Could koi live in an aquarium?

[Dippiedee]

Would it be possible to keep koi in a 5ft x 4ft rectangular aquarium that was 3ft/4ft deep?

EDIT: Aquarium calculator says this would be roughly 2,250 litres

 

[FishBoy101]

Would it be possible to keep koi in a 5ft x 4ft rectangular aquarium that was 3ft/4ft deep? I've no idea how much water it would hold or how to work that out.

I would say no. They are strong enough to break the glass, and they would get 2 feet ish. I would say no, koi need ponds.

 

[Dippiedee]

I would say no. They are strong enough to break the glass, and they would get 2 feet ish. I would say no, koi need ponds.

I suspected that might be the case... a girl can dream haha

 

[Dippiedee]

What about a school of bala shark?

 

[FishBoy101]

What about a school of bala shark?

What is the tank size? I'm not good at math lol

 

[CaptainAquatics]

Roughly 600 gallons

 

[Dippiedee]

What is the tank size? I'm not good at math lol

Neither am I lol
According to google its 595 us gallons

 

[FishBoy101]

What about a school of bala shark?

I say yes then, they can get a good 1 foot or so.

 

[SouthAmericanCichlids]

1 koi needs 500 gallons of water, but I don't know the footprint though.

 

[Dippiedee]

1 koi needs 500 gallons of water, but I don't know the footprint though.

From what I understand they're a shoaling fish? So a 600 gallon wouldnt be enough to keep multiples

I have the garden space for a pond so I'm thinking that's just the better option; I was thinking of an aquarium because I wanted to be able to see in the sides. Looking at them from the top isnt really the same.

 

[JamieBAnd]

There are ways to make an above ground pond with plexiglass sides so you can see the fish. This would require skill to build, unless you have an indoor area that can insulate and protect against strong temperature changes. If you do, you’ll need to be on a concrete floor, or risk flooring issues from the weight of the water. That being said, YouTube King if DIY, he built one out of wood, plexiglass, and sealed the wood with marine grade epoxy if I recall correctly. It’s been a few years back, but last I knew, it housed fresh water stingray, and other large fish.
The rule I’ve heard was each koi needed around 1000 gallons of water. If you like the multicolored flowing fins, look at shubinkin goldfish. They come in many color patterns, and like a calico cat, you can have diluted colors, so instead of black, it looks almost blue, instead of orange it’s almost peach. Or any combination of red, white, black, some yellow. They have long flowing fins like butterfly koi.

 

[BullfrogBushfield]

Would it be possible to keep koi in a 5ft x 4ft rectangular aquarium that was 3ft/4ft deep?

EDIT: Aquarium calculator says this would be roughly 2,250 litres

You could keep them in there until they are around 30 cm long then move them into a pond. Just make sure you have a lid I had a small koi of mine jump out of the tank and pass away, so lids are a must.

 

[emeraldking]

Depending on the size of those koi, they can be kept in a fish tank. I've done it as well. But be aware of it that koi can grow fast. They won't stunt or grow slower by a smaller enviroment. Just like regular carps, these koi go on growing till their max size. if teh circumstances are right, they can even grow till 1m30 - 1m50. But most kept in an average pond size, will grow up till approx. 60 - 90 cm. When they hit a certain size, I've always moved them to my pond in the backyard. Otherwise, they can't swim freely enough. So basically, it comes down to it that keeping koi in a fishtank is a temporary activity.





I've kept and bred koi from mid 1980's till 2005.