Sangreaal's Growout Form

[Sangreaal]

~Sangreaal's very first Shiro Utsuri, the lovely and luminous #85~

Koi Info
Koi 85 size when received: 6"
Koi 85 size between 6/1/08 and 7/1/08:
Koi 85 size between 2/1/09 and 3/1/09:

Pond temp when received: QT 59 degrees
Pond temp at 6 month photo:
Pond temp at final photo:

Pond Info
Gallons: ~4500
Stocking rate: 12

Filtration: Bakki
Liner Type: poly tarp
Turnover rate: 3200gph
Dimensions: 18x7x5
Water changes per week: Constant well-water flow through Amount of water changed %: 10-30% daily depending on temp

Food Info
Brand and Type fed: Alife or Mazuri, live food (fruits, veggies and worms from the pondside wormbed, often rolled in calcium bentonite and sometimes spirulina), dried krill/plankton

Owner Info
Years in hobby: 5
Years buying show koi: 0
Zone: 7
State: CA

Fun Stuff
Koi 1 sex guess when received: Male
Koi 1 name: Mikado

[Sangreaal]

Wow...I finally have my very own Omosako Shiro Utsuri! My very first SU ever.

Although I did not win #51 (congratulations again Papa Bear Larry and Mama Bear Marion on such a lovely selection *G*) or #166 (owned now by Super Kindai, the person I'm sure will bring the very best out of this phenomenal fish), I am completely pleased with the luminous #85. And I am oh so glad that I don't have to pick again until the next growout. To me, those were the only ones that I was drawn to in the SU selection and I don't think I'd have been happy with anything else. Of course, if that T182 fish isn't spoken for at the end of the rounds, 85 may have a box mate to ship with. In that event I will be adding that fish to this journal and doing updates and such even though it would not be in the competition. I'm sure someone would enjoy watching how an Omosako Tancho Showa develops, and I hope if someone else picks it in the rounds they at least post and share so we can watch it grow too. So much to learn.....

[Sangreaal]

By now it's pretty obvious what I've named the 73rd choice in the 2008 KoiBito/Omosako Growout Challenge--Mikado. But why did I choose it and what does it mean?

Everyone probably remembers the play, The Mikado, a satirical work by Gilbert and Sullivan, making fun of the British government by turning them Japanese. But that's not why I named this fish that. Instead, I took it from the old Japanese language, which in its simplest form means, "the gate."

This Omosako Shiro Utsuri is my gateway to the knowledge of sumi development, and what it means to be "utsuri." It's the gate to the wild element still extant in koi, and I intend to learn as much as I can from this fish as well as whatever I can glean from the experiences of others in this growout.

Now for a test of my eye, I have done a bit of a future composite of what I think Mikado is going to turn out like (though I haven't quite figured out how to give her the cheeks I think she'll have later on, or the additional bulk. But I will.....eventually. *LOL*)

This is about all the sumi I think will emerge on this Shiro, and it's probably only wishful thinking on my part because the black menkaburi will probably be narrower than this, though it's what I hope for. A very simple yet elegant pattern, I'm hoping also that the shoulders of this fish stay a nice lustrous sumi-free shiroji, and If the pecs (especially the one dark one) pull a nice tidy motoguro, everything should balance well on this fish.

We'll see, won't we?

[The Pond Digger]

I enjoyed reading about your hopes and aspirations in your wonderful pick. I will look forward to your updates.

To push you to the limits, I am assuming some of, or most of the fish will take on several different looks before reaching their full potential. Any predictions?

I need to look getting some skills in photo shop!

I'll be watching,

The Pond Digger

[powerman]

beautiful fish......and i am sure mikado is lucky to have you for a caretaker

[Sangreaal]

Thanks you guys. I'm happy with my final choice.

Mikado will be shipping with Shiro 143 and Tancho 178, and I will be following their development in this thread along with her, even though they won't be competing in the growout.



Why 143? It looks like one of the ugliest Shiros in the bunch, and I'm not real big on buying ugly early. What intrigued me the most and compelled me to buy is the extreme skin/scaleage on this fish. It's another Pearl gr hopeful, and though it's young and the sumi is transient, it has some serious glow to it. I just have to see it live and up close.

Tancho 178 was not my favorite by a long shot, but then, I'd been beaten out of my first two or three choices by others in line before me and there were little choices left that appealed to me. The sumi is messy, the tancho messy (but perfect when/if the secondary hi cleans up behind it), the skin not half bad. It's got a lot of clearing to do, but my water is a sumi and shiro factory and I think my pond will do it some good. I just hope the tancho sticks. It appears to be thick enough to hang in there and just the right size and shape.

Expect pics and benching of all as soon as they arrive, and a gazillion more to follow as the year travels on. I think there's a good selection of koi here from lightest to strangest to watch go through their changes. Is the growout winner amongst them? Probably not--there were many better looking babies in the group. But this is a crapshoot, right? And these are my double 0 buck....

[Sangreaal]

Originally Posted by The Pond Digger

...To push you to the limits, I am assuming some of, or most of the fish will take on several different looks before reaching their full potential. Any predictions?

I predict I'm gonna make you a decent KB avatar of your favorite growout fish when you get 'em home....and then you'll see some personal predictions.

[The Pond Digger]

That is great news! Last week I did my first attempt in photoshop on my fish! It was NOT PRETTY! In fact, when I was done it didn't even look like a fish on my screen! I will not give up..............

BTW, I plan on keeping my number two selection in a heated aquarium QT because of her split fin. The lighting in the room is horrible for taking photos but I plan on making several attempts to get an interesting side view photo!

The Pond Digger

[Sangreaal]

Originally Posted by The Pond Digger

That is great news! Last week I did my first attempt in photoshop on my fish! It was NOT PRETTY! In fact, when I was done it didn't even look like a fish on my screen! I will not give up..............

BTW, I plan on keeping my number two selection in a heated aquarium QT because of her split fin. The lighting in the room is horrible for taking photos but I plan on making several attempts to get an interesting side view photo!

The Pond Digger

LOL! Photoshop isn't easy to work the photos in because it is an almost sight unseen process until you tell it to apply what you're applying. If you've never done it before, it can be daunting. But hang in there! You'll probably know more than I about it when you're done learning.

Do you have a polarizing filter for your camera and a flash? A polarizing filter can cut through glare if that's a problem. The flash is a must in a lot of instances. What brand and model camera are you using? Thank god they don't need film, huh....

Go to Home Depot and get a chrome t-8 shop light and two full spectrum daylight tubes to put over your aquarium. You should have plenty of light then and they don't give the ickish green overtones most fluorescents put out.

[Sangreaal]

28 January 2008--Beginning of Mercury Retrograde

Talked to Bill today and my trio will be shipped on Wednesday for a Thursday the 31st arrival via UPS if direct flight is not available. Hoping the Retrograde doesn't foul things up....it affects communication, transportation and everything electronic.

Good luck to all as their new koi travel home