Will this showa ever improve??

[CarolinaGirl]

I know....it's a showa and I have to be patient....but I think this fish is ugly. I didn't pick it. It was a lottery draw in a grow-out contest. This march marks the 2 year point for this fish being in my pond. Should I give it another year....or cut my losses and cull it now?

[Koimann]

Quote: Originally Posted by CarolinaGirl I know....it's a showa and I have to be patient....but I think this fish is ugly. I didn't pick it. It was a lottery draw in a grow-out contest. This march marks the 2 year point for this fish being in my pond. Should I give it another year....or cut my losses and cull it now?

Hi,
I think it all depends on whether you like it or not....

[CarolinaGirl]

At this point, I don't like him. But that doesn't mean I won't like him if he improves. I can be patient if there is hope for this koi.

[mitten]

Wouldn't your soft water keep the showa from progressing rapidly, prolonging your enjoyment? Do you have other showas that have done well?

[CarolinaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten Wouldn't your soft water keep the showa from progressing rapidly, prolonging your enjoyment? Do you have other showas that have done well?

My soft water is indeed prolonging my "enjoyment" of watching this one develop . I do have a couple more showas which are developing more quickly, and also a nice young shiro that in the last 5 months has gone from only submerged sumi to some lovely sumi coming up on it's sides. I think the biggest problem with this showa is he has a lot of beni that has sumi over it, making it appear muddy brown.

[MikeM]

The body is not likely to win GC, but it is not bad for pleasure viewing in the pond. I think your concern is the pattern and heavy black. ....Print out a color photo on regular paper. Get out your crayons (or colored ink pens) and color all the black, gray and smudgy areas solid black. Color the orange areas with red-orange. Do you like what you see? If so, keep it. Could take 6 years to get there! If you don't like it, time to search for a new home.

Enjoy.

[CarolinaGirl]

good idea Mike. If there is hope for this koi, I will hang on to it for a while longer. I have room in the pond.

[Russell Peters]

If you have had this Showa for two years and it is only 14 inches it does not say much for its size or potential. This showa is going to have alot of sumi (not high quality sumi)and has weak beni. If you don't like it I would let it go.

[CarolinaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by Russell Peters If you have had this Showa for two years and it is only 14 inches it does not say much for its size or potential. This showa is going to have alot of sumi (not high quality sumi)and has weak beni. If you don't like it I would let it go.

Thanks Russell. Those pics were actually taken last summer. It has grown quite a bit more since then....but I have not bowled it for more current pics because there is really nothing different. The quality of the sumi has not changed. OK.....that helps with my decision quite a bit. I think I'll cull it this summer. I don't like looking at it in the pond. It is a distraction. I am not nuts about very dark fish anyway.

[Koimann]

Quote: Originally Posted by Russell Peters If you have had this Showa for two years and it is only 14 inches it does not say much for its size or potential. This showa is going to have alot of sumi (not high quality sumi)and has weak beni. If you don't like it I would let it go.

Well said Russell............