Koi are living animals. Like all other living animals, they change their color, shape and size as they grow. They will have bruises, damaged scales, torn fins or bulges. Once they become your pets, if you are compassionate, you don't stop loving them just because they have changed.

The picture on left is the Koi we bought for its bright blue color. One year later, as the Koi grew, blue turned Grey and the red was more orange (see picture on the right). Instead of hating him or giving him away, we named him G.I Joe because his patterns look like camouflage!

Creating an attractive kaleidoscope with different color koi is more practical. The blemishes and discoloration on individual koi aren't noticed.

Think Koi Pond as a giant canvas. Koi create myriad patterns while swimming in the pond. Sometimes, our koi create Jackson Pollocks Paintings in our pond.

 
Pollocks paintings

  
Baby Smart Koi

Buy koi of complementary colors to create kaleidoscopic patterns in your pond.

Or create theme ponds. Buy all kinds, metallic, doitsu (scaleless), gin rin, matsuba, ogon, butterfly varieties but of just one or two complementary colors.

Examples:
1. Theme: Autumn
Solid red koi: Benigoi, Aka Muji, Aka Hajiro
Solid yellow koi Yamabuki, Kigoi, Doitsu Ki Matsuba, Ki Kikokuryu
Solid orange Koi: Orenji ogon, Orenji Matsuba
Green Koi: Midori
Pond looks like sugar maples in Autumn!

Plant dwarf Japanese maples, dwarf Gold conifers, Rudbeckias and Coneflowers around the pond.

2. Theme: Winter snow
White koi: Shiro muji, purachina
Black and white koi: Shiro utsuri, Shiro Bekko, Kumonryu, Matsukawabake
Solid Black Koi: Karasu, Hajiro, Hageshiro
Complementing the rocks and snow in the background. In summer, you can plant white flowers on the pond edge.

3. Modern art
Solid Black Koi: Karasu, Hajiro, Hageshiro
Solid White Koi: shiro muji, purachina
Solid Red Koi: Aka Hajiro, Benigoi, Aka muji
Black white and red patterned Koi: Sanke, Showa, Beni Kumonryu
Now your pond must look like some modern art

4. Tiger
Solid yellow koi: Yamabuki, Kigoi, Doitsu ki Matsuba, Chagoi
black and yellow patterned Koi: Ki Utsuri, Ki Bekko
Solid black Koi: Karasu, Hajiro, Hageshiro
See the patterns of a tiger!

5. Santa!
Red and white patterned koi: Kohaku, Kikusui, Hariwake
Solid red Koi: Aka Hajiro, Benigoi, Aka muji
Solid white Koi: shiro muji, purachina

6. Patriotic
Red, Blue and White Koi
Red and white patterned koi: Kohaku, Kikusui, Hariwake
Solid red Koi: Aka Hajiro, Benigoi, Aka muji
Solid white Koi: shiro muji, purachina
Blue/Grey Koi: Asagi, Shusui, Soragoi, Kujaku with red patterns

Be bold and creative. Koi can be pets as well as your ever changing painting!

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