With the popularity of keeping koi fish increasing rapidly, the number of questions that we have seen people asking about relating to caring for koi has been increasing with each month that goes by.
Although we usually don’t recommend that people brand new to the fish keeping hobby start with koi, many people do and they often need advice on what to do with their fish in certain situations.
That said, even experienced fish keepers can have problems with what they should do with their koi fish in their koi ponds throughout the winter months as many areas get too cold to safely keep koi.
This is why we have noticed more and more people asking about keeping koi in a 55 gallon tank throughout the winter months to make it as easy as possible to keep your koi fish safe and happy.
Can Koi Live In A 55 Gallon Tank?
Small to medium sized koi fish can live in a 55 gallon aquarium but there are a number of things that you have to factor in to make sure that your koi are happy.
You really do have to make sure that you avoid overstocking the tank and we usually recommend that you never go above 80% of the maximum stocking capacity for a 55 gallon tank with your koi to prevent any problems in the tank.
Larger sized koi can technically live in a 55 gallon tank temporarily but we would always recommend that you try to go with a larger tank if possible.
That said, many people do keep koi in a 55 gallon tank throughout the winter months to make it easier to keep your koi safe before returning them to their koi pond when the conditions are correct.
We would never recommend that you keep your koi in a 55 gallon tank long term though and it should only ever be done for a couple of months out of the year when the temperatures outside are too cold to leave your koi in your pond.
Is It Easy To Keep Koi In A 55 Gallon Tank?
Keeping koi in a 55 gallon tank is a challange and often more expensive than most people initially realize due to the costs of the filters required to keep the tanks water supply clean and suitable for koi.
Tank maintenance will usually need to be carried out at least once per week as a minimum but if there are multiple koi in your tank then you may need to do your tank maintenance twice per week.
During the winter months when your koi are in their 55 gallon tank, we recommend that you feed them a high quality koi food that is designed to be fed during the winter months to ensure that they are getting all of the nutrients that they need.
You should also make sure to keep an eye on the water quality in your tank as koi are very sensitive to changes in water quality and this can often be the difference between your koi living a long and happy life or not.
How Long Should You Keep Koi In A 55 Gallon Tank?
Ideally, you should only keep koi in a 55 gallon tank for a maximum of 2-3 months at a time as this will help to ensure that your koi are healthy and happy.
We would always recommend that you return your koi to their pond as soon as the conditions outside allow you to do so as they will be much happier in their natural habitat.
If you are unable to return your koi to their pond then you may need to consider upgrading to a larger tank but this is often not necessary if you only keep your koi in the 55 gallon tank for a short period of time.
How Many Koi Can Be In A 55 Gallon Pond?
The number of koi that can be in a 55 gallon pond will depend on the size of your koi but as a general rule of thumb, we recommend that you never go above 80% of the maximum stocking capacity for your pond.
This will help to ensure that your koi have enough space to swim around and that they are not overcrowded in the pond which can lead to a number of problems.
It is also important to make sure that you have enough filtration for your pond as koi produce a lot of waste and this can quickly lead to problems in your pond if not dealt with correctly.
How Big Will A Koi Fish Get In A 55 Gallon Tank?
The size of a koi fish in a 55 gallon tank will depend on a number of factors such as the type of koi, the quality of food that you are feeding them, and the water conditions in your tank.
As a general rule of thumb, most koi will reach between 18 and 24 inches when they are fully grown but there are some koi that can grow to be much larger than this.
If you are keeping koi in a 55 gallon tank then we recommend that you try to go with a smaller, younger koi fish if possible as they will grow at their normal rate no matter their environment and larger koi will not do well in a 55 gallon tank.
In most cases, any koi that is over six inches in length should be kept in a tank that is larger than a 55 gallon tank but some ultra long 55 gallon tanks can work for larger tanks due to koi not needing deep water.
Conclusion
Koi can live in a 55 gallon tank but we would only recommend that you do so for a couple of months out of the year when the temperatures outside are too cold to keep your koi in their koi pond.
We would also recommend that you make sure to avoid overstocking your tank as koi need a lot of space to swim around and be happy.
Tank maintenance is also very important when keeping koi in a 55 gallon tank and you should make sure to do it at least once per week.
