I have always been interested in Koi so I decided to start growing them myself.

I have bought a fish bowl and a couple of gold fish. I'm changing the water daily and I'm feeding them lots as they obviously need to grow.
One of them is floating on its back and smelling funny. It doesn't move. How do I revive it?
One of them is furry and has four legs. Is that normal?
The others don't look to healthy either. Should I feed them more?

I am also planning on buying fish-eggs. How do I raise these?

Point taken Auk, but can us newbies get some points for enthusiasm.

as for the eggs

eangola wrote:

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Now I'm hungry

Ruth wrote: Point taken Auk, but can us newbies get some points for enthusiasm.

Point being:
If you would be interested in Koi, you would not dig a hole in your garden, fill it with water, and dump a couple of young fish in there that you purchased at a garden center. You would start studying first. You would first study how to build the right environment. You would study how to grow them. You would talk with others that have real Koi, try and find a reputable seller, and maybe join a club. You would not start buying a price winning, expensive fish, as you know you're inexperienced and it might die, and you need to learn and gain experience first.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but the fact is that on this forum, most post from newbies are people that have the wrong idea about bonsai, that have not studied the subject, that do not realize how much time, patience and knowledge it takes, and that often never come back as their plant could not be saved and they gave up.

That people do not return to the forum is NOT caused by the reactions on the forum. People that really want to do bonsai, do return, and do show the progression of their trees. That makes me enthusiastic.

I regularly look at 'Marktplaats' - the dutch E-bay. Most trees offered are mediocre, at best. However, I think there are more used pots offered than actual trees.
Sometimes it concerns huge collections of pots = without any tree in 'm. Reaosn? Many people do the exactd same thing. They 'were always interested in bonsai' and suddenly picked up the idea to start growing them. They get into a collector's frenzy, buy loads of plants, don't know what to do with them, kill most of them, and end up with a collection of useless sticks in pots. Then they give up and sell their now useless pots.

I'm not trying to discourage ayone. I'm just trying to be realistic and make people uderstand that if you start bonsai, know what you are starting with, and that it takes lots of time, patience and study.

I agree with everything you said. I think it's because we don't know what's involved that we go about it as we do. I see the tree online or in a book, they are so beautiful I want to be a part of creating that look. Unless you have spent time with an experienced bonsai artist we would have no idea what it takes.
There is going to be a learning curve. The more I study the more questions I have. For this reason I have already received two books suggested from this website on bonsai with a third coming next week.
Forums such as this one are so valuable to us beginners. I can research and read everything I can get my hands on but having someone with experience is priceless
Your words challenge me, they don't discourage.

Ruth wrote: I want to be a part of creating that look.
There is going to be a learning curve. The more I study the more questions I have. For this reason I have already received two books suggested from this website on bonsai with a third coming next week.
Your words challenge me, they don't discourage.

Glad to hear that and to see how determined you are. I look forward to seeing your future trees

In all the videos I've watched I seen rows of bonsai behind the person instructing. What do u do when a person has so many trees with different needs. I was thinking about this today when we had a deluge of rain. It came down for hours. Do people cover them, or move them, let nature sort it out?
Just curious.

You start by putting your trees in the right substrate, and placing tghem strategically in places where they dry out quicker or less quick. My pines and junipers are in the hottest point in my garden, against the glass of my greenhouse. My Yews and maples sit in a spot out of the wind, and sheltered for 3 hours of middag sun. This creates different micro-environments.
Open soild means the pots get soaked during the rain, but have air in them soon after so you do not have to worry most of the year.