Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Did you know that reference was made to koi colors as far back as 316 AD in the Western Chin Dynasty? That's how long these wonderfully colorful fish have been written about... it's quite amazing really!

Right back then the colors of koi that were documented included black, blue, white and red... so koi colors are actually nothing new - it's just that they have been perfected through the art of selective genetic breeding.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

But it wasn't till the 17th century that real koi breeding began in the Japanese region of Niigata Prefecture, and it was the Japanese who took the time to master the art of selective breeding. Through careful trial and error, they became the master's of selective koi breeding and they still lead the world today.

So if you seriously want to gain a firm understanding about koi fish, the different types and their variety of colors then you really need to learn some of the Japanese terminology to get a grip on the real meaning of things.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Some of these terms will be explained further into this article, but for now let's look at a bit more of the koi fish history.

So... going back to 17th century Niigata Prefecture ... it was here that farmers started to notice that occasionally the grey carp fish would have offspring with different colors and markings. This prompted them to study the fish and their findings revealed a good number of koi with distinct and colorful patterns which they then proceeded to cultivate even further until the 19th century.

By the 19th century there were a vast number of koi breeders in Japan and now there were also many new koi color varieties emerging. Koi had become incredibly popular and were affectionately known as "the fish of nobility" but they were still only really known within the Niigata region of Japan.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Big Fish Amazon

One of the largest, most productive and most exciting peacock bass fisheries in the Amazon has essentially lain fallow for three years in a row. Starting with the unusually severe drought of 2005 and then followed by two years of failed negotiations with the resident tribal leaders, the Igapo Acu region of the Rio Madeira basin hasn't seen a fishing lure in quite some time. It's natural for anglers to expect a fishery to respond to such a long period of disuse by a measurable rise in productivity when they finally return. Well, it certainly did respond, but it went way beyond simply measurable. It went way beyond any of our expectations. We found ourselves in the midst of a gigantic protected reserve full of wild and aggressive peacocks. You can almost guess what happened next.

Big Fish Amazon

Big Fish Amazon

We caught enormous numbers of fish! We caught them on everything, jigs and plugs and stick baits and especially propbaits. These peacocks were so aggressive that they struck woodchoppers and riprollers and Caribe pavon props with total abandon. The only reason anglers might catch more on other baits was that it simply takes longer to unhook fish from the big propeller lures. The amazing productivity and the sheer fun of catching hundreds of these wild predators each week made even experienced anglers giddy with excitement. The tremendous numbers of fish we landed during our stay in the region surprised even our most grizzled veteran peacock fishermen.

Big Fish Amazon

Our first group arrived to slightly high water levels that were dropping steadily, creating perfect fishing conditions. Eight anglers combined for a total of 2,349 peacocks during the week, with plenty of big trophies landed - and plenty more lost! 21 peacocks over 10 pounds were weighed in. Could it possibly get better? It did!

The 2008 fall dry season has been very normal and predictable in the southern Amazon Basin. Coupled with a remarkably bountiful fishery, conditions were ripe for a repeat performance by our second group. They outdid themselves. The presence of a core cadre of seasoned peacock fishermen, together with the great conditions yielded a total of 3,796 peacock bass for the week. One pair of anglers ended the week with a mindboggling total of 910 peacock bass for the week!

Big Fish Amazon

Big Fish Amazon

Big Fish Amazon

Big Fish Amazon

Real Koi Fish

You will also need a decent sized pond, as they may grow up to 3 feet. You need at least a 1,000 liters of water per fish, with at least 18 inches of pond depth. The pond needs a filtration system to remove waste products, aeration to add oxygen into the water and regular care and maintenance. Don't let this put you off, looking after a pond can be as rewarding as gardening, as you add landscaping features, plants and, of course, add to your Koi fish collection.

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Certain types of small Koi may only cost a few dollars, but the rarer varieties and sizes can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. To offset costs, owners are known to sell off their extra fish once they have grown larger. In general young Koi are cheaper than the more mature ones. Koi do not mature until they are about eight years old, so you have plenty of time to watch them develop.

Real Koi Fish

The beauty of Koi fish lies in their shapes and color mutations. So, part of the enjoyment of starting a Koi fish hobby is picking the fish in the first place. Like most things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Find a breeder or pet shop which has a decent range of Koi fish varieties, so you have plenty of choice. It is best not to invest in your collection all at once. Built it up slowly, not only will you gradually learn about the varieties you prefer, but there is a certain satisfaction to choosing and buy the right fish so why not stretch out the fun!

Look at the fish closely to see if they look healthy. They should be swimming freely and smoothly and be without any visible physical damage. Make sure there are no holes or ulcerations in the scales, a crooked spine, missing fins, gills that do not close flat and so on. They should eat well and look as though they are breathing normally.

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Blue Fish Cartoon

Drawing a cartoon is an exciting thing and if luck is with you, there are high chances for sudden fame as is the case with Walt Disney and Warner bros. You must have seen a number of cartoons on the television, at websites and also in promotional campaigns by huge brands. They are work of imaginations and also of fun. You can also be a good cartoonist if you have interest with them.

Blue Fish Cartoon

Blue Fish Cartoon

Blue Fish Cartoon

Drawing a cartoon is not a big deal, especially if you have been drawing skills in your hand and ideas in your mind. If you are a close observer of the world around then adding a bit of humor in to your creation can take you a long way.

Sometimes coming up with cartoons is not even a work of imagination but the adoption of the making things different. You can put different colors to the actual picture and make way for an exciting cartoon.

Blue Fish Cartoon

Blue Fish Cartoon

Blue Fish Cartoon

Blue Fish Cartoon

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Did you know that reference was made to koi colors as far back as 316 AD in the Western Chin Dynasty? That's how long these wonderfully colorful fish have been written about... it's quite amazing really!

Right back then the colors of koi that were documented included black, blue, white and red... so koi colors are actually nothing new - it's just that they have been perfected through the art of selective genetic breeding.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

But it wasn't till the 17th century that real koi breeding began in the Japanese region of Niigata Prefecture, and it was the Japanese who took the time to master the art of selective breeding. Through careful trial and error, they became the master's of selective koi breeding and they still lead the world today.

So if you seriously want to gain a firm understanding about koi fish, the different types and their variety of colors then you really need to learn some of the Japanese terminology to get a grip on the real meaning of things.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Some of these terms will be explained further into this article, but for now let's look at a bit more of the koi fish history.

So... going back to 17th century Niigata Prefecture ... it was here that farmers started to notice that occasionally the grey carp fish would have offspring with different colors and markings. This prompted them to study the fish and their findings revealed a good number of koi with distinct and colorful patterns which they then proceeded to cultivate even further until the 19th century.

By the 19th century there were a vast number of koi breeders in Japan and now there were also many new koi color varieties emerging. Koi had become incredibly popular and were affectionately known as "the fish of nobility" but they were still only really known within the Niigata region of Japan.

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Butterfly Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

You will also need a decent sized pond, as they may grow up to 3 feet. You need at least a 1,000 liters of water per fish, with at least 18 inches of pond depth. The pond needs a filtration system to remove waste products, aeration to add oxygen into the water and regular care and maintenance. Don't let this put you off, looking after a pond can be as rewarding as gardening, as you add landscaping features, plants and, of course, add to your Koi fish collection.

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Certain types of small Koi may only cost a few dollars, but the rarer varieties and sizes can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. To offset costs, owners are known to sell off their extra fish once they have grown larger. In general young Koi are cheaper than the more mature ones. Koi do not mature until they are about eight years old, so you have plenty of time to watch them develop.

Real Koi Fish

The beauty of Koi fish lies in their shapes and color mutations. So, part of the enjoyment of starting a Koi fish hobby is picking the fish in the first place. Like most things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Find a breeder or pet shop which has a decent range of Koi fish varieties, so you have plenty of choice. It is best not to invest in your collection all at once. Built it up slowly, not only will you gradually learn about the varieties you prefer, but there is a certain satisfaction to choosing and buy the right fish so why not stretch out the fun!

Look at the fish closely to see if they look healthy. They should be swimming freely and smoothly and be without any visible physical damage. Make sure there are no holes or ulcerations in the scales, a crooked spine, missing fins, gills that do not close flat and so on. They should eat well and look as though they are breathing normally.

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish

Real Koi Fish