Their size, their coloring, their unique personalities, their breeding – all of these things make koi the most popular ornamental pond fish in the world. It's common for people to think if you have a water garden and you want fish, it's got to be koi. And it’s also a common belief that koi are very expensive. Unless you’ll be entering your fish into competition, it’s not necessary to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a single fish. There are many beautiful and friendly koi available in the market that will suit your pond just as well.

It’s understandable why koi are the hands-down favorite. They get larger than most other ornamental pond fish, they come with beautiful coloring, but it’s their personalities that most pond owners fall in love with. They are almost always glad to see you – kind of like dogs with fins. They go into a feeding frenzy when you throw food in the pond and many can easily be trained to eat right out of your hand. Is it any wonder that koi rank at the very top of the water gardening critter pyramid?

But are there any other fish in the sea (or pond) that could possibly take the place of koi in your backyard pond? Of course there are, and in some cases, you may even like them better!

Goldfish are incredibly hardy fish and can handle all different kinds of water and, in a new pond owner's case, can be a great starter fish for your new pond. You can find them at most pet stores and water gardening shops, and there are many different varieties of goldfish to choose from – from comets to bubble-eyes. And the best part about goldfish is that there are other fish in the goldfish family that also make great pond fish.

The shubunkin is a type of single-tailed, long bodied goldfish that originated in China. Bred mainly for their coloring, shubunkins often have a calico-like red, black, and sky blue pattern. They do not have barbells or grow as large as koi. Shubunkin are hardy fish that can survive sweltering summers and severe winters, and can grow up to 14 inches in a minimum of 180-gallon pond.

The bright orange color of the golden orfe is very attractive, especially since they characteristically swim near the surface of most ponds with the rest of their group. This is helpful because their presence near the top of the pond can also encourage koi and other goldfish to visit the surface of the water as well. One thing to keep in mind is that golden orfe grow extremely fast. A 2 to 3 inch golden orfe can quickly reach sizes of 2 to 2 ½ feet. And, while golden orfe feed mostly on insect larvae, worms and fallen insects, they are derived from the predatory ide (in it's original silver color) and could pose a risk to the rest of your aquatic life, although it is unlikely. There are also blue and marbled varieties of orfe, although they tend to be found in the wild being closely related to the ide, and are hard to find in the U.S.

Gamefish are also a popular choice for many outdoor sportsmen. These native fish will do fine in your pond but they may not be a good choice. The problem with game fish in the pond is that they are usually so well camouflaged to even see, and they generally create more waste than the domesticated varieties at the top of the popularity charts. The key, it's often said, is to know what you're getting into, before you get there, and fish keeping is certainly no exception to that rule.