| I have a few koi that I acquired from Japan as "nisai", but in mid-August. That is, they missed their third season in the mud, held in inventory by the breeder. (These were koi priced above my budget, which became affordable when the breeder slashed his price to move the inventory and free space for the next harvest.) In each instance, they arrived in thin condition and not much different in length than when measured the prior Fall. And, in each instance, within a couple of weeks of being placed in warm Florida water, they were gorging themselves and putting on a growth spurt. It is impossible to know whether the same fish would do better in the long run if never exposed to a limiting environment for a prolonged period. I sense that in my situation the fish simply had a very long winter, and enjoyed its third growing season in the August-December time frame. I do not think they were set back at all... except they did not get the benefit of a mudpond.
A couple of years ago there was a thread about the effects of koi being shipped in late Fall to the southern hemisphere where summer was beginning rather than winter. Interesting adjustments for the koi to make. |