2026 Koi Fry Preview – Our Plans for the Season Ahead

As we head into a new year, preparations for the 2026 koi fry season at Byer Koi Farm are already well underway. Spawning may still be a few months off, but broodstock selection, conditioning, and pond planning are all in motion — and we’re excited to share what we have planned for the year ahead.

This season continues our focus on quality-first breeding, stronger bloodlines, and more consistent results across both traditional and Doitsu varieties.

Strengthening the Core Lines

Over the past two seasons, we’ve continued to invest heavily in our Kohaku and Showa programmes, refining both parent fish selection and spawning strategy.

On my recent trip to Japan, I acquired a range of Nisai and Sansai brood fish to further strengthen our breeding ranks. This investment has been especially focused on Goshiki and Showa, with new female and male fish added across both varieties. This builds directly on the groundwork laid over the past couple of years and takes our long-term programme for these lines another step forward.

Our Japanese broodstock development remains central to this approach, supported by ongoing relationships with Japanese breeders.

Kohaku – Dainichi Bloodlines Coming Into Their Own

Our Kohaku programme continues to benefit from the Dainichi investments made in 2024, and 2026 is shaping up to be a particularly exciting year for this line.

Last season, two of our four Kohaku females spawned despite only being Nisai, which gave us an early glimpse of their potential. With those same fish now another year more mature, we’re hopeful of achieving an even stronger and more consistent result this season — both in terms of volume and overall quality.

Goshiki – A Growing Focus

Our Goshiki programme, which began as a major development project in 2023, continues to mature well. Early harvests last season showed stronger definition, improved skin quality, and more consistent pattern formation.

With the addition of new Japanese Nisai and Sansai males and females, we’ve expanded both the genetic base and the overall spawning potential for 2026. As a result, we’re dedicating additional space and spawning capacity to Goshiki once again, allowing us to push forward on both refinement and volume while maintaining our quality standards.

Doitsu, Metallics & Developing Something Different

Our Doitsu Metallic programme continues to expand, with particular focus on:

• Doitsu Ochiba

• Doitsu Metallic Ochiba

• Doitsu Ochiba
• Beni Kikokuryu
• Metallic hybrids and experimental pairings

For 2026, we’ve also invested in broodstock aimed at producing Kin Ochiba (metallic scaled Ochiba), as well as Ginga-style versions of these fish.

These are super striking, highly distinctive koi, and this work forms part of our wider goal of developing unique and specialist varieties alongside more traditional lines — giving customers access not just to high-quality koi, but to fish that stand out for their character and originality as well.

Planned Varieties for 2026

While final spawning decisions are always influenced by broodstock condition and seasonal timing, we are planning to offer the following core varieties again this year:

• Kohaku

• Showa

• Goshiki

• Asagi

• Doitsu Ochiba

• Beni Kikokuryu
• Doitsu Metallics

We will also continue experimental spawns, including selective Gin Rin and metallic-scaled pairings where broodstock condition allows.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it gives a strong indication of what customers can expect from the 2026 season.

Sizes & Availability

As with previous years, we plan to offer multiple fry size options, depending on spawning success and early growth rates:

✔ 6–8 week-old fry – our most popular option
✔ 2–3 week-old fry – limited availability, depending on volume
✔ Jumbo fry (approx. 1.5–2 inches) – where specific spawnings allow

We will continue to supply mixed variety boxes as standard, but for customers seeking single-variety fry, we keep spawnings separate immediately after harvest. When availability allows, we will notify our email subscribers and website visitors of opportunities to purchase single-variety batches.

Early Rearing Approach

For 2026, we are continuing with a fully indoor rearing process from egg through to first harvest.

The main driver behind this change is the welfare of the fry during their most vulnerable stage. By keeping early development within a controlled environment, we significantly reduce handling and eliminate pond-to-pond transfers at a point when immune systems are still forming. This helps minimise stress and exposure, giving each batch a more stable and consistent start to life.

A secondary benefit of this approach is greater continuity between our systems and typical customer pond environments. Because fry are raised in closed, filtered systems from the outset, the transition into hobbyist ponds is often less abrupt in terms of water chemistry and general conditions — though, as always, careful acclimation remains essential.

When Will 2026 Fry Be Available?

Our aim again this year is to spawn earlier than in previous seasons, subject to weather and water temperatures.

As a general guide:

• First batches of 6–8 week-old fry are expected from June onwards

We’ll be posting regular updates as spawning begins and harvests approach.

Pre-Orders for 2026

We’ll be opening pre-orders for the 2026 season shortly, giving customers the opportunity to secure fry in advance and receive priority access as batches become available.

Details, pricing, and availability will be announced via:

• Our email list

• The website

• Social media channels

Follow the Season as It Happens

For behind-the-scenes updates, spawning news, and harvest previews, you can register your interest in our koi fry to receive email updates through the season which will include opportunities to buy ahead of public releases.  Click on the 'register your interest' button which you'll find towards the bottom of our webpage here: koi fry for sale.