Grade this Kohaku

[dizzyfish]

This is a 4.5 month old Kohanku I raised. I know it has some unwanted color in the dorsal and caudal fins. It also has a red spot on one of the pecks. How much do these count against it, and what are its strong points if any? What other weaknesses do you see?
Mitch

[MikeM]

I think you will find the Hi pattern is in flux. I suspect a good bit is going to fade, but not necessarily all.

[johnsmith]

Not such a good one. Hi is in danger, pattern is poor and secondary is distracting. JR

[Dale Torok]

Mitch, probably the best thing you could say about this fish is that it is definitely a kohaku. It is a representation of the variety, but not a very good one. The pattern is messy and completely hoods the face. The kiwa and sashi are not good, there's too much beni in the tail, extending to the end of the fin...... Other than that, it's a pretty good fish!

Keep trying. You only find the really good ones maybe once in a hundred thousand, I'm afraid.

Dale

[PapaBear]

Probably not for long. It looks like the hi is weak and superficial on much of the body, and at least on the left side it appears that several windows are waiting to open up.

[dizzyfish]

Thanks for the replys. I'm well aware that the great ones are rare. I am interested in how you predict the Hi will fade in such a young fish. At what age or size do you guys think the Hi will fade or break apart?
Mitch

[Dale Torok]

Quote: Originally Posted by dizzyfish Thanks for the replys. I'm well aware that the great ones are rare. I am interested in how you predict the Hi will fade in such a young fish. At what age or size do you guys think the Hi will fade or break apart? Mitch

As Larry pointed out, you can see windows or weak spots in the Hi. Four or five months of age is early enough for there to be indications like this that the red will fade. The fish may even eventually be a shiromuji. I had a great looking 4 step kohaku several years ago that lost the steps one at a time fading from back to front. The fish is now completely a fleshy colored white of the lowest quality nose to tail. It is in a friends water garden living happily ever after.

Dale

[dick benbow]

I always chuckle when i see a post by dizzyfish...it immediately brings to mind the practice of swirling an anticpated hard to handle koi in a blue pan to disorient the subject so that the handler has an easier time.....anyway great
name.TRhanks for posting your kohaku

One of the things I like about this board is the number of very knowledgeable
posters who limit their comments on the koi in a non critical but helpful to learn manner. What a great teaching tool...we all started at the beginning so that's where we all started to learn from, i just think it's really great that others are more than happy to give a hand up by sharing knowledge.....makes us all better shoppers, so that the purchase price of the next koi seems a little more practical..than shooting from the hip based on pattern. I would think from a dealer's point of view this discriminating clientel
would bring the seller's level of satisfaction up as well at being able to purchase better and better koi....

[dizzyfish]

Thanks Dick,
There is a special reason I chose the name. Just for fun I'll post a picture of the mutt's mommy and daddy. I thought the Hi quality was decent on the Isa female Showa and the Miyaishi Kohaku didn't seem to bad. Both fish were 4 years old in photo and 5 now. I also had a Showa male in the spawning tank so I have some full Showa and a surprising number of Shiro Utsuri from the Showa line. This year was sort of a practice run. I'm looking for a nice Kohaku female for breeding if anyone knows of any former show Kohaku being put out to pasture. KHV naive only.
Mitch

[dick benbow]

both of the koi parents are attractive however dispite looks, some couples just don't click, so you need to keep trying. To be honest with you in my breeding attempts with kohaku I had the best luck with kohaku from sakai of hiroshima (male) So keep mixing and matching till you get something that
produces quality and pattern.

Here's a hint that you may know, but I'm surprised many don't.....many feel if you have a 3 step male and a three step female you'll get 3 step babies...or the classic " I want to breed Tancho ", so sell me a male and female one to breed! You will get some 3 steps or tanchos and a bunch of others from one to however many steps. The trick in parent selection is quality not pattern.
If you ever get a chance to visit japan and hopefully a famous breeder ask to see the parents. It just might be a revelation.....the last 5 years or so I have
done some attempts at breeding....sanke drove me nuts...the only couple that clicked was a shiro utsuri spawning (lots of prizes over japanese fish in local/regional shows) Kohaku, showa and matsukawabake as well as asagi an occasiional respectable koi. It ain't easy but I loved the knowledge and it helps you to respect those domestic breeders like Mat, Brett,Brady, Maurice
who have been able to make some very impressive steps forward as a respected producer of show koi....good luck...never give up!