How fast can a Koi grow? need advice newbei

[blackmaler]

I want to start koi pond but I'm kinda confuse what size of koi should i get(smaller one or bigger which is very expensive

)?
if I'm to get a 4-7" koi how fast can it grow?
and how long before they reach mature age good enough to be breeder?
im planning to use growth koi food from aqua master (and color enhancer).
my pond size is 1.5m x 3-3.5m with 4 feet deep(also got water filtration).

 

[adavisus]

They can grow faster than one foot longer per year and breed after three years.

Start digging a much bigger pond. Soonish

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[blackmaler]

They can grow faster than one foot longer per year and breed after three years.

Start digging a much bigger pond. Soonish

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

so that would be 1" every month

how big is the mature koi good enough for breeding?

 

[Dave 54]

Yep an inch a month if propperly looked after with around four feeds daily its a good formula that works but only if you give them the maximum feed daily , we have a little story to tell its about a small koi named Tiny and the results of abuse..........................
"We have a rescued koi we call tiny who was rescued from a tank of 2ft x 12" x 18.5" living with a very agressive Oscar and was all beat up so we took him in gave him his name and 27years later Tiny is still with us at the dizzy size of 6".
So it in reality depends on amount of food given , if they only get fed twice daily they wont grow as fast as say three or four feeds.
Tiny sadly got the bare minimum to survive and was in poor shape due to both stress and damage inflicted by the Oscar.so if abused ill fed or badly looked after they wont grow and they become stunted which sadly Tiny is "
Where are you in the world please as we need to know your kind of winter , if its extremely cold you could find all your fish under the age of two dying from sleeping sickness (only cure) either heat the pond all winter with a 1kw or above inline pond heater because those little ones just wont cut it .
We heat our filter housing instead which warms the air nd thus the water temperature using an oil heated radiator that gets up to temperature switches itself off and on again as the oil temperature drops to that of lowest temperature setting (so you are infect getting 6 hours of totally free heat everytime it gets to its maximum setting
So you have lots to learn before you even think about breeding koi the first year or so.
If you do manage to get through your first winter get help were health issues are happening , get good adbvice from other koi keepers ourselves included, its only then the hobby really begins, we wish you the best and hope your love affair with these fish stays with you like it has to us for the last 27 years

Dave

 

[blackmaler]

Yep an inch a month if propperly looked after with around four feeds daily its a good formula that works

So it in reality depends on amount of food given , if they only get fed twice daily they wont grow as fast as say three or four feeds.

won't they die from overfeed if its 4 daily?

Where are you in the world please as we need to know your kind of winter , if its extremely cold you could find all your fish under the age of two dying from sleeping sickness (only cure) either heat the pond all winter with a 1kw or above inline pond heater because those little ones just wont cut it .
We heat our filter housing instead which warms the air nd thus the water temperature using an oil heated radiator that gets up to temperature switches itself off and on again as the oil temperature drops to that of lowest temperature setting (so you are infect getting 6 hours of totally free heat everytime it gets to its maximum setting
So you have lots to learn before you even think about breeding koi the first year or so.
If you do manage to get through your first winter get help were health issues are happening , get good adbvice from other koi keepers ourselves included, its only then the hobby really begins, we wish you the best and hope your love affair with these fish stays with you like it has to us for the last 27 years
Dave

good thing is i live in philippines so we only got 2 weathers (sunny/rainny)
so no winter problems for me

what I'am worried if they can handle hottest of the sun sometimes?

 

[Nepen]

The hottest I got in Thailand was around 44-45 C.... I think you might need a lot of plant in the pond and shade.

 

[sissy]

remember plants give off oxygen during the day but use lots of it up at night and koi need lots of air

 

[blackmaler]

noted...
i guess the air pumps would be enough during night times.

 

[Dave 54]

won't they die from overfeed if its 4 daily?



good thing is i live in philippines so we only got 2 weathers (sunny/rainny)
so no winter problems for me

what I'am worried if they can handle hottest of the sun sometimes?

Many koi keepers in the summer feed their koi high protien pellets to one get them ready for any shows that year and to ensure they have enough meat on them for winter , they can take very hot temperatures provided you supply the pond with enough oxygen both day and night .
You can always add a shade above the pond we have a parasol over ours .
Quarentining your koi a must there is a virus called the Koi Hearpes Virus that is rife in the far east according to the latest reports, is also mutating , shuld you get this the kill rate is 80% with survivors having to be destroyed so be extra carefull what you put in your pond .
Thankfully in the UK breeders and dealers have made a pact that no KHV koi will be sold by them but then you get ebay which sort of blows a hole in all this because you dont know where the fish come from..........
Personally I think if we ever got KHV that would be it for us because it means nking every bit of equipment your pond and filters with very strong disinfectant before you could try again .
A good friend in South Africa recently lost all his koi to it and was devestated.
Learn all you can about fish health issues water perameters pond maintenance along with regular water changes and you wont go wrong
Dont be afraid ask questions and you wont go wrong

Dave

 

[Dave 54]

I replied to you PM by the way so check it out

Dave