Tag Archives: Setting

Setting Up a Koi Fish Tank

The brilliantly colored and gracefully mobile koi fish make great pets and the ideal ornamental fish for hobbyists. The Japanese specifically bred them for color and have continued to develop different varieties of koi. While they may be colorful, koi are blessed with great intelligence and the toughness of the carp, their ancestors. If you wish to keep these beautiful creatures as pets, you will need to build a koi fish tank.

The most important task is to keep the fish healthy by maintaining your koi fish tank. These fish aren’t difficult to take care since they adapt to different conditions. However, like all other beings they need to live in reasonably hygienic environment. To begin with, you need to keep the water in the koi fish tank clean and remove unwanted fish waste and excess food. Fish waste contains ammonia which can disturb the pH balance of the water, leaving the koi vulnerable to sickness and even death.

A good filtration system is essential for a koi fish tank. This system will filter out the waste, bacteria, and algae that can cause illness. An aeration filter will help circulate the oxygen content in the water, making the fish look more vibrant and colorful. It is also essential to main the water temperature since their food digestion and metabolism depends on it. A water temperature between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect for feeding them twice a day. Anything lower than 50 degrees you ought to stop feeding them since they prefer to eat only algae.

By maintaining your koi fish tank you will be able to monitor the fish well and observe their color patterns. A dull color with unusual spots on the body indicates an unhealthy koi that requires attention. You can try changing the water and their food to see if there is any improvement.

You need to keep plenty of fish supplies for your koi fish tank. Apart from the filtration system and aerator, a UV sterilizer will disinfect the water and reduce waterborne bacteria and algae. The rays from the sterilizer repel bacteria formation and keep the koi fish tank clean.  A water heater is also essential to maintain the right temperature for the fish to survive. A heater is essential for baby koi since they cannot survive in very cold conditions. A strainer is also necessary to gather waste and food particles that gather in the tank. These are essential supplies required for a koi fish tank. Although it may cost you a bit, these supplies will ensure that your koi fish remain healthy. Moreover, it will give you the satisfaction of owning a proud collection of colorful koi.

Studies indicate that simply watching a koi fish tank has a number of therapeutic benefits. For the kids, a fish tank is said to reduce their anxiety levels and bring about a behavioral change in them. Adults too can benefit in the same way and reduce their stress levels by watching a colorful bubbling koi fish tank. The dining room, they say, is one of the best places to keep a fish tank, since it helps you to relax and focus on completing a whole meal. Now you know why some of your favorite restaurants have installed large fish tanks in their dining areas.

 

Nelson writes koi fish here: http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com/koi-fish-tank. He has raised, studied, bred and cared for hundreds of varieties of Koi. His twenty plus years of practical experience and research are available in his latest book,<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’, ‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’]);” href=”<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’, ‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’]);” href=”http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com”>http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com”> Insider’s Secrets To Raising Healthy Koi</a>.

Related Blogs

How to Play and Land Your Fish (part Two – Setting the Hook)

Now, you really can’t hope to land any sort of decent fish unless you’ve set the hook properly. As a general rule, it’s better to wait a little rather than set the hook too soon.

When you are ready to set the hook, bring in all the slack line, bring the rod tip down and point towards the fish, or where you think it’s likely to be if you can’t actually see. Bring the rod up sharply, and the chances are that you’ve hooked your fish.

Of course, that’s neccesarily a very simple, basic description. Setting the hook consistently does require a certain knack, which comes only with experience and practice. Some species, those that grab your lure and run, are easy to hook, almost to the point of self-hooking. Others, which suck and nibble, can be a problem.

Catfish for example will have a few chews, then swallow your bait down. Carp, and other “sucking” species hold the bait gently between their lips, and they should be allowed plenty of time to suck it in before you tighten the line and bring in your fish. Perch, bluegills, sunfish, and other panfish will bite nervously at the bait. These nibblers require lots of patience and self-control.

Many anglers just can’t wait, and as soon as they feel a few light “pecks” or “knocks” strike back. This simply jerks the hook away from the fish, and loses your bait. It’s nuch better to wait till you feel a strong tug, or feel the fish move away with your bait. Then a sharp lift of the rod will often set the hook. You will learn from experience when the tugs are strong enough for you to strike.

The larger the fish, and the larger the hook, the stronger the yank needed. And to confuse matters slightly, speed in striking back can sometimes be essential. For example, if you’re fishing surface lures, you should strike as soon as the fish hits the lure. Waiting even a fraction of a second could lose you the fish. Often these fish will hook themselves, but the added pull from you will set the hook firmly. Even when trolling, when we are expecting the fish to hook itself, it’s wise to give the rod a good firm yank.

Water conditions can often determine the timing of setting a hook. For instance, in swiftly moving water, the trout doesn’t have much time to decide wether or not to take a dry fly. When he does decide to take it, he does it with a rush, often hooking himself in the process. In still water there is much more time for him to look at what you are offering and take it slow. In these conditions trout will rarely hook themdelves, and you must strike quickly to set the hook.

When small wet flies are used, the line friction alone is often enough to hook the fish. In nymph-fishing downstream, raising the rod tip smartly will generally be all that’s required at the moment the hit is felt.

Some fish are slow, deliberate hitters, so your strike should be delayed. For example, when an atlantic salmon takes a dry fly, let him turn after the rise, and he’ll hook himself when the line tightens.

Finally, to hook a fish, your barb must penetrate the fish’s mouth, and for this reason it must be sharp. A good angler will test his hooks for sharpness before use. He will keep a small whetstone in his tackle box to hone his hooks as needed. And if that’s too much trouble, hooks are cheap. Never use old, worn, blunt hooks. For the sake of a few cents you could lose “the big one.”

Chris Haycock is an information publisher. One of whose many hobbies is fishing, of all types. Also researching resources to help the angler. For details of one such amazing resource go to:
http://www.lostflyfishingsecrets.com