History of Koi

Although many of us associate Koi fish with Japanese culture the breeding of Koi fish actually began in Eastern Asia and China. A descendant of the hearty carp fish, Koi started being raised and bred for their distinct color patches over 2,500 years ago. Chinese rulers often kept Koi in captivity for their viewing pleasure. Mesmerized by their beauty, the Chinese often depicted these jewels in their art, carving them into wood and painting them in murals. Koi were first bred in Japan in the 1820’s. Although the brown variety was greatly used as a food staple, the Japanese started noticing blue and red color mutations. Through selective breeding the red and white variety was perfected around 1890. Today there are over 100 color varieties that came from that single species of fish.

San Diego Ponds specializes in the design and construction of Koi ponds. San Diego Ponds can guide you in the right direction to properly care for your Koi fish and Koi pond maintenance program. Our pond designer/builder is an expert at troubleshooting existing Koi ponds.