Can koi live with red tail sharks?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Koi and red tail sharks can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown koi may treat small red tail sharks as food, especially at night.

Koi59–77°F · pH 7–8.5

Red tail shark72–79°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown koi may treat small red tail sharks as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 72–77°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Koi	Red tail shark
Temperature	59–77 °F	72–79 °F
pH	7–8.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	24.0 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	Pond	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Groups of 3+	One per tank
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for koi

All koi tank mates

Better tank mates for red tail sharks

All red tail shark tank mates

Questions

Can koi live with red tail sharks?

Yes, with care. Koi and red tail sharks can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown koi may treat small red tail sharks as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both koi and red tail sharks?

72–77 °F. Koi need 59–77 °F, red tail sharks need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do koi and red tail sharks need together?

A pond. Koi outgrow indoor tanks.