Let's see who's ready.

[spkennyva]

Thanks Sean. What size do you feed koi fry during the very early days.

Hi Matt,

I start with the smallest size (GP1) for about a week, then progress up to GP4. I do 1/2 existing size & 1/2 new size at the transition points for a couple of days. After I finish GP4, I go with a different type of food.

[Orlando]

Good evening folks, now I know why farms have so many people during the culling process. Having added that second male and seeing so many unfertilized eggs one would have thought the numbers would be about average well I started this morning around 8am and quit around 7pm had to stop draining water and there's 6" of water left in the tank I stopped counting at 12k fry have to help a friend in the morning with a kitchen sink faucet and resume the process once I get back home, will post some pictures tomorrow

[Matt24]

Wow that's a lot! Like a marathon ... no, more like a triathlon ... followed by another triathlon the next day! I admire your stamina.

I decided I couldn't hang with that. The last few times I've had a batch of fry, I've just gone through a few hundred at a time, many times over several weeks. But I'm sure I lose a lot through sibling predation that way.

[Orlando]

Wow that's a lot! Like a marathon ... no, more like a triathlon ... followed by another triathlon the next day! I admire your stamina.

I decided I couldn't hang with that. The last few times I've had a batch of fry, I've just gone through a few hundred at a time, many times over several weeks. But I'm sure I lose a lot through sibling predation that way.

Good morning, going to help a friend early but should be at it in a couple of hours

[spkennyva]

Good luck with this initial cull. Are you counting keepers and rejects, or just making selections? I’m curious about what percentage were kept, as well as the actual number.

[Orlando]

Good luck with this initial cull. Are you counting keepers and rejects, or just making selections? I’m curious about what percentage were kept, as well as the actual number.

Good morning Sean, just like Showa Shiro Utsuri the first cull is the most simple one because you only keep the Black fry and discard everything else, I know some people in the area that keep salt water tanks and these 2wk old fry make excellent feeders for their fish. As far as how many Black fry I kept their numbers are always low in this case any where from 150 to 200.

[spkennyva]

Wow, from over 12K to about 200. That must have been exhausting!!

[Orlando]

Wow, from over 12K to about 200. That must have been exhausting!!

The reason I was counting the fry on Saturday I wanted to compare numbers from two previous spawns using one male versus two male's. Sunday morning it hit me while I was replacing a kitchen faucet, just count the black one's and that's the direction I took but by the looks I bet there were over 20k fry. Now I understand why they breed so many pairs during the season, the ratio is very low.

[Matt24]

So am I figuring this right? The dark fry were only a couple of percent of the total, or maybe not even that many?

The 6 times I bred showa, I checked the percentages of dark fry and got between 8% and 40% dark fry, but it was usually between 20% and 35%.

I have heard of as high as 50% or as low as 1%. In fact, one local koi dealer bred showa and was so frustrated because he said every one of them came out solid orange.

[Matt24]

So am I figuring this right? The dark fry were only a couple of percent of the total, or maybe not even that many?

The 6 times I bred showa, I checked the percentages of dark fry and got between 8% and 40% dark fry, but it was usually between 20% and 35%.

I have heard of as high as 50% or as low as 1%. In fact, one local koi dealer bred showa and was so frustrated because he said every one of them came out solid orange.

Oh wait, maybe you were also culling some dark ones that were deformed? So the percentage dark may have been higher?

[Orlando]

Oh wait, maybe you were also culling some dark ones that were deformed? So the percentage dark may have been higher?

Good morning Matt, I don't think anyone can control the percentages of black vrs white ones. At this stage I believe it's impossible to cull for deformities. So it is what it is, now my pickle for next week is; do I attempt to give my Goshiki an opportunity or do I attempt the Ochiba.

[Matt24]

...I don't think anyone can control the percentages of black vrs white ones. ...

That would be a good trick if you could figure out that one. I've seen very large differences in the percentage of dark fry, even when spawning the same oyagoi from one year to the next. And I've read of others saying the same thing.

[spkennyva]

Good morning Matt, I don't think anyone can control the percentages of black vrs white ones. At this stage I believe it's impossible to cull for deformities. So it is what it is, now my pickle for next week is; do I attempt to give my Goshiki an opportunity or do I attempt the Ochiba.

My vote is Ochiba Of course I'm not the one culling and managing 40,000 fry.

Thanks for keeping us updated on your progress. I'm considering pairing up a few groups, but it will be a couple of weeks before that happens.