Mating or bullying?

[Kimberleyc]

Advice please. I have both koi and goldfish in my outdoor pond. First bit of spring sunshine today but only about 15 degrees (uk), I was quite alarmed to witness one of my male goldfish chasing and bumping a butterfly koi in what looked to me to be mating behaviour.



I only bought the butterfly last year and it's probably just over 12 inches so not sexually mature. Do I remove the goldfish or just wait and see?

 

[Tula]

It sounds like mating ( spawning ) behavior. I'd keep my eye on them and if she gets tired from relentless attention, I'd separate them for awhile. When I had my 4 koi, their spawning behavior was really rough and they got pretty banged up some years.

 

[Kimberleyc]

Many thanks @ Tula, my worry is that she is not old enough or mature enough to spawn

 

[Lisak1]

Many thanks @ Tula, my worry is that she is not old enough or mature enough to spawn

Then she won't. Nothing that the male does will cause it. He's reacting to her, not vice versa. And don't be surprised if she does have eggs - size isn't necessarily a determining factor.

 

[Kimberleyc]

Then she won't. Nothing that the male does will cause it. He's reacting to her, not vice versa. And don't be surprised if she does have eggs - size isn't necessarily a determining factor.































Many thanks, the pond is frothy this morning and things have settled down so maybe she did have eggs

It's very early in the season and water temp is only 10 degrees this morning