Male participation

[kougs]

So as I stated in a separate post, my kids did the dirty bad nasty last weekend. My question is, do all the males partake in the activitiy or do some just don't have an interest. I'm wondering because some of my mature kids were more interested in the eggs being deposited vs. the fun stuff. The ones in questions are at least 7 years old and the one sucka is 28 inches. Does that make them females?

The pics below is the one I thought would be a male but just was more interested in the deposted eggs.

 

[koiguy1969]

they are all interested in the eggs..in the spawn or not. the spawners wil eat them as fast as theyre laid as well. males will get involved at their leisure..off and on.

 

[kougs]

Thanks koiguy. thought I had read somewhere else that the ones not partaking would make them females.

 

[koiguy1969]

thats always a possibility...once theyre done laying eggs.. they are hungry and will eat any eggs they can get at. its amazing that they arent extinct..i watch them shoot a cloud of eggs on the pond wall and star sucking them in, in the time it takes to turn around. one female koi can lay as many as 500,000 eggs in a spawn, and if we dont intervene, how many make it in a average pond? probably 20 or less on average

 

[Shdwdrgn]

The only sure-fire way I know to sex my fish are to simply watch them... who is chasing, who is being chased? I have a lot of fish, of various ages up to around 5.5 years old, all of which still participate in spawning at some point through the Summer. However I've noticed that in general, when a female is ready to lay her eggs, I usually only see 3-5 males chasing her, and the rest of the males seem to have no interest. I think its just a matter of the males not being interested in *all* the females. They do generally group together by size, but otherwise its anyone's guess...

 

[addy1]

I notice small boys chasing large gals, not often a large boy chasing a tiny gal.

 

[j.w]

Too funny addy!

 

[kougs]

All great information. I have noticed that the one I started this hobby with, Leanord, is starting to get a very large belly. He is roughly 6 years old. He has also gotten a lot blacker over the last month. Most all the orange has faded away. Bums me out. I'll try to get a picture to post. Here is one taken March 2012. Very slender would make him a male. I'll be keeping a close eye on him/her. Maybe name should now be Leanora?

 

[addy1]

black fish are supposed to be good luck!

 

[kougs]

black fish are supposed to be good luck!

That's what I've heard. Got 5 now, don't need another one. Couldn't net them with the others that I took pictures of. Couldn't see them in the pond.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I've noticed all of my koi which have the black pinecone pattern get *much* darker as soon as I release them outside in the pond (usually within a few weeks). I don't know if they are reacting to the conditions in the pond, being in a larger space, or the sunlight itself, but it has happened with all of them.

 

[kougs]

Not able to catch the little stinker. Much to fast and don't want to stress out. They are definitely a lot slower when the water is colder.

 

[Jimmy378]

I would put money on your fish being a male. i have one male and two females so far.

 

[kougs]

I would put money on your fish being a male. i have one male and two females so far.

Hi Jimmy,
The pic that I've posted is from March of this year. I can't get a net on the Koi to take pics. But viewing in the pond the abdonmen is a lot bigger making me question the sex. Also now looking at the pectoral fins if I'm not mistaken if they are rounded it would point to being a female?

 

[Jimmy378]

Hi Jimmy,
The pic that I've posted is from March of this year. I can't get a net on the Koi to take pics. But viewing in the pond the abdonmen is a lot bigger making me question the sex. Also now looking at the pectoral fins if I'm not mistaken if they are rounded it would point to being a female?

you might be right, one looks pointy and the other round. for being that size, i would think it was male.