Butterfly koi
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Sbenson11
Sandman1969
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Butterfly koi
Anyone have experience with these?
What are your thoughts?
Was watching TANKED last night & they built a pond for someone & they were showing these koi & now I want one to go with my current koi.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/c0/cf/61c0cf8f733a063439f5703de93478eb.jpg
What are your thoughts?
Was watching TANKED last night & they built a pond for someone & they were showing these koi & now I want one to go with my current koi.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/c0/cf/61c0cf8f733a063439f5703de93478eb.jpg
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
- Posts : 398
Join date : 2013-09-15
Re: Butterfly koi
In a word no,
My Koi supplier has been trying to get me to take some for some time now. I have been reluctant to take any mostly for what it will start. There are still a number of regular fin Koi that I want to acquire and if I have some of these come in I will end up keeping most of them
Unfortunately no mater how much I said no they are adding two in my Spring shipment for samples. They want me to hang on to them until the end of the season to gauge interest from my customers.
At any rate they are vary cool looking fish and I will probably add some to my collection some day just not now.
A couple of minor things come to mind and they really are minor. I am not sure how the slower moving butterfly Koi will fare mixed in with the savages that are my current fish. Also I wonder about the butterfly Koi being more susceptible to issues with disease with their long flowing fins.
However I wouldn't let this effect your decision in any way, they are amazing looking fish and I look forward to seeing pictures of the new addition.
Steve
My Koi supplier has been trying to get me to take some for some time now. I have been reluctant to take any mostly for what it will start. There are still a number of regular fin Koi that I want to acquire and if I have some of these come in I will end up keeping most of them

Unfortunately no mater how much I said no they are adding two in my Spring shipment for samples. They want me to hang on to them until the end of the season to gauge interest from my customers.
At any rate they are vary cool looking fish and I will probably add some to my collection some day just not now.
A couple of minor things come to mind and they really are minor. I am not sure how the slower moving butterfly Koi will fare mixed in with the savages that are my current fish. Also I wonder about the butterfly Koi being more susceptible to issues with disease with their long flowing fins.
However I wouldn't let this effect your decision in any way, they are amazing looking fish and I look forward to seeing pictures of the new addition.
Steve
Sbenson11- Support
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Join date : 2013-09-08
Location : Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland
Re: Butterfly koi
Those butterfly koi have beautiful draping finnage. As an art form I can appreciate the work it has taken to make this possible through decades of breeding. I can see that looking in from a pond that the visible view would be exciting with a pond full of these.
alexmtl- Veteran Member
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Join date : 2013-09-07
Location : Montreal Quebec
Re: Butterfly koi
Your not helping Alex 
Steve

Steve
Sbenson11- Support
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Join date : 2013-09-08
Location : Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland
Re: Butterfly koi
OMG, that doesn't even look real!!! Looks like something I could create with one of my computer programs.
I want!!!!!!!!!!!
I want!!!!!!!!!!!
nyleveiam- Veteran Member
- Posts : 1383
Join date : 2014-02-05
Location : New Hampshire, USA
Re: Butterfly koi
Just remember - it is a pond fish, not an aquarium fish. It may overwinter in mega tanks like Steve has, but it would be an unlucky koi that never got out to a pond or greenhouse.
GaryE- Veteran Member
- Posts : 2505
Join date : 2013-09-07
Re: Butterfly koi
GaryE wrote:Just remember - it is a pond fish, not an aquarium fish. It may overwinter in mega tanks like Steve has, but it would be an unlucky koi that never got out to a pond or greenhouse.
yeah, I know.... but can't I wish???? I'm the same one worrying all Winter about my goldies, I know!!! And, yes, my pond is TOO SMALL for koi to be well cared for. It's only big enough for those goldies. I can't imagine sending something that beautiful up to my friends HUGE pond when it got too big because I would never get to see it again!!!
Maybe I will retire to Florida???? Nope, even Florida is too cold for them this Winter!!
nyleveiam- Veteran Member
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Join date : 2014-02-05
Location : New Hampshire, USA
Re: Butterfly koi
GaryE, I still got a koi in my 125g tank.
He/she lives with what I was told was a fantailed goldfish.
Need to get a pic on here to see what you guys think it is.
Took a quick video of them, how do I post it?
He/she lives with what I was told was a fantailed goldfish.
Need to get a pic on here to see what you guys think it is.
Took a quick video of them, how do I post it?
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
- Posts : 398
Join date : 2013-09-15
Re: Butterfly koi
Sbenson11 wrote:Your not helping Alex
Steve
They certainly would be a prized possessions. Of course, only true koi Jedi would be able to tame these beasts.
alexmtl- Veteran Member
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Join date : 2013-09-07
Location : Montreal Quebec
Re: Butterfly koi
Sandman1969 wrote:GaryE, I still got a koi in my 125g tank.
He/she lives with what I was told was a fantailed goldfish.
Need to get a pic on here to see what you guys think it is.
Took a quick video of them, how do I post it?
If the video is uploaded to youtube, it is as simple as pressing the youtube button and entering the URL

Re: Butterfly koi
And here it is;
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wrx3y2b5Qzg
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wrx3y2b5Qzg
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
- Posts : 398
Join date : 2013-09-15
Re: Butterfly koi
Has anyone watched the clip? What type of goldfish is that small one?
I was originally told he was a fantailed goldfish, but when I was at Big Al's and asked for one, the one I saw didn't even come close to this one.
I was originally told he was a fantailed goldfish, but when I was at Big Al's and asked for one, the one I saw didn't even come close to this one.
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
- Posts : 398
Join date : 2013-09-15
Re: Butterfly koi
Sandman1969 wrote:Has anyone watched the clip? What type of goldfish is that small one?
I was originally told he was a fantailed goldfish, but when I was at Big Al's and asked for one, the one I saw didn't even come close to this one.
It's a Comet Goldfish,
A fantail as you have discovered is a much rounder fish with a double tail.
A good example of a comet, will have a tail equally as long as it's body. Yours is pretty nice by the way.
I do have a question about your Koi, what can you tell me about it's history? How long have you had it, what size of a tank has it been in the past, etc.
Steve
Sbenson11- Support
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Join date : 2013-09-08
Location : Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland
Re: Butterfly koi
Steve, we got him/her when he/she was a few inches long. Not even a year ago. It was in a 30g tank for awhile until we got the 125g tank where it has been for about 4/5 months now.
I think I need to find better food for it as I've been feeding them both that Hikari Lions Head pellets with some shrimp pellets sometimes.
After we got it home, I had to remove a green worm from it's back, roughly where the black markings are on it's upper back area is.
He's never had any issues since removing said worm and still eats like a pig.
As soon as he sees me comin toward to tank, he comes to that end wanting more food.
As for the comet, he is the last of 15 that we got when we moved to a townhouse in Woodstock ON about 4 years ago now. Some died, some I re-homed. Going by the pics I have seen of full grown ones, he just may be stunted. The original townhouse people had 15 they would put in a tiny pond & then for the winter, they were all in a 30g tank.
I had expanded the pong by maybe 100g & it wasn't long til we had gotten the 130g tank we have now that is home to the sharks.
No clue how long they had them though.
I think I need to find better food for it as I've been feeding them both that Hikari Lions Head pellets with some shrimp pellets sometimes.
After we got it home, I had to remove a green worm from it's back, roughly where the black markings are on it's upper back area is.
He's never had any issues since removing said worm and still eats like a pig.
As soon as he sees me comin toward to tank, he comes to that end wanting more food.
As for the comet, he is the last of 15 that we got when we moved to a townhouse in Woodstock ON about 4 years ago now. Some died, some I re-homed. Going by the pics I have seen of full grown ones, he just may be stunted. The original townhouse people had 15 they would put in a tiny pond & then for the winter, they were all in a 30g tank.
I had expanded the pong by maybe 100g & it wasn't long til we had gotten the 130g tank we have now that is home to the sharks.
No clue how long they had them though.
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
- Posts : 398
Join date : 2013-09-15
Re: Butterfly koi
Leaning towards your Koi being a male, it's hard to tell with such a quick look and I really would prefer to see him/her from above to get a better idea.
The comet looks fine to me, I don't think it's stunted at all, not yet anyway.
So lets have a look at the Kohaku in this video, notice the nice line of it's back all the way from it's head all the way back to it's tail.
Now let's have a look at Tigger,
Once agin pay close attention to the line of his back from his head to his tail. Most importantly as it comes down his back to where his body meets his tail. Not such a smooth line is it.
He looks more like a football then a prize winning Koi, but I love him just the same. This is a tell tail sign that he has been kept in to small a tank in his younger years. I can see it in your Koi as well, probably from before you had him. Fish like any pet are hard to part with, so you might want to figure out an exit plan for your Koi. Unfortunately he will not be able to spend to many years in the 125G.
Steve
The comet looks fine to me, I don't think it's stunted at all, not yet anyway.

So lets have a look at the Kohaku in this video, notice the nice line of it's back all the way from it's head all the way back to it's tail.
Now let's have a look at Tigger,
Once agin pay close attention to the line of his back from his head to his tail. Most importantly as it comes down his back to where his body meets his tail. Not such a smooth line is it.
He looks more like a football then a prize winning Koi, but I love him just the same. This is a tell tail sign that he has been kept in to small a tank in his younger years. I can see it in your Koi as well, probably from before you had him. Fish like any pet are hard to part with, so you might want to figure out an exit plan for your Koi. Unfortunately he will not be able to spend to many years in the 125G.
Steve
Sbenson11- Support
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Re: Butterfly koi
Steve, I don't know of any place close enough that would take him. We have been thinking about it for awhile now. Only thing I could come up with was this one restaurant here has a koi pond just inside their front doors.
I will see if I can get a top shot later today for you.
As for the comet, should it not be bigger than it is by now?
It's been like 3 years now that we have had him.
I will see if I can get a top shot later today for you.
As for the comet, should it not be bigger than it is by now?
It's been like 3 years now that we have had him.
Sandman1969- Angel Fish
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Join date : 2013-09-15
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