Koi Fish Beauty and Allure

The benefits of Koi Pond plants far outweigh any negatives that might be associated with them. They aren't that expensive and they aren't an inordinate amount of work.

Just what are these benefits? For starters they enhance the "eye appeal" of your pond. In fact, instead of calling it a pond, you might even call it a water garden!

Besides being aesthetically appealing pond plants create a healthier and more stable ecosystem in addition to providing many benefits for your fish.

They provide shade for your fish on hot summer days. This shade also helps keep the water temperature down, thus inhibiting algae growth and lowering the stress levels of your Koi. Excessive heat stresses them and suppresses their immune systems.

Photo courtesy of snapdragginphoto

Shading your pond also lowers the ambient water temperature so you don't get such wide temperature fluctuations between night and day. This also keeps stress levels lower for your fish.

The shade and vegetative cover also protect them from Koi predators. It gives them a place to hide from danger!

Another huge benefit of Koi pond plants is that they help control the algae growth in your pond. Pond plants and algae compete for the same food sources. Since plants are higher on the food chain than algae they win in the competitive arena, thus preventing the growth of more Koi pond algae!

Plants also provide fresh, nutritious snacks that your Koi find tasty so don't begrudge them nibbling on your plant leaves! They may even occasionally enjoy digging in the root systems, so you might find that you have to place protection over the roots.

Don't let this minor inconvenience deter you from having Koi pond plants. You just have to outsmart your fish!

Can fish really make good pets? Some people don't think so, but if you are a Koi owner you know differently.

To many people, for example all orange Koi look alike, but once you get to know your fish you begin to notice that you can tell one from another very easily, even if they have the exact same coloring.

So how do you get to know your Koi? Just like any other relationship you get to know your Koi by spending time with them and observing how they interact with each other and their environment.

You can do this by pulling up a lounge chair and spending some time relaxing by your pond. Don't forget that your Koi need to get to know you too, and once they do they will look forward to your visits. (particularly at feeding time!)

Photo above courtesy of ESOX LUCIUS

Feeding time is another opportunity for getting to know your fish better. It is one of the best times to observe their individual personality traits. Like us some are bold, some are shy, some aggressive, some passive... Feeding time is always a fun time because your Koi are usually at their most active then.

You can also teach your fish to eat out of your hand. It is a lot of fun and visitors and children will get a big kick out of hand feeding your Koi.

So the answer to the question "Can fish make good pets?" is, in my opinion, a resounding YES!

Our Koi love watermelon!
Photo and comment above - courtesy of RickDrew