Fry raising this year

[Reedman]

- as usual, in the early spring I floated some large plastic asparagus ferns.  Part for cover until the live plants start growing, part for spawning media.

- one morning as I walked to my car I saw the fish getting busy in the ferns

- that night I netted all of the ferns and put them in two 100-gallon stock tanks of water

- let them go all summer

- water always turns pea-soup green since I don't run a filter (would suck the fry in)

- fed them flake food from time to time, but not a regular basis

- a few days ago, I emptied the one by dipping out the water with a basin, pouring it into a large plastic kitchen strainer into a five-gallon bucket

- put those fry in the other tank

- filled the first stock tank with clean water - added dechlor

- netted out as many fry as I could

- most of the fry were 3/4" to 1".  Last year when I fed them regularly with goldfish flake food most were twice that size.

- one sarassa comet was over 3" though!  Cannibal . . .  :'(     Threw him in the pond since he's large enough my 15" golden orfe can't eat him

- I emptied the second stock tank by dipping out the water with a basin, pouring it into a large plastic kitchen strainer into a five-gallon bucket.  Put all of the fry in the clean water stock tank

- only got about 30 fry from original 300+.  Sarassa comet "toby" must have eaten quite a few

- about half are mutts since I the parents are sarassa comets, shubunkins and midnight shubunkins.

- I do know a guy that I always takes the mutts.  Will raise the nicest ones inside in a 55-gallon aquarium over the winter

[Jerry]

Nice going Gary.  Love to see a photo, maybe 2

[miguynmkoi]

You have been busy.  Funny about the toby...I think I had a few too and they reduced the population more than I needed.

[Bearb]

I had a fish who was actually named Toby because of his size (read taste for fish fry). This year a heron gave him a taste of his own medicine.

[Julles]

I didn't get any fry that lived this year.  At least, not that I know of.  This is the time of year, though, that any survivors will be large enough to start making an appearance.

[Mikos]

For the first time in 14 years my Koi actually showed some breeding displays (i.e. beating up my female butterfly) but alas no fry as far as I'm aware.