So you’ve built a fish pond in your backyard and now it’s time to add some interest to it buy buying some Japanese Koi. How do you know which ones to choose?

You can buy Koi at your local pet store and even your local garden store if they have a fish pond section but you will be limited to the fish they have in stock. If you want a huge variety and the opportunity to purchase some beautiful varieties, then you might consider shopping for them online.

Koi are an ancient fish that are actually bred from carp to get their distinguishing marks and beautiful colors. The first mention of Koi dates back to Chinese writings from 265 AD. Although the early ones were described as being blue, red, white and black today’s Koi come in a wide variety of colors and color patterns.

Japanese Koi have been bred since the 17th century and come in many varieties. Here are just a few you might consider:

Butterfly Koi - These have beautiful flowing fins and come in a variety of colors including metalics.

Kohaku - These are white Koi with red markings - very typical of what you would find in a Koi pond.

Taisho Sanke Koi - another white Koi, but these have black and red markings.

Gin Rin Koi - These have pearly silver reflective scales.

Kawarimono Koi - These non metallic Koi come in many colors including red, gold, white, silver, brown and mutli colored.

Bekko Koi - These have small black markings and can have red, white or yellow bodies.

Choosing from the different type of Japanese Koi can be challenging but your first consideration should be to choose fish that are healthy. Buy from a reputable dealer and make sure you get a guarantee. You might consider having a quarantine tank to put new fish in to be sure they do not have any diseases before you put them in your pond. A fish can appear healthy when it is carrying the beginnings of a disease and you want to be careful not to spread this to your other healthy fish.