Thread: Help with growing on fry

That does sound a right pain and chore to get it all right.

PPf's food is all Coppens which I dont mind at all,used to buy 15kg sacks but that has gone expensive.

Mine are coming on well, they look a decent size but the water is brown with food tannin so cant see then well.
Bought some unbranded food from ebay which tanned the water,contacted the seller who said he had no probs with it and said it was my filter,so have binned that food.
As they are at 22 deg cant change all the water yet so will have to drop the temps in spring time.
There are some nice Matsuba,Ochiba and Shusui.
Not sure if there are Hi Matsuba but the red hasn't fully come out think they may need some daylight but think they will be nice.

Originally Posted by john1

That does sound a right pain and chore to get it all right.

PPf's food is all Coppens which I dont mind at all,used to buy 15kg sacks but that has gone expensive.

Mine are coming on well, they look a decent size but the water is brown with food tannin so cant see then well.
Bought some unbranded food from ebay which tanned the water,contacted the seller who said he had no probs with it and said it was my filter,so have binned that food.
As they are at 22 deg cant change all the water yet so will have to drop the temps in spring time.
There are some nice Matsuba,Ochiba and Shusui.
Not sure if there are Hi Matsuba but the red hasn't fully come out think they may need some daylight but think they will be nice.

Gonna try Aller Aqua Primo this summer. Commercial Food and works out cheaper than coppens (which worked very well last year)

£42.50 for 25kg
https://bulkfishpellets.co.uk/collec...ler-aqua-primo

I spied it on youtube. An expat in France with a fishing lake and a Huuuuge Koi pond was feeding it to some real monsters he has.

I found the clip:

https://youtu.be/nNeBV1wEKKU?feature=shared

Originally Posted by Alburglar

Gonna try Aller Aqua Primo this summer. Commercial Food and works out cheaper than coppens (which worked very well last year)

£42.50 for 25kg
https://bulkfishpellets.co.uk/collec...ler-aqua-primo

I spied it on youtube. An expat in France with a fishing lake and a Huuuuge Koi pond was feeding it to some real monsters he has.

That's a great price Al,will have a look.

Hi Martin, how are the koi doing in the main pond?

Hi Martin,all good here thanks,you all good?

Good to hear they have all settled in ok so you have kept them all?
That blanked weed is a right pain but I havnt had it for a few years and dont even use my UV now.
My brood doing well and eating like mad,they are at 21 deg but will drop the temp at the end of the month and sort them out which to keep.
Others will be moved on.

Easy! Must see! Fry rearing manual

Thank you very much for reading our fry rearing manual. This manual is intended for those who want to try fry rearing, but find it a bit difficult. I've tried keeping them, but it didn't go so well.’ We have compiled this manual in as simple and easy-to-understand a way as possible, based on the opinions of various customers. Fish fry rearing may seem difficult at first glance, but once you get the hang of it, anyone can enjoy it easily. The daily growth and change of your fry is a joy beyond compare. Please use this manual as a guide to try your hand at fry rearing. We also hold a fry growing photo competition at the end of every year. We hope that this will lead to an increase in the number of entries and a further improvement in the overall level of the competition.

[ I ] Tank preparation

◆Glass tanks, FRP tanks, pond liner, etc.
When using FRP tanks, pond liner etc., avoid colours such as blue, light blue, light green, yellow and red. This is only the case for breeding Showa's fry, but if they are kept in aquariums with the above-mentioned colours, the performance will be extremely poor. If possible, a black, dark grey or concrete aquarium is ideal.
If your tank is blue, it is better to apply black paint of the acrylic silicon type (product name e.g. VINYROCK paint etc.). This type of paint is mixed with thinner, is highly durable, low in fish toxicity and safe. Avoid water-based and oil-based paints as they peel off quickly and their fish toxicity is unknown.

◆A filtration tank must be installed.
The use of a filter tank purifies not only visible waste, but also invisible toxic substances (biofiltration). Without this function, not only will you not be able to produce good koi, but the probability of disease outbreaks and death will be very high.

You can use any filter media you like, but it is better to add a little oyster shell to maintain the PH (pH). If you have room in your blower, you should also add air stones to the filtration tank. The purifying bacteria on the filter media consume a lot of oxygen. Conversely, if there is little oxygen, the purifying bacteria will not work well.

Use a weak circulation pump in the early stages. If the circulation is too strong, fry may be sucked in or lose strength and die due to the fast water flow.

Install UV lights.
The use of sterilising UV lights reduces disease outbreaks and blue-green algae. In the case of Showa's fry, if the water becomes turbid due to the occurrence of blue-green algae when the fry are young, both the SUMI and HIBAN will become blurred and the results will be extremely poor. Use sterilising lights and try to keep the rearing water as clear as possible. The best place to install a sterilising lamp is in the sedimentation tank or filtration tank, where light does not shine on the filter media. If the light shines on the filter media, it will kill the purifying bacteria.

◆Water preparation.
(1) Fill the tank with new water and run it for about a week before the arrival of the fry. This will allow the water to become more mature and less stressful for the fry.

Never use water that has been used to keep other Koi. The fry are not yet immune to sleeping sickness, etc., and may be wiped out if water from perennial fish, etc., enters the water.

(2) Check the circulation before the fry arrive. Check that the circulation is not too strong and that there are no gaps where fry can enter the circulation openings. If you have ordered fry A, please stop circulation and air for 2-3 days after arrival, as fry A are 5 days past hatching. They are very small and will not run out of oxygen, but their strength is reduced due to stress and fatigue during transport. Even the slightest wave can push them over the edge of the pond or tank, weakening them and causing them to die without food. Keep an eye on them and start circulating them when they have grown to a larger size. It is also advisable to put a net over the circulation opening to prevent the fry from being sucked in. For fry B, also start with a weak circulation in the beginning.

Easy points! Aquarium preparation

(1) Black, dark grey or concrete is best for aquariums. (For blue colour, paint the tank black using PVC paint, etc.).
(2) Always install a filtration tank. It is better to add air and oyster shells.
(3) Install a sterilising light. (Install in a place where light does not shine on the filter media.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
(4) Start circulation and water production about a week before the arrival of fry.
(5) For fry A, stop circulation for 2 to 3 days after their arrival and check their condition.
(6) Never allow other fish to enter the rearing water.

[Ⅱ] When fry arrive
◆Calibrate the water temperature.
(1) Float the fry in the tank for 30 minutes to an hour in the bag in which they arrived.
(2) After that, open the bag and let the fry acclimate to the water in the tank by gradually adding water.
(3) Slowly release the fish into the tank.
*Do not feed the fish on the day of arrival due to the stress of transport, etc. (If you have Daphnia in the tank, you can leave it as it is.

[III] Feeding
◆Fry A feeding
For fry A (about 5 days after hatching), the first 2-3 days after arrival are very important. After 2 to 3 days, start circulation, but be careful not to make the water flow too strong. The water flow should be adjusted carefully so that it is not too strong.

◆Feeding rates
The amount of food cannot be specified, as it depends on the individual environment (water temperature, water volume, etc.). Especially in the early stages, feed without overdoing it, while keeping an eye on the situation. Overfeeding can lead to deterioration of water quality, fin splitting, gill damage and other symptoms, which can result in death. Feed carefully.

◆Feeding frequency
When the water temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius, you can feed your fish three to five times a day. Koi have no stomach, so feeding 100 grams five times a day (20 grams per feeding) is more effective than feeding 100 grams once a day, for example, as they are more fattening. The ideal feeding method is to feed frequently and in smaller portions. Also, if the water temperature drops at night, feed sparingly in the evening. If they eat a lot of food in the evening and the water temperature drops at night, when they are still digesting, they may suffer from indigestion and become ill.

Simple point! Feeding
(1) Be careful not to overfeed.
(2) Keep in mind that the amount of food per serving should be small and the frequency of feeding should be high.

[IV] Water quality control
◆Dung removal
Remove faeces every day. During periods of heavy feeding, it may be done twice a day, in the morning and evening.

◆Watering rate
When fry are still small, watering only a little is sufficient as they do not pollute the water very much. When the amount of food increases and the fry get bigger, it is recommended to pour in about 5-10% of the total water volume per day, but you can also pour in only the amount of water that has been reduced by removing feces.

◆Filter tank cleaning
To maintain good water quality, it is most important to clean the filter tank frequently. As a rule of thumb, it is good to clean the tank once or twice a month. At this time, it is sufficient to just rinse it out rather than clean it 100%. The reason for this is that the purification action can be continued and rapid changes in water quality can be suppressed if there are still purifying bacteria in the filter media.

◆Guideline for cleaning the filter tank
If you see visible signs such as a little foam on the water surface or long algae growth, you need to be careful. Clean the filter tank immediately. It is preferable to clean the tank before such a condition occurs, but it is not always easy to know when to do so. In such cases, you can maintain good water quality by setting a cleaning date, such as the 1st and 16th of each month. If the water quality is maintained well, beautiful short green mosses will grow in the pond. Naturally, it grows thicker and more colourful.

◆ Oyster shell
As mentioned in [I], if possible, put oyster shells in the filter tank. Koi feces and urine lower the pH (pH) in the process of purification. If you put oyster shells in the filter tank, the oyster shells will dissolve when the pH drops and maintain the pH near neutral.

Simple point! Water quality control section
(1) When the amount of food increases, aim for 5-10% of the total water volume per day for water injection.
(2) Remove feces every day.
(3) Clean the filter tank once or twice a month.

[V] Selection (culling)

◆Ist selection
For customers rearing A: After 30 days from the start of rearing.
Customers rearing B: The first selection is made around 2 to 3 weeks after the start of rearing.
The first selection is a bit more lenient, as many of the factors are still unclear. Remove only those that are definitely bad.

Examples of removal: plain red, plain white, white showing, deformed, extremely scarlet patterned, etc.

◆Second selections
Basically, it is done around 15 days after the first selection, but individual differences may occur depending on the rearing environment and growth conditions, so watch the situation. The second selection and after should be done as strictly as possible and the number should be reduced to get a good fatness and a good shape. Also, from this time onwards, yellowing appears, but be careful not to miss it, as good ones often emerge from there. If you are still unsure of the selection at this stage, remove only the bad ones for sure.
Examples of things to be removed: Magoi (pale black), Kohaku, Ki Utsuri, Shiro Utsuri, etc.

◆After the third selection　
It is acceptable to sort regularly after the third selection, but it is also acceptable to sort only when you see something you want to remove while keeping an eye on it. The standard is three to five times is sufficient.
The purpose of sorting is to keep the ones that are likely to improve, but also to reduce the number of them and make them fatten up quickly, so please remove them as strictly as you can. By fattening them up quickly, the moulding will be better, which will lead to better results.

Easy points! Sorting section
(1) The first selection should be made around 30 days, (in the case of B, around 2-3 weeks).
(2) If you are not sure, remove only those that are no good.
(3) The result will be better if you sort as strictly as possible.

[Ⅵ] Measures against sleeping sickness
As mentioned in [I], the best way to prevent sleeping sickness is to avoid adding water from other fish. Also, when using tools used in other ponds, such as picking nets and bowls, be sure to disinfect them in sunlight before use.

◆If you get sleeping sickness
The most effective treatment is salt, antimicrobials or stabilised chlorine dioxide and temperature.
(1) Salt 6 kg/t + Parazan for fisheries 100 ml/t Water temperature raised to 26°C to 30°C
→In case of 100 litres of water (600 g of salt + 10 ml of Parazan)
[Tetracyclines]. OTC for fisheries is also an antimicrobial agent, but is not recommended as it tends to cloud the water.
(2) 6 kg/t salt + 20 ml/t Biotalk MH-1 40-50 ml/t (MH-1 is an activator for Biotalk).
→In case of 100 litres of water (600 g salt + 2 ml/t Biotalk 2 ml/t MH-1 4-5 ml/t)
Apply either (1) or (2) and observe the situation for several days.

◆Cautions.
If the water is too turbid, do a water change. Add salt and medicines to the changed water.
If the water temperature is high, the dissolved oxygen will be low. If you have a lot of koi, they may die from lack of oxygen. Try to leave the most important ones in the centre of the treatment.

These are the basic essentials about fry rearing. If you are trying to start raising fry, or if you have not been able to do so successfully, please take a look at it. We sincerely hope that you will be able to produce many beautiful Koi in your home.

Jaw drop. This was actually really useful!
It does mention treating the water for diseases though. Lol.