How Long Do Koi Fish Live? Jinli is a recognized Japanese fish used for decoration and petting purposes or commonly called “Koi Fish” among many countries. Koi fish were subspecies to common carp, the main reason why Koi has a longer lifespan compared to other fish as pets. They are visually attractive to the eyes and have a variety of colors like silvery-white, black, reddish-orange, blue and yellow. It is noted that many have confused Koi fish to a goldfish. To compare, Koi is larger than goldfish and grows about 2 centimeters per month. They can interbreed as they came from one species, but their children may be sterile.

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Health And Lifespan Of The Koi Fish

Koi Fish can be high-maintenance as a pet because of its lifespan that could extend up to 35 years. They are cold-blooded, freshwater fish that could survive in the winter season. An amazing trivia about the oldest Koi named Hanako is it is raised in a cold environment that it lived for more than two centuries. Hibernation in the cold winter only increases their lifespan.

Koi’s diet is solely based on their size, age and season. As omnivorous fishes in general, they like to eat plankton, algae, plants, and other vegetables. But to maintain their health is another story. Their diet during the mating season should be rich in carbohydrates. During the whole winter period, Koi can still live even without eating.

Breeding Of The Koi Fish

Their mating season is between the early spring to summer with an average temperature of 18-20°C. Male Koi is aggressive as they forced to batter themselves in the Female Koi’s body to drop the eggs so the male koi can spray their sperms on the eggs.

Their breeding can be very delicate as their “fry” or offspring is handled by professional breeders. A female Koi fish can produce many eggs from a single spawning, however, not every one of them can survive because they can be eaten by their parents. On a scale of 7 days, the fry is ready to be hatched from the egg. Unfortunately, defective Koi fish by birth have no interesting colors and they were often sold as a pond-quality koi.

Koi Fish In Every Country

According to Feng Shui experts, Koi fish symbolizes luck and prosperity. In Japan, Koi fish was declared as one of their national animals alongside the Green Pheasant and Great Purple Emperor Butterfly. Since it is believed that Koi fish bring limitless luck, it is never a shock that people have used this for decoration purposes, whether an alive Koi or an ornament.

Conclusion

Koi fish may be considered domesticated pets, but most importantly, it is still all about how the owners are taking care of them. The only challenge is their longevity, but their diet is not as difficult because they can eat anything. So if you were planning to pet them, make sure that you will avoid some Koi parents’ mistakes have made and consult an expert for more advice.