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View Full Version : backyard breeding/why I still work for a living



koi4u2c
07-11-2007, 07:56 PM
I have some butterfly koi that I am very fond of, so I thought I would play around with breeding a few.

Started with 2 sets:
yellow doitsu male and female /and yellow and white matsuba female


platinum and hariwake females and orenji, yellow, and orange and white males -all gin rin

The first set spawned immediately and hatched in less that 48 hours.

The second set needed a little coaxing and I had to add a spray of cool water and a cup of scent from the first set that spawned.

Removed the parents and added fresh water and airstones to the tanks with eggs. The water in the first tank, immediately went green and I thought good fry food.

The second pond I also added airstones and the water stayed clear for a while.

At one week later pond with fry from second set were doing well with thousands of fry.

First tank with first set that spawned, not a fry in sight. ???????? Just disappeared.

I decided to remove about 500 or more from the pond where the second (gin rins) spawned to a 750 gallon tank. I took pains to remove all the tadpoles that had hatched 2 days after the fry hatched.

Placed the 500 or so fry in the 750 gallon tank with a uv light and a box filter covered with quilt batting to prevent fry being sucked into the filter. Left the rest of the fry in the 500 gallon pond where the fish had spawned, no filter, just airstones. Water turned green.

Tree frogs immediately filled the 750 tank with eggs and they hatched. I have learned tree frog tadpoles do not eat fry and will keep all excess powdered fry food from fouling the water by eating the excess.

I have not found it necessary to cull. Nature has done it for me. I probably have about 50 left from the 500 I moved to the 750 gallon tank. I think thinned by the larger fry.

There are at least that many fry in small pond with airstones and no filter, and are doing well. I know dragon fry larvae and water skaters have helped to thin those.

All fry appear to be yellow, white, hariwake, and orenji just like the parents. No dark colored fry at all.

I saw gin rin scales on the largest yesterday and can finally see butterfly wings (fins).

I am happy, enough fry for me to have a few new ones to raise, but glad I am not doing it for a living. Too many losses to make a living at it.

Started to post a picture of parents, but must save to jump drive first, so maybe later.

Cowiche Ponder
07-11-2007, 08:01 PM
Invariably when someone sees my pond and fish it isn't long before they ask if I raise them or sell them.

What you posted was why I do not :d:

Now when I build my mud pond.... :rolleyes:

PapaBear
07-12-2007, 08:13 PM
...Now when I build my mud pond.... :rolleyes:

Another dreamer:yes: soon to be fru$trated beyond measure;) Trying to remember... How many $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and years did Brett say it has taken him??????:eek1:

Cowiche Ponder
07-12-2007, 09:23 PM
PapaBear if I did a mud pond it would be for my own fish use..if they decide to mess it up with spawning that its their problem

PapaBear
07-13-2007, 08:33 AM
Oh believe me... I understand that sentiment completely:D: . I would LOVE to have my own mudpond just for grins and giggles. Unfortunately there are serious water problems in our neck of the woods that make good wells nearly impossible to come by...(otherwise there would already be one right next to DW's garden;) )