To be Koi?

[ermgravy]

Hi guys.... I mite be going nuts here but i've been thinking i need something in my big prehistoric com to act as a surface cleaner of uneaten pellet..... my tank is very unpredictable and i spend a good 10min twice a day scooping uneaten pellet from the tank... so i want some fish to eat this pellet.....
and i'm thinking about a koi for the following reasons:

1. it has to be something colorful.

2. it needs to be big, peaceful and not able to be bullied either.

3. it needs to eat floating pellet: cichlid gold ext....

4. the tank will have filtration of 4x whats needed.

5. i will end up with a tank 800g+.

6. i really like koi but could not have a pond for years.

7. i have plenty of friends who could take it if i had to relocate it.

8. tank is a 7x3x3 in 1yr max it will upgraded 8x4x5 min.

9. tanktemp is 82degrees. i not its at the peak heat for koi but its also the peak heat for bowfin and they are fine.

10. what do you guys think? any suggestions?

tankmates would be:
2x bowfin.
african, rtg, green, blk + sil aro's.
spotted gar.
SAL.
BGK, RCK.
2x endi, 2x ornate, 2x lap + 2x palmas
maybe three IT's....

 

[Royal Clown James]

Im keeping goldfish/carp (nowhere near the price of Koi, obviously) with my Pearl Aro for that exact reason. For a start, I would say use less pellet food. Stay with them as you feed them and put more in as needed until you think enough or they slow down. My two knife fish and aro are both on various types of feeders but inevitably waste builds up and these 4 small carp just graze the place, cleaning the gravel, stripping algae off driftwood etc. This works well for me because I feed them very little which encourages them to clean the tank. If you can afford a Koi and have the space, go for it!!