27th Nov 2009
How to Care for Koi Fry
Whether kept in a home aquarium or pond, koi are prized fishes to keep and are very much appreciated by aquarists worldwide. Its ornamental value and symbolism makes koi keeping a very popular tradition especially in certain parts of the world. The longevity of these fishes is owed to their being hardy and ability to tolerate varying temperature changes. This particular species reproduce through spawning and the large number of eggs they lay is fertilized by either one or many male kois. Though known to be non-demanding fishes, caring for koi fry tells a different story.
When koi eggs are successfully spawned and fertilized, eggs needs to be separated from their parents to prevent them from being eaten up. Water temperature needs to be set to allow the eggs to hatch. Care for the resulting offspring involves quite a lot of work to ensure their survival. By this time, their mouths have not yet fully developed so feeding the fry for the first 3 to 4 days is discouraged as it would only cause the water to become cloudy and be contaminated. Making sure your pumps are functioning well to keep your water aerated is of utmost importance during this period as their respiratory system is still underdeveloped.
You could start feeding your fry on the third or fourth day. Newly hatched brine shrimp is mostly fed to the very small koi fry. To provide them the protein they require to develop and grow, hardboiled eggs or finely ground high protein koi food could be given. Daphnia, an abundant pond crustacean, is also among the recommended first foods for koi fry. By nature, koi are bottom feeders. Extra care is therefore needed when feeding fast sinking food since uneaten particles can pass unobserved and could cause water condition changes which could be disadvantageous for the fry. Frequent water change should be given attention to once feeding is started since the use of filters could risk some of the fry from getting sucked up into it.
Culling your fry could be done on the fourth week. The ones with certain deformities and unwanted characteristics could be taken to pet stores as donations. Koi with the characteristics desired for breeding will be kept and properly maintained. Raising koi fry may require a pretty amount of space and time, but the beauty and deeper meaning of keeping kois make the hobby very rewarding. Owning one of the most famous and fascinating underwater creatures makes everything well worth it.
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