Growing Bigger Koi

Guide To Breed Jumbo Koi

There are mainly two types of Koi breeders on this planet. The first is one that breeds good quality Koi. These breeders seek quality in the Koi's skin, color and pattern. Koi that possess such great qualities holds an excellent potential for its future. And the second is one that breeds large Koi. These breeders prefer to breed large Koi instead of quality ones.

It is because a Koi can grow to an enormous size that usually attracts first-time breeders to breed them. A large Koi can easily steal the spotlight when presented alongside with other higher-grade but smaller Koi.

The size and growth of a Koi varies from each of them. A well bred Koi can grow up to a meter in length. The largest Koi found in the UK would be the chagoi; which has grown over a meter length. Do note that not all the Koi that are bred would be able to grow to a jumbo size. That is because there are several factors that might affect its growth rendering it unable to grow into a large Koi.

There are three extremely important factors that would affect a Koi's growth. This includes the genetic bloodline of the Koi, the environment in which the Koi was bred in and the Koi's diet. The genetic bloodline of the Koi cannot be changed and cannot be controlled at all. So, choosing a Koi that has the potential to grow into a large Koi would be the first hurdle you will be faced with. The genetic bloodline of a Koi has more control over a Koi's growth than the other factors. Other factors like the environment and the diet plays a small but important role too. If a Koi is tiny and the genetic bloodline restricts its growth, the environment it lives in and its diet will still be able to make it grow to a certain extent. If a Koi possesses a great genetic bloodline, bred well in a nice environment and also well fed, you can expect it to grow into a jumbo Koi real soon.

So, what are the environmental and diet factors that will affect a Koi's growth? These factors include:

Pond Size & Stocking Density – Though it might be a myth that a Koi would grow to the size of the pond it was bred it, it is true that the pond size do play a little part in the growth of a Koi. The area of the pond size would affect a Koi's growth to a certain extent. Koi can grow faster with a lower stocking rate in the pond. This will enable it to be able to enjoy a large area of the pond freely and also enjoy its food during feeding. Lesser fishes in the pond would mean more food for the Koi. This will enable the growth of a Koi to be at its maximum and also allow it to be sexually mature when they are still small.

265lb carp, while not technically a Koi it is closely related.

Quality of Water – The quality of water that the Koi was bred in also play a part in the Koi's growth. Maintaining a good quality of water in the pond would allow the Koi to enjoy clean and fresh water every second of its life. A healthy and stress-free Koi is a potentially fast growing Koi. Adequate biofiltration and solids removal are important to keep the water clean and fresh for the Koi. Studies have shown that fishes are able to convert their diet to become fish tissue much more efficiently when the dissolved oxygen is at its highest in the pond.

Temperature of Water – Koi might be cold blooded, but they are in fact warm water fishes. Tests have shown that a Koi can grow very well at a water temperature of 27 degree Celsius/ 80.6 Fahrenheit degree. This temperature must be maintained and accompanied with an adequate daylength of a minimum nine hours. This would be to ensure that the hormonal interactions that control the growth of the fish would be ‘switched on' allowing the growth of the fish to not be neglected. If the optimal water temperature cannot be achieved, it would help if a stable water temperature is applied. This is because fish metabolism do respond better when in a stable environment. When Koi has a good metabolism, it will be able to consume more and grow bigger at a faster rate.

Quality of Food – A healthy growth diet for your Koi must include at least 40% of protein (of high quality and is easily digestible). This diet must also be balanced to ensure that the Koi would use this protein for its growth instead of wasting it away by using it as an extra source of energy. Do refrain from feeding your Koi with high protein food during winter as it might cause several problems. Koi has a lower metabolism during winter due to its cold temperature; which results in the Koi being unable to efficiently digest the high protein food if fed with it.

Quantity of Food – If you are really aiming to breed jumbo Koi, besides all the other factors that I have listed above, your Koi must be well fed. For your Koi to hit its maximum growth rate, it must be fed around 6% of its weight every day. This means that if your Koi weighs around 2 kilograms, it must be fed 120 grams of food every day. It is not uncommon for breeders to overfeed their Koi. When a Koi is constantly being fed with an extremely rich diet generously, it might ‘balloon' and get pot-bellied. If this is happening, try to reduce the amount of food fed or/and feed it a less rich diet.

If you have been following all the guidelines I have listed above, you are definitely on your way to breeding a large Koi. However, do not expect them to grow into what you expect them to become in a few weeks. Koi needs time and patience to be bred. It is a rare sight to actually witness the growth of your own jumbo Koi. However, it is not impossible to achieve. With patience and good nurturing skills, you might not only breed a jumbo Koi, but a quality one as well.