Are You In Need Of SALTWATER AQUARIUM Decorations? – Brightening Up Your Marine Tank!

Now for the fun part – saltwater aquarium decorations are one aspect of marine fish keeping where you can really allow your creativity to reign free. A variety of decorations are available - from backgrounds, ceramic, resin or plastic ornaments, real or false corals and shells and even plants the sky is (well almost) the limit when it comes to creating a marine world for your fish and other invertebrates.

Saltwater aquarium decorations are fun to buy because unlike the other inhabitants of your tank they don’t require any special care! You won’t need to feed them, provide special habitats and they can’t get sick or die so they are relatively hassle free! A tank without any décor is dull but that’s not all.

Photo by xAquatics

A marine tank without any saltwater aquarium decorations is not very exciting AND it can be unhealthy for your fish. Using tank décor makes it possible to break up the physical environment of the tank and is important both for the biological and psycho-social well-being of the fish in your tank. This is because using tank decorations provides hiding places, areas for food to grow on and microbe activity that keeps your tank healthy.

Add to this the fact that saltwater aquarium decorations are nice to look at and fun to work with and you’ll begin to see that décor is essential in any marine tank. The best way to choose your marine tank décor is to visit a store that allows you to see saltwater aquarium decorations in an actual tank, not just on a rack or a table.

Some examples of saltwater aquarium decorations you might like to try in your marine tank are:

Belching clams and treasure chests – These are bubbling and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always firm favorites. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect!

So what other options are there for saltwater aquarium decorations? What about different and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backgrounds like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from sandstones, volcanic and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don’t have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren’t sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous "base" rock. You can usually but rocks by the pound or the ‘piece’. Some rock types are natural while others are artificial.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don’t try to cure your own woods. It’s just too time consuming and expensive.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater – whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don’t make for a good biological substrate. They do provide fantastic color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your marine tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some look quite attractive when arranged properly; so don’t overlook these decorations.

Chrysiptera parasema, commonly known as the yellowtail damselfish, is a marine fish.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass and vallisneria-zostera for example so don’t overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations don’t have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are very clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don’t have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them – it’s your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study natural systems and try to duplicate some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your saltwater aquarium decorations.

But don’t forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your marine life. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive. Good luck and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations!

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A RED EARED SLIDER Will Make An Excellent Pet

There are various freshwater turtle species in the world, but probably none are as well renowned as the red eared sliders. Sliders make an adorable pet, seeking plenty of attention. There are some serious cleanliness measures that should be taken into consideration while nurturing a red eared slider. These measures are as follows:

A closer look at the head of red-eared slider. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

                 

How to distinguish a male and a female red eared slider?

The differences between the male and female red eared slider are fairly distinct, however, they do not become too obvious until the slider reaches sexual maturity. Male red eared sliders reaches sexual maturity in 2 to 5 years, conversely, female red eared sliders reach their sexual maturity in 5 to 7 years. Male sliders can be distinguished from their claws on front feet, which are not present in the females. Furthermore, another trait differentiating male and female slider is their tail. The tail of male slider is longer and thicker. The cloaca in males is located farther from their body with males having somewhat concave plastron.

Tank water and your red eared slider

Red eared sliders spend plenty of time in water, therefore, it is highly recommended that the water they live in is clean. Keeping water clean may sound an ordinary task, however, the reality is slightly different. It is obvious that sliders also defecate in their water. Due to defecation, the tank becomes smelly and cloudy making the cleanliness measures challenging.

In a nut shell, water quality maintenance measures include removing wastes along with instituting colonies of healthy bacteria that will collapse waste products. Ways in which you can do this are as follows:

Measure the quality of water

It is essential to check the levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the water. Excess of any of these can be irritating and harmful for the turtles. You must purchase test kits for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates from the pet stores. The directions to use them are printed at the back of the kit. High levels of the three requires a complete water change, however, moderate level requires frequent partial water change.

Chlorinated or Dechlorinated Water?

This is subject to conflicting opinions. However, it is suggested to dechlorinate water by using water conditioners. Chlorine can be irritating to your pet, especially to their eyes. If you live in a city where chloramines are used to treat the drinking water, then you must buy a water conditioner that is labeled to remove chlorine, chloramines and ammonia (a by-product of the deactivation of chloramines).

What option of filtration you prefer?  

The ideal filter for red eared sliders is the one rated for 2-3 times the size of the sliders tank. There are many filtration levels available in the market such as, biological filtration, chemical filtration and mechanical filtration.

‘Red Eared Slider Secrets’ by Chris Johnson is book that includes everything about red eared turtles. If you are looking forward to provide your new friend a comfortable and loving home then you should have this handy book with you.

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About SALTWATER AQUARIUM Fish! - Beautiful...

Saltwater aquarium fish are amongst the most beautiful of animals to be found anywhere in the world. A variety of saltwater aquarium fish can be housed in your marine tank provided you know what they need in terms of care, such as feeding, environment, competitors and space to grow.

Neon damselfish (Pomacentrus coelestis). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Any marine enthusiast will tell you that setting up a marine tank is tricky and so is choosing the right saltwater aquarium fish! This is because it’s easy to make mistakes with the kinds of fish you choose. It’s usually best to start your marine tank with a few hardy and affordable fish. The majority of saltwater aquarium fish are collected from nature rather than captive raised so don’t waste that gift by making mistakes that result in the death of your fish.

Damsels are a great saltwater aquarium fish to start off with. Damsels are hardy little creatures and can survive in poorer water conditions than many other marine species. They are not fussy about their food and won’t cost you the earth. Unfortunately damsels are also quite aggressive. You can easily keep one or two of these tough saltwater aquarium fish in a tank but don’t try any more than that.

Its best to start with damsels and then add more aggressive fish later, If you want to house saltwater aquarium fish that are more shy, you need to take your damsels out before adding more timid varieties of saltwater aquarium fish. Blue and yellow damsels are two species that are less aggressive than others.

Mollies are an alternative starter saltwater aquarium fish. Mollies that are used to salt water allow you to start with cheaper fish while you learn how to make sure the salinity of your tank is correct for more sensitive creatures. On the other hand mollies are raised and bred in captivity so you won’t get much real experience in keeping them. Get them used to the tank by allowing saltwater to drip into the bag for about 6-8 hours. When the bag becomes full remove some water. After the tank cycles you can keep the fish in the tank.

Clownfish are cousins to damsel fish and are a fairly hardy saltwater aquarium fish. They are not that easy to acclimate to a marine tank, though. They are also quite territorial but aren’t likely to be aggressive to other species. They don’t have to have an anemone to survive. If you do get one bear in mind that they need water that is very clean and high quality lighting.

Blennies or gobies are fairly hardy and small and shouldn’t be a problem for the other saltwater aquarium fish in the tank. They are character fish but they are small and so might get lost in very big tanks with bigger saltwater aquarium fish. They are a good choice to help control algae but if you have a fish only tank they may not be easy to keep fed.

Tangs are a hardy saltwater aquarium fish which are a little sensitive and tend to contract marine ich (also know as "White Spot"). They eat algae so as soon as you grow some you might try to introduce some tangs.

Triggerfish or lionfish are an ideal saltwater aquarium fish for a tank which will eventually contain large aggressive fish. However they can be costly if you make mistakes. It might be a good idea to ‘practice’ on fish that are both cheaper and easier. You will need to feed them lots of shell fish and other sea creatures to keep them healthy.

Angels and butterflies are very sensitive and difficult saltwater aquarium fish to keep. They need special diets most of the time so they are not that easy to care for in a tank. The same goes for batfish.

Once you gain more experience in keeping conditions in your tank stable you can add a few other varieties of fish. Choose from hawkfishes, grammas, dottybacks, basslets and wrasses. But make sure to find out about how to take care of them properly because some are not as easy as others. However they are a much easier bet that angels and butterflies.

So which saltwater aquarium fish should beginners avoid? You should not attempt angelfish, butterfly fish, pipefish, seahorses, long-nosed filefish, blue ribbon eels, stonefish, and Moorish Idols as well as mandarin fish until you really know what you are doing.

What about invertebrates? Contrary to popular belief invertebrates are well suited for mini or micro-reef tanks. Many invertebrates do well in non-reef tanks. For the novice aquarist the hardy species are best. These include shrimps like the cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp or peppermint shrimp and coral banded shrimp. As is the case with saltwater aquarium fish, stick to the hardier shrimps to begin with.

Anemone crabs are another option you might try along with your saltwater aquarium fish. And why not add some sea urchins and starfish which are quite well suited to beginners with a couple of month’s experience? They differ in size, shape and color and some are poisonous so be careful! Sea urchins and starfish eat detritus and algae and other small bits of food so they will help to keep your tank clean and your saltwater aquarium fish healthy.

Anemones are not really suited for beginners. They need special lighting and top-notch water conditions so if you can’t foot the bill for the lights stay away or you’ll live to regret it. Invertebrates you should avoid include tridacna clams, flame scallops, Octopi, Nudibranchs, or any hard or soft coral and sea squirts. Like the saltwater aquarium fish listed previously these invertebrates have special feeding and living requirements.

When you choose saltwater aquarium fish, you need to bear in mind that they are a bit more expensive then the freshwater varieties. For this reason you should take care with them and try to keep them alive. When fish are captured and moved from the store to your home they are liable to get stressed, especially since most of them have been taken from the ocean mere days ago. So make sure you can properly care for your new friends before you bring them home!

REPTILE Diseases

Dangers exist when keeping reptiles as pets, but not just as bites and scratches.  You can also contract salmonella disease from not washing your hands after coming into contact with the feces or urine or touching something that has.  It's important to keep your hands away from your face, food, or food preparation areas or utensils until you've properly washed and disinfected your hands.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Salmonella can be transferred to your countertops from the reptile's feet, so allowing the little bugger to walk on in your kitchen, on your dining table, or even near your toothbrush is inadvisable.  Mild infection of salmonella includes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.  More severe infection happens if the germs travel to the bloodstream, bone marrow, or nervous system.

Other diseases that can be passed to you from reptiles are toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, rabies, or chronic fatigue syndrome.  These diseases are known as zoonotic diseases, those which can be passed from animal to animal or animal to human.  It is important to understand that reptiles are not the only animals that transmit these diseases, so there's no need to panic just because you weren't aware of them before you bought the reptile.  Lyme disease is passed by tick bites, and you can get ticks from walking through tall grass!

Proper handling of your reptile is the most important issue to keep diseases from being passed to you or your loved ones.  So, make sure you educate your children on the importance of proper handling and hand washing.  If you aren't sure they are old enough to understand, it is best if you keep the reptile away from the child's reach at all times.  The temptation of touching the reptile or putting their hands in the cage just might be too much for them to resist.

Besides the risk of diseases being transferred to humans, the reptiles themselves can suffer from several diseases.  Mites, ticks, worms, rickets, osteoporosis, fungal diseases, bacterial diseases, anemia, depression, or anorexia are just a few.  There's also a disease known to attack lizards called metabolic bone disease.  It's very painful for the reptile and is often caused by lack of calcium.  Improper ultraviolet radiation also causes the reptile problems because of the inability to release vitamin D3, which enables proper absorption of calcium.  The symptoms of this disease are brittle bones, swollen jaws, swollen legs, recessed jaws, and no energy.  Just imagine how horrible it must feel!

Other problems reptiles can encounter are mouth rot, skin disease from improper shedding, organ bleeding from an overdose of vitamins, colds, and respiratory infections.  Central nervous systems can suffer with vitamin B1 deficiency.  A female reptile can acquire overloaded ovaries or post ovulatory eggs, which could require surgery.

This is why you must take your animal's welfare seriously.  If you are well-armed with knowledge on how to care for it, the chances of it contracting or becoming worse from disease is much reduced.  Of course, you have much less control over something the reptile may have had prior to your care.  This is where it will help to have some background on the history of the pet shop where you decide to purchase.  It also helps to know what to look for to spot some problems before you purchase!

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Know the Star of the Sea - The STARFISH

Known for their unique physical appearances, the starfish is one of the electrifying inhabitants of the underwater world. They are also known as sea stars. Though they are inhabitants of the ocean, they are not exactly fish. Apart from their unique physical structures, what distinguishes them from normal fish is that starfish do not have backbones, which means they are invertebrates. Because of their hard surfaces, predators like otters, birds and other fish do not trace the starfish as their food sources.

Komodo National Park starfish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to marine biologists, there are over 2,000 species of starfish. Starfish are generally found in different types of marine habitants like coral reefs, rocky shores, sea grass and kelp beds. Some of them are even found thousands of feet below the sand.

While describing their physical appearances, the size of Starfish ranges between one to ten inches each. However, the smallest Starfish can be less than one-half of an inch and the largest can be more than three feet in size. Depending on the species, the lifespan of starfish may vary from two to 35 years. You can see starfish in various colors including red, brown, pink and orange.

Starfish may have five or more arms which appear emerging out of their body. However, the number of arms can get to be 50 in many cases. The bottom surfaces of their arm are covered by suckers which act like pinchers. With the help of tube-like organs, starfish can gradually creep across the ocean floor. They can expand them by pumping sea water into the tubes.

Like any other living species, Starfish do not have normal eyes. Instead, they have eyespots that may be found on their bodies. Using these eyespots, they can trace foods and sense the lights and shapes in an area. Their eyespots are located at the tip of each arm. Their food-tracing habits keep them grazing along the sea floor. Starfish are carnivores and they enjoy eating snails, oysters, clams, mollusks and more. You can also find some species that eat algae.

Like their unique physical structures, starfish are also known for their unique ways of consuming food. Their mouth is in the base of their body and they have throats that are extended to the stomach. While taking a grasp on its prey, a sea star can extend its stomach through its mouth. It can digest the food outside the body through special enzymes and then the digested food gradually gets into the stomach through the throat. Every tiny organism that is eaten will be swallowed whole.

While talking about their lifestyles, they generally prefer to keep a distance from other species. This makes them solitary creatures. However, you may find them in groups on occasion.

An interesting fact about their arms is that starfish are capable of reviving their lost arms. When they are threatened by predators, they leave their arms behind and form new ones. This is a special type of defense mechanism applied by this unique living creature. However, it may take a year for such a being to grow its arm back to a full length.

By Carlos J Garcia Carlos J Garcia has written various supporting companion page articles for A Reading Place and if you would like to see the companion page to this one, please visit All About Starfish to see two related videos, a collection of photographs and more articles. If you would like to see a wonderful children's book, About Starfish on Amazon is a great choice. Article Source: EzineArticles

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10 Things to Consider When Shopping for BETTA FISH TANKS

Bettas are among the most interesting and low-maintenance fish you can keep. And their ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen and live in very small volumes of water allows them to be housed in a variety of small aquaria that can complement any home or office. However, there are some important considerations to bear in mind when shopping around for the perfect tank for your pet betta. Please read on as we discuss these issues and our own opinions on what to look for in a small betta tank.

Characteristics of The Best Betta Fish Tanks

Two colorful female Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1) Adequate Size

Yes, it's true that a betta can live in a small bowl, if it had to. But this is not the most fulfilling life for such a regal fish. In addition, very small bowls are prone to heating and cooling extremely rapidly, as well as suffering quickly from pollution that can easily occur from even slight overfeeding. As a general rule of thumb, we suggest a minimum tank size of one gallon to keep one adult betta. Of course, your betta would be happy if you provided a larger aquarium, but a gallon container is generally sufficient so long as it is diligently maintained. Bettas can also be housed in community tanks, but take care not to keep them with fish that tend to nip fins. For example, tiger barbs are notorious for fin nipping, and will shred a betta's fins very quickly. Shredded fins are not just a cosmetic issue, unfortunately, and a betta with badly torn fins can easily die from stress and/or secondary infections like ick/fungus.

2) A Good, Tight Fitting Cover

Bettas are not what I'd consider big time "jumpers," but they can and will jump when given half a chance. Sometimes osmotic or other stress will cause them to jump, and sometimes they will leap simply because the can. To minimize any risk of such escape, for whatever reason, do yourself a favor and put a lid on the tank. Be careful though to leave some air space between the surface of the water and the cover as they are air breathers and need to gulp air occasionally.

3) No Strong Currents or Water Movement

This is a consideration that I often see overlooked, especially in some of the smaller betta tanks. Bettas have evolved to thrive in still or stagnant waters where this no little or no current. And, as a consequence of this design, they are unhappy when subjected to currents typically generated by hang on back filters or powerful aeration. Bettas require water that is either still, or very placid. They do not require aeration of any kind, especially when properly maintained and in a tank by themselves. If you do use a filter at all, make sure that the tank is large enough (e.g., 3 gallons or more) or the filter can be dialed down (e.g., an air release valve on an aquarium pump) such that the betta does not need to exert effort to maintain its position in the water column. If your betta is getting pushed around or fighting to stay still, it will put constant stain on the fish that can eventually lead to disease or death.

4) Bare Floor or Fine Substrates

Bettas don't need or want any substrate in their tanks. In fact, bare bottom tanks are best for you and the betta since they facilitate easy clean up. If you do want to add some colorful gravel, however, keep it sparse and opt for relatively small grained types, rather than the large, marble-sized gravel that is often sold for small decorative bowls/tanks. Very course gravel makes a great trap for uneaten food, which then decays and causes potentially lethal ammonia spikes. Finer gravel (pea-sized or smaller) allows the fish to get at food that lands on the bottom, and still allows you to see when food is left uneaten and needs removal - both of which is better for your fish.

5) Regular Light Cycles

Fish, like most vertebrates, react profoundly to light cycles. As a species that lives close to the equator, your betta will expect a photoperiod of roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. If you don't use artificial lighting, you don't need to provide any, but avoid turning the lights on late at night when your fish is preparing to "sleep." Also, try to purchase a tank that uses LED lighting. LED lights are by far the most efficient and long-lasting type you can buy, and also generate the least amount of unwanted heat.

6) Warm Temperatures

Unlike goldfish, for example, which can thrive in very cold water, betta are a very tropical fish. In their native waters of Southeast Asia, they rarely experience temperatures below 76 F. Consequently, you should always aim to keep your bettas at a minimum temperature of 72F, with a temperature of 78F being ideal. Bettas can certainly withstand cooler temps for short durations, but extended exposure to water temperatures below 72F make them lethargic and highly vulnerable to infections and diseases, particularly fin rot, ick, and fungus.

7) Individual Housing

Although female bettas can be kept together, males cannot be kept with other males or females. The only exception to this rule is if you are attempting to breed bettas, in which case the male will tolerate the female (grudgingly) only until the eggs are laid, after which time he will attack and kill her if the tank is not large enough for her to escape his line of sight.

8) Good Water Quality

Whatever you do, you must keep a betta's water clean. This means that periodic water changes should be conducted, which involve removing any debris from the bottom of the tank. A good rule of thumb is to change between 30-50% of the water per week. This keeps the water fresh without changing things too drastically. Make sure to use dechlorinated water and try to match the temperature of the new water to the old water.

9) Placement in a Calm Area, Away From Direct Light

You wouldn't want to live next to a 6-lane highway, and neither would your betta, so keep the tank somewhere away from heavy foot traffic. It's difficult enough living your life in a small transparent container, don't make matters more stressful by locating the tank where your betta will be subject to constant movement and/or vibrations. Also, locate the tank away from direct sunlight, which can cause rapid temperature spikes and encourage algae growth.

10) Simplicity!

If you've chosen a tank of sufficient size, keep the betta by itself, maintain proper temperatures and keep up with regular water changes, there's not much else you need. Be wary of vendors that try to sell lots of accessories for beta-only tanks, like sophisticated filters, lighting, etc. These things are usually unnecessary.

By Rick Butcher For more information and list of some great betta fish tanks, please visit us at CuttingEdgeAquarium.com. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Chilled Out KOI: How Koi Survive Frozen PONDS in Winter

If you live in a northern climate then chances are good that you see snow and ice as does your koi pond. Its natural to worry about your koi during the winter periods, especially if they have been around for years and years. Fortunately, koi are adapted to dealing with cold temperatures and an iced-over pond. They have a few tricks up their "sleeves" to deal with the inevitability of ice cold water.

Photo by Hulk, Smash!

Regulating Body Temperature

Thermoregulation of animals or how an animal regulates its body temperature can be a confusing subject. For example, within the subject of thermoregulation there is:

- Ectothermic
- Endothermic
- Mesothermic
- Heterothermic
- Homeothermic
- Poikilothermic
- "Cold-blooded"

There's a lot of variations in the world of temperature regulation in animals but to make it more straightforward for koi owners you should know that your fish are ectothermic,which means that their internal body temperature is governed strictly by the ambient temperature (or in this case, the water temperature). So that must mean that all fish are ectotherms, right? Not necessarily. Unfortunately, biology is not always consistent.

For example, the bluefin tuna and some sharks create internal heat from muscle activity yet are still largely affected by water temperature which puts them in a category known as mesothermy. Furthermore, the term "cold-blooded" is actually not all that accurate. A "cold-blooded" lizard in the hot desert sun can achieve an internal temperature greater than that of humans. So in everyday conversation its just easier to refer to mammals and birds as endotherms and just about everything else as ectotherms.

Biological Activity and Temperature

You have probably noticed throughout the seasonal changes that as the water temperatures get colder your fish start to become less active. As a result, they require less food and at somewhere between 50 and 40 degrees F they stop eating all together. Ectotherms are able to pull this off because they don't have to maintain a certain internal temperature and, in fact, they can get away with using as little as 10% of the energy of what a mammal would need. As temperatures fall, the rate of internal biological activity decreases which includes things as basic as how fast a muscle can twitch. This concept in biology is known as the Q-10 coefficient.

Planning for Winter

There's not much activity going on with your fish, on the inside or outside. They don't need food and not as much oxygen however its still a good idea to keep some of your pond unfrozen with a de-icer for gas exchange (and some pond owners will run aeration all year long).

One of the things your koi will do is try to hang out in the warmest part of the pond and that will subsequently be the deepest part. In general though, its a good idea, when designing/building a koi pond, that you make it at least 3 feet deep to avoid the possibility of total pond freeze. Another thing you may want to keep in mind is that adding salt to your pond before winter will lower the freezing point of water and artificially cause your water to reach a super low temperature which can potentially harm your koi.

Koi in Dormancy

So what exactly are they doing under the ice? Sleeping? Playing cards? As with thermoregulation there are a lot of different ways to go inactive during winter (or periods of less-than-ideal conditions).

There is:

hibernation in mammals
brumation in reptiles
diapause in insects and
aestivation in invertebrates

but ultimately your koi under ice are in a state of dormancy. Essentially, they are simply "chilling out" in a state of super decreased activity and metabolism while waiting for spring. Perhaps you don't get to enjoy your koi as they mill around under the ice but just think of the money you are saving not buying koi food!

By Grant W Stoecklin Have you ever wondered what happens to your koi with the onset of winter? What are they doing under an iced over pond? Are they hungry and looking for food? In this article I discuss the physiological and biological changes that occur to your fish with the onset of cold water. I also discuss simple things you can do to prepare your pond for ice that will make it the most comfortable for your koi. If you're wondering about your fish in winter even how to change the way you feed in fall ( http://koi-care.com/feeding-koi-water-temperatures-change/ ) then please see more at my site. Thanks for stopping by! Article Source: EzineArticles

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