What is the best size to buy Sakai Hiroshima koi?

[aquitori]

What is the best size to buy Sakai Hiroshima to get the most potential out of it for your money?

[Nancy M.]

Don't know yet, will let you no in about 2 weeks. Going to go see him well we are at the All Japan Show.. But we are only going to LOOK . That is what Frank keeps telling me..

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nancy M. Don't know yet, will let you no in about 2 weeks. Going to go see him well we are at the All Japan Show.. But we are only going to LOOK . That is what Frank keeps telling me..

Goin to look, yeah right.... I am sure we will be seeing a Sakai Kohak in your show tank soon...By the way if your looking to off your Iwashita Kohak, I be happy to give her a good home...

[B.Scott]

Quote: What is the best size to buy Sakai Hiroshima to get the most potential out of it for your money?

Tough question Tony. I think that it has more to do with the fish than the breeder. Young Hiroshima Saki tend to be large at any rate. The Tosai I have bought in the past were 35cm - 40cm. But in general the old rule of: The older the fish, the more you pay, the better your chances... still applies. Personally I have given up buying tosai. I will not get a fish that is less than nisai.

B.Scott

[Surfhead]

I bought a Tosai Sakai kohaku. It's all I can afford these days. So far I am pretty happy but who knows how it will turn out in a couple years. But I think on a price vs. risk basis, Nisai is probably the way to go. They are not outrageously expensive since they are still young but you have a better chance of the koi finishing well.

[dcny]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori What is the best size to buy Sakai Hiroshima to get the most potential out of it for your money?

Did you mean Sakai kohaku? I'm guessing that there would be different answers based on variety. Kohaku could probably be bought younger while showa would be older.

-Dan

[dick benbow]

my suggestion would be to consider nisai or 2 year olds. They made the biggest

most difficult cull being the first one.....

and as the criteria for growing out for 3 year olds is even steeper

2 yrs is a good chance to get good bang for the buck (value for the money)

as the older they get the more costly....they become

if it was a perfect world I'd go in april to Japan to select one.( or talk to a dealer going then ) If a breeder had a good year in say kohaku, and he knew he had so many open ponds, he might cull into his current stock deeper to sell than he normally would if numbers were lower. koi are crops subject to good years and bad.Hope this makes sense cuz it's important to know and understand. When you go or send a dealer don't say i have to have a sakai sanke. Find out what's the best gosanke available because of current conditions. They may be knee deep in showa and you could get a much better deal....

[aquitori]

Let me rephrase my question: Looking at how Sakai Hiroshima raises their stocks, which by any means is more optimum to growing the stacks fast and big...How long will it take before let's say a Sansai or older to go down hill. It seems that Sakai fish tend to age a bit faster given by hobbyist who dont have the same conditions as they do from the breeder...I know this applies with all koi from Japan but not all koi are coming from this optimum environment.

[dick benbow]

I really think that question is unanswerable. There are just too many variables.
No 2 koi are genetically exactly alike so one's quality and ability to hang on to it's quality is not constant from fish to fish. Same from an owners pond to pond.

I do know this that there are what appears to be quality tategoi that are pushed hard that after the second or third mud pond experience will turn up shiro mugi. While they looked good they were pushed beyond what they could
live up to under those conditions to get size. so even the breeders who selected them don't know till the results at harvest are in. My 3 year old "Iggy" showa was one that it happened to. I wanted it in the grow ponds one more year and was told no...."go home". You could see the beni breaking up in the shoulder upon arrival. I kept the koi 2 more years and stabilized the break up by slowing down it's growth and allowing it's beni to catch up. But it is just a pond fish.

I hope the second para helps to answer the real intent of your question as I understood it. THERE IS A PRICE TO BE PAID FOR PUSHING KOI FOR SIZE!