Amidanokai

[MikeM]

While I continue to wait for the latest issue of K-B to arrive, I got around to the mid-August issue of electronic Rinko. ......

The 6th Amidanokai koi show is among the pictorial features. The Grand Champion was one of the most beautiful Ochiba Shigure I have ever seen. And, it was a male( or least looks male to me). That's right, a koi that looks like a male took GC. Of course, he was of amazing size at all of 12" ... plus or minus a quarter of an inch. He was hatched in 2001, purchased in the Spring of 2002 when it was barely 5", grown in a 30-ton (approx. 7500 gal) pond for 3 more years to reach incredible burnt orange patterning on a blue-gray body, with outstanding dark reticulation on the edges of the scales.


....So, you are wondering what strange world I'm talking about? How about a koi show where there are no gosanke, where 4" koi compete in a class separate from 5" koi, where a 8" doitsu tancho sanke is the closest to gosanke that you'll find among the top winners? Imagine the skill required to raise a koi to be 4 years old, only 12" long, and to have near-perfect confirmation?

That is Amidanokai.

I wish Rinko had told the story of this show in words, but the pictures tell it in a special way.

When next you read JR observe that the Koi Show is the heart of the hobby, think how different our koi would be if Amidanokai defined the ideal ... as if bonsai filled an arboretum.

[luke frisbee]

SAH-WEEeeEEeeT!

[dick benbow]

most of my bonsai are two man lifters. Not hand sized. I think people think of bonsai as the tiny stuff.Not alweays

Up until last year I had a 12 year old crow that i kept at 4 inches. it got too friendly and was eaten by a heron. I deliberately kept her small to prove that it could be done. She was in 4,000 gals and fed twice a day with 4-5 small pellets.You could tell something was not right as her fins were disproportionate to her body ( a bit bigger) i remember when bonsai koi was all the rage. males were poular cause they finished in 3 years.

[mulberryjen]

MikeM -

Found the pic of GC you're referring to - a beautiful specimen indeed. Boy, I sure do have lots of questions now: HOW do they keep the koi so small? Are there a completely different set of breeders that cater to producing these types of koi? Are they genetically different and / or raised differently? They are exactly like bonsai koi. Very cool, very cool. Now I won't be able to go to sleep - got a whole new unknown aspect of koi world to ponder now......

[luke frisbee]

<--stepping up on soap box


this supports my position that Size Should be Wrangled in, and not have as strong an aspect as it has in determining the GC

[mulberryjen]

Doh! Guess I coulda searched past threads. Here's a link:

The term Bonsai Koi....

Apparently camps are split on if this is an abberation of natural growth curve of koi, or another form of koi-keeping. Hmmm. Interesting stuff.

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by mulberryjen Doh! Guess I coulda searched past threads. Here's a link: The term Bonsai Koi.... Apparently camps are split on if this is an abberation of natural growth curve of koi, or another form of koi-keeping. Hmmm. Interesting stuff.

Damn, that was one of the dumbest threads I ever started.... Still an interesting subject though...Bonsai Koi....

[MikeM]

Bumped up for Erns.