Koi Spawning and Breeding made Easy
by: Clarence Chan
It brings joy to any Koi owner when they are breeding their own Koi fish. In addition, it also saves you money from having to purchase more Koi. But efficient spawning and breeding takes skill and experience. Here are some guidance.
Koi mostly breed during the Spring and Summer seasons, especially when there is a full moon (most often, spawning and breeding come about at night) and the water temperature is the most constant. The necessary thing to do would be to pick out your mating pair.
Your mating pair must not be too young or too old or they give off inferior eggs and fries. The age range of the mating pair must be between 3 to 6 years old. Apparently, you would pick the pair that look the most flourishing and most wonderful.
If you are just starting out, try to take a pair of the same variety. This makes the whole process not difficult.
Approximately 3 to 4 weeks before mating season, set apart the mating pair into an alternative tank. You may possibly also decide on 2 males and 1 female if you wish. Make sure your mating tank is well aerated and you feed them amply.
The female will begin to grow round as she carries her eggs in her body. She will emit a mating odor that will cause the male to try to spawn her. He does this by pushing her body against the side of the tank. As soon as she releases her eggs, the male will fertilize them with sperm.
The eggs are very sticky and will stick to anything at all. So it's practical to have spawning ropes to catch the eggs. As soon as they are fertilized, remove the spawning ropes with the eggs or the adult pair would try to eat the eggs. Also, set apart the mating pair from each other for a day or two before bringing them back into your pond.
When the eggs hatch you will have hundreds of Koi fries.
Subsequently at least 4 weeks, you need to cull your fries to control their population. There are various ways of removing fries.
Alternative way is to give them away. To start with, check with your local pet store. Many pet stores have programs in which they will receive rejected animals and give them pleasant homes. Several may even pay a certain amount for each fish since they market them, but do not count of this. Local Zoos may also have programs.
If you know of a local Koi society, you may let them know that you have unnecessary fries. Instead, you can find a message board or group online and post messages there. You may even begin another person on a Koi keeping hobby.
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