butterfly koi?

[oscar r. garcia]

Hi, I bought these 2 fishes in petsmart. I want to know if they are butterfly koi or not. petsmart told me that they are. if they are how fast do they grow?

 

[addy1]

Pretty fish, no clue on butterfly or not the koi keepers will chime in.

Welcome to our forum!

 

[Lisak1]

They are koi - two are definitely butterfly. Not sure about the first one.

I absolutely hate that PetSmart sells these fish out of aquariums. Those fish will grow to anywhere from 18-30 inches long, very quickly.

 

[addy1]

Not sure about the first one.

lol the first one is also the last one, just a different view.

 

[Lisak1]

Oh my gosh! That was me, BC (before coffee!) I read that as THREE fish! haha!

 

[oscar r. garcia]

lol the first one is also the last one, just a different view.

I will put up a different picture so you can see the tail fin from the orange fish.

They are koi - two are definitely butterfly. Not sure about the first one.

I absolutely hate that PetSmart sells these fish out of aquariums. Those fish will grow to anywhere from 18-30 inches long, very quickly.

lol. only 2 fish. the first picture is the same fish in the third picture.

 

[oscar r. garcia]

lol the first one is also the last one, just a different view.

yes, the first picture is the same fish the is in the last picture.

 

[IPA]

How big is your pond?

 

[oscar r. garcia]

How big is your pond?

right now its like a 90 gallons. these fish are about 4 inches now. the orange one is a bit bigger

 

[IPA]

They will get huge and are more sensitive than goldfish to water quality. Pet smart should not even be selling them, but I guess it’s like the old goldfish bowl, just buy more when they die in 6 months to a year. I’d return them and get 2 or 3 goldfish, either shubunkin or comets. If your pond is new the koi may not even survive the 6 to 8 weeks it will take to establish the nitrification cycle.

 

[oscar r. garcia]

here are more pictures of the same 2 fish. wonder if they are butterfly Koi or not?. I was told by petsmart when I bought them that they are butterfly Koi. also want to know if they are the butterfly Koi, how big these ones I have will grow up to.?

 

[j.w]

@oscar r. garcia
Sure look like Butterfly Koi to me!

 

[oscar r. garcia]

View attachment 131284@oscar r. garcia
Sure look like Butterfly Koi to me!

thanks, I got them on February this year. they were about 2 1/2 inches, now they are about 4 inches.

 

[oscar r. garcia]

They will get huge and are more sensitive than goldfish to water quality. Pet smart should not even be selling them, but I guess it’s like the old goldfish bowl, just buy more when they die in 6 months to a year. I’d return them and get 2 or 3 goldfish, either shubunkin or comets. If your pond is new the koi may not even survive the 6 to 8 weeks it will take to establish the nitrification cycle.

I just posted more pictures on here in the comments. I got them on February this year. they were like 2 1/2 inches. now they are about 4 inches.

 

[Mmathis]

They do look like butterfly koi — pretty ones, too. But I’m sure you’ve already picked up that koi need a lot of space, as in 1000 gallons for the first fish, then add 250-300 gallons (or so) for each additional fish. Not only space, but good filtration.