Koi are just like dogs...even the mutts are cute. No need to have a high quality koi unless you plan on showing it or becoming a breeder. Be happy with the ones that look good to you! Some of my mutt koi, are also my prettiest. Remember, traditionally butterfly koi weren't even recognized. It's the American desire that caused a huge market for them.
Lets Learn about Shusui
Sorry about the bad picture but here is my mutt, Dragon. He is the black and white one at the bottom. Lightning McQueen is my other koi, the unbalanced kohaku at the top. Guess which one my son named...
Could have been Mater or SnotRod....so McQueen is a great choice! Ka-chooooow!
Laser Koi, first, thank you for doing classes on koi. I am very interested to learn. Having said that, I am not the person who will spend big bucks, we bought 100 1 - 2" (un-culled) koi off of an ebay seller that cost about $200 including overnight shipping last year when we built the pond. They sent us 117 to allow for failures, but they all arrived healthy and happy. Now, the biggest of the group are 9 - 10", and we love them! So, please be gentle with us, Laser Koi, as we show you our babies that we love, even if they might be mutts, okay? Thanks for teaching us though, you may make some of us decide that we must have some certain kind somewhere down the road.
Here are some of ours. We probably have about 75 fish, both koi and gold fish.
Brenda
By the way, they have spawned, and we have babies (lots of different sizes), and they are growing like weeds! Here is a not very good shot of some of the bigger new babies...
Where did you get them from on eBay
bsavage-I love the brightness of your fish-gorgeous! How big is your pond (s) that you can hold all those fish and keep them healthy?
LaserKoi-If I do post my fishes tell me how they could have been improved by patterns or places of patterns or colors. This way I will learn more for the future shopping for koi and at least when I fall for a mutt only a mother could love, at least I will know it up front . . . LOL! BTW-love all the information sharing that your doing with us! :)
whetstone_koi
Our pond (actually 2 ponds) are around 18,000 gallons. Here's a pic of the upper pond.
And the lower pond. Here in the middle of the desert in Arizona. Several of us in AZ have ponds... I have been enabled by the best!
Laser Koi, about $95 of that price was for overnight shipping, they arrived in styrofoam cooler with dry ice below it within a box, really well packed, especially considering shipping to AZ in late May when our temps are typically over 100 degrees. I'm sure you are equally careful... I can't imagine how hard it must be to insure they arrive at their destination safe and sound considering they are shipped all over the country!
Never had a dead loss that I couldnt handle yet!
What dealer Whetstone creek?
ebay seller name, as mentioned above, is whetstone_koi.
Yeah, thought so...
Any who any other questions on Shusui?
Can we learn about some other kinds? Pleeeeeeaaaaase??!!! ^_^
By the way, your fish are gorgeous, Laser Koi!
Brenda
This message was edited Jun 8, 2008 2:20 PM
Thanks! I am trying to figure out how to do a "grow out" Competition but I dont know who would join in.
A grow out is where a whole bunch of people buy fish and they are shipped the same day to everyone. We set a date for everyone to pull up the fish from their ponds and I would judge, best fish, koi with best future, most growth, i;e....
Any one interested ?
I think it sounds like fun but what would the parameters be? I mean some people would have more $ to spend than others for better koi.
Suda parents, lonfin shusui... The mother is 5 years and 33" which is Huge!
No thanks on your grow out of fish laserkoi.
Snapple45 I think your fish are great!!!
Not interested...I'm a happy back yard ponder, who just wants healthy low maintanence koi that aren't overly expensive and look pretty to ME. I have no intention of reselling them or trying to get the best bloodlines and color patterns to make them show worthy.
Just pretty, affordable, and healthy....so while I sit on the deck in the evening, with my glass of __(insert favorite beverage here_) I can just be mellow and happy with my little guys swimming around...
Good attitude MerryMary - the more you pay the more you worry. My kids really sacrificed to get me those fish and I worry a lot about keeping them healthy. It does keep me way up on my toes about water quality though!
Me too...I work to keep the water quality healthy.....
I learned a long time ago the herons don't care if they're taking a $3.99 koi or a $150 koi....so I no longer buy the expensive ones. The market is also flooded with koi, unlike a few years back, so you can get great ones for a minimal price and no longer need to pay top dollar. I'd rather use the extra moola to add some great plants around my yard/pond as well.
:)
I agree with you Snapple and MerryMary.
Maybe next year LK. I don't have a large enough area for koi yet.
/just seeing what you guys like. I have alot of people who wanted koi so trying to make it easy.
Im waiting on your next article lol.
Hah, don't worry I have one coming next week.