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So, what is the difference between Koi and goldfish?

Koi and goldfish are very similar looking fish, especially when they are about the same size.

It is no wonder that some people mistake them.

They are even related – both of these types of fish are descended from carp.

However, koi are a much more recent development, descended from the common carp in Japan.

They were first bred for their beautiful colors around the 1820s, and have been popular ever since.

Goldfish, on the other hand, have been around for much longer.

Domesticated carp were raised in China for thousands of years for food.

These were the Prussian carp, rather than the common carp, which koi are descended from.

Colors like red, orange and yellow were noted as early as the Jin dynasty – around the time of the Roman Empire.

Later, it became popular to raise carp in ornamental ponds, and many of these carp showed gold coloration.

They were prized as ornamental fish, and were displayed in small bowls on special occasions.

Now, goldfish are available in all kinds of colors and shapes, and are actually considered a separate species from their ancestors.

These fish can no longer successfully interbreed.

Koi, by comparison, are still capable of breeding with their parent species, and will return to the wild coloration within a few generations.

They are merely a special series of color variations on this type of fish.

Most goldfish can not be kept outdoors anymore, and must live in indoor aquariums.

Some special varieties, including the shubunkin, are capable of living outside.

Koi are capable of living outdoors in appropriate environments, and are still kept in ornamental pools.

They are also larger than goldfish, though their smaller cousins get bigger than most people know.

If you have only ever seen goldfish two to six inches long, you may be surprised to learn that they can live up to twenty years and get up to eighteen inches long.

Koi can be up to three feet long and usually live for twenty-five to thirty-five years.

Specimens up to six feet long and two hundred years old have been claimed, however.

Goldfish come in a wider range of variation than koi, with more types of tail and fin shapes and different body shapes.

Koi are almost all the same shape, but have a wide variety of colors and patterns, with obvious barbels on their lips.

Young koi and young goldfish of certain types can be hard to tell apart, and some kinds of goldfish can even interbreed with koi, but the result is sterile.

Both koi fish and goldfish are fun to keep and have their own special characteristics and personalities.

Many people enjoy koi fish in their landscaping ponds. The fish grow large, are colorful, and thrive well in the outdoor pond environment.

Some pond owners choose to breed the fish to stock their own garden ponds.

Others choose to breed koi fish as a profit making business.

No matter which reason you select to raise koi, it is essential to gain an educated understanding of the fish.

First, koi breeders must learn the appropriate times for breeding.

No matter where you live in the United States, the best months to breed your koi fish are between April and July.

The next step is choosing your fish.

Of course, you will want to stock your breeding pond with both male and female koi. Males can be identified by the spots on their gill covers and pectoral fins. Females will have larger abdomens during the breeding season.

When breeding koi fish, it is important to select males and females that are about the same size. Females need to be at least two years old for breeding purposes. The ideal age for breeding a female is around four years old.

If the female is too young, the eggs will be thin and there is a less likely chance the baby will survive. You also do not want the fish to be too old for breeding. Older fish have eggs that are too hard for the sperm to penetrate. However, fifteen year old koi have been successfully bred.

Set up your breeding environment so that there is approximately one male fish for every female fish. Make certain that males do not outnumber the females over 2 to 1.

Some form of either synthetic or natural decoration should be used in the tank or pond. Outdoor ponds often work well with using water hyacinths. It may be a good idea to place a net over your outdoor pond to keep insects out and to prevent the fish from jumping onto the sides.

Spawning can be recognized by a cloudiness of the water and a strong odor. A koi fish may produce over a thousand eggs at a time. It is important to protect these eggs from adult fish. Spawning ropes may be used to move the eggs to a safe area and wait for hatching.

The hatching of the eggs typically occurs in a week.

A month or so after the fish have hatched, it is best to begin culling out fish that are not of good and high quality stock. Continue culling out the fish that are acceptable breeders every week or so until you have a high quality pond of new fish.

These fish will serve as new breeders for future breeding. It important to keep in mind that only about half of your baby koi will live to reach their adulthood life. Taking care of your fish will help maintain a high quality for the future generation of koi.

Breeding koi can be a wonderful and exciting business or hobby. However, it is not a task that should be taken lightly. Raising koi takes work in order to ensure that the highest quality of fish are produced.

If you are going to install a koi fish pond then first realize that you are going to need to be committed to its maintenance. It really does not make sense to build a beautiful water garden, stock it with lovely koi fish and then not look after it. It doesn’t matter how lovely your pond is, if the koi fish are not healthy, then it is just going to take away from the overall beauty of the fish pond.

Koi fish are a wonderful addition to your pond. They certainly are attractive but they are also delicate. Therefore if your choice is the Koi fish then make sure you learn about them so you can tend to them properly. You want the color of your fish to remain vibrant and intact, and you want them to be active in your pond. So you need to be prepared to do some work.

Keep it clean:
These fish demand a clean environment. If the water starts to become contaminated then before long you are going to have some sick or even dead fish. In order to prevent this it means you must inspect the overall condition of the water on a regular basis.

Water inspection:
Aside from being clean, you have to watch for other water issues as well. The PH level of the water is important. Ideally if possible stay away from concrete ponds because it affects the PH level. You also need to be diligent about things such as chlorine and ammonia buildup which can be harmful to the Koi. Also do not subject the Koi to sudden changes in water temperature; this is a risk you run when you change the water.

Koi’s like company:
You must have enough Koi for them to make a group. You want them to be in a happy environment. This means it must be as close to their natural habitat as possible.

Feed the Koi properly:
Koi fish are a part of the ornamental variety of carp, therefore their diets and nutritional needs are pretty much the same. A high fish protein diet is important and be sure that “fish” is at least in the top 2 ingredients of your koi food. During the summer months koi may need to be fed up to 8 times a day. The colder months require very little feeding, or even none at all if the temperature drops below 55 degrees. Treat your koi to delicious fruits and vegetables. They will enjoy cut up shrimp, and even earthworms.

Don’t over feed your Koi:
One of the easiest ways to contaminate your water is by overfeeding the fish. Unused food will fall to the bottom of the pond and will rot over time. If this has already occurred you will need to scrape or vacuum up the unused food.

Don’t hand the Koi unless it’s necessary:
They have a protective coating on them. If you don’t handle them properly or handle them too much you will damage that coating. Once you do this you are subjecting them to bacteria.

Regular Inspections:
Make it a habit when you do your water inspection that you look at the Koi closely to be sure that they are all in good health. If one were to be sick you would want to remove it quickly so it doesn’t contaminate the others. You must make every effort to determine why it is ill as well.

Maintaining a healthy environment for your koi fish is essential in keeping your fish disease free, playful, and colorful. Follow these suggestions and you’ll be sure to enjoy your koi fish pond for years to come.