I refuse to grow up!!

[Alec j]

Hi all, quick question: do koi grow in size, no matter how big or small the pond is? Or will they self stunt their growth to adapt to their given environment?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Koi continue to grow to their genetically pre-determined size (not every koi is going to reach that 3' mark, some do just naturally stay smaller) and they absolutely can & DO 'outgrow' a pond that is too small for them. If they are in an inappropriately small environment & they do 'self stunt', it's not a healthy way for them to live. Not to mention the issue of poor water quality caused by having koi in too low a volume of water - that's going to cause a whole new set of problems for them.

 

[Lisak1]

EXACTLY! The "fish grow to fit their environment" is a bunch of hooey... they may not reach their full size if they are raised in a too small pond, but that's a sign of poor health. You can stunt the growth of a human too - just deny a child proper nutrition, exercise, fresh air. etc and the child's health will suffer to the point they won't reach their adult potential. And they will be afflicted with other ailments as well - poor bone growth, slow brain development, etc. Not a way to live for any creature.

 

[GBBUDD]

if there is three things that koi do well its
1. Grow
2. Eat
3. POOP

 

[poconojoe]

I was told by someone that was very knowledgeable on the subject that koi release pheromones into the water and if you want them to grow larger, do a lot of water changes and feed them a lot.

Just as a note: I never do water changes.
I feed my fish twice a day during the summer.

That being said, I have had a few very large koi growing up around 2 feet or more, yet others living in the same environment stop growing at maybe half that size.

So, my guess is that it might have a lot to do with different strains or family genes.

All of the very large koi I've had were females. I think females tend to be much larger than males.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you can make koi grow FASTER - I don't believe you can make them grow larger than their genetic predisposition. We found the same thing when we had koi - some grew large and fast, some never even reached 18 inches long.

 

[Jhn]

Agree with @Lisak1, you can stunt the growth of any living creature, but why would you even consider doing that to another living being. Many treat animals like a piece of property and dont do their best to understand it’s needs to keep it healthy for its full lifespan. Not directing this at the OP, at least they are asking about it on here, just speaking in generalities.