Stocking A Koi Fish Pond

Koi carp (also referred to as “Japanese carp” and “nishikigoi”) is the encompassing name for a wide variety of vibrantly colourful common carp. Originally from Central Europe and Asia, many common carp displayed the innate colouring of a vast spectrum. Because of their large size and great beauty many people invest large amounts of time and money creating special koi fish ponds with superior depth and filtration.

Because of the common carp’s remarkable ability for easy adaptation, it was soon domesticated, first in Eastern Asia. Because of their ability for easy adaptation to climate change, these live pond fish were able to be transported, and thus their popularity as domestic fish grew exponentially.

The first instance of breeding for the sake of colour manipulation and mutation took place in China, where a wild Prussian carp (yellow coloured) was discriminatingly bred to produce the first carp mutation: the goldfish.

Though capable of growing to a maximum of 12-14 inches, the average goldfish is generally significantly smaller, however it will quite happily live with its large cousins in a koi pond.

Though first introduced to the United States in the 19th century, the goldfish has been a domesticated pet in Asia and Europe for hundreds of years, originally coveted (this was before they became exceedingly common in the past few hundred years) for their shiny scales and considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Though in perfect circumstances the goldfish may live to be 40 years old, most domesticated goldfish – with proper treatment – live for about eight or nine years.

One famous koi carp, named Hanako, lived to the age of 226 years, which was confirmed upon her death in the mid-1960s, when one of her scales was studied.

A debilitating factor in the longevity of koi, along with other domesticated fish, is that both their excrement and gill-secretions pollute the water around them – which, when confined to that same toxic water, can poison and kill the koi in a short space of time.

So long as kept in hygienic conditions though, the average koi pond fish are far more likely to live long and healthy lives than they would in the wild. Due to their vibrant colouring, koi stand out prominently for predators, not only for other fish but for land predators (such as badgers, cats, foxes) who might dip into shallow water to snatch one out.

Not all carp or koi are a single colour though – indeed, most koi formed of colour-mutation (as are the most coveted for domesticated and decorative purposes) display a number of colours, such as the GOSHIKI, a koi of red, white, black and varying shades of blue.

Some koi, such as the MATSUBA, are totally inconsistent in colour, and are distinguished from other koi solely by some sort of unique physical quality (in the case of the MATSUBA, this physical quality is a net-like pattern on its scales).

When keeping koi, it’s important that as an owner you bear in mind the aforementioned issue of their blatant colouring. Should you keep them in a pond to which a cat or other animal may have access, the koi may be in danger.

When domesticated, koi will come to recognize the person who feeds them, and will flock to that person when he or she approaches. Koi can even be taught to rise above the surface and take food directly from their keeper’s hand – at which point the owner may check the koi for potentially harmful parasites.

They make fantastic pets if you’re willing to provide the biggest koi fish pond you can and care for them as extensively and lovingly as you must.