Koi fish are gorgeous ornamental species in any environment. At the correct times, these fish will begin to reproduce in your tank when they are mature enough.
However, how often does Koi fish lay eggs? Every year, female ones usually produce spawn in late April for 6 – 7 years.
Their breeding process is quite simple, but you will need to intervene at a few critical stages. Therefore, you can encourage them to spawn.
If you are curious about the reproductive cycle of this fish species and some tips to care for newborns, it’s time to click on this article.
Let’s scroll down to discover more!
Contents
How Often Does Koi Fish Lay Eggs?
After these fish reach their sexual maturity, Koi fish usually mate once yearly for roughly 6 – 7 years.
Many breeders want to get these fish to mate to reproduce twice a year. Yet, the female ones will lay considerably fewer offspring in the second breeding.
These marine creatures reproduce in ponds as long as the temperature of the water is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Late months in spring are the most common times for their breeding.
While these are the breeding months of this species, their actual spawning period lasts around two or three days.
Whether in ponds or aquariums, egg-laying and its procedure put on a similar production.
When a male sees a female about to produce eggs, he tries to pursue her. This act will encourage her to lay spawns; he can be the first one to fertilize her.
When the female koi fills up with its eggs, she resembles a marble bag. It means she’s ready to release her spawns on pondweeds, breeding mats, or laying ropes.
If you would like to encourage these fish to breed in a tank, you’ll have to replicate the perfect spawning water conditions. Ensure that the female fish have sufficient plants where they deposit their spawns.
Koi reproductive frequency
Reproduction & Breeding Of The Female Koi Fish
If you want to increase the Koi newborn population, it’s best to learn about the production process and breeding. These fundamentals are also helpful to remember if you care for fry from fully adult fish.
Sexual Maturity
Although these creatures are sexually mature as they reach age two, breeding them is not advisable.
Once most koi types achieve sexual maturity, they should be approximately three to four years old.
That’s when koi fish begin to deposit the most eggs. The ones that result have a greater chance of surviving to adulthood.
Number Of Eggs
Professional breeders generally figure out how many spawns a female fish can produce by keeping track of her weight.
A sexually mature fish measuring about 1 pound can deposit up to about 50,000 spawns during a reproductive season.
That figure may appear ludicrous. Nevertheless, only around 60 percent of the total will survive over the hatching stage.
Breeding Stages
The breeding process often includes three stages, as shown below:
Pre-spawning
Male koi participate in a short-lived mating practice one day before females release the spawns.
The male often pursues the female and will very deliberately touch her to encourage her to go to the water’s more heavily planted regions.
Spawning
When a female fish is ready, she will willingly swim to the pond’s shallow margins and lay eggs koi.
She will release eggs anywhere she sees more greenery in a tank. Those spawns will stick to the surface she comes across.
You can loosely tighten an egg-laying rope in that tank so that the female lays spawns on it, and you can remove the eggs quickly.
You may prepare ahead of time by adding hornwort to the tank if you like to maintain the reproduction as natural as possible.
Laying Eggs
Fertilization occurs swiftly since the male is nearby during reproduction. The male Koi can begin releasing sperm on large numbers of spawns after the female releases the eggs.
Reproduction and breeding
Tips To Encourage Koi Fish Breed
Although the female releases a large number of spawns, not all of them can survive after hatching. So, you may need some tips to encourage their spawning.
Make Areas For Koi Spawn
Many plants with leaves and submerged roots can benefit your fish.
These will provide a safe environment for the eggs to hatch, while the plants provide nutrition and shelter.
Clean The Tank Or Pond
Change 10 percent water monthly and purchase test kits to keep pH, nitrate, ammonia, and other factors in check during the year.
Protect The Eggs
Your Koi newborns may die mainly because of more giant predators and poor water surroundings.
It’s best to use a filter to remove toxic chemicals in water like extra nitrates and ammonia, which increases the longevity of spawns.
Koi fry
What Do Koi Fish Eggs Look Like?
The eggs koi fish lay are tiny bead-like specks that grow to reach a diameter of some millimeters.
They should have a dark tone without white specks and be practically transparent.
These spawns will stay relatively tiny in some first hours following a successful reproductive event.
After 24 to 48 hours, you can easily distinguish unfertilized eggs from fertilized ones due to the fuzzy milky white color.
Do you need to know more about two types of Koi spawns? You can watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWfNb6Bazlw
The eggs
How To Care For The Newborn Koi & Ensure That They Grow Normally?
If it’s your first time raising these marine creatures, here are some helpful tips for caring for newborn fry to help them thrive.
Feeding
The fry will only eat their spawns three days following hatching, receiving all of the nutrition they require from that one supply without being fed.
The best time to feed them is after the fry can freely swim. After four weeks, you can let them eat solid food four times a day, such as freeze-dried krill, freeze-dried shrimp, or crushed chicken eggs.
Living Environment
The fry will often be weak in the first few weeks of their life. They are vulnerable to factors like water temperature change or parasites.
It’s best to notice the water quality, volume, and temperature. For instance, you should use the filter to remove toxins and maintain the temperature between 70 and 75°F and the pH level from 7.2 to 8.0.
The fry
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long are koi fish pregnant for?
On average, koi fish are pregnant for approximately six weeks. However, this can vary depending on the individual fish and its environment.
For example, koi that are kept in ponds with poor water quality or inadequate food may give birth to smaller fry that is more susceptible to disease. In contrast, koi that are well cared for tend to produce larger and healthier offspring.
During this time, the female koi will gradually develop a large belly full of eggs. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, the female koi will become sluggish and stop eating as she focuses on caring for her eggs.
Where do koi fish lay their eggs?
Unlike many other species of fish, koi do not lay their eggs in nests. Instead, the female will release her eggs into the water, and the male will fertilize them. The eggs will then sink to the bottom of the koi pond, where they will hatch after about two weeks.
Do goldfish eat koi eggs?
As any fish keeper knows, koi and goldfish are two popular choices for aquariums and ponds. Both are beautiful, hardy fish that are relatively easy to care for.
However, goldfish and koi have different dietary needs, and goldfish have been known to eat koi eggs. This can be a problem for koi breeders, as it can reduce the number of fries that survive to adulthood.
There are a few ways to protect koi eggs from being eaten by goldfish. One is to place them in a separate breeding tank where they can be protected from predators.
Another is to add netting or another type of barrier around the koi pond so that goldfish cannot access the spawning area. By taking these precautions, you can help ensure that your koi eggs have a chance to hatch and grow into healthy adults.
Wrapping Up
This article has eventually gotten to the bottom of your question: “How often do koi fish lay eggs?”
Koi fish usually mate once a year; however, some Koi lay eggs twice per year. Female Koi usually lay eggs in the spring.
Hopefully, this post will be helpful for you. If you have further questions, leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
Alex is a pet freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. He attended Colorado State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, which was where he first got some experience in animal nutrition. After graduating from University, Alex began sharing his knowledge as a freelance writer specializing in pets.
