kohaku advice

[davidsmallways]

regarding kohakus again the dealer has sent me some more to mull over as the others were sold baring one that was reserved and the guy has now give backward on it.
the first is 40cm gin rin 3yrs old ogata male, 2nd and 3rd are 30cms 1yrs old koi.
the first is by far the cheapest then the second then the 3rd which is by far the dearest but were looking for quality in the koi which im not sure the first one has.
my choice out of the 3 would be no2 as im not keen on the pattern but would like your honest opinion so i can buy one of these 3

david

[MikeM]

I think I'd have to see in person to give advice. The #3 seems to have nice white face, while #2 seems a bit yellowish. I do not care for the red on the eyes of #3, but I know others who like having "eye make-up". #3 certainly gives the impression of being big-boned. If the photo is accurate in that respect, then that is definitely the one. Whether the price differential is worth it to you, only you can answer.

[dick benbow]

When you buy a gin rin, you buy it for the gin rin not the pattern of koi
that it happens to be. if that is good also then you have a competitive koi.
The gin rin is a nice koi and my opinion depending upon how much cheaper it is than the others may deserve a second look.

between the other two wagoi kohaku I like the #3 koi best. I like the wide spacing on the eyes and body shape as something that will only improve as it grows. Look at the kiwa and shashy, both are crisp and clean.
Koi #2 has some deeper color and will take some time to finish.

are these koi to show or for your enjoyment in your own pond. Do you want to show next year or down the road? Do you have a big unstocked pond? then #3 might be your choice. Do you have lots of koi and a small pond? might want to look at the GR if quality rather than size is the issue?

lots to think about, then the obvious answer to what koi is the best one.
good luck with your decision, I hope our suggestions may help you make up your mind!

[aquitori]

Out of all the fish posted I like Kohaku #2. Some people would be bothered by the Menkaburi (deep face mask) but it looks fine to me. To me the conformation is pretty good considering the fat to muscle ratio and also the Kohaku looks to be male. The skin quality is good and it has enough sashi to tell me that it still has room to improve.
Kohaku #3 I can't make a good accessment, because the picture is distorted. Kohaku #1 is what it is Gin Rin. I can't really see how uniform the Gin Rin is but it looks ok. Either way your the one that has to pick and I am sure you will pick what interest you most.
So we all know the breeder of the Gin Rin Kohaku, but where are the rest from.

[davidsmallways]

Hi dick/aquitori/mike
the fish would be to show maybe in a year or 2 depending when there ready.
pond is 3600 gallons with 8 koi in at moment.
the prices quoted for the fish is
ginrin £75
hoshikin#2 £175
hoshikin #3 £495
ginrin is 3yrs old male ohers are 1yrs old no2 not sure if male/female, no3 is female.

david s

[MikeM]

At current exchange rates, #3 is close to $900. Kinda pricey for 1 year old. May well be worth it for her potential, but do you think you can get that potential in 3600 gallons? Doubt if full potential can be accomplished ... need mud pond for that maybe? But, if you have really top notch filtration ... trickle towers, daily settlement flushing, etc etc. it is possible to get a lot out of a koi. [I've seen it done in that size pond ... not by me!] May want to eliminate a couple of the current residents to make more elbow room as she grows. Got the stomach for cutting a couple? If you can give positive responses to all that, and the price fits your wallet ... then enjoy your journey.

If not ready for the trip, why start?

We do this to enjoy ourselves. All koi are a gamble. Momma told me: don't bet what you can't lose. If you enjoy the game, the wins are really sweet. Have fun, not stress.

[dick benbow]

Hi David!

Thanks for filling in the missing pieces of information. Based on everything you have displayed here, I have a question for you to ponder.

if the wagoi are pricey and the GR is two years older, why did they wait on that GR koi so long before selling it?

[paulw]

hi david for me it would have to be the no2 for me the head pattern comes down just about right and theres still anice tail stop with no red going to end.
i think with the gin rin the dealer was thinking it had potential so kept it to see how much but has now decided that itdoesnt and its time to sell.

no2 koi for me


paul