Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wintering fish

Normally I stop feeding my Koi and my goldfish around the middle of November at the latest and don't start again until sometime in March but this isn't a normal year.  I'm still feeding them and as long as they are active I will continue to feed them.  It has been too warm for them to hypernate although they are much less active than normal. 

During the fall the fisd were eating less than normal asI was worried they would not get fat enough to make it through the winter but there have been very few days when I have not had to feed them.  A couple of days I have to give them food at least three times.

The babies are growing.  I have a couple that are at least five inches long although most are in the two to three inch range.  Three have died in the last couple of weeks and I have idea why.  One of them was one I had planned on keeping. 

One of last years babies, Zero, a white fish with a big orange spot on its head, has long beautiful fins.  I suppose it is a butterfly Koi.  I have no idea at this stage if Zero is a boy or girl so I have to refer to the fish as an it.   

The babies are in a wide variety of colors and most of them will be for sale this spring.  Let me know if you or a friend of yours is in the market for some baby Koi.  Pet stores sell theirs for $6.00 and up for 2" to 3" koi and $12.00  and up for Koi 3" to 5".  I will make mine available for half that.  I hate selling them but my pond just isn't large enough for that many fish. 

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