So the moderators are moderating the moderators?

Gotta agree that this one did veer away from the "fresnel cone zone".

Question for you Koi Carpers: are they as durable a species as the common carp found feeding off of the bottoms of lakes and rivers around the world? Any life expectancy estimates for them? Could google for the info but would mean more coming from someone in Udon who is actually sharing their ponds with them.

polehawk wrote:So the moderators are moderating the moderators?

Question for you Koi Carpers: are they as durable a species as the common carp found feeding off of the bottoms of lakes and rivers around the world? Any life expectancy estimates for them? Could google for the info but would mean more coming from someone in Udon who is actually sharing their ponds with them.

Yes and good. The mods are just forum members like everybody else, the rules apply. It's a thread hijack, for which I was partly responsible...so it is.

Koi live 30 or so years on average. Exceptionally, they can live much longer. Their life span is less than the average wild carp if it reaches its normal term, due to some damage to the genetics caused by selective breeding I understand. I think they are derived from the Asian Grey Carp, rather than the "Common Carp", which refers to a particular species, although I do know what you meant Polehawk.

Errr...which members do you think are sharing ponds with Koi?? I know there are some apparent strange proclivities on here, but I sort of imagined most used condo's or houses for accommodation

John

yorkman wrote:Koi live 30 or so years on average. Exceptionally, they can live much longer. Their life span is less than the average wild carp if it reaches its normal term, due to some damage to the genetics caused by selective breeding I understand. I think they are derived from the Asian Grey Carp, rather than the "Common Carp", which refers to a particular species, although I do know what you meant Polehawk.

Errr...which members do you think are sharing ponds with Koi?? I know there are some apparent strange proclivities on here, but I sort of imagined most used condo's or houses for accommodation

John

30 years? WOW! That's definitely more bang for the buck, er pound, John. Selective inbreeding in a pond, maybe, but still sounds like a hardy species. Able to endure everything except the local hungry Huck Finn and stray soi cats, I suppose. Might have to seriously consider getting a pack of chihuahuas (life expectancy of 20 years) to roam the property and scare off intruders. Ooops, talk about straying....

In a sense, we would be sharing the pond since we would get the pleasure of watching the Kois feed, frolic and procreate and they would earn their dough by keeping the bottom spotless. As far as the more strange members residing in their ponds, I would suggest counting noses the morning after monthly meetings. Might need another moderator to handle that one.

As a famous (in a satire) politician said to the press "You may well think so, I could'nt possibly comment"

Back to Koi Carp..... who actually has a decent pond in Udon, that they do not live in, just the fish?.....I'd love to take a look

Boy John, in this day of enviromental concern, you want a pond only shared by the fish. If you use it as a pool also or spa you can save water. Heck put a couple of parinha in and this could get exciting.

Save water is the code of the day.

Whilst all you pond experts are reading this thread - I have a quick question.
I have the standard large bowl in the garden full of guppies and a lotus plant, recently the whole lot has become engulfed in an awful green weed which resembles cotton wool - very stringy and slimy.
Is this good and can I ignore it - or should i try to remove it?

I have the standard large bowl in the garden full of guppies and a lotus plant, recently the whole lot has become engulfed in an awful green weed which resembles cotton wool - very stringy and slimy.
Is this good and can I ignore it - or should i try to remove it?

Paul, that is known as blanket weed. It's not dangerous to the fish but if not removed it will fill the whole pond.

See this link for more info http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longwhatisblanketweed.html

If you remove most of it periodically you will remove the excess nutrients in your bowl. It will return, but it is acting as a sort of natural filter for you.

If it bothers you, and yes, its a bit unsightly, try moving your bowl to a less sunny position perhaps

Read the link - thanks
I am gonna ignore it - just perhaps take bits away if it begins to completely take over , but it seems to be doing a worthwhile job and is somewhere for the ever increasing baby fish population to hide.
Thanks for the info

Paul

Koi in Japan have records of reaching 180 years old . One thingis that it is not possible to buy in the uk or outside japan fish of the highest qyality .

Fish imported to the uk are more often than not those that would be culled the next year . The is one record of a quality koi being shipped to the uk . It was impoorted by a Koi company near hEATHROW AMID MUCH PUBLICITY AT THE TIME . The fish was a past grand champion in Japan and was valued at over a million pound . The uk company took it on loan to publicise there business . i WENT TO SEE IT THE DAY OT ARROIVED AND IT WAS A MAGNIFICANT FISH , and was swimming happily about in around a 40.000 gallon tank all to itself. I think it was aged around 60 years but it mattered not as the next day it was dead . Stress kills Koi and when they go they can go very quick .

I imported from Japan 100 fish of grade 2 B koi , the top qulity allowed out of japan at that time . they where each about i inch long and cost me 8 pound each (20 years ago) over the years fifty have died from one thing or another and the rest are still living happily in my friends pond in Weybridge . The biggest is about 2 foot six and the smallest probably around 12 inches. I guess if they had stayed in japan none of them would be alive as fish for sale in japan are culled every three months . the lower qualities are sold outside the country but when it comes to the hightr quality fish the culling is quite severe . and a fish that nearly makes the grade is killed rather than sold .. which is why I guess that no other country apart from japan has ever won the koi championships to my knowledge.
Single fish are sold for thousands of pounds in Japan . if you are buying a top quality fish then there is quite a performance to go through . You are taken to the pond where fish in the price bracket you wish to buy are . you pick a fish , lets say 10.000 pound. That fish is seperated from the others along with a fish of equeal value from the pond . The fish of equal value is killed and you sall sit down and eat it . then y0ou get to pay for the fish you have bought . If I remember correctly about 8 years ago the record paid for one fish exceeded a million pound. Its all mucho big business in Japan.