Ten Koi Breeding Tips for Your Koi Farm

Although it's possible to buy cheap koi, breeding koi on a koi farm can be a lucrative business. Koi breeding can be profitable in one of two ways: 1) You raise baby koi fish and sell them when they are much larger. 2) You breed purebred koi fish varieties for a living. The latter if a bit tricky but the former is a cinch. Follow some of these tips to maximize the chances of your koi breeding.

  1. Keep your breeding koi well-fed during the month before you attempt to breed them.
  2. Koi breeding is typically most successful in the late spring and early summer.
  3. The quality of the baby koi fish relies heavily upon the quality of the parents. Start with strong, healthy parents and you'll end up with more koi fry that survive until adulthood.
  4. A Koi's prime mating age is between 3-6 years old, but koi have also been able to produce baby koi fish until they are up to 15 years old.
  5. Make sure to give your breeding koi couple some privacy when it's time for them to mate. 
  6. Koi need a place to lay their eggs. A fry mat or similar device allows koi to lay their eggs with confidence. Fish breeding can be tricky like that.
  7. Your fish pond water temperature should be between 60-70 degrees F while incubating. Don't disturb the eggs at this time. 
  8. Keep an eye on your male koi fish during and after spawning. He may try to run into the female to push the eggs out of her so that he may fertilize them.
  9. Be sure to have a protected area for your baby koi fish when they first hatch.  They can't swim and are vulnerable to predators. Use a fine mesh to protect them and prevent them from getting sucked into the fish pond filter.
  10. Breeding koi can be a nice little side business. Koi can grow up up to a foot in about two years, at which point they can fetch up to $100 each. Buy 20 cheap koi fish at PetSmart.com and cash in for two grand two years later. Not a bad way to make some extra cash while being around your pet fish.