Koi babies appeared

[Jeltz]

Hi all!
     So I am a new homeowner that came with an 1100+ gal pond and water feature. The previous owner said there were 4 koi in the pond. Pretty sure that’s  true. Two large cream and black. And a butterfly. And an orange one.  There seems to be a large gray goldfish too that’s  hard to see and previous owner over looked.

      I keep fish and take care of the pond naturally and mechanically remove algae. Today my wife, two year old and I discovered tons and tons of these little minnows. I can’t believe they would spawn In The pond....

     the previous owner never mentioned the phenomenon but he also poured 25% hydro peroxide along the rim every week to kill algae, I suspect from over feeding and didn’t pull out detritus. The owner said he would drain the pond 2x a year.... 

long story short. Anyone have experience? 4 koi in a 1100 gal pond is plenty for that size I think. I should probably remove them right? Anyone have something similar happen? Maybe there is a trap I can use and give them away that way.

[Fish Folk]

Thanks awesome! If you are interested in raising them, they can be worth money. Are you an aquarist? You could cut out an other “koi farm pond” in the yard. Or, get a Stock tank set up for them. Use pond water to fill 50%, and hose + dechlorinator for the rest. Use several pre-primed large sponge filters to cycle / aerate the stock tank. Plant it up. Feed baby koi, and then sell off some time. If that’s a bother, yes, a dip net could catch the fry. Jonah’s Aquarium online carries what’s described as “the perfect dip net” to catch fry, move to pails filled with pond water, and sell / give to your local fish store.

[Jeltz]

I have a large tank inside, 4’x2’x18in. The 90 or 100 gal glass tank. I am running off hard well water with some phosphates and nitrates. Outside the rain water that collects and with plants the ph is a solid 6. My house water comes out at 7.6 and gh of almost 200. So it’s full of rainbow fish an albino long fin bristle nose. Gold dojo and plants. Worth a thought though.

[Jeltz]

Netting would be a pain but an adventure. The middle has a big rock cave for overwintering the fish, it’s bottom is almost 4 feet 😅

[Patrick_G]

I think they won’t add to much bio load for a while. I’d raise them for a season and then sell or give them away next spring. That way the kids get to enjoy watching them grow, they might be easier to catch next year. 

[Jeltz]

It’s going to be an interesting experiment.  Some solid gray, some reddish and others cream and orange head. But I would not be surprised if there were more than 100.  My fish tank has only has 8 rainbows, a bristlenose, gold dojo, a couple cories. And a few shrimp left living I. The rubble piles. I have room for a couple at least.

[gardenman]

A minnow trap could help you round up the babies. Minnow traps are a pretty simple and cheap (typically under $20) device. You put food in the center of the trap. (A small mesh/net bag filled with fish food works well.) Small fish swim in and then can't find their way back out. Easy-peasy. If you want to have a heart attack Google "How many eggs can a koi lay?" It's a pretty impressive number. There could be a lot more fry in there than you're anticipating.  What you're seeing is likely a very small fraction of what's probably there. Koi farms tend to cull mercilessly as many koi fry are unsellable. So bear that in mind as you mull what to do with them. If you raise them up you may find a significant portion are a dull color that is of little interest to hobbyists. Good luck!

[Jeltz]

Yowza. I think I can start with a couple in my 10 gal quarantine tank and pond water. 
 

I’ll give a ring to my closest store. Few weeks ago they had a display tank with koi.  I’m sure I can get some out that way.

[Jeltz]

Quick update. I pulled 4 fry out to get a closer look in a quarantine tank. 2 look like butterfly fry? Another two look like dark grey goldies. A store in lakewood sells koi. I hope they need stock. There are many more growing in the pond. 

[PineSong]

It will be fun to see how their colors and fins develop as they grow, at least until you send them off to new homes/shops. They are cute!

[Jeltz]

Anyone interested in koi babies? They are a mystery variant. Either peacock, white and black or another. A store close mentioned they buy but got tight lipped with the mention of 100+fry. I have 5 adults and tons of babies in the pond. Previous house owner brute forced everything with draining and peroxide for water quality management. I use a net and my hands to clean. Now babies.  Any advice? I figured renal by trapping works best from a previous poster but I have too many ideas for my lacking personal knowledge. 

[Jeltz]

Just because I love em-

[Odd Duck]

@Jeltz If I were you (take this with a huge heap of salt because I’ve never kept koi), I would net what you can, but I’d set up a fish/minnow trap that wouldn’t allow the adults to get caught.  Bait it with something yummy and check it twice daily, more if possible.  Set up another tub to raise them and contact every fish/pond store you can to see if they’re interested.

This is going to be an ongoing challenge for you, so best if you can find connections now.  Try reaching out to local fish/pond clubs or associations since they will be likely to have faced the same issue.  And maybe don’t cover the pond too tightly if your adults are big enough to not be predated on by herons or raccoons, if you know what I mean.  Ahem.  Just sayin’.

If you had purebred fancies it would be easier to find a market for them.  For “mutts” the market will be limited.  If you can find a local wholesaler that will take them, you may be able to do a trade or if you’re very lucky, they may pay you a small amount (pennies compared to retail value so brace yourself).

Good luck.  It can be very challenging.  This is from the lady that sold, then eventually started giving away, over 1600 Jack Dempsey fry in a large metro area.  It took me MONTHS to finally clear out the last of them.

[Colu]

In a pond fish will eventually self regulate there population and the adult fish will start to predate the fry  keeping the numbers in check 

Edited September 8, 2021 by Colu

[Tihshho]

Depending on the size of the pond this might be the perfect chance for a big water change/dredge. I had to do this on my grandfathers koi pond to pull babies and we took the time to get out excess mulm, trim plants and do other maintenance to the pond that was hard when it was 100% full. Draining the water lower will make it a ton easier to get the babies out, but if this pond is fed by a natural stream or you're on water limitations for filling this may not work for you.

[Jeltz]

It’s a hole after a few water falls. Fed by runoff but enclosed. I have been avoiding the lowering of water but maybe I can find an ethical solution in the end

[Jeltz]

Well my last update for the most part is - Good news!

The majority of fry are growing I. The pond. I have some in a new large tank inside. If all goes well they will be collected and at Aquarium paradise in Lakewood this spring!