| This is an interesting and really universal subject for most koi keepers moving through the learning curve.
It is a great idea to start with inexpensive male fish to learn on - especially in the area of husbandry. It is very likely that the newbie will kill a school or two before getting on top of the husbandry learning curve.
After that, culling is really part of the experience as the hobbyist is not killing those inexpensive fish as rapidly, or at all, as accumlation of numbers becomes a common phase.
There is also a 'collector' inside many of us, and it is almost 'text book' that beginners first try and collect 'one of every kind' or pairs of every kind- or just can't resist buying anything that strikes their fancy while at a show or at the local dealers. The result is always huge numbers.
Typically, the trend to start trading up in quality and down in numbers occurs around this point. I think this is a special phase of development and a transition from beginner to advanced hobbyist as the results of less fish per gallon quickly show the hobbyist in real terms, just how well the fish start to grow and look under these conditions. And disease at this point in the hobby experience becomes rare.
But I have to say, this also leads to an obsession for ever better koi- no longer in numbers, but in quality aspects. And although this is very education and one tends to get a real handle on things like understanding quality and the subtle, and all important details of genetics of the higher grades, there is a downside. There are NO perfect koi. Each has gifts and weaknesses. And looking for perfection is fool's gold/goal. I think that at some level of the search for ultimate quality, there is a point of compromise, and ultimately, satisfaction in a collection as a whole. Indeed the judging experience treaches us to appreciate traits in individual fish for what they are. And the long term consumer experience ultimately teaches us that good koi are like street cars, another one will always come along!
It is very erie how established advanced hobbyists from all over the world eventually all seem come to keeping 12- 18 fish as a collection. Not sure why these magical numbers are always repeated in ponds from 5,000 to 50,000 gallons, but it's true!
Peace and satisfaction to all---- JR |