Wonderful koi – beautiful to look at and of a respectable size, a new fish for your garden pond? Your child may even get to pet the koi, but there’s a lot to know about the species and how they’re kept.
Table of Contents
The koi carp
Koi carp are called Koi because the human craze for shortcuts does not stop at the animal world. Actually, the koi bear the Japanese name “Nishikigoi”, which means “brocaded carp”. And actually, the beautiful koi not only deserved this name, but it would also have given us a much more precise impression of what a distinguished fish we are dealing with here.
Abbreviation or not, koi or brocaded carp are exceptional fish, and for once not because we like them exceptionally well. While ordinary carp are bred in a very profane way, primarily to be eaten at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, koi have managed to decouple their relationship with humans from “being eaten”.
origin
The koi were originally exactly the same color carp when they came to Asia about 2500 years ago (probably from Europe). They were also initially raised there as insectivores and food fish. Then there were a few mutations that produced beautiful colorful fish, and the forefathers of Asian colored carp breeding were born. Since then, the colored carp have been bred in Asia. In this regard, China was already building on tradition in fish farming. From there comes the oldest fish breeding book in the world. How and when the color carp spread across Asia is not documented. We only know that around the year 1800 Japanese rice farmers in the Niigata region discovered the first color carp among their table carp.
The beautiful fish did not go unnoticed in Japan and were deliberately bred. The first “prominent” Japanese koi won a prize at a Tokyo show in 1914. At that time, some of these exhibition koi were given to the Japanese Crown Prince Hirohito, which is why the Japanese aristocracy also discovered these colorful fish as status symbols for themselves. Now the koi carp began its triumphal procession as king of the garden pond fish, which meanwhile leads around the world. The “Capital of Koi Breeding” is still Ojiya City in the Japanese region of Niigata. The koi from Japan are the most sought after and the most expensive, but today decorative koi are also successfully bred in Singapore and South Africa, Israel and Europe.
In Asia in particular, these animals tend to have the status of pets, in Japan they are considered lucky charms and in China the embodiment of wisdom and strength.
The types of koi carp
Where breeding takes place, there is also classification and evaluation based on breeding results. Today there are over a dozen varieties of koi carp with over 100 sub-varieties, and the number is growing all the time. With each of these particularly different breeds, there are certain colors and color combinations that make an individual fish particularly valuable. Here is a first overview of the most important koi varieties available from us:
1. Asagi-Koi
One of the oldest cultivated forms, which forms the basis for many other subspecies of Koi. “Asagi” means “light blue,” and that’s what the back of an Asagi should look like, while the head is light with no pattern. Cheeks, pectoral and caudal fins, gill covers and the underside of the abdomen surprise with orange-red accents. Other subspecies of this Asagi-Koi that have special shapes or colors are constantly being bred.
2. Shusui-Koi
An original Asagi with its own unique visual characteristics. Shusui means “autumn green”. This koi has symmetrical scales in the same color as the German mirror carp. It is said to have originated as a cross between Asagi and mirror carp. Otherwise the color should look like the Asagi, in red or blue basic coloring with white separating stripe. There are also other varieties of Shusui, scarlet Hi Shusui and yellow Ki Shusui, mother-of-pearl colored Pearl Shusui, colorful Hana Shusui (flower Shusui) and Showa Shusui in white-red-black or black-red-white.
3. Bekko-Koi
The Bekko (“tortoise shell”) was bred from the Taisho Sanke. Its armor-like scales shine like tortoise shell, its basic color is red, yellow or white with black spots only on the body. The sub-variants of the Bekko-Koi differ in the basic colour:
- Shiro Bekko, white with black spots.
- Aka Bekko, red with black spots.
- Ki Bekko, yellow with black spots.
4. Hikari-Utsurimono-Koi
Koi with a uniquely beautiful coloration, which can change its appearance depending on its disposition and environmental influences and has metallic, very shiny scales all over its body. The Hikari Utsurimono Koi is an original Magoi breed, fast and lively fish with an often captivatingly beautiful basic color and imaginative accentuation.
5. Kohaku-Kois
Kohaku means red and white, and this is what one of the most popular breeds looks like, white body with red markings on the back. So the colors of the Japanese national flag, which may appear in many variations, if only the red spot stands out clearly from the pure white body, also with spots in certain shapes, they result in the Kohaku varieties. These are incredibly exciting, from the Inazuma Kohaku with a lightning bolt on the back to the Kuchibeni Kohaku with kissing spots on the mouth.
6. Chagoi
The Chagoi are inconspicuous ocher to light brown, but they are the cuddly toys among the koi. They are the quickest to become tame, if you want to “befriend” your fish, you have at least one Chagoi in your pond. There are also gray Chagoi, they are called Soragoi. And other subspecies: Ochiba Shigure in gray with brown, Ginrin variants of Chagoi, Soragoi and Ochiba Shigure and a Doitsu form mostly found at most with Ochiba Shigure.
7. Hikarimoyomono Koi
Hikarimoyomono means ‘shiny patterned variety’ and that’s what this metallic shiny koi carp should be colored. The colors of the Hikarimoyomono can be variable and diverse. At least one of the basic colors should shine in a metallic tone. Two basic types are distinguished:
- The Moyo type is colored and a little shiny no matter the metal tone
- In the case of the Hariwake type, one of the three precious metal shades of gold, silver or platinum should clearly stand out.
There are also sub-variants of the Hikarimoyomono. A total of 10 pieces, each with a different color scheme. A whole rainbow of colors that often makes it difficult even for breeders to identify a Hikarimoyomono.
8. Kawarimono-Koi
The Kawarimono does not require any special color designations and pattern descriptions. Rather, Kawarimono is a kind of “collective term”: all koi without metal color that cannot be assigned to any other breeding form are classified here. According to this definition, there are of course many sub-variants of the Kawarimono, with which it is often disputed whether they are classified under the Kawarimono or as a separate variant.
9. Ogon Koi
The Ogon is the golden Koi carp, always monochromatic and always shiny with metal. The pectoral fins must be the same color as the body and must not be transparent. Ogons come in many varieties, the six main ones being: Yamabuki, Orenji, Platinum, Nezu, Hi, and Shiro.
10. Kinginrin-Kois
Another species that attracts attention because of its brilliance. “Kin Gin Rin” means gold-silver scales, and the Kinginrin have such a scale layer with luminous reflections, regardless of their basic color. These glossy scales of a kinginrin can grow anywhere on the body. However, some kinginrin only have a few shiny gold or silver scales, but at least two rows of dorsal scales should be shiny. If you do that on the outer edge, it’s a kado gin. If they shine from within and become dull towards the edge, it’s a Pearl Gin-Rin, if they radiate out, it’s a Diamond Gin-Rin. Fully reflective scales are called beta gin. The Kinginrin may have certain basic colors, which are slightly covered by the golden or silver sheen.
Kinginrin and “normal” metallic koi are not easy to tell apart, the characteristic pattern on the reflective scales typical of the kinginrin is not easy to identify even for breeders. In addition, the glossy scales were created through very targeted breeding for a feature that makes the Kinginrin susceptible to disease, so no beginner fish.
11. Koromo-Koi
The Koromo has colorful, black-shaded spots with a mostly white base color, the color of the spots determines the subvariant:
- Ai Koromo: red spots with black shading
- Budo Koromo: yellow spots appear brownish due to the black border
- Sumi Koromo: as above, with sumi also on the head scales
12. Showa-Koi
The Showa have the basic color black, with white and red accents. The same colors as the Sanke, but divided up completely differently: black color must be visible in the pectoral fins and on the head, depending on the subspecies, it must be sharply drawn or softly flowing. The body is spotted red and white, with the still very young variety Kin Showa even with a metallic sheen.
13. Taisho Sanke Koi
The Taisho Sanke or Taisho Sanshoku is white with red and black spots all over the body, with fire (hi) and ink (sumi). Sanke means three colors, white, red and black but can be represented in different distributions. This then results in the six typical sub-variants that fulfill all wishes from “little clouds” to “metal decor”.
15. Utsurimono Koi
Translated as the Harmony Koi, with a black base color and red, yellow or white spots, with four important varieties:
- Shiro Utsuri: white harmony with black base color and white markings
- Hi Utsuri or Scarlet: Harmony, this drawing is red
- Ki Utsuri, gelbe Harmonie
14. Tancho-Koi
Tancho are more or less light white in color with a “Hi”, red spot on the head. The red dot can be perfectly round, oval, heart-shaped, or completely irregular. In theory, the Tancho belongs to the Kohaku family, like all Koi with white and red spots. It is called Tancho Kohaku when the body is white except for the red spot, and Ippon-Kohaku when it is round.
If a tancho does not have an all-white body but has a red dot on its head, it is no longer considered a tancho, but a tancho variety of the corresponding color group (the classification is therefore a complicated subject for the specialist).
16. Most of these koi carp are also available as a doitsu variant , crossbreeds with the German carp in the color variants described in each case.
This first overall impression of the many different Koi species should help you to make an initial pre-selection. If you shortlist a few variants beforehand, you at least have a chance not to completely lose track of the selected Koi varieties when you are dealing with them now. Because if you start to get to know the numerous sub-types of each individual koi variant, you will have enough to do if you only look at a few “koi families”.
Keeping koi carp in Germany
Kois can be kept privately with us. However, the usual high life expectancy of around 70 years can only be expected with exemplary species-appropriate husbandry (non-species-appropriate husbandry would be prohibited under the Animal Welfare Act anyway).
This means you need a koi pond, preferably a natural pond, and that pond needs to be of a reasonable size. Because Kois do not want to live alone in the pond, you should use at least two pairs. Each fish needs at least 1,500 liters of water for itself, if possible not much less under a pond cover that is frozen in winter. These are ponds of considerable proportions. This is the only way to guarantee the water temperatures desired by the koi carp of at least 4 degrees in winter, 14 to 18 degrees in spring and 20 to 26 degrees in summer.
This pond must have the right location on the property, the right filtering planting and, if possible, a pond filter. It has to be maintained and cleaned regularly, which is not an entirely uncomplicated matter. In addition to sufficient space, the koi also need places to retreat, shaded or green pond areas, otherwise there is a risk of sunburn in summer. You will therefore have to inform yourself well and without time pressure for some time beforehand, e.g. B. in the article “ Build your own koi pond – pond construction instructions ”.
It would also be highly recommended if you talk to other koi keepers for a while before you build your koi pond and put the first koi in it. You also need to find out how to feed your koi appropriate to their species. Kois are omnivores, but they need varied and balanced food. While you can buy special koi food commercially, you still need to know what you are doing. Of course, you should also acquire basic knowledge about koi diseases and their treatment.
Koi breeding in the garden pond?
Of course nobody can forbid you. In this article, however, you will definitely not receive any instructions on how to breed koi, but at most a warning not to embark on such a project as a koi beginner.
Because koi breeding requires completely different conditions than koi keeping. A simple, largely self-regulating natural pond is usually no longer sufficient. Unless you have a lake on your doorstep, you will have to work with overstocked tanks when raising juvenile fish. In these, the water quality must be checked continuously. You need efficient pond technology and filtering, you have to acquire a lot of knowledge about feeding young fish appropriate to the species and even more knowledge about how to deal with the koi if an illness or parasite infestation occurs.
In addition, with the “supreme discipline of koi breeding” you should at least develop an idea of what you actually want to breed. This is only possible if you know the quality standards and how to meet them. A Koi breed is not just a simple Koi propagation. Within a few generations, only grey, inconspicuous carp would come out of this, without any bright colour. However, that is not the breeding goal, but the preservation and production of the most beautiful, craziest and most unusual color combinations. At the same time, however, you must ensure that the parent animals are healthy. To do this, you would need either a lifetime of experience with koi carp or a scientific education.
