Fish in outdoor pond

JEN22

My koi and goldfish are fighting and swimming around chasing each other but they are not breeding at all. They seem to be eating something on the side of the pond and fighting over it. Cant see any eggs either


How can I ensure they breed. There are no plants in the pond , is this the problem

no1catman

Koi can be a destructive with plants, hence koi ponds can look a bit bare apart from a lily with it's pads.
Have you tried any pond weed - Elodea, or Hornwort for example.

Otherwise, you may need to resort to something artificial. Something the eggs will adhere to, and somewhere the fry can hide in.

Fish in mating will chase, and when caught in a suitable area e.g. plenty of weed will thresh about together bumping their bodies together - females eggs burst out, to be fertilised by the male's milt as its spraying about!

no1catman

The pond has had a 'clean' recently, still can't see the bottom, but more like 12" - to 18" down which is better than the three it was before.
Thunderstorm in the early hours this morning, with also a deluge of rain. This has stimulated the fish it seems, as even from looking from a bedroom window at about 8 o'clock and hours later - they've been busy mating.

JEN22

any ideas on something artificial

no1catman

A quick search gets - http://www.bickal.com/biorope/

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/cheap-diy-spawn-mops.3754/

http://www.thefishlady.com/store/p16/Spawntex_Spawning_Mat.html

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=koi+spawning+mat&qpvt=koi+spawning+mat&FORM=VDRE

HTHs

no1catman

Ref. my post No 3 - no sign of any small fish, don't know if the newts have had them or the fish!

JEN22

ive non too

Crag30

They are known for eating their own spawn