# Sitting by the Koi Pond - my fish and fishkeeping blog



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

In April 2012 I started a fish blog that covers topics from fishkeeping to fish conservation. Bettas (being one of my favorite fish) will be a large focus of my blog, but I will also post many articles about fishkeeping in general. I plan to publish approximately one article per week with some weeks having minor droughts and others having downpours (so to speak :lol. I am a very visual person and like to include pictures of the fish that I talk about. 

The blog main link: Sitting by the Koi Pond 

When I post a new article I will add a snip-it as well as the article here. I have already posted 13 articles which can be found on the lower right-hand side of the main page.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Best and Worst Beginner Fish*

My most recently published article detailing good and bad beginner fish. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> I see a lot of people ask “what fish should I start with?” I also see a lot of people starting with fish that they were lead to thinking were easy. Most people want a tank full of beautifully colored fish. I understand this, but often the most beautiful fish are also much more delicate. However, there are some very pretty and hardy fish with which you can start your hobby. They may not look like much in the store tanks, but once you get them home and into a good setup, they will show their true colors for you.
> 
> Through personal experience and discussion with other aquarists, I have gathered a list of fish that are good for the budding fishkeeper. These fish were chosen for their hardiness (ability to survive a cycle and live in less than ideal conditions), adaptability (can live in a wide range of parameters), small size (ideal for the first aquarium), and peacefulness. I have also compiled a list of fish that beginners should avoid for various reasons such as size, aggressiveness, and sensitivity.


Sitting by the Koi Pond: Best and Worst Beginner Fish Click for the full article including pictures


----------



## sparkyjoe (Feb 27, 2012)

Just brilliant, Izzy! I loved the article on Best & Worst Beginner fish. I also enjoyed reading about your various tank setups.

I subscribed to your blog and I look forward to future articles!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*11 May Update*

Woah it's been a while since I updated my blog. Writer's block and a busy life have kept me from it. So instead of publishing my normal fishkeeping tips, I've gone on a mild comedic diversion. ;-) Enjoy! 

_Sea Monsters on film!!!_


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*New fish with pics!*

Wow. Two blog posts in a week. I'm on fire. :lol: I'm just making up for the drought of the past two weeks. Well not really; this post wasn't planned. Went in for plants and supplies, came out with a fish!

My Tanks: 14 June Update


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Betta Fish Awareness Day 2012*

Finally. I'm back to writing in my blog on a weekly basis. Since today is Betta Fish Awareness Day, I thought I would make a post about promoting proper betta care! 



Izzy @ Sitting by the koi pond said:


> Let's face it. There is a problem with the way most store sell bettas (and goldfish). While regulations against small tanks might do a bit, a betta in a dirty, unheated 2.5 gallon bowl isn't better off than a betta in a clean, heated 1 gallon bowl. The only way to save these beautiful fish from that horrible fate is to educate the public and pet store workers. And that is what today is all about.


Betta Fish Awareness Day 2012


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

The heat wave that has been hitting the eastern US has got me thinking about pools and how neat it would be to swim with my fish. Thanks to Tikibirds, I discovered natural swimming pools. How I would love to have one of these things in my backyard. Read the full article for some general information and more gorgeous pictures. Natural Swimming Pools


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

That is beautiful.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Thanks, DQ! I wish I had the land and the money to afford one of those!


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Goldfish Petition*

A young girl in England has started a petition to put an end to fairground goldfish. If you hate this practice as much as I do, please help her. Maybe the US will follow suit and put an end to any animal being given away as a prize. 

An end to fairground goldfish?


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*How to stock a fish tank*

Whew. I've been sitting on this one for a while. Finally got it published! 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> A very common beginner question is “how many fish can I put in my tank?” The process of adding fish to a tank is called stocking and is more of an art than a bright line rule. However, there are some generic guidelines that will help you understand the thought process that goes into choosing fish for an aquarium. When you are in doubt don’t hesitate to ask a more experienced aquarist.


How to stock a fish tank


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Tanks update*

Just an update and some current pictures of all of my tanks. 

My tanks: 22 July Update

I probably won't be able to post for the next two weeks. I've got an overload of work this week, and then I jet off to Sweden for 10 days. Hopefully August will be filled with more blog posts than July was.


----------



## Bacon Is Good (Jun 30, 2012)

genius


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Thanks, Bacon! It's a way to combine my favorite hobbies: fishkeeping and writing.


----------



## Bacon Is Good (Jun 30, 2012)

well writen stuff.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*New post + bad news*

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post again. Since I made my last post I've been worked to the bone, traveled to Europe, and grappled with computer problems. I'm recovered from work and travel, but the computer problem persists. I recently got a new computer, and Firefox isn't working with Blogger. It worked just fine on my old computer (which was also a PC and ran FF). Until I can get it fixed (I'm contacting google about it now), I have to borrow someone else's computer every time I post. 

My most recent post is just some thoughts on future pond construction. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> Not often in life do you get a chance to do things over. Hopefully, in 20 or so years, I will get a chance to build another pond. The construction and maintenance of my pond has taught me many things. Some lessons were learned the hard way, and others have just been slow realizations.


What I would do differently with my pond


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

So ya. Still haven't fixed the problem with Blogger. I'm hoping this doesn't continue forever or else I'll have to find a new place to host my blog. :evil:

Have a new article up. Nothing informative. Just some pictures of the *Visitors to my pond*.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Blogger is still giving me problems. I guess I'll just wait for an update of FF before anything gets fixed. 

I did a different kind of blog entry today. * Jewels of the Rift* Also it's about cichlids... something I don't normally talk or think about. Thank you Tazman for showing these to us.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Still having problems with Blogger, but I'm determined to not let that slow me down. Another article today. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> Okay, so you've gotten your first tank, and it’s fully cycled. Whew. Glad that ordeal is over. But you have to be careful. There are still a few beginner mistakes that will trip up a new fishkeeper. I’ll recount some of the big ones here and ways to avoid them.


*Common Beginner Mistakes*


----------



## Htennek (Jul 31, 2012)

thekoimaiden said:


> So ya. Still haven't fixed the problem with Blogger. I'm hoping this doesn't continue forever or else I'll have to find a new place to host my blog. :evil:
> 
> Have a new article up. Nothing informative. Just some pictures of the *Visitors to my pond*.


Why don't turtles visit my ten gallon tank??? xD


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Htennek said:


> Why don't turtles visit my ten gallon tank??? xD


Hahaha! I'm sure you'd have some if you dug a hole in the ground a plopped your 10 gal in there!! Or maybe just look around in your back yard hard enough. I saw turtles there all the time before I added my pond.


----------



## Htennek (Jul 31, 2012)

thekoimaiden said:


> Hahaha! I'm sure you'd have some if you dug a hole in the ground a plopped your 10 gal in there!! Or maybe just look around in your back yard hard enough. I saw turtles there all the time before I added my pond.


hehe.... The best thing I found in my backyard were crickets.... :|


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Well I finally got Blogger to work with FF!!! Yay!! :-D This means more articles on a more weekly basis. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> Ever wondered why your fish always seem to be more active right before a thunderstorm? Bettas will build larger bubblenests. Loaches swim more frantically than normal. Tetra start breeding behavior. This isn’t just coincidence. Our fish do react to changes in the weather.


Read more: *Fish and Thunderstorms*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Goldfish Gel Food Recipes*

Back to my old routine again! I just typed out my goldfish gel food recipe for those interested. *Gold fish Gel Food Recipes*. It's a lot of fun to make, but it's not a good food for bettas. It has too much plant matter and not enough protein as its intended for an omnivore not a carnivore.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Emergency Preparedness*

In summer we have to worry about strong storms. In fall those of us on the eastern US have to worry about hurricanes, and we all have to worry about snowstorms in winter. So I guess there wouldn't be a best time to publish this article! :lol: 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> It’s hurricane season in the south eastern US again. For some that means potential evacuations. For others it just brings the possibility of a few days without power. Either way, we want to consider our pets. Animals like dogs are easy to move in case of an evacuation. Fish are not. You need to have a plan with them.


Read more: *Emergency Preparedness and Aquariums*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Largest Tanks in the World*

Another video post. A few weeks ago I found these gorgeous videos of the world largest tanks. These aren't private tanks, but tanks installed in public aquariums around the globe! Be sure to full screen them and watch them in the highest resolution. Enjoy!

*Largest Aquariums in the World*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Goldfish Salvation*

Sorry for the long break in posts again. We've had a family tragedy in that we lost my grandfather last week. Luckily I dredged this out of the draft bin so I wouldn't leave you guys hanging too long. 

*Gold fish Salvation*, artwork inspired by those chubby golden fishes.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry for the belated posts. Life hasn't been too kind to me right now. But I have a happy little story about a goldfish in my post for today!



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> Yesterday when I was finishing up with my work, I walked over to our local butterfly garden. It's a very nice little garden where my local science center hatches and grows native butterflies. In the back of the garden, they have a nice little goldfish pond. It's probably about 300 gallons or so. While I was sitting by it and trying to snap photographs of the butterflies that danced by, I noticed a white goldfish with a red splotch on his head, and he looked familiar.


*Read more!*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Tanks Update*

Not much except some pictures of my newest goldfish and the new goldfish aquascape. 

*My Tanks: 22 Oct Update*


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm so sorry about Goldeen and Seaking.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Aww, thanks. That was a really tough week for me.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

So I know I haven't been very active these past few weeks. I've got a few articles in the works, but they're still far from publishing. However, I have created a tumblr as the companion to my main blog! You can follow me there and get all of the updates from my blogspot blog as well as some extra tidbits! *Sitting by the Koi Pond comes to Tumblr*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

So I finally got around to finishing one of those articles I've been working on. Since I've been doing a lot of writing about goldfish recently I decided to focus on betta for a week. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> As anyone who has keep betta for a long period of time knows, they are apt to change colors. What you see in the cold cup in the store is never what you will see after a few days of warm, clean water in your tank. For this reason, betta bought in pet stores are often gambles. You can buy a pretty white one in the store and it will turn a peachy-yellow in a few days. There are three reasons why betta change colors: stress, age, and genetics.


*Read more and see pictures!*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Finally managed to get another on published! 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> I know there are a lot of similarities between these two fish, but getting them mixed up is one of my largest pet peeves. Maybe this is because I’ve kept both species of fish for many years. Maybe it's because I dislike people who don't bother to think about what they are seeing. Either way, I would like to point out the major differences between koi (_Cyprinus carpio_) and goldfish (_Carassius auratus auratus_).


 *Differences between gold fish and koi*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Didn't think I was going to make it to 3 articles this month, but I did! Enjoy videos of the native Amazon fish in their wild habitats!!!!

*Amazon: Secrets of the Golden River*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I wanted to do something different, so I did a review of some "sustainable" fishkeeping gadgets that seem to keep popping up. 



Izzy @ Sitting by the Koi Pond said:


> Aquaponics is a type of sustainable agriculture that combines traditional aquaculture of fish with hydroponically grown plants (plants grown with roots submerged in water). The fish are grown in large holding tanks, and the waste they produce is pumped to the plants in the hydroponic systems. The plants use the nutrients and send the "clean" water back to the fish. That is the general idea behind aquaponics, but there are a few variations. Recently, I have seen a few products come on the market aimed at home aquaponics systems. Some are good, and some are bad. This is one of the bad ones I recently stumbled upon.


* Read more*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Today I got around to posting an update on my tanks. This will be the last one for the year because we're taking a vacation at Christmas. I'll stock the 29 gal when we get home, but today I added some new plants to it!! *Read more and see pictures here!*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Other Ideas for that Small Tank*

Last post of year!! I didn't get my Christmas article out in time. Oh well. I'll do it next year. But for right now, read about some *other ideas for that small fish tank* once your betta has been upgraded! Because the best way to prevent yourself from impulse buys is to fill all your spare tanks!


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Great posts!


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Aww thanks! ^-^

This week I did a goldfish-themed article about the many different breeds of goldfish. It comes with pictures of the common ones as well as some uncommon ones! Gold Fish Breeds.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I think my favourite single tail is shubunkin, and favourite fancy is ranchu.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

So we all know that bettas and goldfish are often stuck in homes not suited for them. I've complied a list of fish (with pretty pictures) that would work much better than bettas and goldfish: Better alternatives for an unheated tank.


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Nice article! I would consider wcmm if I ever had another ten gallon!


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I know it's been a while since my last post, but there is good reason for that! Another blogger and I did guest posts for each other! She wrote about keeping brackish aquariums (something I know little about) and I wrote her an article about the labyrinth organs of bettas. Check out our articles here: *Brackish Aquariums *and *Labyrinth Organ*


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Bettas are pretty easy to sex, but what about other fish? Learn how to here: *Is my fish a girl or a boy? *


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Valentine's Day*

Thinking about getting someone a kissing gourami for Valentine's Day? You might want to rethink that idea. I explain why in this week's article: *That Kiss!*


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Great job!


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Tank Update: 15 Feb*

Another update on my tanks. A lot has happened with a lot of new fish being added!* Go see pictures of them! *


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Woah! It's been a while since I updated but I haven't posted a lot. Work has really picked up and I haven't had much time for my blog. I still keep my tumblr current, tho. 

Anyway! Today I posted a video that was made by an excellent underwater documentarian. In this video he shows us some of the natural habitats of many south american fishes.* Fish in their Natural Habitats. *


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I've been really lax on posting as I should this month. Oops! Work has really picked up. But I did get a fun post off for today! *My top 10 favorite aquarium fish! *


----------



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Another great post! I am looking forward to watching that video.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*One Year!*

Oh wow... just realized I completely forgot to update this with my last post. Oops! Well anyway, Saturday's have really become posting days. And... 

*Today is the one year anniversary of my blog!* A year ago today I sat down to start to write. Since then ALL of my tanks have undergone change, and I'm even a different person that I was at that time. This week's article is a short reflection on how my tanks and the hobby has changed: *One Year! *


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Mossmossmossmossmoss*

I've added a new tank! Catch is there is not water in it! Read about my building a moss terrarium in this week's article: *Removing the Water*.


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*Summer Tubbin'*

Oops! A little late again, but I was celebrating my birthday this past weekend. This week's article is a new project I'm trying: summer tub ponds. Some people have them for plants and some people breed fish in them. I'm doing both this summer. Read about it in this week's article:* Summer Tubbin'*. 

You can also follow along on my tub jounrey with me here on TFK: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/ponds-waterfalls/summer-tubbin-2013-journal-161473/#post1928698


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

*North American Natives*

Opps! Totally skipped last weekend. Was kinda crazy. But I brought the bacon with this week's article about North American natives: *The Beauty in your Backyard. *


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Whoops! Been a while since I did an update. Work really picked up. Since I've been gone I've made a few new posts. 

*My Tanks: 18 May Update*

*Summer Tubbin Update: May*

*My Tanks: Special Update*

And this week's : *Koi (Cyprinus carpio carpio) Care*


----------



## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

I love your blog, need to pop over and see any updates that I've missed. I swear I'm missing everything these days. . . :/


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Ah.... Another thing I've been neglecting this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into writing around the end of August. Work is just too much right now... /sigh


----------

