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do everything you can to benefit the beni. If you can keep your PH stable around 7.2 that would be good. the higher the PH the faster the red's break up.
for those just learning, just because a fish has a highly regarded breeder's name attached to it doesn't mean it's an example of their best work. There are many gradients/levels.
whenever you see a scalloped edge with red that looks like it may slip away from the main pattern, it's a sign that indicates caution. With red, it is weakest in the tail and should draw your attention there first. If you see a color less dense than in the shoulder then you know it will develop a problem there.
I think i shared this story before but maybe it bares repeating. I was given a kohaku as a gift for my birthday from Hiroji sakai of hiroshima. The following year under strict care, it took tategoi award in seattle. A more beautiful koi you'd never find. I wanted some trickle towers build and a young friend wanted that koi. I traded him. Within two weeks the beni was gone. Shiro muji. Why because the PH went from 7.6 to 8.6 from my pond to his. It was a hard lesson for him to learn.
there's an expression in koi keeping that if you learn to keep water, koi will keep themselves. The fish themselves can adjust to various water conditions from a living standpoint but for developing their potential better water gives them a better chance. I think that's why you see so much emphasis by people like maurice to expend much effort and financial resources to create and cpntrol water. Hence the big following on the water conditioning thread.
in my lessons on tosai, I go over beni and sumi and what to look for.
to the owner of this kohaku I say, don't get discouraged. Use this koi as a lesson and learn from it. Figure out a way to give this koi the best conditions
because as the learning curve grows so will your ability to select and maintain
a good koi.
I love hosokai asagi. Ask me sometime what water parameters are at his place
and i will tell you. there's a reason i need to know. Nuff said
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