Wattsup guys and welcome back to a brand new episode here on the Koi Partner channel.
In todays video I will explain how you can select the best koi in the future.
Most of the hobbyists have the same dream, owning a Koi that so beautiful that it can even win prices at a Koi show in your own country of even better on a Koi show in Japan.
Winning is perhaps even more special. If your fish has won a prize, the jury, including often Japanese breeders, has chosen your fish to be the best in his or her variety.
But how do you select a potential winner now?
And what do you have to pay attention to when selecting a Koi? In this episode I explain what I pay attention to when I select a Koi fish in Japan.
Watch the whole video because with this information you may also select a winner with your next purchase.
And let me know in the comments how you select a Koi. Of course all your questions are welcome, I will be happy to answer them.
The highest price you can get in a Koi Show is the so-called Grand Champion.
During the past world championships in Tokyo, the most expensive fish in the world was also the champion. With a value of 1.7 million the justified winner.
Let me first of all make it clear that grower often already sees what a good fish is, so a grower will always ask for more money for that fish.
A potential high quality Koi will therefore be an expensive fish in 95% of the time.
So if you are prepared to pay more for a good fish, what do you pay attention to?
Let's start. Jury members in Japan always judge the fish on different parts. When I select a fish, I start judging the body and shape.
Nr 1. Body and shape: Female Koi are getting bigger, so I select only women in 90% of the time.
So I select most of the time only female Koi.
The body part can be divided into many different aspects. Think of, Hachi (forehead), Kata (shoulders), Backbone (backbone), Sebire (dorsal fin), Obire (tail fin) etc.
So let me quickly introduce them one by one.
Hachi. Forehead, the area on the head above the eyes, the spot where a good Tancho pattern should be.
Kata: Shoulders. That is the area between the head and the start of the dorsal fin.
Backbone. Is the backbone, one of the most important parts to look at when you are purchasing a new koi.
Sebire. Dorsal fin.
Obire. Tail Fin
Ozuke: End of the tail fin. Tebire. pectoral fin Oyabone: Is the first and thickest fin spray
Taiko. Taiko indicates the height of a koi.
When I select a Koi, I first look at the overall body. I find it very important that the Koi is in balance and the lines of the head to the tail are in balance to and the fish has a well-aligned body. Sometimes I call it the torpedo shape.
f I like the bodyshape I continue and I look at the shoulders (Kata) and the spine (backbone).
The shape, length and width of the backbone are important factors for me to be able to assess whether a Koi will become big.
Therefore always take the time to judge a fish well.
Then I look at the tail and the tail-starter. Is this in line with the rest of the body and is it high and thick enough then I know that it is an indication of a strong fish. And strong fish are generally larger.
And finally I look at the height of the fish. A potential large Koi is characterized by a high body in combination with a good backbone.
Number 2 is skin quality. A component that can be studied in great detail. Without making it very complicated I will explain which parts I assess from the skin quality.
When I look at the skin quality when selecting a young fish, you actually look at its potential.
Because not all things will be visible in a young fish, it is important to pay attention to a number of components that can predict how this will develop further.
What many hobbyists often do not take into account is that the skin quality and skin condition are two things that have to be seen separately.
Skin condition is temporary and you have to be able to see through it if you want to be able to assess the skin quality.
Are you still following it? Yes? Well done. Let's continue.
What is important to me is that I can judge the depth and consistency of the pigment
You know what you can expect from some bloodlines when you can use previous experiences. Let me explain the last one quickly.
In addition, I mainly look at Kiwa, Sashi and Fukurin.
Let me explain the last one quickly.
"Fukurin: Scale Wrap. It is the cuticle of the skin wich appears as a line drawn in a ring around a scale. This name was taken from the term Fuku ( meaning to "cover" or "wrap" )
There are still many characteristics that are looked at. I will discuss this in a following video.
So lets continue, the third aspect I am looking for pattern.
Pattern is less important to me than the 2 aspects above. Quality always goes above pattern. But I know from experience that a good pattern is extremely important for many hobbyists.
Tip you buy a Koi because you like it. Growers look through that. They mainly look at the first 2 parts of this video.
Perfection does not exist, at least hardly. Buy a fish that you are sure to be satisfied with in half a year.
And are you ready to buy your first winner? Do you have tips, questions or comments please let me know in the comments and do not forget to like and share this video.