Can koi and butterfly koi breed?
Absolutely not. Being closely related, koi and goldfish can actively cross breed. However, the resulting progeny are usually unsightly and sterile. Butterfly koi are the result of a cross between standard fin koi and a type of long-finned Indonesian carp.
Do butterfly koi get as big as regular koi?
Butterfly koi seem to lack some of the body size of regular koi, but the overall fish can run as long as 36 to 40 inches in the right pond with plenty of food.
Are butterfly koi sterile?
Absolutely not. Being closely related, koi and goldfish can actively cross breed. However, the resulting progeny are usually unsightly and sterile.
How do you breed butterfly koi?
Place the most desirable male and female butterfly koi into a separate pond. The koi with the brightest colors and eyes will produce the best offspring. The koi can be left together in the main pond to breed in a process called “flock spawning,” but this can produce an overabundance of fish.
How can you tell if a butterfly koi is male or female?
A mature male koi will have a slender looking body, while a female koi will have a rounded body, particularly when it’s spawning season and she’s carrying a nest full of eggs! Next, examine your koi’s fins. A male koi’s pectoral fins, the ones near his head, will appear pointed and solid in color.
How quickly do butterfly koi grow?
Under the right conditions, the average Koi will be between 6 and 8 inches by the end of its first year, and by the time it is 3 years old it will have reached its full adult size.
Do butterfly koi need a heater?
Install a heater. Butterfly Koi are cold water fish, but too much cold can be lethal. Koi can handle temperatures between 33 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a place where temperatures fall below 33 degrees, a heater will keep your Butterfly Koi from freezing to death.
How old are koi before they reproduce?
Koi will start breeding when they reach sexual maturity. This happens when they are at least two years old and about 12 inches long. If you plan on breeding your Koi, it is better to wait until they are around 4 or 5 years old.
Do koi fish need a bubbler?
The solution to this is to bubble air from an air pump into the water, but fish to not necessarily need to have a pump bubbling air into the water to live unless there are too many fish in the pond or tank. Yes, they’ll live without an air pump.
