What Should I Know As A Beginner in Fish and Koi?
It’s all about the water. Seriously. Prepare to kill fish until you “get it”.
I would WAY rather live on the land in air, than be a fish living in water and there are several reasons.
Diseases don’t transmit themselves quite as easily in the air as they do in the water. If you had leprosy and were sitting across the room from me, I’m safe. If the same situation happens in water, I’ve got it.
Fish live in your pond or tanks’ water, and it’s limited. Their water doesn’t go on forever. I live in an entire planet’s air. Sure, it’s not all healthy but it’s not like am living in 120 cubic feet of the same air.
Fish pee and poop in the water. They breathe it and remove oxygen and give back carbon dioxide. Something has to happen to all the fish pee and poop. And if it doesn’t, fish die. That’s really big.
As it were, if you do NOT understand water quality and you cannot test it, your fish will die sooner than later.
SEVENTY percent of fish diseases are directly tied to water quality and are usually SIMPLE and easily preventable.
Let me give you some examples; fish produce ammonia and it leaks out of fish. Great. But if it gets high in the water it leaks back in. Then the fish start dying. Well; if you knew this, and tested the ammonia level, all you’d do is a water change and poof, fish are better. See?
So, please become familiar with “the cycle” and “ammonia” “nitrite” “nitrate” and pH at a minimum and you will be glad you did.
Doc