Koi Spawning And Breeding?
Question: I have Been Reading All These Websites about how to breed koi! They all say you have to make a breeding pond, but My Uncle just has koi in a pond and they breed! What's Up?
Answer: The reason a separate pond is recommended is because there is nothing koi like to eat better than their own eggs. If you leave the spawning material (whether it's a spawning mop or just water hyacinth roots or whatever) in the pond where the adult koi have access to it, they will pick it clean in 24 hours (and it takes around a week, depending on water quality and temperature, etc., for the eggs to hatch). Click Here To Get Your Free Koi Care Secrets Mini eCourse If your uncle's pond is set up in such a way as to have some of the "spawning material" kept away from the adult koi, it is possible that some babies will be able to hatch and grow to adulthood. Adult koi will eat just-hatched fry, too. HOwever, contrary to the answer above, koi do not eat their babies "until they get too big to swallow" they will eat them just until they are big enough to recognize as fish, as opposed to insect larvae or something. As soon as the big ones can tell the little ones are fish, they'll stop eating them. I have even seen big ones accidentally slurp one up and turn around and spit it out again once it realized it was a fish! I Want My Free Koi Care Secrets Email Mini Course Now! If you are serious about breeding koi, it is definitely easier to have, if not a separate pond, at least *a part* of the pond you can keep separate from the big ones. If you have a natural narrow point (like where a bridge might go over, or something) you can build a gate and shoo all your big ones into one side, and leave your babies on the other. I have even sewn mesh netting around a rectangular frame I made with PVC piping to keep the fry separate from my big fish until the little ones were big enough to let free into the main pond - usually around two months or so. From experience, though, it is easier to raise the babies in an above ground pond, totally separate from the rest of the fish. You have better control over water temperature, feeding, water quality, etc., that you can maintain at optimum levels for fry. You can also see them better to watch for problems and cull as necessary. Hope this helps - e-mail me if you have any questions. Yes, Please Send Me My Free Koi Care Email Mini Course Now!