2013 Koi Spawn

[RSFish1]

I think this is my 8th year of spawning koi. I find it fun and interesting. Year to year I mix different parents to see all the different varieties and colors I can get. The last 2 years have been all butterfly koi as the breeding parents. Last year the ratio was about 60% butterfly and 40% regular fin.

I had the green water tank running about 2 weeks ago so the food would be ready for the babies. But we had a cool streak and the pond temps were not where I wanted them. A week later the pond temp was 80 or so degrees a few inches down. Water from the tap was 58 degrees. The females were plump. So it was "Go" time.
About 24 hours after moving the 3 male and 3 female butterly koi to the breeding pool, thousands of eggs were laid very early sunday morning.

I have created a Facebook page that I will be updating over the next year from the start of the spawn to when they get released into the main pond. So if you would like to follow along, please stop by.

https://www.facebook.com/RandysKoi

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Looks like today is spawning day here. I looked out this morning, and my stream is full of fish of all sizes chasing up and down. Its always so funny to see the biggest koi going upstream... my water isn't that deep, so their back-sides are out of the water, and you see them hop a little over the larger rocks. When I built the new pond in 2011, I added quite a few new koi. They were 'mingling' last year, but it looks like they are fully into the spawning this year.

Guess I need to look for some mop heads while I'm out shopping today... maybe I can salvage some of the egss this year. About 40% of my koi are butterflies, and I really want to see what colors of babies I get from them.