Simply Koi and More Koi

The last few months I see many of our members talking about "Growing On" of your fish through the winter. This method is often used by famous breeders like Hiroshima Saki. I'm sure that most of us are all too aware of the monster tosai he offers in the spring. Most of these fish have been grown on during the winter, that will say kept heated and fed throughout the winter to increase the size by the spring.
Personally I'm not a big fan of this method. In general I find the fish that have gained the most during the winter, do so at the cost of their growth the following summer. I know of many instances of fish that were grown on while another sibling was not. Even though the fish that was not fed much and kept cooler was significantly smaller in the spring. the difference was made up by the fall at which both fish were once again an equal length.
It seems to me the only person to benefit from growing on is the breeder/dealer who can then ask a higher price for the fish in the spring.

B.Scott

Hey spoil sport its fun

I last year had a go at growing on and found it very interesting to see the changes and how the progress.I think that growing on can be a way that you can get a relatively cheap fish and get it up to a half decent fish for the next year

Agree with Gazza,also can be fun to while away the long winter day's.also if it dont do it for you the koi that is,you can sell it on around spring time as a larger fish.


Graham

Yeah loads of fun growing a few Koi on over the winter. I'll have a measure up soon scotty, of some of my starved Koi that were grown on last Winter. I dont feed them much in the Summer, but one in particular has grown and matured just great.

Hi all,

This will be my first time growing on over the winter with a 500gallon Q.Tank, going to do it for a bit of fun really.

I have a couple of questions ? if you can help out.....

(1) what's the best temp

(2) and how much feeding

regards
Nemo

Mines fluctuates between 24 & 25 degrees,i throw food in morning,noon,night with occasional treats inbetween if i remember.

Graham

Hi Nemo,

Its great fun and you will love it

My temperature at the moment is only around 20 and thats not even got any heat on it But i normally keep it a few degrees higher.

Food and good quality food is essential and nice small feeds and plenty of them my ones can get fed up to 10 times a day maybe more on the weekends or if i am home early they have had five feed already today

Water quality and changes is also essential to keep the water spot on as its only a small body of water so keep it nice and clean and you cant go wrong

What is the set up you are using

GARY I AGREE,
GOOD FOOD, GOOD WATER,
LOT'S OF OXYGEN, HEAT & SPACE.
THEN A FISH THAT HAS GOD GENETICS.
AND IT IS REAL FUN DURINY WINTER.
GARY

I have turned my 1500g indoor Quanantine pond ino a growing on pond for the winter. I have put 20 2"-3" koi in there and have added a heater.I have got the temp up to around 24 C and have a 300 Ltr a min air pump running, some into the multibay filter and some to airstones in the bottom of the pond. The fish have been in there 1 month and have already grown between 2" and 3"
I feed them 8 times during the day and night with the lights coming on in the night on a timer.
I think its a great thing to do gets me out of the house while her in doors is watching the soaps.
And next season will have some decent size fish to go with the ones i already have in my main pond.

What do you guys feed when they are 1.5" long?

I feed all my fish with 2mm pellets as even the big fish will digest the smaller pellets easier, I watched a dvd and thats what the japanese do.
Craig

My babies from this year are now between 1.5 and 3" they get kurusi mini pellets 6 or 7 times a day (not too much protein) plus frozen artemia as their treat morning and evening...

The half dozen I have kept from last years crop are in a bigger tank and are about 10" and are growing on well, if I can get a couple to 16- 18" by May of next year then I will be as pleased as punch.

It's great fun watching them develop and seeing how good your judgement was, we wanted a Soragoi and just happened to have a choice of two from last years flock spawning!This little one was 4" in the first photo in March and is now 10".

OK for all the time and money spent in raising them we could have gone and purchased the finished article but it's what we enjoy!!


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Thanks for replies, I have gone with kusuri mini fpf and a couple of bits of chopped worm with liquidised prawn as a treat for surviving the journey, and 2 nights on their own.
I was nearly late for work this morning, stood watching what 'ere indoors calls the seven dwarfs, absolutely mesmerising.