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starting out

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:31 pm
by bicolormoth
i am looking at using my 'facilities', that seem to be stockpiling while i build my 'big pond', for spawning/growing . I think i only have 2 mature males , a showa and a mutsuba . so i would need to buy some parent stock.
would it be sensible to go with Chagoi ? i am thinking i could buy a mature female (been offered one) and some mature males, maybe four.
the reason i am thinking Chags is that if we got overrun with little uns they should be easy to move on as everyone wants chags. and the other is regarding 'culling'. as i am reading that when mixed verieties are spawned, they are culled by removing all the light coloured ones and only keeping the darker ones. i have no idea what this is about, but i was thinking that going for chags you would only get one type and so 'culling' would simply be down to removing 'duffers' like deformaties etc. ?

Re: starting out

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:21 pm
by amanda
you could go for ochiba as well as they can be very attractive fish just add a couple of ochiba males to the mix.
You will still probably get an odd mix to the offspring as i did but also a good percentage of chags expect a good percentage of very dark ones.

Re: starting out

Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:49 pm
by Thorny
You need Kohaku across a chag to get Ochiba, I have to say it having spent a summer up at Cuttlebrook whilst building there house. This is seriously hard work and not just about Your Koi having a kiss and a cuddle :D Culling is mind blowing and very very pain staking. I was lucky enough to help Mark cull Shiro, Sanke and Kohaku, The other thing to consider is space, after a conversation with Mark if memory serves Me well, Females release on average 300,000 eggs. where do You put that lot :shock:
Good luck with it and I am sure You will learn along the way.
Justin

Re: starting out

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:21 am
by Davej
How much water have U got for rearing them and growing them on?

Easy to get a set to spawn, not difficult to get them to hatch but the amount of water available will limit the amount you can realistically raise.

Decent Parent stock is the key, but involves a significant capital investment, realistically back yard breeding is great fun, massive hard work, loads of ups and downs and totally cost ineffective - but I still do it to fulfil a dream that one day I will get that one fish which is perfect..

Regards

Dave

Re: starting out

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:53 am
by bicolormoth
at present i have a 250g 'shoreham' filtered & heated. I have a 300g round tub , filtered (can be heated) , and i have a 500g tank waiting in the wings. once my 4000+g pond is built i will have a 1500g swimming pool available.

Re: starting out

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:52 pm
by bicolormoth
oh well, i have gone n dun it now. :shock: after long and testing negotiations i have just landed myself a 60CM (tip of nose to fork in tail.) mature Female Chagoi.at a guess we think she is around 5 or 6 yrs old. she has already spwned 3 times this year. she took a knock to her top lip so now has a large bruise there and she lost a group of scales last week , which is healing nicely , around 5 or 6 from her aft left flank on the midline. :?
she is very friendly & gentle and is now settling into my 1500g with new friens after being cooped up in 600g with a shaol of rapists. :oops:
all in all i reckon a good buy as long as she stays healthy. :wink:
I have 1 immature male chag (care of Maurice cox) so i guess we have some more shopping to do. 1st off i need to lose a few fish to make room.
i will post pics after the pond has had a clean, was in the process of cleaning when the Chag turned up. :roll:

more later.