How do I encourage spawning?

[ed2]

Hi guys,

In my pond I have 6 12" ghost carp, a smaller ghost, a mirror carp and 5 goldfish. The six larger ghosties were a free giveaway about 6 weeks ago on a website, and I tore the chaps hands off (despite it being a 4 hour drive each way and 5 hours or so trying to actually catch them! Lol

Anyway, when I put them in the current fish started bumping the new bigger fish. To be honest I'm not that clued up on fish. I assumed they were trying to mate, having mistaken the new larger fish as carrying eggs? But I have decided to pop a home made breeding mop in tonight just incase they do start. I followed the DIY designs on here.

Is there anything I can do to encourage them to spawn at the moment?

Many thanks,

Ed

 

[ed2]

Oh and also, I have just injected approximately 3,000 litres of (dechlorinated) tap water into the pond. I've read somewhere this could sometimes work to initiate spawning?

Thanks

 

[addy1]

I have read that a water change, temperature change, rain will get them going. I encourage mine to not spawn................as if that is possible lol

 

[ed2]

Lol! I am considering doing things properly next year as a new project. I read what seemed like a good article, which described how to prepare your koi for breeding something like 6 months before, and to seperate them and the such. That all seems a bit commercial and complicated to me though!

I'm really hoping that because I have 6 mature fish, that at least one is a female, and that the water quality is good enough for them to want to spawn!


Ed

 

[addy1]

What is your water temperature?

 

[ed2]

It's still on the low side at the moment, around 10 degree Celsius. We've had bad weather recently, cold at night and heavy rain and winds! I'm guessing it needs to warm up again? We had a week of hot weather a couple of weeks ago and the fish started behaving very oddly lol

 

[addy1]

Mine chased when the pond went above 60f / 16c then stopped when the pond dropped back down to 50 / 10 then finally spawned when the water hit 69f / 21 c

Your water needs to be warmer to get them going for real

 

[Waterbug]

You've already done what the pros do. Keep the females separate for some period and then putting together with males initiates spawning almost immediately if the female is ready.

Water changes can induce spawning but it isn't as sure fired. If the water being added is warmer it can help. In the wild these types fish swam into flooded areas to spawn so they're attracted to "new" water.

And of course good water quality, good quality food being fed several times a day all promote good general health and therefore spawning at some point,

The males know it's time to spawn based on pheromones released by the female, not by her size. The female knows it's time to spawn when poked and pushed by males.