baby Goshiki?

[Ethan25]

Fish was born in our pond last summer from a flock spawn. This was the only one that looked half-way decent. The pectoral fins are very metallic in the sun...hard to tell from pics. I put him in the aquarium for the winter in order to grow him out a bit toward spring. Probably classified as a mutt, but what are your thoughts on it? I like the scale reticulation....possible goshiki???

Ethan

[PapaBear]

Pale blue ground, matsuba type netting, brownish/bronze pattern... More of an Ochiba type, but on the dirty side. This one is pretty small and will change quite a bit over the next year or two. It will be good to learn from, but chances are it will wind up with an awful lot of freckles.

[Ethan25]

Quote: Originally Posted by PapaBear Pale blue ground, matsuba type netting, brownish/bronze pattern... More of an Ochiba type, but on the dirty side. This one is pretty small and will change quite a bit over the next year or two. It will be good to learn from, but chances are it will wind up with an awful lot of freckles.

then it is probably from the line of this fish in my pond, don't you think?

[PapaBear]

Not necessarily. All Koi have the capacity to reproduce after their ancient ancestral kind in some form, so it could have come from virtually anything. Mostly mutt Koi tend to produce mostly mutt babies... I should know

[Russell Peters]

I hate to tell you this Ethan, but what you have is a really bad example of an ochiba. Larry is right, you can get just about everything from a spawning of mutts. There aren't really any redeaming qualities to that Koi. I think you are looking at it with newbie eyes and think it is wonderful. Hopefully that will pass. Keep posting and learning.

[Ethan25]

Quote: Originally Posted by Russell Peters I hate to tell you this Ethan, btu what you have is a really bad example of an ochiba. larry is right, you can get just about everything from a spawning of mutts. There aren't really any redeaming qualities to that Koi. I think you are looking at it with newbie eyes and think it is wonderful. Hopefully that will pass. Keep posting and learning.

Like I mentioned in my other post....I am 26, young, with very little money to invest in nice fish. However, I do want to learn about what is good quality in order to prepare myself for when I drop an investment on a real koi pond and real show quality fish.

Some people can just go at it....I'm gonna have to financially grow a bit before I can be in the advanced category in actuality. I do want to be advanced in knowledge though.

Thanks!

Ethan

[dick benbow]

First let me say that koi irregardeless of their heritage (japanese or Domestic)
have value. Just because your beautiful longfin found it's way into this world thru Mom and dad in your pond, doesn't make it any less valuable than any other creature you might be entrusted with to care for.

Some day when things improve financially and knowledge wise to build a better pond and have better fish, don't be surprised if someone like your ochiba/goshiki gets carried over to remind you ( and all of us) of our beginnings ( albeit humble)


For right now learn what you can and then help each one of your koi to be the best they can be. Because no matter what the quality it's all about helping them to achieve their best. the japanese have a word "Kaisan" which means daily improvement. I think it's a good one to adopt to progress in the hobby.

Suggestion: To me the finest book on koi was written by Peter Waddington and is entitled koi kichi. I see it occassionally on sale on ebay for about a third the price i paid for it new. It would be well worth your effort to get a copy. Ir will help you with a basic yet sound understanding of what this hobby is all about.

[Ethan25]

Quote: Originally Posted by dick benbow First let me say that koi irregardeless of their heritage (japanese or Domestic) have value. Just because your beautiful longfin found it's way into this world thru Mom and dad in your pond, doesn't make it any less valuable than any other creature you might be entrusted with to care for. Some day when things improve financially and knowledge wise to build a better pond and have better fish, don't be surprised if someone like your ochiba/goshiki gets carried over to remind you ( and all of us) of our beginnings ( albeit humble) For right now learn what you can and then help each one of your koi to be the best they can be. Because no matter what the quality it's all about helping them to achieve their best. the japanese have a word "Kaisan" which means daily improvement. I think it's a good one to adopt to progress in the hobby. Suggestion: To me the finest book on koi was written by Peter Waddington and is entitled koi kichi. I see it occassionally on sale on ebay for about a third the price i paid for it new. It would be well worth your effort to get a copy. Ir will help you with a basic yet sound understanding of what this hobby is all about.

Dick-

I have checked out that book before from our library through interlibrary loan...I should do it again since I haven't read it in around 2 years. Thanks for the kind words...I appreciate it. I will probably let this ochiba grow out since it was the first koi born in our pond that Ive kept...either that, or give it to a close friend.

Thanks,
Ethan

[jnorth]

Koi Kichi is an excellent book and if you haven't read it in 2 years then you need to read it again. There is so much information in that book that is is hard to absorb it all the first time or second time etc.

[Ethan25]

The initial pictures have been removed from this thread, so I'll give an update of what happened with this fish. Basically, it was born in our pond last fall. I thought it was some sort of ochiba at the time. Eventually, it started to look like a really messy mutt....with maybe showa lineage, considering the fins and underlying sumi. Now, the sumi is coming up really thick, and the fish is growing really well. I'll probably give it to a friend in the next year or so, but it has been interesting to see the changes. I think my water quality getting better contributed to the good growth and ok development. It's 3" long in the first pic (the initial picture I posted here where I thought it was an ochiba), 6" in the second, 8" in the third, and almost a foot long in the fourth and fifth pictures, at one year old.

I figured you all would like to see the development regardless of whether it was a mutt or not. I really thought for a while that any and all black was fading away, but it came back really deep. It will be interesting to see what happens over the winter dormancy months.