Question
Hi

I want to ask; Can carp breed with Common Goldfish or Shubunkins?

We have got a black Common Carp and a lot of Goldfish and there are two young fish that have  a mix of Carp and Goldfish features. The smallest one is black with a Goldfish profile and a long-ish tail.

The second one is much bigger and this one was jet black last spring and last late summer it starting changing colour and now it is gold beneath and brownish black on top.

This has got Goldfish features but is more like a Carp in profile than the smaller one.
I reckon these two are the same age but I am very confused and wondering why they are both so different from each other.

We have had a pond for about 15 years and never had young fish born as we have always had Golden Orfe and last year two died and we have only got 3 left; so I hope the pond will bring more offspring.

I have forgot to mention that we have a young Common Goldfish that is smaller than the other two offspring and that has turned completely gold; so I know that the two black fish must be hybrids. This Goldfish is the same age as it was black two years ago and changed colour last year but has not attained such great size as the other two in such a short period of time.

I also know that Goldfish attain their gold colour after about a year. This baby is normal but the other two are bigger; the largest one is much bigger than this Goldfish and they are all the same age!

I need help as this has been confusing me for so long; can you help please?

Another possibility; we have a bronze Ghostie and an orange Ghostie but the orange came from the wild whilst the bronze one we have had since the beginning and he is the only one that survived out of 3. One died a few week after introduction and the other, a few months.

That left Spook on his own for years but he was with other fish but he did not have other carp/koi for company. Then in 2006, we got a Mongrel koi that was given to us from someone who lives over the back of us. He is about 17 years old whilst Spook is about 14 or 15. In 2007 we got some more koi; 4 Doitsu and 2 Sankes. We lost two Doitsu and both Sankes. That left Tango (orange) and Neptune (silver with orange flanks). The two Doitsu that we lost was a gold one that was female named Jasmine and the silver one called Polo. In that same year, we got a Mirror carp and the Common carp but the Mirror jumped out in  the night and died not long after we put it in. The Common carp is still  in there and has grown bigger than the koi. They were both wild fish, I think that is why the Mirror could not get used to the smaller environment. In 2008, another wild fish came to us and this is Ricky; the orange Ghostie. All these remaining carp are all over a foot long with Free Willy being over two foot( Mongrel).

Not last year but the year before, I bought two Israeli Ghosties and these were very small but the most healthy one died the first winter even though I got them in April. The remaining one has now got to about 8in long and she is called Mia and the one I lost was called Amira. I do not know how long she will take to catch up with the others as she is the smallest of all the carp. How long will she take?

From what I have wrote, you can see we have not had much luck with carp!

We also lost two 3ft Sturgeons last year too. What is happening?
What the other possibility was that Spook might be one of the parents to the hybrids as the largest is turning colour. What do you think?

We have got:

Sparky and Noris ( Sarasa)
Queeny, Sacha, Copper, Bernard and Tiger ( mixed Shubunkins)
Stevie ( Gold Comet)
Tom, Nemo, Anastasia, Karma, Joey and Tiddler ( Common Goldfish)
Charlie, Laura and Freddie (Golden Orfe)
Gill (Roach)
Snow White (White Goldfish)
Echo and Celia( The so-called Hybrids)

Then for the big ones:

Spook( Bronze Ghostie)
Ricky( Orange Ghostie)
Mia( The Israeli Ghostie)
Free Willy( Mongrel)
Neptune( Silver Doitsu with Orange Flanks)
Tango( Orange Doitsu)
Harry( Common Carp)

These are in the pond that is 12ft by 5ft and 4ft deep curving up to 2ft deep.

One of the Goldfish has been feeling ill for the last few days as it has hanging nose down in the water and has got fungus on his underside.
Last week, I pulled a Cyperus and a Carex Pendula from the shallow end and potted them up. Has this got any thing to do with it?

How do you sex Koi and Carp?

I will now leave you to answer these and thanks for any help you can give me.

I live in Mid England and I am 21.

Jonathan.

Answer
Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for your questions.
I will try to answer as far as I can.
Also visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi to get more detail.
I think crossbreeding goldfish with koi is theoretically not possible as they are from different families, however there are reports on crossbred between carp types and goldfish.
In your case this would mean it is possible.

The colors are not A exact science as for example two red carps will not necessarily result in red carp to. So it is more hope then knowledge when you are not experienced in breeding.

For growth it all depends, go飊g from pond type and size to amount of fish in the pond, waterquality, feeding, gender, history, ...
So It is possible to have major differences between koi from the same parents.

On the issue of having koi die it can be also from different means.
As you mention also sturgeons are dying, I think A possibility is maybe to little oxygen or differences in oxygen levels during the day and night time?
Also waterquality can be of risk!
Did you test the water quality?
Besides these points also filter capacity can be important.
Do you have more detail on this?

Hope to have helpt somewhat at this stage.
If you give me some more detail I hope I can help out more.


Warm regards and happy pondkeeping!

Raf