Are you thinking about putting more fish in your koi pond? Do you the fish that can live with koi in a pond?
Koi are one of the most social pond fish species, when it comes to interacting with other fish, and even people. Depending on the pond environment, they can have a wide range of pond-mates including goldfish and even bass.
This article will help you find out the best pond-mates for your koi.
12 Fish That Can Live with Koi in A Pond
As generally friendly fish, koi will get along with anything that doesn’t prey on them. Of course, the first thing you have to consider when pairing fish is the habitat.
Goldfish are usually the most popular choice to pair with koi because they’re the same genus. That being said, you can also pair koi with:
- Sunfish
- Perch
- Large Mouth, Small Mouth Bass
- Carp species like grass carp
- Minnows
- Barbs
- Catfish
- Goldfish
- Golden Orfe
- Tench
- Pleco
- Sturgeon
It’s probably not wise to just catch fish and add them to your pond. From the wild, they can carry diseases or parasites that they will very easily infect and ultimately kill your koi.
Do Koi Get Along with Other Fish?
Yes. Koi are almost always friendly with other fish. They tend to stick together for safety, but if your pond has a predatory fish, this won’t be the case. A koi can’t get along with something that sees them as prey.
Koi are not predatory fish, so they won’t try to eat anything in the pond, aside from tadpoles and insects. This is why the list of fish they can be paired with is so extensive.
Your koi may be seen defending itself from a more aggressive fish. This is done by bumping the other fish off course, since a koi doesn’t have teeth for fighting. In the case that the opponent is bigger, the koi will simply flee and hide.
Are Koi Aggressive Towards Other Fish
No. Koi are seldom aggressive towards others. They may compete for food or defend themselves, but they will never attack another fish out of hostility.
As non-territorial fish, there are only two reasons that your koi will ever be aggressive, such as:
- Fighting for food
- Self Defense
In a pond with limited food sources or too many fish, a koi will compete with fish of smaller or similar size for food like bugs and tadpoles. Otherwise, they are usually harmless to other pond fish.
How Many Fish Can You Have in A Koi Pond?
The general rule of thumb is for every inch of the fish’s length, you will need 10 gallons of water for it to have the right amount of room. An average koi is about 10 inches long.
- In an average pond of a thousand gallons, you can have around 4 of these average-sized koi.
Remember that if a koi has sufficient space, it will grow up to 3 feet long. So, if you only have a few fish in a much bigger pond, they’ll probably grow larger than the average size of 10 inches.
Can I Mix Goldfish with Koi?
Yes. Goldfish make excellent pond or tank mates with goldfish. They’re from the same hereditary line and eat the same things. Plus, koi and goldfish look similar, so they will school with each other.
Koi and goldfish are often found together in aquariums and ponds. Of all options, these two are the most compatible. This is because they’re distantly related, stemming from the same genus.
Here are some other reasons koi and goldfish are a common mix in ponds:
- They’re both relatively low maintenance.
- Both are passive fish.
- They’re matching vibrant coloring.
- Same water and ecosystem requirements
- Same food sources
As a matter of fact, it’s common practice to feed koi goldfish flakes. Not only is this a cheaper option than normal koi pellets, which are made of the same ingredients. So, they already have all the nutrition your koi need.
Can Angelfish Live with Koi?
No. Not only can they not live with koi, but Angelfish can’t even live in the same habitat as koi fish. They have totally different habitat requirements, so they shouldn’t be sharing a pond or tank.
Here are the most important reasons why you shouldn’t be keeping koi with angelfish:
- Different Water Requirements
- Different Temperature Settings
- Different Food Sources
- Different Lighting Needs
Koi typically prefer colder water and will even swim to the depths to avoid the heat. Meanwhile, Angelfish, a tropical species, are found in warm water.
How Can I Make My Koi More Friendly?
Koi are typically friendly, but you can make extra sure all your fish get along by making sure there’s enough food to go around. Koi will also become more friendly with the person that they bond with.
- They’re able to recognize their name and come even to the surface to be pet.
- If you regularly hand feed your koi, you’ll notice that they all appear at the top of the water, almost ready for the food.
You don’t really have to do anything to make your koi more friendly with one another. They’re passive fish that don’t fight, but if there isn’t enough food, they will compete for it. When there’s enough food, everyone’s happy.
What Are the Friendliest Koi?
There are more than one hundred different breeds of koi, all of which come from Japan and China.
Of all these species, the mighty Chagoi koi are the largest, smartest, and the friendliest.
As we’ve said, a koi can grow to two or three feet in the wide-open spaces of a large pond. These Chagoi koi are usually the ones who popularly reach this length and are classified as the largest koi breed out of all of them.
They’re not just the largest either. Chagoi koi are also the most intelligent and the most social koi breed. When you hear stories of koi coming when called, these big guys are the ones they’re talking about.
Conclusion
While people try to keep tropical fish in koi ponds, they fail because the fish can’t adjust to the circumstances that koi are used to.
Koi tankmates can be big enough to not fit in their jaws because otherwise they may consume them.
If you intend to have an outdoor koi pond, cover the top with transparent wire to prevent predators from disturbing the fish.
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