to tell your friends about the beautiful, “big red and white …
Koi, or nishikigoi, are known as living jewels. In Japanese, koi means love or affection. What makes them so special? Koi are smart fish with brilliant colors, body confirmation and personality. They can be fed out of your hand. They are so mesmerizing that people keep coming back to check on them. Feeding them is …
Language of Koi | Understanding Color-Changing Koi Read More »
Doitsu koi are gaining in popularity with backyard pond owners. These koi without scales truly are a beautiful addition to any koi pond or collection. They stand out brilliantly in pond water due to the absence of scales, bright colors and a dramatic overall appearance. Metallic-variety Doitsu koi usually have dazzling iridescent skin, which can …
Language of Koi | The Dramatic Beauty of Doitsu Koi Read More »
October is the most exciting time of the year for all koi dealers and hobbyists. It is also the time of the koi harvests in Japan. Every day in October, breeders harvest so many living jewels. Before COVID-19, buyers from all over the world came to the small towns of Ojiya and Nagaoka in Niigata, …
Language of Koi | Rare Varieties at the Japan Koi Harvest Read More »
When I was young and barely hip-high to my father, he began taking my older brother and me trout fishing at the local creek. I had no fishing pole — I was only there to observe, since my casting skills were still lacking. As the story goes, while I was exploring the shoreline, I spotted …
We recently received a call from a customer who reported something they had not seen in more than 46 years. Their pond had been rebuilt last season, and the rebalancing act had become a bit of a mess, thanks in part to this season’s extremely hot weather. After getting the water quality in check, they …
Troubleshooting Unusual Pond Koi and Water Quality Problems Read More »
For koi enthusiasts, traveling to Japan, the birthplace of koi fish, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As koi dealers, we are spoiled and usually get to travel to Japan at least once a year. After five years of going on koi-buying trips, we have been lucky to learn from the top breeders about what to look …
