Koi and Angelfish Compatibility [Do They Play Nice Together?]

The Koi is an ornamental fish that is widely known. It can be used as a pet. Koi fishes are quite large, they can be as large as three feet in length. You can keep your young koi in an indoor aquarium but as it grows, you need to transfer to a bigger pond. Since Koi fishes are usually large, you need to provide them with a large pond that can contain about 1,000 gallons of water for every koi in the water. A koi needs clean and high-quality water to survive. Angelfishes are a calm breed of fishes that belong to the cichlid family and they can sometimes be aggressive towards each other when they try to pair off and spawn. An angelfish usually grows very big after a while but they can be kept in larger aquariums with other fishes. Angelfishes come in beautiful colors.

So, you may be wondering if koi and angelfish are compatible. Yes, they are. But you should not try to put them together because while the Koi needs cooler water to survive, angelfish needs warm water to stay healthy.  Also, Koi needs a pond that is at least 2 feet in length to survive but an angelfish don’t need that depth to survive. Plus, the Koi tends to consume more food than the angelfish, this will make it get bigger and devour all the food even before the angelfish consumes any. 

Even though the Koi and angelfish are compatible, putting them in the same pond may not be healthy for their survival. 

RELATED: Can Angelfish Live With Koi Fish Happily and Safely?

The Koi is a friendly fish that can live comfortably in a group of other fishes. But there are certain things you should consider before putting a new fish to join the Koi. Make sure the size of the fish you want to keep in the Koi pond is almost the same as the Koi. Ensure the new fish is not aggressive but social so it doesn’t fight the Koi. Also, the new fish should have a similar temperature requirement to the Koi. The new fish shouldn’t compete with the Koi for food, it should be a bottom feeder and it should have similar features as the Koi. 

Fishes you can put in your Koi pond.

Your koi can stay in the group of its species. 

Check out other fishes you can put in your Koi pond if you are considering putting new fishes in your Koi pond.

1. Barbel 

Barbels can grow as large as 4 feet and they can live up to 20 years. They have almost the same size, the same diet, and the same temperature requirements as the Koi. They are very great companions of the Koi fish. Barbels are bottom feeders, they eat the remnants of food left by the Koi fish. Keep a large barbel fish with a large koi fish.  Make sure the size of the pond housing is large and has a great flow of water.

2. Golden Orfe

This is a social river fish that needs high-quality water with good oxygenation and filtration to survive. They are very good buddies of koi fishes. Keep them in at least a group of three fishes. 

3. Tench 

See people call tench a doctor fish because their shape looks like doctors. They can weigh up to 7.5 kg. They are friendly and peaceful so, keeping them with koi won’t be a problem at all. They are bottom feeders so, if your pond has plenty o sand in it, they may disturb the water a lot.

4. Sturgeon

Sturgeons are big fishes that have a similar weight as the Koi. They can live happily with the koi but they tend to disturb the bottom of the pond a lot. Ensure you have a very large pond before you put your sturgeon in a koi pond.

Fishes that are compatible with your angelfish

You shouldn’t just put any species of fish in your angelfish tank without doing proper research about their compatibility. Adding just any kind of fish to be a tank mate to your angelfish is quite risky because the angelfish can be sometimes unfriendly. 

Do you have plans of getting new tank mates for your angelfish? Search no further because we have saved you the stress of having compatibility issues with your angelfish and other species of fishes.  

Here is a list of great tank mates that are compatible with your angelfish. Check them out. 

1. Dwarf Gourami

Most people refer to the dwarf gourami is a labyrinth fish because of their breathing organ that looks like a labyrinth. The dwarf gourami is a very peaceful and reserved fish. 

The dwarf gourami and the angelfish easily get along but once you introduce the dwarf gourami into the angelfish tank, make sure you watch them closely because the angelfish might want to show its territorial attitude at first and since the dwarf gourami is a very reserved fish, it can easily be bullied. 

The dwarf gourami liked to eat frozen foods, algae, small insects, flake foods, and vegetables. So, do well to put enough vegetation in the tank of your dwarf gourami. 

2. Platy fish

Platy fish is a colorful fish that is usually small and can thrive in a small tank. They easily reproduce and are active. 

Platy fish is a very good companion to your angelfish. They are friendly but they can also survive in tanks that are well planted. Platy fishes are omnivorous, they eat fresh vegetables, pellet, spirulina algae, and frozen foods. 

The platyfish is an easy-going fish. They are also compatible with tetras, catfish, guppies, and swordtails.

3. Molly Fish

This is a very great companion for your angelfish. They can easily deal with any possible aggression from the Koi. They can thrive in any kind of water even saltwater aquariums. They are very friendly and reproduce rapidly.

4. Lemon Tetras

Ensure you keep your lemon Tetras in a group of at least 6. They very good friends of angelfishes. Although they tend to nip the fins of your angelfish sometimes. They are a peaceful breed of fish that can live comfortably with other fishes that won’t try to eat them. 

Conclusion

Angelfishes are very beautiful and unique creatures. They beautify the sight of your aquarium. Always make sure you don’t put anything that looks small in their tank as they may see it as a snack and eat it. 

I hope you are aware of the different breeds of fishes that are compatible with your Koi and angelfish. Do well to practice those tips so, one fish won’t be a threat to another. You can help protect the longevity of your fishes by keeping them in the community of other fishes they are compatible with.