Koi breeder size
- Thread starter predracer
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fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Age is probably more important than size. a 6" two year old male could easily breed with a 15" two year old female.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
that's the problem, koi can grow at quite different rates. Some may never get over 10-12" full grown. Some could grow to almost two feet in under three years. Depends on water, enviroment, genetics, food, temps, etc. I have a five year old that is still less than 12" long and have a two year old that is 17" Now that being said, just because a fish is old enough to breed doesn't mean it will. I've seen fish that were five years old that have never bred.
HARO
Pondcrastinator
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We have two koi in a display pond at the garden centre that have been there for at least 25 years. They are no more than 15" in size!
John
John
I think the most simple answer is a koi will do what it wants, and when it wants LOL. We have one girl who has been spawning since she was about 4-5" long... She is now about 7" and full of eggs again....
I live in the north and fish alot of lakes that are very abuntantly full of carp, but only see them spawn in late spring on most lakes. Which is very violent event they are almost beaching themselves. But theses carp are probally literrally pushing tweenty pounds.
We have about 60 fish (koi, comets & shubunkins), and I am going to say since mid April, we have had spawning activity about every 2-3 weeks. Presently have 2 fish who look like they are about to pop (1 koi & 1 shubunkin), and a few others (all 3 breeds) who are getting rather plump...
I have seen some of the bumping activity and the chasing, but i have yet to see any of eggs or small fries. Is it just not happening, are they going through the motion?
They will also eat the eggs, so it will depend on how hidden the eggs/fry are. Our old pond (2000 gallons and over crowded) never had fry for long, if at all. Present pond has lots of hidding places, so some fry survive the other fish, bugs, etc.