I have 1 yellow koi & alot of gold fish . Now i'm noticing that the little black ones are turning yellow also!!! Can it be that they would interbreed?? I know nothing about fish so don't laugh too hard
is it possible???
- Thread starter farmgirl
- Start date
goldfish tend to start off dark colored or black and then they start taking on their natural colors as they age.
How many years does it take to make the color change? I have three that are 3 years old and are still dark.
farmgirl said:
Fishes with the same ways on how they reproduce will breed together. Koi in particular will breed with their kind. This is how we got different colors and sizes of Koi. Also, as the fish grows older, its true color kind will show. I had a lot of black ones that had turned to yellow. I thought it was a mixed breed at first. Best of luck for your fishes.
Fish can change color for years as they mature, particularly koi. Red and black are the most unstable colors in a koi and can come and go. I had a tancho koi that had a big red spot on his head--and the reason why I bought him. After a year, that spot was all gone. Bummer. I have a little utsuri that I got as yearling last fall. He had great black inky color. This spring, I noticed that all had a faded out look, so he was no longer as handsome. I can see now that the black is darkening up again.
The rule of thumb is never buy a young fish expecting it to keep a pattern or color you like, because in 6 months it can look different. That's why they are folks that don't buy koi that are smaller than 14", because the color is a bit more set in larger fish.
Koi and goldfish can interbreed, and these mutts are called "koimets." Usually you see them and they don't have the barbels (whiskers on the face), they tend to be orangey/yellow and they have flat bottom shapes and not the rounded belly of a goldfish. I've always heard mixed things on whether these interbreeds are sterile or can procreate.
The rule of thumb is never buy a young fish expecting it to keep a pattern or color you like, because in 6 months it can look different. That's why they are folks that don't buy koi that are smaller than 14", because the color is a bit more set in larger fish.
Koi and goldfish can interbreed, and these mutts are called "koimets." Usually you see them and they don't have the barbels (whiskers on the face), they tend to be orangey/yellow and they have flat bottom shapes and not the rounded belly of a goldfish. I've always heard mixed things on whether these interbreeds are sterile or can procreate.
I sure hope they can't produce!! That would make me a happy camper.. I really don't want or need MORE.!! Thanks for the info, I'll be happy just watching the changes.