14 replies to this topic

[Olee]

I never purchased any minnows but there are at least 2 minnows (about 1" in length) swimming around. I don't think they are tadpoles because they are too then. Do baby koi have any color in them?

[koiguy1969]

theres no color in baby koi

[Olee]

Wow! So I must have a couple babies swimming around. I hope they don't get eaten. Anything I should do to protect them from this? What do they eat?

[DrCase]

If they made it this long they will most likely make it ..
At one inch they could eat flake food,,,
I had 2 come out from hidding yesterday ,,they were going after the food
both are about 2" long and orange and white

[koiguy1969]

i had a little almost black fish when i brought my guys in last fall to the basement pond. this spring he was still real small, thought for sure it was a minnow. low and behold this morning i see a unfamiliar fish... bright orange with a black "tancho" cap. couldnt get close enough to see if there was barbels or not. had to be from last year.. 3" long already.. but i ve seen a few newbies from this year swimming round out there about an inch, plus the ones inn the basement.

[koiguy1969]

i found 2 dead fish fry today of course one was half way in the others mouth..tried eating one that was too big..cost them both their lives.

[Robyn]

koiguy1969 said:

i found 2 dead fish fry today of course one was half way in the others mouth..tried eating one that was too big..cost them both their lives.

I really am sorry to hear that KoiGuy

There is a sort of poetic justice about it though, you must admit.

So... since I remember reading that your fish seemed to think they had to singlehandedly repopulate the earth and were rather... ermmmm... "busy" this year. How many babies did you seperate out? Any big enough to be developing color yet?

[koiguy1969]

i only put 3 or 4 hiacynths in the basement pond...so maybe 300,(looked like more at first in the tub) but i didnt remove the tobies either so alot got eaten. i have maybe 75 or so that are going to start going into the outdoor pond,maybe today, and whatever happens..happens. i need to clear out and cleanup the basement pond so i can enlarge it, and relocate it for this winter. and you know whats funny is the larger tobies stopped eating the smaller guys it seemed that the midsized ones do all the cannabalism.

[Robyn]

koiguy1969 said:

i only put 3 or 4 hiacynths in the basement pond...so maybe 300,(looked like more at first in the tub) but i didnt remove the tobies either so alot got eaten. i have maybe 75 or so that are going to start going into the outdoor pond,maybe today, and whatever happens..happens. i need to clear out and cleanup the basement pond so i can enlarge it, and relocate it for this winter. and you know whats funny is the larger tobies stopped eating the smaller guys it seemed that the midsized ones do all the cannabalism.

Any that look to have promising color yet? Or is it still too soon?

[koiguy1969]

one shows color white black and red..had color within 2 weeks...rare but hopefull!! a couple more i think are starting to change. they may go in a aquarium for a while so i can monitor them... i may keep a couple dozen of my little ones and adopt out my larger ones to good homes..they were conceived here and i like the growing out process. i dont know..i make up my mind this fall, when they come back inside.

[koiguy1969]

well.. i released the remaining koi and golfish fry out into the big pond so i can enlarge the basement pond soon. i have or maybe had a few showing color. one was looking like a real bright yellowy orange, the one i said was white and black at 2or 3 weeks old was turning a creamy color with showa looking markings and one had some small white patches.. most of the ones in there swim amongst the big guys, ive seen no sign of agression. some are bigger than and some smaller than the ones with color, but now i havent seen any of the ones with color today.. i hope theyre hiding. i fear one of the birds that bathe and drink from my pond may have picked up some carry out! hope not

[DrDave]

Your Koi will color up quicker in the sunlight. I think the UV brings it out. All the ones that were hatched in my pond are colored much nicer than the 3000 or more that are in the nursery.

[koiguy1969]

yeah, they grow alot faster too! and i saw one of my colored ones this evening, thats a releif. i'll be giving most of the rest away this fall, but i had to save some for me to pick from.

[Olee]

Woohoo! I finally started to see a few spots on a few of my larger babies. Glad to know they may be Koi and not Comets. I was afraid I would have a pond full of Comets, the Koi will be easier to give away.

Also found 3 large tadpoles, they already have hind legs on them. The are rather large, must be American Bullfrog. I found a huge Bullfrog about 4 months ago, he measured about 8" when he wan't stretched out. When i surprised him and he jumped at me, I thought he was a small dog....scared the crap out of me! lol I actually yelled! (my wife laughed). Well apparently they have been busy!

[DrDave]

Ribbit, Ribbit...