Koi anyone

[Beyond GenetiX]

I have a 22,000 gallon koi pond I installed about 4 years ago. Any of you guys/gals have koi? Just for reference, the copper colored chagoi and the yellow yamabuki ogon are over 32" in length.

 

[snowgyre]

I would love to have a koi pond at some point. Did you buy these as adults or did you raise them yourself? I'm guessing these grow fairly slowly? Beautiful koi, and nice variety!

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

A little of both. The youngest ones in there I produced. Every couple of years I will have a controlled spawn with select ones. I have a pool that is about 3 feet high by 15 feet in diameter, that I will set up for the spring/summer. That is the only way to get decent looking koi, if you leave them all together they will eat the eggs and the offspring can turn out hideous looking.

 

[blbballs]

I have a 22,000 gallon koi pond I installed about 4 years ago. Any of you guys/gals have koi? Just for reference, the copper colored chagoi and the yellow yamabuki ogon are over 32" in length.

Whoa! Gorgeous animals.
Are the different colors, different morphs? Line bred? Recessive?
Is it easy to tell a male from a female?

 

[snowgyre]

Yes, I'd be curious to learn how to sex a koi! Do the males develop secondary sex characteristics, like tubercles? Or do you just know due to size, behavior...?

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

Sorry for taking so long to respond, I've been in the middle of changing phones, not once but twice.

Where to begin?? First, I am no expert! There are so many different variations in color and that is how they are named, for the most part. Then you get into the different scale patterns or scale less (doitsu) Koi. Doitsu is a dominant trait and can pass on in a variety of ways, partial scale less, armored scale (which is typically missed matched size scales), completely scale less or normal scale.

Some colors compliment each other like the pair I have circled and their offspring. Female chagoi in green, male kohaku in red and their offspring ochiba in blue. The three orange black and white (sanke) to the right of the one circled in blue I produced also. On the other hand some colors will make some of the ugliest fish you've ever seen.

Sexing in adults can be fairly easy by sight. Females are typically more robust and males are typically smaller and leaner. If uncertain, when it is close to mating season the male's cheeks will feel like 2000 grit sandpaper and the females will feel smooth. I can feel the difference but some people can't.

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

I was able to dig up a couple more for size comparison. That's me and I'm 6'2".

 

[nickolasanastasiou]

Gorgeous. What a wonderful project.

 

[AbsoluteApril]

That's awesome Jason! Thank you for sharing and congrats on making the beautiful offspring.

There are koi we like to go watch at the local Japanese gardens but I must say, a lot of them are of the 'uglier' variety haha

 

[chazzz]

So fricking cool Jason!

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

Who says you can't pet, pet fish?

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

Eggs hatched

 

[Pasodama]

Love Koi and would like to have a Koi pond if ever possible.
Beautiful Koi, that you have there, and congrats on all the babies!

 

[Lucille]

Awesome koi!

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

Love Koi and would like to have a Koi pond if ever possible.
Beautiful Koi, that you have there, and congrats on all the babies!

I would recommend a bigger pond over a smaller one, it seems the upkeep of a bigger pond is easier. I built mine myself and just the filter is around 2200 gallons. The pond is around 19,000-21,000 gallons, it's easier to maintain than the 100 gallon I had years ago. Let me know when you are ready for some Koi and I can send some your way.

Awesome koi!

Thanks Lucille! If you think it's hard deciding what to holdback out of a reptile clutch, try picking just a few Koi out of 10,000 that are just a few weeks old. If I don't thin the numbers down quickly, they will.

 

[Pasodama]

I would recommend a bigger pond over a smaller one, it seems the upkeep of a bigger pond is easier. I built mine myself and just the filter is around 2200 gallons. The pond is around 19,000-21,000 gallons, it's easier to maintain than the 100 gallon I had years ago. Let me know when you are ready for some Koi and I can send some your way.

I definitely have the room with over 6 acres. May lease the back part, of the property, but will still have more than plenty for a huge pond. Just a matter of when, etc.

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

A little update, excuse the quality of the pictures. I had already plunged my right hand in the water and had to use my left.

 

[Insomniac101]

That is wickedly cool, Jason! And here I was, all proud of my new 90-gallon aquarium!

Beautiful fish - wish I had the property to do something like that!

Kathy

 

[Robert Walker]

I have a 22,000 gallon koi pond I installed about 4 years ago.

Oh boy, tell us more please. That is a very very very cool project you have going there. Any pictures on the install of the pond? How did you do it? What liner did you use, if any? Natural hole or did you dig out the pond, etc.?

Very cool

 

[Beyond GenetiX]

I'll try to find some install pictures, it took me about 2 days to dig and level the dirt out around with a mini excavator. I think the pond liner is 60 Mil 40'x50' Firestone one piece liner. It was definitely more work than I anticipated going into it. It took me and a friend 1-1/2 weeks to complete just the pond and filter. There was some trial and error for the filter, I have tweaked it over the years. We have added a deck and fence, still have work to do. I'll get some better pictures of the babies when I start moving them to their new homes.


Dimensions are 7' deep x 19' wide and 35'ish long, I think.