breeding koi
- Thread starter dzb912
- Start date
my koi spawn on their own every spring. i usually dont like to let them do this because the males can really hurt the females, so i divide them.
a year ago, i got a little curious and grabbed one of my fat females. i gently squeezed her belly under water and she released a few thousands eggs that stuck to the sides of the pond. i then caught one my males and squeezed his belly also. this released the sperm, which i sprayed over the eggs that were stuck to the side of the pond.
a few months went by and i forgot all about this until one day i saw lots of wrigglers! i was amazed that they even survived because i thought they ate all the eggs. but sure enough, a year later and there are now about 10~15 extra koi from that spawn that i created
if you really want to breed them, dont let it happen naturally in the pond. its ineffecient, and your females will most likely be injured. if you have enough greedy males, they could even kill her. try what i did or seperate a few females and males into a seperate pool.
these guys make a mess when spawning. they spray eggs all over the lawn, on the rocks and anythign surrounding the pond. a few days later the pond will have a foamy substance on the surface, so i usually do a big water change after theyre done
good luck!
a year ago, i got a little curious and grabbed one of my fat females. i gently squeezed her belly under water and she released a few thousands eggs that stuck to the sides of the pond. i then caught one my males and squeezed his belly also. this released the sperm, which i sprayed over the eggs that were stuck to the side of the pond.
a few months went by and i forgot all about this until one day i saw lots of wrigglers! i was amazed that they even survived because i thought they ate all the eggs. but sure enough, a year later and there are now about 10~15 extra koi from that spawn that i created
if you really want to breed them, dont let it happen naturally in the pond. its ineffecient, and your females will most likely be injured. if you have enough greedy males, they could even kill her. try what i did or seperate a few females and males into a seperate pool.
these guys make a mess when spawning. they spray eggs all over the lawn, on the rocks and anythign surrounding the pond. a few days later the pond will have a foamy substance on the surface, so i usually do a big water change after theyre done
good luck!
i pretty much go off of body appearance. most of the time the females are typically fatter as theyre carrying eggs and males are more slender. or you could do it the obvious way and wait till they spawn to see who chases who
Copied from a website hope it helps ~
Sexing Fish.
Females, especially in season are far more rounded than male fish which tend to be slim at all times. The pectoral fins of male fish tend to be larger and more pointed than those of female fish, but this is by no means always the case. During the breeding season, male fish can display a rough surface to the gill plates, again however, not always. To be sure, net the chosen fish and apply gentle pressure along the lower abdomen wall with your thumb and forefinger towards the vent. Male fish show signs of milt from the vent, whereas females in season will provide eggs! This operation should however be performed with great care so as not to injure the fish.
I find the only sure way to sex fish is to watch the fish. The ones that lay eggs are female, the ones that chase are the males !!!
Pairing
This is always initially a process of trial and error. Always pair like varieties if you are trying to produce a certain variety. For example, if you are trying to breed kohakus, use kohaku male and female fish. Whilst crossing a kohaku and sanke/showa is acceptable, crossing a kohaku and a Yamabuki for instance will probably produce only ghost and black koi. Remember that male genes tend to be dominant in any pairing. Always select adult fish only to ensure successful spawnings. Once you have found a pairing that gives some good fish – keep it. If you find a pairing that produces show winners, give me a ring I'll buy them!!
Preparation
Separate males and females at least one month before you intend to spawn the fish. Provide a reasonably small pond – ideal 2 x 3 x 1 metre deep Or use a spawning net in your main pond. Don’t feed the parent fish for a few days before you expect the fish to spawn.
Prepare your growing on pond(s) by seeding them with chicken manure or (if you are worried about your koi catching salmonella!) use leaf mould to encourage the production of infusoria and daphnia which the koi fry will need in abundance from day one.
Spawning.
Spawning usually takes place 1 – 3 days after introducing male(s) to the female(s). It can take place at any time of day or night, unfortunately, typically spawning seems to happen around two am (about the same time as most babies are born!). Spawning can be triggered by temperature changes, change in water conditions, introducing new fish or barometric pressure changes (i.e. thunder.)
Water Conditions
Koi will spawn when the water temperature reaches around 18 Deg +. As always, you need to ensure prime water conditions with zero ammonia or other pollutants present. I have found that the addition of Refresh or similar clay products to the water can to get them going ! To achieve and maintain the necessary water temperatures earlyish in the season (late May) it is a good idea to provide heated conditions so that you can achieve a spawning as early as possible to maximise the length of the growing season.
Spawning media
I recommend using purpose made spawning ropes (see picture). These are soft and easy to handle. Don’t use blanket weed – it is too difficult to collect the eggs without damaging them. A good quantity of media is required to collect all the eggs and encourage spawning.
Then it goes on about how handle the eggs and then fry , feeding and growing on .
Sexing Fish.
Females, especially in season are far more rounded than male fish which tend to be slim at all times. The pectoral fins of male fish tend to be larger and more pointed than those of female fish, but this is by no means always the case. During the breeding season, male fish can display a rough surface to the gill plates, again however, not always. To be sure, net the chosen fish and apply gentle pressure along the lower abdomen wall with your thumb and forefinger towards the vent. Male fish show signs of milt from the vent, whereas females in season will provide eggs! This operation should however be performed with great care so as not to injure the fish.
I find the only sure way to sex fish is to watch the fish. The ones that lay eggs are female, the ones that chase are the males !!!
Pairing
This is always initially a process of trial and error. Always pair like varieties if you are trying to produce a certain variety. For example, if you are trying to breed kohakus, use kohaku male and female fish. Whilst crossing a kohaku and sanke/showa is acceptable, crossing a kohaku and a Yamabuki for instance will probably produce only ghost and black koi. Remember that male genes tend to be dominant in any pairing. Always select adult fish only to ensure successful spawnings. Once you have found a pairing that gives some good fish – keep it. If you find a pairing that produces show winners, give me a ring I'll buy them!!
Preparation
Separate males and females at least one month before you intend to spawn the fish. Provide a reasonably small pond – ideal 2 x 3 x 1 metre deep Or use a spawning net in your main pond. Don’t feed the parent fish for a few days before you expect the fish to spawn.
Prepare your growing on pond(s) by seeding them with chicken manure or (if you are worried about your koi catching salmonella!) use leaf mould to encourage the production of infusoria and daphnia which the koi fry will need in abundance from day one.
Spawning.
Spawning usually takes place 1 – 3 days after introducing male(s) to the female(s). It can take place at any time of day or night, unfortunately, typically spawning seems to happen around two am (about the same time as most babies are born!). Spawning can be triggered by temperature changes, change in water conditions, introducing new fish or barometric pressure changes (i.e. thunder.)
Water Conditions
Koi will spawn when the water temperature reaches around 18 Deg +. As always, you need to ensure prime water conditions with zero ammonia or other pollutants present. I have found that the addition of Refresh or similar clay products to the water can to get them going ! To achieve and maintain the necessary water temperatures earlyish in the season (late May) it is a good idea to provide heated conditions so that you can achieve a spawning as early as possible to maximise the length of the growing season.
Spawning media
I recommend using purpose made spawning ropes (see picture). These are soft and easy to handle. Don’t use blanket weed – it is too difficult to collect the eggs without damaging them. A good quantity of media is required to collect all the eggs and encourage spawning.
Then it goes on about how handle the eggs and then fry , feeding and growing on .