I would really like to buy koi fish to put into my empty aquarium. Any advice?

Question

I just bought a new 60 gallon fish tank. I would like to buy at least one Koi fish, does anyone have any tips on maintenance? Also how to care for this type of fish? Thanks for all your help!

Answer 1

To be totally honest my suggestion would be don't. A 60 gallon really isn't large enough to house even a half grown Koi comfortably. Koi are really best reserved for ponds unless you can install a 300 - 400 gallon tank. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth.

MM

Answer 2

You're really better off not putting koi in an aquarium. Koi, full grown, and they grow fast, can reach 3 feet in length. One 3 inch koi would be okay for a couple of years in a 60 gallon, but you would need to be prepared to move that koi into a very large aquarium; probably about 200-300 gallons after a few years. Koi are better suited for ponds. For a 60 gallon aquarium, how about 3-4 fancy goldfish. You would be able to have several fish this way, related to koi, that would be far better suited to an aquarium.

VG

Answer 3

It's true... koi are pond fish.

You can get a few comet goldfish which look similar, grow to a good size, and come in lots of color varieties. I wouldn't get more than 4 or 5 though. The tank will look empty at first, but they grow fast, and an overcrowded tank is a tank full of fish that get sick and/or die for no reason. Goldfish should live for 20+ years if taken care of properly.

Care is pretty easy. Keep their temperature stable at around 70 degrees. Keep up with water changes once a week. Feed goldfish food, not regular tropical flakes. And for a good start (this is the most important to prevent yourself frustration and fish losses,) either:

1) Start your tank with some Bio-Spira, OR

2) Read about "fishless cycling" and take the time to do it. It doesn't mean letting your tank sit for a while, either. You HAVE to grow the bacteria colony in it to process your fish's waste so they don't suffer from ammonia and nitrite poisoning.

Keep asking for help, too. :) Good luck!

Answer 4

For a 60 gallon aquarium I would suggest staying away from Koi, which really do better in outdoor ponds where they have plenty of room as they can become quite large.

Your best bet for an aquarium that size is three or four fancy goldfish. But no more than that due to the fact that there are quite messy.

As long as the room he aquarium is in is kept a steady temperature you will not need a heater for goldfish but you will need a good filter and a good gravel vacuum.

Other than those few things the rules that apply to all fish apply to goldfish.

Good luck
E.

Answer 5

I have three koi between 4" and 7" long that I keep in a 55 gallon aquarium indoors, and they do just fine. They have been in there for 18 months now with no problems. I also have 15-20 koi between 6" and 24" that I keep in an outdoor pond, and truthfully, the only difference is that the ones indoors grow much more slowly. Other than that, they are every bit as active, people-oriented, healthy, etc. In fact, my indoor ones are probably more healthy because I am not constantly fighting parasites introduced by birds visiting and bathing in the aquarium the way I do with the pond!

The guy who recommended the koivet.com website is right on, though - I rely on that site alot for diagnosing and correcting problems, etc. Also, the person who said koi are dirty is absolutely correct, too - they LOVE to tear plants out of the gravel, etc. That is one precaution you want to take if you decide to put koi in an aquarium -make the gravel small. Koi have been known to pick the gravel pieces up to suck the algae and other critters off, only to swallow the rocks and have them lodge in their gills (this can kill them if not treated immediately). So, the gravel should be small enough, relative to the size of your fish, to pass through their gills with no problems. And make sure you have adequate water filtration - in the past I've run a biowheel but recently switched to a penguin.

Whoever said butterfly koi were a cross between goldfish and regular koi is smoking something. Butterfly koi are 100% koi who have been specially bred for their long, fancy fins. Some people say they are more hardy than regular koi, but I haven't noticed any difference. Having said that, koi and goldfish can interbreed, but the hybrid koi/goldfish comes out looking kind of like a mutt - not a good looking goldfish, and not really a good looking koi, either. I had one of those once - we named her Jane because of how plain she looked, but she was extremely healthy and hardy. We had her for over 5 years before a kingfisher (or something!) got her.

Feed a good quality koi pellet - not flakes, and supplement with green leafy lettuce, watermelon slices, orange slices, etc. Even small pieces of wheat bread or cheerios make good treats for koi. They are extremely friendly, trainable fish. After having koi, I would never go back to goldfish (too dumb!).

So go for it - I think you'll be just fine if you start out slowly and don't get too many fish for your tank, too quickly.

Answer 6

Even with a 60 gallon aquarium,your Koi will rapidly out grow the tank.Koi do best in a pond. If you don't have access to a pond,you might try "Butterfly Koi".These are a cross of a Koi with Comet Goldfish.It too,will eventually out grow a 60 gallon tank,it will take longer,because the adult size will be less. Butterfly Koi are a very attactive fish,and since they are both descendants of the common Carp,they are not true hybrids like the deformed "Parrot Cichilds" or "Flowerhorns" currently being exported from Singapore. Either breed (Koi or Butterfly Koi)will require lots of attention to water quality and filtration.A slightly oversize filter might help,but remember a filter is just a box to hold the waste until you remove it from the system. Frequent water changes and filter maintainance will help keep your fish healthyand robust. As to feeding and other more refined facets of Koi care I'd suggest a good basic book to provide a quick reference when questions arise.-----Good luck,PeeTee---

Answer 7

Try goldfish, koi are grow too big for that tank. Start with a good book on how to care for goldfish. "Fancy Goldfish - A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting" by Dr. Eric Johnson and Rick Hess is a excellent place for everything you need to know.
www.goldfishconnection.com
www.koivet.com
www.fishdoc.com
Great sites for info as well. Good luck and welcome to the hobby. Be careful goldfish are addictive!

Answer 8

koi are very hardy fish very easy to care 4 look it up on the net i like the koivet.com

Answer 9

They are difficult in the tank, because they will grow to a large size. YOu need a very good filter. They are a very dirty fish. They are hardy though, so temperature is not a problem.

Answer 10

koi need water you cant put themin an empty aquarium!