Koi GENDER HELP PLEASE
- Thread starter SadeRSykes
- Start date
I would guess male. Or possibly female. Haha! I'm terrible at that stuff. I can tell once the fish are about 12 inches long, based on their body style, but small fish are impossible.
Just wanted to say WELCOME to the GPF! Do you have a pond?
Just wanted to say WELCOME to the GPF! Do you have a pond?
j.w
I Love my Goldies
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@Lisak1 I haven't a clue either but glad to have you here w/us. I think you are gonna have to wait till they get larger to tell what sex they are. I only have goldfish but usually male fish are slimmer than the females. At breeding time males will chase females and the males get little tiny growths on their heads and pectoral fins. I think it takes koi a few yrs to mature so you have a bit of a wait.
Hi, I read that females have rounded fins and males have pointy fins, but even if it is true, fins on a young fish can change as the the fish grows so....
All my females grew large at a faster speed, but until I witnessed the behavior during mating season (male chases female), I really didn't know for sure, and for this to happen the fish has to be at least a few yrs old
All my females grew large at a faster speed, but until I witnessed the behavior during mating season (male chases female), I really didn't know for sure, and for this to happen the fish has to be at least a few yrs old
Thanks yeah its really imposible to tell Im going to wait until they are older I have my platinum ogon in my 55gal aquarium I want to build a pond but I live in a area where theres lots of cats and preditorial birds and extreme temp fluctuations I may get a larger place and make a indoor pond.. Still in the works though.
Im noticing that my butterfly koi keeps chasing my platinum ogon I dont know if its a temperment thing I know koi fish to be very social but mybe because I think the butterfly koi who looks slimmer is a boy and the platinum ogon which has a wide body may be a girl I think they are too young to try to think about breeding so trying to figure why they dont get along so well I dont want them to hurt eachother so for now they are in their own 55gal aquarium. I know they get big but I brought the biggest tank petsmart sells.
Scared to pond them because of the extrem temps we get where I live until I can move they are indoors I brought 2 55galon aquarium kits to gets started I want to upgrade that but I dont know where I can buy like a 200 or 500 gallon aquarium or accessories for it. I’ll post new images as they grow and document any noticable changes, thanks for your support and glad to join the community!
Welcome.....Koi can handle the temp swings from being outside year round. Also there are many ways to keep predatory animals away from your koi. Easiest way is to place a net or screen over the pond. If you want to do a pond there are plenty of us here to help with design and advice to help you be successful.
If you are going the large tank route, try craigslist. Just make sure the tank can hold water. There are also places that build custom tanks.
If you are going the large tank route, try craigslist. Just make sure the tank can hold water. There are also places that build custom tanks.
I agree with @Jhn , koi can handle extreme temperature swings, in adequate depth and water volume, so if you have the room, an outdoor pond would be better for your koi than an indoor tank IMHO
....as you can see in my avatar I covered my pond to protect my fish from the many predators I share my land with, so predators shouldn't be what's stopping you from building an outdoor pond
Think about it, you know you'd love it!
If you don't build a pond, you better get that big tank fast. Koi grow much faster than you can imagine. A 55 gallon tank will soon look like you're keeping them in a glass of water. @Dave 54 used to keep his koi indoors - search for some of his posts on this site to see what size tank he had.
Nothing against you @SadeRSykes but it really bothers me that they sell koi as aquarium fish. Totally inappropriate for the average aquarium keeper. We walked into a Thai restaurant once that had a beautiful white koi in a tank so small all it could do was lay there. Tried to talk the owner into letting me buy it - he said it was fine, it has been there for years and it was his "mascot". Walked out the door - I could never support someone that would treat a living creature like that.
Nothing against you @SadeRSykes but it really bothers me that they sell koi as aquarium fish. Totally inappropriate for the average aquarium keeper. We walked into a Thai restaurant once that had a beautiful white koi in a tank so small all it could do was lay there. Tried to talk the owner into letting me buy it - he said it was fine, it has been there for years and it was his "mascot". Walked out the door - I could never support someone that would treat a living creature like that.
Its ok I understand its furstrating that they sell large fish in general. I want to pond mine will do that very soon I love them and will give the the best life possible I hear that tanks stunt growth I live in the desert and it snows sometimes and other times it can get hot enough to melt trash bins its really not the best for a human or dog to be outdoors here but if its still ok with koi i will consider it. Im going to look up local pond builders in my area and see what I can get I want plants in the pond as well something natural if its best for koi never want my fish to be cramped like that resturant. I just want them to thrive and tried to get them the best for the time being its kinda hard when 55gal tanks are the largest they sell. I could definatly use the support of this form to get them transitioned into a pond.
I agree with @Jhn , koi can handle extreme temperature swings, in adequate depth and water volume, so if you have the room, an outdoor pond would be better for your koi than an indoor tank IMHO
....as you can see in my avatar I covered my pond to protect my fish from the many predators I share my land with, so predators shouldn't be what's stopping you from building an outdoor pond
Think about it, you know you'd love it! View attachment 109175
ok we will get them in to a pond im move to a place with a larger back yard. So we can start the pond building experience. I was approved for the new home but I was wondering what kind of plants are good for a pond that can help with oxygen and some filteration I want it to be as natural as a pond as possible. Also I heard koi like to dig up plants is there a way when building the pond I can do something to prevent that?
Good for you for planning ahead for your fish! You'll get lots of good advice here.
Some people have problems with their koi digging in their plants - mine have never bothered. But you could consider building a bog filter and keeping that planted with lots of plants - the bigger the better - and your fish in the pond wouldn't be able to even get to the plants. In the pond you could plant lots of reed, rushes and irises on the margins - they are very hardy and even koi would have a hard time uprooting them once they get started.
Find a pond builder who understands how to construct an eco-style pond. If you say "bog filtration" and he or she looks at you funny, keep shopping! You'll want it to be deep enough to keep the water cool and perhaps even designed for some shady spots inside the pond, like fish caves.
Some people have problems with their koi digging in their plants - mine have never bothered. But you could consider building a bog filter and keeping that planted with lots of plants - the bigger the better - and your fish in the pond wouldn't be able to even get to the plants. In the pond you could plant lots of reed, rushes and irises on the margins - they are very hardy and even koi would have a hard time uprooting them once they get started.
Find a pond builder who understands how to construct an eco-style pond. If you say "bog filtration" and he or she looks at you funny, keep shopping! You'll want it to be deep enough to keep the water cool and perhaps even designed for some shady spots inside the pond, like fish caves.