As fascinating as all the aspects are, Koi appreciation is the essence of the hobby. If koi weren't so unique, beautiful and and change like they do, much of the allure of the hobby would be lost
There are some interesting koi appreciation video clips to watch on the A.K.C.A. Seminars page |
What I find often at the our store is people try to visually shrink large, show quality fish down to a 6 inch, inexpensive fish. They sometimes think the fish should look the same. Koi's colours develop and hopefully improve over time, sometimes drastically, they do not remain the same throughout their lives
I have seen 5 inch fish that are $3 each and conversely, 5 inch fish that are $ 2,000.00. People contact me for small fish, sometimes 4 inches in size, which they expect to be striking looking - a totally unrealistic request for 2 reasons. Very few fish are well coloured at that size and more importantly, if they are, they tend to be males which will likely not develop to be able to compete with female fish. There is always a wild card in this hobby though, some fish can look good young and retain it. I guess the proof is in the pudding though, how many fish have won baby grand champion and then grand champion ?
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These fish are both Sandan Kohaku in the 12-14" size range
We brought in this 2 fish in this past season [2009]. Body shape, colour and pattern aside, the heads of these two fish are dramatically different
The koi on the left has as much more aesthetically pleasing shape and is in the proper proportions. The kohaku on the right has a pointed head with very little volume and shape beyond the eyes. This makes the value of these fish quite a bit different, in fact almost double
Of course the fish on the left also has a much more interesting pattern especially on the head plate and better conformation |
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Many novices do not appraise fish in the proper order of criteria
Instead of judging conformation (body shape) first, it is sometimes not even considered. It's often all about the colour and the pattern. To put it in human terms, fish should be well muscled and proportionate like an athlete or bodybuilder, not scrawny like an underweight teenager
Keys to look for are a fullness through the shoulders and the tail tube. It should be streamlined with no indents. It should be proportional with the head size and fins. Good bone structure and the distance between the dorsal fin and caudal fin provide keys as to the potential size of a fish
Sometimes it takes seeing a top notch koi in person to really see what a great body will do for a fish. Its hard to describe. After that, skinny fish just do not look nice
Body shape, skin quality, luster and prowess are all facets of appreciation that require one to observe on a deeper level and it takes time. If possible, one has to see hi-grade koi up close and study them at length. Seeing the difference between 2 fish first hand is the best way to grow your appreciation skill set
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Understanding how Koi develop helps you to appraise young fish you are looking to purchase. Here are some basic guidelines I consider when selecting fish for myself. Remember, quality over quantity
Health
Is the fish healthy? This is the number one priority. Do not buy a sick fish unless you are experienced, have quarantine facilities and the ailment is minor
Personal Taste
Do you like the fish? forget about whether it will win a show or not, do you want to add this fish to your collection? You should be really excited about buying a fish
Body Shape (Conformation)
Is the body shape full? The fish should be powerful looking and in balance - head, body, tail tube, fins. Obviously females have a fuller body shape and are therefore more expensive. More information on body shape is in the left panel
Balance of Colour
Often a fish will have a really attractive pattern at 8 inches in size. However, if it is a young sanke for example, with no beni behind the dorsal fin, what looks good today can look horribly unbalanced when the fish is 18" in size
Base White (Shiroji)
White is a colour that may not improve as well as other colours. There are general exceptions -shiro utsuri, showa can clean up nicely and certain fish from certain breeders will dramatically improve their whites. On a small kohaku, I like to see an even and clean white, in particular note the head shiroji compared to that on the body
Black (Sumi)
If the sumi is very rich and dark on a younger fish, this is not necessarily desirable. This type of black can sometimes overpower the fish and fade later in life. Look for some underlying sumi coming through on smaller fish. Black should be considered a colour that will expand and their are different types of sumi ie. showa vs. sanke as well as different sumi bloodlines that show different traits
Red (Beni or Hi)
Many people seem to want incredible beni on small fish. What is much better is a rich and thick consistent orange with no windows. Look for a diamond of darker red in the middle of the scales. This is more likely to develop into a deeper, longer lasting red. A fish that is red while under 10 inches is likely male and may finish early and not hold onto its peak for as long a time. Red also tends to shrink so a balanced tancho or maruten spot on a 10 inch koi will probably not be balanced at 20 inches. Full tancho spots have been known to disappear - take a look at the video clip on the Outings - A.K.C.A. Seminar
page, the San Jose clip as a tancho sanke turns into a bekko
10%/100%
It's easy to be critical of any koi, even top specimens have their faults. Remember, when a fish wins a championship, it is usually at its peak. The bottom line is, sometimes there does not appear to be a whole lot separating two fish, but in fact the difference is substantial. A koi may only 10% better than another but that 10% can account for a huge premium in cost - perhaps double. Better beni, stronger sheen and textbook confirmation are not easy to attain at an inexpensive price |
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Left
We sold this Momotaro Sanke to a client on the west coast and within a few short months it started to show much improved body shape
Right
When selecting fish you should se them first hand as photographs really do not tell the whole story
This particular photo is of some Momotaro Gosanke Tosai we received in 2003. The fish on the bottom right seems to be one of the leaders in confirmation although the head looks funny because the fishes mouth is open. Also sumi can visually shrink the body as in the tail tube of the fish top right |
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There are no guarantees and fish do change, sometimes dramatically. However, it is much easier to get an idea of a kois future potential when its 12-14 inches or more. In good conditions with a good bloodline, fish this size are about 1.5 years old. Of course their are jumbo's that are 18+ inches at this age, but expect to pay a premium for jumbo tosai
Larger fish are more expensive than their 4 inch brethren because they ship fewer to a box and they have survived several culls in Japan meaning these fish need to command a certain price to justify the investment. Another huge point is that you can not develop big and beautiful koi in a 12 foot pond with no bottom drain while feeding discount koi food. To reach their potential, koi need impeccable water quality, good nutrition, deep water and lots of current, not to mention aeration and a 8+ month growing season. These are all expenses that need to be covered when you want to buy your 22" 3 year old
Decide What your After
When selecting a fish there are several viewpoints to take. Which is the best fish now? Which will be the best fish in the future? Which fish do you like the best?" When you answer these 3 questions, you will likely have 3 different fish selected. Decide which direction you want to head in
If you select a 6 inch fish, grow it to a healthy and colourful 2 feet in about 4 years, you have arrived in this hobby. Good Luck! |
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