SUCCESS!!!
Towards the backend of 2024 we tried something a little different. We had quite a large body of heated water empty so decided to embark on growing some High grade small koi. This was a very meticulous process where we selected through almost 2000 2-3″ koi to find around 100 fish unique and also high standard to grow on further. There are a select number of koi which have also exceeded the expected size. This is only a very small number of koi which have reached a size of 8″ but are a very high grade and extremely short supply.
There are certain attributes we look for when selecting a high quality koi. One of the main and easiest attributes is the actual uniqueness of the koi whether that be the variety or the pattern, the more unique the more desirable. Also the intense colours particularly on Sankes and Kohakus which are fish that display large amounts of Red.
Doitsu kohaku
Here is a good example of one of the Doitsu Kohaku Koi we have grown. This koi is already displaying very strong Red colouration and quite an even balanced amount of colour compared to white. This fish is also a Doitsu Koi which means either a scaleless koi or a koi which has few large plate like scales. These koi are always in high demand in particular koi like this which are already displaying such vibrant colours at such a young age.
Colour is not everything
So not everything we select has the vibrant colours like the above Kohaku. As mentioned earlier another Koi we look for are the unique varieties like this Aragoke Chagoi. Aragoke (ah-RAH-go-KEH) koi are an intriguing new subvariety of Doitsu koi, notable for their distinctive features. Unlike the standard Doitsu koi, they possess larger and more irregular scales, giving them a unique aesthetic appeal. Once this was a koi often dismissed by breeders as the irregular scale pattern was not something they were trying to introduce into there bloodines. These fish are now in high demand and fish breeders cant produce enough to meet the customer demand.
Fins and body shape!!!
Something often over looked by the koi hobbyist is the Koi fish body and Fin shape. In order for a koi to thrive and reach the maximum size it can these are very important factors to take into consideration. A koi with an ideal body shape has proportion and balance. Its body flows smoothly from head to tail, with a visible spine under the skin. The dorsal fin is in the right place, and the tail has enough depth for a seamless look as the koi grows.
All these things have been carefully taken into consideration and we are very pleased to be able to offer our customers some of our recent harvested koi. Also available will be very few High Grade Hand Selected 7-8″ koi which are perfect for a growing on project this year. Overall we are very happy and successfully grown on some amazing quality koi.