Four Tips for Breeding Koi
Temperature
Temperature plays an important role when you’re breeding koi. They usually breed in the late spring or the early summer when the temperature averages 68 degrees Fahrenheit. When the weather turns this warm, they will instinctively think about breeding. This temperature requirement may give you problems if you live in areas where the temperature stays cooler for longer. If this is the case, you can use pond heaters or sun lamps to warm the water.
Age
When you’re breeding koi, you need to consider the age of the female. The age of the female affects the quality of the egg shells. Young females produce eggs that may not survive because the shells are very thing. On the other side, older females produce shells that are too hard and may not allow the sperm to penetrate them. Females that are four or five years old are the best to use for breeding koi.
Quality
Another factor to consider when breeding koi is the quality of the fish. Obviously high quality koi will produce better offspring. Only a small percentage of the offspring will have the quality of their parents, but quality parents will still produce a larger amount of quality offspring. You should also choose the couple based on the coloration and pattern that you want.
pH
When breeding koi, you choose the couple based on the coloration and pattern that you want most of the offspring to have. You may not be aware that the pH level in the pond will also affect the quality of the colors. If the water is too acidic, the offspring will have a better red color but the black color will be weaker. Alkaline water will achieve a better black color at the expense of the red color. A pH level of 7.5 is best for breeding koi.
These are a few tips for breeding koi. They will instinctively start thinking about breeding when the temperature average 68 degrees Fahrenheit. You will also want to use females that are either four or five years old to produce the best egg shells when breeding koi. Also, you should keep the pH level at 7.5 if you want the best color quality. Good luck.
