What to do with all these babies??

[Sushi Prohibited]

I worry about Craigslist. I don't want strangers to come over and see my pond and adult fish.

The babies (20-30) are only 1 - 2 inches. How long can I keep them before the pond gets overcrowded? (I have a 4,500 gallon pond with 7 adults).

Thanks.

 

[Tula]

Finished the koi round up ....27 babies ! Started at 8 am and finished at 11:45.....will take awhile for pond to refill. We thought we were finished and started refilling, when we spotted two very dark babies, so had to repp some water out - ugh !

90 degree day, wore swim suit under my waders and still soaked in sweat! Have the babies in a tub with airstones and one jumped out, so fetched it back and put a lid on, with airstones going.

@Sushi Prohibited I like to remove my babies before winter , just my preference. Others wait till Spring, letting them grow more. It really helps to have a second person to help out, when you do it.

 

[Sushi Prohibited]

Congrats Tula.

How long can I keep the babies before I risk the health of the adult fish?

I have a 4,500 gallon pond with 7 18" adults and 20 1-2 inch babies.

Thanks.

 

[Tula]

I think you're fine to leave them in the pond for now, as they're probably not adding much load to your filters, at their small size.

I like to remove mine annually, because the population will just keep increasing.

 

[WhiteNoise]

This is my first year to have baby survivors.
I have around 30 babies that are 2 months old.
With seven 18"+ adults, they share a 4,500 gallon pond with a strong filter, pump and waterfall.

At what age should I give them away?

How many can I keep without jeopardizing the whole pong?

Any advice/help is appreciated.
Thanks.

This season I have around 80+ babies. I plan to let them get to around 6 inches before I start giving them away or selling some. In a pond that is 4500 gallons I would think you can keep a handful without issue. Maybe pick a few that are the prettiest and give away the rest.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Here is a short video of some of my babies while feeding. I usually break up the food when feeding to make the food smaller but while filming I couldn't. They still gobble it all up in time.

 

[Tula]

I like to look for the dark ones, as you don't notice them at first glance......they sure are fast!!

 

[WhiteNoise]

I like to look for the dark ones, as you don't notice them at first glance......they sure are fast!!

They are sneaky little guys. Half the time I don't notice them until they are right in front of me. More so when the sun light is not hitting the pond.

 

[Faebinder]

The longer I have been as a pond keeper, the more inclined I am to cull when I see new fish. If this was my pond, I would lower the water, take your favorite fish out..... then start using a net to get the rest and euthanize them before burial. I have had no success with craiglist in my area. May be your area is more populated.

 

[Tula]

The longer I have been as a pond keeper, the more inclined I am to cull when I see new fish. If this was my pond, I would lower the water, take your favorite fish out..... then start using a net to get the rest and euthanize them before burial. I have had no success with craiglist in my area. May be your area is more populated.

I understand your perspective. I was afraid that is precisely what I'd have to do this year, but fortunately found a nursery that let me put them in their outdoor pond. I think it's a tough reality of ponding.

 

[addy1]

I just don't feed them during spawning, which is almost all summer. This is year 7 so far no where close to being overpopulated. They munch down the eggs that are laid. And the other pond critters snack on the fish, eggs, fry.

I only restrict heron access.

 

[Tula]

I just don't feed them during spawning, which is almost all summer. This is year 7 so far no where close to being overpopulated. They munch down the eggs that are laid. And the other pond critters snack on the fish, eggs, fry.

I only restrict heron access.

I don't feed mine when they spawn either, which is usually once per season. I think some eggs land in my lily pots, covered with deer fencing to keep koi from destroying them and hence some hatch and thrive.

I'm going to try DIY spawning mats next year, in hope I can physically remove more eggs from the pond.

 

[WhiteNoise]

The longer I have been as a pond keeper, the more inclined I am to cull when I see new fish. If this was my pond, I would lower the water, take your favorite fish out..... then start using a net to get the rest and euthanize them before burial. I have had no success with craiglist in my area. May be your area is more populated.

I live in the city so I expect finding people to take free koi wouldn't be too hard but I recently talked to my local pet store and they will take any I want to give away. I think next spring I will cull though as this is too much.

 

[JamieB]

I’d love to find some koi in my area. I’m in north Oklahoma, if y’all want to unload some next year, send them here! I’ve been online looking for butterfly koi, can’t find any breeders in my area, and my pool just has goldfish for now. I’ve got one of those big above ground pools, all on well water. And I just let my fish do their thing. I’d love to add different levels, more plants, some pretty fish. I got into these fish on accident, they were supposed to be feeders for my turtle, who didn’t eat them. So I put them into the unused pool to control the misquito population. It’s working. But then I wanted to make it prettier, and now I want bigger fish I can see better. So... yep I’ve got a new hobby! And the pool is now a pond.

 

[sissy]

I gave a lot of mine away but still have a lot of mutts with the long tails and fins .Will wait now to post or give them to the garden center to sell in trade for things I want