Thoughts on this Sanke

[gazza1]

Hi All
I would be gratefull for your thoughts (good or bad) on this Kazuto Sanke
3 year old 46cm female?
Thanks Gary

[dick benbow]

First off...it looks as if she will be a large koi! i have always loved to go to iggies and see his stuff.... (BTW it's good to see you posting here again!)

In my situation and water I've had difficulties maintaining his beni, that said the distribution of black seems a bit one sided to me.

[monscine]

To body conformation, she looks good. Pretty you take one side picture so I can't see whole body. To the pattern, IMO it's nice one with kuchibeni and hi spot on the tail to balance the kuchibeni (lipstick). But looking to her age, 3 years old and just reaching 46cm, not good enough indication to be a big one.

[dick benbow]

fyi...KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS KOI WAS NISAI WHEN THE EARTHQUAKE HIT
AND IT'S BEEN IN LESS THAN PRISTINE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT COULD QUITE EASILY AFFECT IT'S INITIAL GROWTH....BUT A PROPER POND WILL HELP IT ALONG TO GET THE SIZE i THINK IS THERE.....TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE LONG HEAD...THAT TELLS ME POTENTIAL!

[MikeM]

Very nice. The angle of the photo, size of pectorals and slight yellowish tone in the snout would have me wondering if actually male, but the body looks female. Body is grand. I'd guess likely to grow large, and Dick's call on that is one I'd rely on. ....I was talking with a U.S. dealer a couple of weeks ago about his experiences on his most recent harvest trip to Niigata. The breeders who lost mudponds and greenhouse ponds have not been able to grow their koi to the sizes they could readily accomplish in the past. Ponds have been more crowded and access to feed fish has sometimes been limiting. Movement between ponds takes longer... lots of challenges. The genetic potential remains. These are not stunted koi, just slower grown than we have become adjusted to seeing. BTW, many breeders have a strong need to sell koi now, before the snows come, to reduce crowding and bring in cash. Fish they would not normally sell are available. Large koi that would be held for "the right customer" are being sold to whoever comes along. Not all breeders are in such straits, but it is a real opportunity for hobbyists to acquire koi that they would not normally have a chance to get... But, at the same time, very high quality koi are more difficult to locate... the winter of 2004-2005 was a hard one on quality fish.

I like your Sanke. If the price was in my range, I would buy her.