Chagoi

Standard fin

Butterfly (long fin)

FISH

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KOI

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  • Koi are capable growing up to 36 inches long and some koi in Japan are over 100 years old. 


  • Koi can come in many different colors and patterns, from solids to spatterings of every color of the rainbow.


  • Koi can grow 3-6 inches each year if conditions are right.


  • Koi can be inexpensive costing $3 for a 3-4 inch fish to tens of thousands of dollars for 36 inch show fish.


  • They tolerate the cold temperatures of Utah well and do not need to be brought indoors during the winter months provided their pond is deep enough (2 or more feet) and the pond does not freeze over.


  • You can tell a koi from a goldfish by whiskers or barbs at the sides of his mouth.


  • Koi love to eat plants and will nibble on leaves until nothing is left of the plant or it's stump if they are not fed sufficiently throughout the day.


  • Our friends at Koi and Water Garden Society of Central New York have a great web page showing the many varieties of koi. Click here to visit the page.
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How do I get my koi to not be shy
​and eat out of my hand?

This probably the most frequently asked question there is.  One answer is coaxing shy fish to come up and eat in your presence. This is a task that will require patience and effort.  

First stop feeding your fish for a couple days. Put a few food pellets on the edge of your fingers and place it in the water. Hold it there so the fish can nibble it out of your fingers. keep a few pellets close to your hand in the water. If they don't eat then remove the food and try again the next feeding until their hunger is greater than their fear. Remember their predaitors are tall and stand, so be sitting and no quick movements. Also, the older a koi gets the less flighty they become so have a mixture of ages of fish.


Another way to do this, suggested by the folks at Koi To The World, is to by adding a friendly koi variety to your collection. Chagoi, Ochiba Shigure & Soragoi make up what are commonly referred to as the friendly varieties. What makes them so friendly?  There are several theories on exactly why Chagoi, Ochiba Shigure & Soragoi tend to be more outgoing than all other varieties of koi.  They are most like the original carp from which koi were derived from.  They are faster growing and grow larger than other varieties.  Chagoi are often referred to as the Labrador Retriever of the koi world.  Always happy to see you and very friendly and curious.  By adding one or a few of these varieties to your pond they will quickly teach your other koi it is OK to come up and greet you when you are present.