Opinions?

[HMartin]

I'm looking into getting my first koi, and to start off I wanted opinions on three I found in my state.

One is a ginrin shiro utsuri, and although I like the way its markings are placed, I do not like the skin quality.

Another is a tancho sanke. I like the sumi on this one much better then the sumi on the shiro utsui, but this tancho sanke also has some areas that don't seem too dark as well. The shiro looks a lot more bright then on the shiro utsuri.

Last is a sanke. I'm not exactly sure why this one stood out to me. Its head seems rather large to me (not exactly something I like) . However, the actual colors on it are a little more of what I like.

As a newbie, I'm not exactly sure what type of koi I would like to keep, color wise. I really just want to find something with a proportional body, decent coloring, and a chance for turning out decent later on in life. I guess the question would be, do any of these look like they have any potential to be anything other then pond quality?

Maybe I should just wait around and see if another grow-out contest occurs. That way I would have a wider selection. Or maybe I should look out of state for better quality koi?

Thank you to those who respond. Any opinions I can get are welcome, as I am completely new to this sort of thing.

[gcuss]

Well, I'm hardly qualified to offer expectations of these fish... However, for what it's worth....

The Shiro - I like the sumi placement, and the sumi that has come up seems to be pretty good. The shiroji seems decent. I don't think the gin is very even, but it's really hard to tell gin with a photo. The distance between the eyes and mouth give him a stubby appearance I fear will worsen with age. The pec fins seem to be a bit on the small side.

The Tancho - Fairly good conformation. Nice head, and decent shape on the body. Pec fins are a good size. I really don't like the amount/distribution of the sumi on this fish. Gives it a messy appearance. I'd look for something with better defined sumi patches.

The Sanke - I prefer this fish of the three. Nice body and head. Nice sized fins. The beni looks nice and even front to back, and good distribution of the sumi imo. The kiwa is a little jagged and there is some white between the scales on the kiwa. It seems to me that this fish is pretty much finished already but for now, a nice fish to enjoy at home.


Please take my observations with a grain of salt. (might want to eat the whole shaker actually). I'm fairly new myself but this is how I learn. Looking and discussing fish! In my humble opinion, none of these fish have a great future, but I may be completely wrong. Whatever you decide, enjoy the fish for what you see in it, and pick the one that you like.

Have fun.

Grant

[HMartin]

Thank you!

I think I've decided to hold off on any of them for now. I've talked to some members of the local koi club, and then a few people here through PMs. I think my best bet will be to wait until a show to go and pick out a koi in person or wait until I can find a more suitable koi online.

By looking at these and other koi though I am learning to pick out the good traits from the bad, and hopefully someday I can find a koi that will match most of the good traits I like.

Everybody I've talked to seems to confirm that the more I look at koi, the more likely I will be to begin to learn how to distinguish the good and bad traits from each other.

Koi are definitely not as easy to select as shubunkins.

I agree with your comments about the conformation on the Tancho. The Sanke does seem to have the nicest body, but the fins are definitely what I liked (I just couldn't put my finger on it before).

Indeed, discussing and watching are definitely a good way to learn more. Again, thank you for your comments!

[MikeM]

If the Sanke had quality, enduring Hi, it would be a valuable koi.

Sounds like you've made the right decision for where you want to end up.

[JasPR]

No question, the sanke.

Then if you want, the shiro

pass on the tancho sanke, it is truly a poor example of the variety. JR

[KoiCop]

You could do much worse than picking that sanke for your first koi; it's a fine example of it's variety.

The other two? Not so much.

What kind of pond are you going to be stocking?

[schildkoi]

Ditto JasPR (JR). Hard t tell from the picture about quality of beni in the Sanke but solely based on the picture it number 1. The GR Shiro is a work in progress and probably better than what your initial impression was. Skip on the tnacho for the vary reason JR said.

Steve

[gspotmc]

Sanke Is My Pick.

[HMartin]

Quote: Originally Posted by KoiCop What kind of pond are you going to be stocking?

A 3,500-4,000 gallon pond. It's in the process of being built at this time by Tom Asch of Naturescapes and Watergardens. The filtration is custom and is being built by the company as well.

[gspotmc]

Quote: Originally Posted by HMartin A 3,500-4,000 gallon pond. It's in the process of being built at this time by Tom Asch of Naturescapes and Watergardens. The filtration is custom and is being built by the company as well.

IS HE BUILDING YOU A KOI POND OR A WATER GARDEN? WHAT IS THE DEPTH OF THE POND? CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SPECS?