Koi

Originally developed in the paddy fields of Japan. These beautiful fish are now bred in many countries throughout the world. Growing to, in some cases, over 3' long; and living for over 50 years. A large, well patterned koi can be stunning sight. Most people have heard stories about how expensive koi are, and it is certainly true that a few remarkable specimens have changed hands for tens of thousands of pounds. The truth is that these fish are in the minority. The vast majority of koi that we sell cost less than £50, with prices starting at about £5. True we do have some superb specimens at over £1000, but you don't need to spend anything like that to get yourself a very attractive fish.

Although the best koi still come from Japan, where their long experience in koi breeding, and historic bloodlines which go back many years, enable them to produce top quality fish. In the UK it is now possible to find Koi on sale, which have come from Israel, Thailand, Malaysia, USA, UK and other countries besides.
Here at the Aquatic Habitat we only stock Japanese & British Koi.
Japanese because, although others are getting close in terms of quality of markings, you still can't beat a genuine Japanese fish.
British because, they offer a good economical and above all healthy alternative. British koi being well adapted to the rigours of the British climate.

Koi Care
Before introducing koi to a garden pond it is essential to ensure that the pond is suitable for them. We recommend a minimum depth of three foot, but four, five or even six foot would be preferable. It is not necessary for the whole pond to be this deep, but a substantial portion of it should be. The extra depth helps keep the water temperature more stable, it also enables the fish to get down, away from any ice, in winter. As Koi can grow to over two foot long any koi pond should give then adequate swimming room, we would suggest a minimum of 10 ft x 6 ft surface area.
Although not impossible, it is very difficult to keep plants in a koi pond, as they usually end up as food. The lack of plants & the fact that koi are inherently messy fish means that a filter is essential if you want to be able to see your fish. Many koi ponds use bottom drains feeding to "gravity fed" filters. Whilst this is undoubtedly the optimum means of filtration, it does have it's drawbacks. Modern "dirty water" pumps such as the Oase Aquamax range mean that good results can be achieved with pump fed filters.

Koi varieties
Over the years large numbers of different colour varieties have been developed these include :-

Kohaku - White koi with red patterning. Considered by the Japanese to be the ultimate koi variety. There are many sub-varieties of kohaku depending on the arrangement of red on the body, of these the most highly prized is the tancho, a white fish with a single, circular red spot on the top of the head. Tancho Kohaku are particularly prized because the pattern is said to resemble the Japanese flag.

Sanke - White koi with black & red patterning. As with kohaku, there are a number of sub-varieties, including Tancho Sanke, in effect a Tancho Kohaku with additional black markings
Showa - Black koi with white & red markings. To the uninitiated this description sounds the same as a sanke. The distinguishing feature is that in Showa's the black is the "underlying" coloration & extends on to the face.

Utsuri - these are black koi with one other colour, Shiro Utsuri are black & white, Hi Utsuri, black & red.

Purachina - these metallic silver fish are not as highly prized in Japan, but are one of the most popular varieties in the UK.

Ohgon - the golden version of a Purachina and equally popular in the UK.

Ghost Koi - the British contribution to koi varieties they are produced by cross breeding Purachina & Ohgon koi with common carp. The result is a black or brown fish with white, yellow or silver edging to the scales and fins. Ghost koi grow rapidly, and are usually very friendly, and more tolerant of poor water quality. Although popular in the UK they are not regarded as a true variety.