Koi or Goldfish?

[6774]

Hello. Originally I had a small koi pond (300 gallons) for a little over 2 years and my then small Koi never had fry. I moved to a house with a BIG yard and now have 1500 gallon pond. I transferred my 2 previous butterfly koi (pictured when I first bought them in a bag). Not long after I purchased larger black and orange utsiri.
After the move (a year later) someone gifted me one shubunkin(?) and I have purchased a few more koi (yellow, white, and orange) along the way. My son also threw in a goldfish my husband won at a local fair three months ago. This is the first time I have ever had fry in my pond. I’m just curious to know if they are goldfish or koi? I have more, all assorted colors - black and orange, plain white, orange and white, grey and bright orange, calico and some that are black and red. They seem to be about an inch or so . The newest tiny tiny (8-10 centimeters) look black or grey in color. They are hard to catch. I have added a picture of the only two I was able to catch as you know they as fast as lightening (pictured in my hand). I thank you in advance for your help/input.

 

[mrsclem]

Hello and welcome 6774! I would say those are both goldfish. The true sign of a koi is the barbels, small whiskers on the fish.How large are your koi? They may still be too young to breed. You may end up with hybrids, a mix of both and those offspring are almost always sterile.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum.

They look like goldfish to me also.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @6774 !

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Welcome @6774 , I agree with @mrsclem and @addy1 the fry in the pictures look like goldfish to me (since they lack barbels), but there is a possibility that you could get hybrids with having both goldfish and koi in the same pond. Like mrsclem mentioned the hybrids are usually sterile and will not reproduce.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! I agree that those 2 do look like GF.

So, how many total fish do you have in 1500 gallons?

 

[6774]

LOL! Its that darn goldfish from the fair multiplying!! Or.... it could be the shubunkin? I was told they are colorful goldfish as well. My shubunkin has a flat head and not pointy like a goldfish. I included a picture of him/her (top right).

If they are a mix of both koi and goldfish would some still carry the "mustache" trait? I think I'll just tell the folks that they are just colorful goldfish.The gentleman I got the Utsuri from told me that goldfish have teeth (as Koi do not) and they would hurt my koi. Is this true? He said I needed to pick either Koi or Goldfish but its not good to have them together.
One more question... when is it safe to start giving them way? Do I have to wait till they are a few months old?

 

[Gemma]

The gentleman I got the Utsuri from told me that goldfish have teeth (as Koi do not) and they would hurt my koi. Is this true? He said I needed to pick either Koi or Goldfish but its not good to have them together.
One more question... when is it safe to start giving them way? Do I have to wait till they are a few months old?

Lol the question about "teeth" is what had me sign up on this forum 2yrs ago! I was told koi do have teeth way in the back.
It is not true that koi and GF can't be together, but one has to be careful not to overload the filtration system with too many fish in the pond.

I have 2 Shubunkins (colorful GF) in my koi pond and they get along just fine!

 

[6774]

Hello and welcome! I agree that those 2 do look like GF.

So, how many total fish do you have in 1500 gallons?

I have about nine fish total. One shubunkin 6 inches), two orange butterfly, two bright yellow koi, one all white, one white with an orange head, and the black and orange Utsuri. He is the largest. He's about 10 inches. Lets not forget my fabulous Fair Goldfish (hes about 3-4 inches) , all the others are between 5 inches. That is excluding any of the babies of course. My pond is 21 feet in length, 5-6 feet at its widest. 3 feet at its narrowest. I have two depths- 4.5 feet at the deepest and 3 feet . May be a pinch over 1500?

 

[mrsclem]

It's likely your koi is too young to breed. The one picture looks like maybe shubunkin. As far as giving them away to new homes, it's never too soon! You don't want to get too attached and then have an overcrowding problem. I have moved 1/2" fry into small tanks.

 

[Tara]

Hello. I like your two moist in the bag. Just got my first koi and one looks like yours. It would be neat if the babies are hybrids

 

[Mmathis]

Hello. I like your two moist in the bag. Just got my first koi and one looks like yours. It would be neat if the babies are hybrids

Maybe, maybe not. From what I’ve heard, koi/GF hybrids tend to be rather dull, uninteresting fish. Doesn’t mean they’re not cool fish......just don’t get your hopes up for some fancy new kind of fish. On the plus side, hybrids are sterile, so you’d have live-in birth control, LOL!

 

[Lisak1]

Koi and goldfish both have teeth - but they situated in their throats. Too far back to be biting anyone or anything other than the food they suck down their gullets!

 

[carolinaguy]

Goldfish were bred from koi stock to create a smaller fish. discounting the obvious size difference, the biological difference between koi and goldfish is that koi have two sets of barbels (the whiskers used in tasting for food) and goldfish have only one set. same family, difference species.