When visitors stop by the campus of Perry Wellness Center, one of the first things to catch the eye is a fountain pool in which colorful koi and goldfish dart. Peers are also drawn to the site, as the combination of burbling water and bright fish create a sense of calm.

In Asian cultures, koi and goldfish have long been associated with peace, serenity, and prosperity. Western culture has readily adopted the practice of having these freshwater fish incorporated into outdoor water features. While these fish are considered somewhat exotic, their roots are found in the common carp. 

Goldfish were developed over a thousand years ago in China, while koi were developed in the nineteenth-century Japan. Other differences: goldfish can grow up to a foot or slightly more, while koi can grow up to three feet. A goldfish may live, on average, 5 – 10 years, while the lifespan of a koi is 25 – 30 years!

Peers and staff often take a break beside a pool, for a few moments of tranquility. Although the fish population had diminished in recent months due to nuisance water grass growth and other water condition, the number of fish is now growing again.

In the photo above, twelve goldfish of various sizes swim in a sparkling pond on the Perry Wellness Center campus.