Nurturing Sumi

[JasPR]

I just read this thread for the first time and it is very interesting, and mostly still accurate. Just remember that when you talk about sumi, there is the conditon of the sumi itself at a moment in time, based on water conditions, and there is sumi based on stage of development in a particular fish.

The words from Izeki, a water wizard, are accurate in that skin reacts to water. One way this happens is from the pH and hardness of water that effects the blood chemistry flowing to the skin. He referred to it as sumi leaking out of the cell, but actually the cells shrink and expand around fatty tissue.
The 'life' development of sumi,on the other hand, is about the layers of sumi that collects and seems to disappear as the skin in a baby koi expands and thickens with age. We say sumi is 'coming up' but in truth it is gathering around fat cells building in the dermis layer and the deep dermis as it expands. JR

[dick benbow]

If I had to condense what was said here I'd reprint what maurice had to say.

It's the reason why if Isa puts a spawn into one mud pond and gets a limited
amount of development as opposed to another pond and doubles what is produced.....

The number of truely great koi with high class sumi is limited.

You can manipulate beni with proper PH and color enhancers but the truth remains the same

How many of us while learning water noticed how quickly our red or black would change once into our pond for awhile.

Mike seems to have the talent for researching old articles, one of the fun ones I liked to find when I was doing the same was on fish that were exceptional, seemed to loose their beni or sumi or both under another's care
and were purchased and brought back by a skilled keeper.

[MikeM]

I'll keep my eyes open for that one, Dick. ... only about a dozen old Rinkos to go. Then it's just old NIs and MAKCs left to read.