Koi History

The Koi fish is believed to date back to 200AD, and has traveled a long way since that time. Koi was first cultivated as a protein rich food source. Now, they are in popular demand as decorations for ornamental ponds across the world.

The Koi's growth is limited by the size of it's container. Your interruption of the Koi is limited only by your imagination. If you keep the Koi in a small fish bowl, it will only grow to be two or three inches long. Place the Koi in a larger tank or a small pond and it will reach six to ten inches. Put it in a large pond and it may get as long as a foot and a half. However, when a Koi is placed in a lake, where it can really stretch out, it has the potential to reach sizes up to three feet.

The defining characteristics of Koi fish are the double barbels located on the upper lip, without them they are classified as Goldfish.