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Koi for your garden pond
If you are just looking for Koi for your garden pond with no thoughts as to showing them your task is simple but certain ground rules still apply. You must look for traits that will tell you whether or not the Koi is well bred such as: does it have a large head and thin body?
If it does then this could indicate a couple of things to you:
* The Koi could be diseased in some way or it could be harbouring parasites.
* The Koi could be genetically imperfect and the shape will just get worse and worse as it grows older. Always look for a Koi that is well proportioned - don't let a pretty pattern and colour blind you to this more important aspect - and you should get a better, healthier Koi. Some patterns will set up an optical illusion, try to be objective.
* Beware of a Koi that sulks in a corner of the vat, this one could be harbouring problems. . Even a Koi that is not actually sulking but swims apart from the others could be nursing problems.
* Koi that show signs of physical damage are also to be passed by. Many injuries that Koi sustain in transit from their foreign destinations will not readily heal because of the adverse circumstances and stress of transit. What seems small in the dealers vat could very soon develop into a major problem when you get it home. Even split fins come into this category, for you do not know the history of the Koi, which could govern its stress level and its chances of recovery.
* Beware of pectoral fins that are not the same size or shape as each other, they could have been damaged or infected and have been trimmed by the dealer. This could so easily break out into infection again, so pass these by as soon as you notice them.
* Raised scales are another danger they may be due to a knock and will recover easily or they could be infection that is setting in from earlier parasite damage to the body. This is then a lot more serious and very possibly beyond your prowess to recover.
* Damage around the eyes is also a danger signal for there are strains of bacteria which specifically infect the Koi here and recovery is a very precise task for the keeper.
* Noses can get rubbed during transit, usually known as 'bag injury' and once again very hard to recover for the hobbyist.
Condition of the Koi
In general you should also look at the overall condition of the Koi:
* Does it go for its food in a ravenous manner?
* Does it swim normally with use of all its fins? Clamped fins could be an indication that the Koi is infested with parasites, which as they are microscopic means you would not see them.
* The dorsal fin in particular is the fin which will give you the best indication of health or similar - is it erect like a sail and not clamped down to the body?
* Look at the eyes, they should be clear and not sunken into the head the eyes of a well-bred Koi are always slightly proud of the sides of the head. Also eyes can be greatly protruding which can be the condition of exopthalmia or 'Popeye' which can have many causes.
* In general the shape should be good, like a plump torpedo and it should be even about an imaginary centre line drawn down the Koi with no bulges or indents into the smooth line of the shape.
* Watch the way in which the Koi swims it should 'glide' through the water using all its fins for stabilisation and mainly usibg its tail for propulsion. Beware of any Koi that swims with its fins clamped and exaggerated whole body movements to achieve it. The dorsal fin should be erect like a sail and the other fins used.
Competition Koi
If you are selecting a Koi for competition purposes then there is a little more to know and here you could be entering the realm of the 'tategoi'. A tategoi is a Koi (of any size or age) that has good potential, but which has not yet been achieved. Take the Showa for instance this is a black fish which develops white and red patterns. A young Showa that displays a good 'finished' pattern of red and white, will in all probability only deteriorate as it matures with the result that it would never be any good later for showing. Ask yourself why you only ever see a grand champion Koi that is a big one? Well that is because it has only reached the potential for grand champions at that age and size. It has been building up to it for years, will probably stay at its peak for a couple of years and then will be 'over the hill' and no longer fit for showing.
Of course if you wish to show a small finished Koi such as the Showa of which we speak then by all means do so, there is great competition amongst the size one and two classes. If however you wish to buy a Showa for growing on, then to be shown, you will need quite some expertise. Bearing in mind that this Koi is developing red and white patterns, the white will tend to be greyish and marbled, the reds will also be poor but they are only developing at this point. The trick is guessing how will they develop?
All of the other Koi varieties have things to look for in selection at a younger age and only years of experience will put you on the right road here. .
Dealers often have a Show and Grow competition, which involves buying a koi, either by lot or choice, it is usually a bit cheaper then growing the koi on and showing it against the other koi in the lot.
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