Simply Koi and More Koi

I have a pond that until last year contained only one carp (common). Last summer's hurricane brought tremendous flooding and with it a koi. It's rather large. The koi and the common carp have been getting along quite well, perhaps too well. Given the rest of the population ecology, I would rather not have any more carp in the pond.

Can these two species interbreed? Or, is the "dance" between them just a result of it being springtime?

Thank you.

Common carp and koi carp are the same species. Whether they will breed successfully is more down to the pond and its other inhabitants.

I see. Thank you, eds.

any such pairing (and they could easily pair) between a koi and a common carp gives us what's commonly called a ghost koi
dunc

Thanks for the info Duncan.

I''m very uneducated on this species. Do either of you know what kind of impact a breeding pair could have on other fish. Eg. Largemouth bass, various sunfish, and brown bullhead? Would the carp affect the breeding beds of these species? I noticed two hatches yesterday (probably bluegills) and the carp seem to do so much churning of the pond floor near the bank, that I'm worried it could. They are both very large.

Carp spawning near the top of a pond, as keepers we would use spawning brushes but if the have nothing else around the carp with use vegatatian. Carp like to look for food on the bottom and they dig around looking all the time for food so this is what will disturb the bottom and gravel. You could try using floating pellets to feed them (not sure if you do already) but even doing that they still turn the bottom over they will also distroy plants in the hunt for food, which is why you will not often see Koi ponds with plants in them.

I am sure others will give you a better answer but this is what I have experienced I hope it helps a little bit

archimedes82 wrote:Thanks for the info Duncan.

I''m very uneducated on this species. Do either of you know what kind of impact a breeding pair could have on other fish. Eg. Largemouth bass, various sunfish, and brown bullhead? Would the carp affect the breeding beds of these species? I noticed two hatches yesterday (probably bluegills) and the carp seem to do so much churning of the pond floor near the bank, that I'm worried it could. They are both very large.

European carp have caused major problems in many ecosystems where they have been introduced. Their disruption of spawning beds of other species is a big part of this. Carp love to dig and filter out small invertebrates in the mud / vegetation and they will happily eat eggs and larvae of other fish / animals too.

If you're after a native lake with those species in I'd be tempted to get rid of the carp from it, however if these two don't breed then two might not create too much damage on their own. Unfortunately if they do breed you will probably only discover it when you see small carp and then it will practically impossible to remove them all from a natural lake!

You're only hope will be if they are the same sex. Can you net them out and examine their vents or take a close enough picture to see if either has spawning tubercles on the gill covers?

eds, I can try to take some pictures today.