Koi Talk

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa with Certificate of Authentication

2008-07-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Click on photo for larger view

These are the latest hand picked good Dainichi showa with Dainichi's Certificate and guaranteed females. These showa are between 30 to 35cm in length and they are all tosai. Showa A has the most interesting pattern with five steps maruten and kuchibeni which is extremely rare and it will be very striking once the sumi appears on the shoulder and towards the end of the tail tube.
You actually see hidden sumi that is yet to appear all over the body. Very interesting indeed.

Showa B, the head pattern looks adorable with good motoguro and well-balance hi pattern throughout the body.Menware (V-shape sumi on the head) is expected to emerge at a later age. The bigger it grows, the head pattern will be more prominent and attractive.This is a more stable and less risk kind of showa.

Showa C has the best hi quality out of the three showas but the sumi does not look good and it is very uncertain how sumi would appear at this moment in time.But if sumi appears one the white shoulder as you can seen in the photo, there is a patch of hidden sumi that MIGHT circle the hi patch near the dorsal fin. The maruten on the head is very much sought after by most hobbyist and the menware is about to appear boldly on the head. It has big head and body structure and I presume it will grow bigger than showa A and B. If you look for a very challenging fish to play/enjoy, this is the showa to consider.

Pricing:

Koi A: RM4000.00

Koi B: RM4000.00

Koi C: RM5000.00

FOR SALE - Mixed Variety Koi (Go-Sanke)

2008-07-09T07:08:00.001-07:00

Click on the photo for larger view

Koi A,B, and C are two years old Dainichi Showa . These three showas, the sumi patterns have yet to fully emerge. However, their patterns can be quite interesting although they are not fantastic. They have good body structure and good hi plate. Koi A has the best hi plate while koi B has better body structure and pattern at this moment. Koi C has good white skin but lacking sumi pattern.

As for Doitsu sanke in photo D, it is bred by Marusyo koi farm.In my honest opinion,Marusyo sanke tend to have slower growth rates compared to those from Sakai Fish Farm. This three steps sanke is pretty neat but sumi patches are not there yet. Need to take some risks and wait for the sumi to appear if anyone intends to bring it for koi show.Sanke E is three years old, the origin is not known and the structure is a little too thin and long but it is a female surprisingly. The pattern of sanke E is good and the sumi placement is perfect but it will lose out to other better sanke when it comes to body shape.

Note: None of them are crooked/deformed (the photos may not be clearly taken).

Pricing:

Koi A: RM 2500.00

Koi B: RM 2500.00

Koi C: RM 2800.00

Koi D: RM 2800.00

Koi E: RM3000.00

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-07-08T05:42:00.001-07:00

This is a nissai ( 2 year old ) showa from Dainichi Koi Farm that comes with Dainichi's Certificate. The highlight of this fish is the body shape that looks so pleasing and captivating.
It looks thick from head to tail with proportionally tall body that makes it look even more striking. Not forgetting the head hi pattern that is so uniquely beautiful with up coming (kuchi zumi) sumi pattern on the tip of the mouth.

As for the kage sumi pattern on the body, I think it is really ideal for the showa variety because a fully developed sumi blends with kage sumi normally looks better and preferred by most experience koi hobbyists as it gives us the implication that it is a koi that will become even better in the future and more a youthful appearance.

The hi plate of this fish really stands out in my pond. At first glance, the red of this showa catches my attention everytime when I view my koi fishes in the pond. The sumi on the head is getting more and more prominent. The sumi blend so well with the red pattern with very sharp kiwa which is also an admirable characteristic of this fish. No doubt, it is a top class showa.

Sex: Female

Size: 58cm

Age: Nissai (2 years old)

Price: RM25,000.00

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-07-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

Showa A is my Dainichi Showa that comes with Dainichi Certificate of Authentication.

Showa B is the All Japan Grand Champion 2006.

I am offering showa A but not showa B because I am only using showa B as a reference/comparison.

Both Showa A & B are bred by Dainichi Koi Farm in Ojiya City.
Koi A was born in year 2005 and now it measures about 65 cm in June, 2008 at the age of 3.
As for koi B, the koi is about 84cm at the age of 6 worth a few million Yen.

The reason why I posted the photo of koi B because I see a lot of similarities between koi A and koi B. Please do not get me wrong, I am not claiming that they are exactly the same but the overall pattern is almost identical especially when koi A becomes more matured and the sumi pattern appears more prominently.

Showa B has won 2nd prize in Malaysia Koi Show 2008 in 65BU showa category lost to my own male showa 65cm 1st prize that eventually won Adult Champion. This showa B at the time of the koi show was not as finished as the Adult Champion because the sumi is still far from finished.This does not mean this 2nd prize showa is not as good as the 1st prize showa.

However, I see a lot of potentials ahead for this showa B. With nice body shape, high sumi quality that blends well with the hi pattern, good bloodline, and reasonable growth rate, I personally think that this koi will be a great koi in two to three years time. At the age of three, it has already started winning 2nd prize(65cm) and I am quite certain that it will win more major prizes if nothing goes wrong with this fish. At this point in time, this is the best Showa I have to offer. Do not miss this chance to own a living jewel like this.

Sex: Female

Size: 66cm

Age: Sansai (3 years old)

Price: RM32,000.00

FOR SALE - Hoshikin Kohaku

2008-07-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

Most people might say,male fishes have no value or not as valuable as females.To me, I have a different opinion. More importantly it is the quality of the fish itself. Assuming you have a female fish that does not have good quality and it grows very big, you are just admiring the size and not its beauty.In my viewpoint,the beauty of a fish is the quality of the red & shiroji,balance pattern,sharp kiwa, tight sashi and a matching body shape.

The kohaku shown above has everything except it is NOT a FEMALE.Assuming if it is a female, how much do you think you should pay for it? RM 8000.00 to RM10000.00 ? In fact, in most cases, they cost more than what I mentioned.It won 3rd prize in Wakagoi Show 2006 and 1st prize in 45BU Kohaku Category in the Malaysian ZNA Koi Show 2008 beating more than 10 other kohaku of the same category.
Think again!!! :)

Sex: Male

Size: 43cm

Age: Nissai ( 2 years old)

Price: RM3500.00

Enigma of Shiro Utsuri Part 5

2008-04-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most successful shiro utsuri I have so far because it has won in Utsurimono Category 2nd prize in 2005(photo A & C), two times 3rd prize in 2006(seperate koi shows), and 2nd prize in 2008. The most noticeable change of this shiro utsuri is the motoguro. When it was tosai about 30cm, the motoguro is perfect but at the age of 4 yrs old, the motoguro became the major setback of this fish during koi show.However, due to its lacquer black sumi,clean shiroji and rounded body, this fish still win 2nd prize in 75BU(73cm) Utsurimono Category as shown in photo B. As a whole, this is still a good shiro utsuri and not that many shiro utsuri can maintain its quality for a few years and continuously win in a few koi shows. I believe, this koi will touch 80cm by next year koi show in 2009. By the way this koi is for SALE BY NEW OWNER.

Enigma of Shiro Utsuri Part 4

2008-04-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

The main thing I would like to stress about this shiro is that it is a female fish with constantly changing head pattern and very slow growth rate. At the point of writing, this fish is about 45cm and it has just won 3rd Prize in the 7th Malaysia Koi Show and Championship. Some other shiro utsuri from the same batch has grown between 50cm to 60cm. So this fish has just proved that not all female fishes can grow big/rapidly. In fact, some of the males grew much bigger than this female shiro. Although they came from the same bloodlines, they don't share the same body structure and quality as well as eating habit. Those fishes with good eating habit and body structure tend to grow faster and bigger and not very much affected by the sex of the fish.
Generally, females tend to grow bigger but provided that it has good body structure and eating habit as well as good bloodlines.
In photo A, the sumi on the head is heavy and looks as if it is fading. True enough, it faded a little and the pattern on the head changed as shown in photo B. The head became more white and it continues to change. I will try to post a newer photo later to show further changes of sumi pattern on the head.

Enigma of Shiro Utsuri Part 3

2008-04-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

This shiro utsuri comes from the same batch as the shiro utsuri shown in Part 2. However, the sumi development of this shiro utsuri is exactly the opposite even though they came from the same parent namely Musashi.At initial stage, the background of this shiro is pale white and greyish black sumi pattern as seen in photo A.When this koi grow to nissai,the sumi finishes quite well at the tail section and the sumi slowly become more solid gradually towards the shoulder section and subsequently on the head as shown in photo B. I wonder how many shiro utsuri as shown in photo A will develop and become the shiro shown in photo B. In fact, many shiro utsuri from the same batch the sumi tend to fade or the sumi remains sunken at the age of two or three regardless of the sex of the koi.
Some said that the sumi of male Shiro Utsuri tend to emerge earlier than females and vice versa. I have also heard that those fishes with thick sumi at early age will not grow as fast as those with pale sumi (hidden sumi). I personally think that these two statements are not true after having the experience in raring more than 300 shiro utsuri mainly from a few batches of Omosako bred Shiro Utsuri. However, I observed that shiro utsuri with nice pattern and sumi are usually males. That is why most people claimed those shiro with nice black and pattern when young usually grows slower because they are mainly males. It is quite obvious that those females with nice pattern and sumi have been picked by the breeder as their tategoi and of course they tend to grow bigger. Only those female shiro without clearly defined nice black pattern or sumi that has no indication that it will become better, we can own it for a much lower price but a lot more risks compared to what the breeder has picked as their tategoi.
It became very clear to me that small shiro without outstanding sumi and pattern as well as body structure will be sold by the breeder as tosai. Out of these tosai, very few females will turn out to be good unless you are the lucky one.In my case I bought these shiro utsuri in-bulk(300 pieces or more) and a lot of effort is required to grow and sex them as they grow bigger. Not forgetting those cosmetic work required to remove the red spots that appear on the skin of shiro utsuri that needs a lot of hardwork and patience. Ultimately, shiro utsuri came from showa bloodline and that is why red spots can easily appear and especially if it is fed with colour food.
So if you want a safer bet, buy shiro utsuri that are two years old which is more stable but this does not mean that it will be a perfect bet as you still have to take some risks and also much higher purchase price.

Enigma of Shiro Utsuri Part 2

2008-04-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Out of 500 pcs of Musashi Shiro Utsuri offsprings brought in by SPKC in 2006, I have picked roughly about 100 pcs from that batch. This shiro is the fastest growing shiro out of 100 pcs I purchased. At the age of two, it measured about 58cm and at the point of writing(April,2008), it measures about 75cm at the age of 3 yrs old. The growth rate is unbelievable for a shiro utsuri, mainly due to the Musashi bloodline that has a very long and thick body.
In photo A, the sumi of this fish is pretty well-developed with nice menware that looks like it might join with the kuchi zumi(black lips) but somehow that never happened. The black on this shiro faded instead of having more developing sumi as seen in photo B. This is an indication that the fish is still young and the black is still unstable and I am quite certain that the black will reemerge when the fish becomes more mature.The motoguro have also disappeared to my amazement. I had a chat with Omosako's eldest son, Takayoshi Omosako, he told me that in order to justify whether the sumi quality of the shiro is good or not, look at the existing black on the gill cover. If there is strong black on the gill cover, the sumi on the body will most likely appear to be good at a later age. This is just one possible way to determine the sumi development and nothing is CERTAIN. Even the breeder himself cannot be sure whether the fish will develop well or become a champion fish but of course with their experience and sharp eyes as well as careful/in-depth observations of their parents koi (bloodline) and the characteristic of the offsprings, they can most likely pick the better pieces as their tategoi.The shiro shown above will most likely touch 80cm by the end of this year(2008)if given the right conditions that favour the development of this fish. Perhaps, I will post photo C later just to show you the development of the fish on the same post.

Enigma of Shiro Utsuri Part 1

2008-04-14T21:07:00.001-07:00

I would like to share my experiences about the enigma of shiro utsuri in a series of different shiro utsuri for each post. I will discuss the important aspects of judging good shiro utsuri and predict the sumi and shiroji development. As you can see,koi in photo A,B,C, and D are the same shiro utsuri at different stages of growth.

Many might say, shiro utsuri with pure black pectoral fins, black tail, and heavy sumi on the head is not good at all as seen in photo A and B.But at a later stage, as seen in photo C, the sumi disappear/faded but the head still seems a little yellowish. In the same photo, the sumi at the tail section and pectoral fins disappeared as well. In fact, the motoguro became so much nicer and it receded to about half the length of the pectoral fins.Ideally, for either showa or shiro utsuri variety, it is good to have 1/2 to 1/3 of motoguro relative to the full length of the pectoral fins.

The striking sumi pattern on the head of photo B can fully disappear as seen in photo C & D. Wondering if the sumi will reappear? The chances are 50%/50% in my honest opinion depending on water parameters. With the right PH,carbonate hardness, and no sudden major changes of fresh water intake to the pond, it will probably help the sumi to reemerge. The process may take months or years but if you are lucky it may appear in a few weeks.

In photo D, the white base on the head is almost snow white unlike photo A & B. So why are you afraid of picking shiro utsuri with yellow head when it is young? It is a risk that we have to take if we rare tosai shiro utsuri. It may or may not turn out to be good. Assuming if you were to buy a stable sumi and white shiro utsuri about 2 or 3 years old with decent pattern, probably it is the best piece out of 20 pieces you bought when they were tosai(one year old fish). So the success rate of getting a good shiro utsuri regardless of sex from tosai is approximately 5% to 10% assuming if you were to buy in-bulk. If we expect to pick only good female shiro utsuri with decent pattern, then the percentage would drop to about 1% to 5%. In some cases, in order to get top class female shiro utsuri with very nice pattern,high quality,thick body structure, and show quality, probably 5 to 10 pieces out of over 300 shiro utsuri tosai that purchased in-bulk and that is only 0.017% to 0.03% respectively.

It may be easy to give negative feedbacks/comments on someone's female shiro utsuri but generally speaking it is still the top 5% to 10% of all shiro utsuri sold in the market. On top of that, do you have a better piece? If, yes how much did you pay for it? Out of how many shiro utsuri you bought are show winners? In a nutshell,in order to successfully keep good adult shiro utsuri from tosai, it requires a lot of patience,time,effort,skills, and money of course.

FOR SALE - Tamaura Tancho Showa

2008-04-12T06:38:00.001-07:00

A natural round shape Tancho Showa with a black stripe across the red looks attractive. The sumi on the body are still kage sumi and most likely it will slowly emerge at a later age.Many may think the red spot on the head is too small. I personally think that it is not a problem at all and this fish can be a show fish provided that the sumi appears strongly throughout the whole body. Assuming if the red patch on the head is slightly larger than it is now, how much do you think this female Tancho Showa would costs you? Think again!!!

Size: 48cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM2200.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-04-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Inazuma(Lightning pattern) shiro utsuri that looks so striking and very well-polished black. It looks like a male but at the time of checking the sex of the fish, I was not really sure. However, I am hoping that this shiro will turn out to be a female. This fish grows very slowly and I have always been keeping this fish thinking that it is a male. The luck is yours whether it will turn out to be a female at a later age. It has also won 3rd prize in Utsurimono 40bu category in the most recent Malaysia koi show and championship.

Size: 39cm

Sex: Unknown

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM1500.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-04-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

This shiro utsuri is the biggest and fastest growing out of a lot of 120 pcs I bought in July 2006.Many turned out to have red fins,red eyes, and red patches on the body and majority are male fishes. I would say approximately 90% were males and many were given away or sold at a lost. The remaining females, only a handful turn out to have better sumi quality, good white base,structure and pattern. Some of them faded beyond recognition.Most of the female shiro utsuri from the same batch, they hardly touch 55cm or most of them below 50cm, while this shiro is touching 60cm (April, 2008). I seriously think that this is a jumbo shiro utsuri. It has won Best in Size 25BU Utusurimono in 2006 when I first purchased this fish and the one sided motoguro did not deter the judges from awarding this shiro Best in Size 25BU.
This shiro has very broad shoulder and a very unique black pattern that is hardly seen on a shiro utsuri especially the black patch on the shoulder that blends/matches well with the kuchi zumi (black nose). An interesting fish to add to your collection!!!

Size: 60cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM6500.00

FOR SALE - Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-04-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Look like a 4-step shiro utsuri depending on how you see it and it has very nice and clean motoguro. Slender body but I think it will bulk up at a later age. Its sumi is very shiny(good sheen) if you see the real fish. It won 3rd prize in 50BU Utsurimono Category in Malaysia Koi Show and Championship 2008.

Size: 51cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM3500.00

FOR SALE - Marusyo Ginrin Sanke

2008-04-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

A textbook type of sanke pattern with very nice thick kata sumi (shoulder sumi) and even ginrin scales. A kohaku look alike pattern with well placed sumi. Overall, a very neat looking ginrin sanke. A slow grower but with good quality. It has also won 1st prize in Kinginrin Cateogry 45BU in the recent Malaysia koi show and championship 2008.

Size: 43cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM3000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Konishi Asagi

2008-04-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Clean and very even netting with light bluish scales are the highlight of this Asagi.
Clean head and nice red pectoral fins is an added beauty to this fish as well. It has won
1st Prize in Asagi/Shusui 35BU category in ZNA Malaysia Koi Show and Championship 2008.

Size: 32cm

Sex: unknown

Age: Tosai (1 yr old)

Price: RM800.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Ogata Showa

2008-04-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thick sumi and hi plate as well as balance pattern showa from Ogata. Clean motoguro with striking menware on the head. Very evenly coloured showa and all the three colours are well
distributed from head to tail. White pattern yet to emerge because the body has not bulk up yet.
At a later age, this showa will show off its shiroji assuming it is well taken care of under the right water conditions.

Size: 27cm

Sex: Unknown

Age: Tosai (1 yr old)

Price: RM1000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Tamaura Shiro Utsuri

2008-04-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

A nice shiro with inazuma (lightning pattern) and the sumi on the head yet to emerge. It would be interesting to see how it will develop in the future. Nice body shape and very neat looking motoguro that makes this shiro meets the requirement of a shiro utsuri show koi. It has won 1st prize in Utsurimono Category in both ZNA Malaysia Koi Show in KL and Malaysia Wakagoi Show held in SPKC in year 2006. The right eye has a little red dot does not deter this fish from winning the show as it is just a minor flaw than can be easily over shadowed by its strong sumi pattern,pure white shiroji, and good structure.

Size: 55cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai ( 2 yrs old)

Price: RM2500.00

FOR SALE - Maruyama Kohaku

2008-04-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Grand Champion Kamiya Kohaku

This sandan kohaku is probably the most famous collection of mine.Please read my blog written in 2007 about this Grand Champion Maruyama for more details.This kohaku is bred by Maruyama Koi Farm, Japan. It comes from Kagura + Kamiya bloodline. Kamiya is the name of a kohaku that won Grand Champion bred by Murata. That kohaku was named after the owner called Kamiya.

Maruyama cross bred the Grand Champion Kamiya kohaku with his own Kagura bloodline and the result is this excellent kohaku and it won Grand Champion in 2006 Wakagoi Show(Young Koi Show) at Sentul Park, Kuala Lumpur. The body shape of this fish is quite similar to the mother.

The actual fish is not as red as shown in the photo. However, the fish grown from 63cm in 2006 September when it received the Grand Champion title to about 73cm in March 2008. It has grown 12 cm in about 18 months which is considered fast for fishes of this size and age. Once the fish touches 60cm, the growth rate usually slows down. Due to its pretty fast growing nature, the hi plate quality dropped and it didn't win any prize for 75BU kohaku category. This is a lesson learnt from the Malaysia 2008 koi show. However, I have the confidence of bringing back the quality of the red within a year and prepare it for the next koi show. This is a fish to watch out for the next koi show if nothing goes wrong and if everything goes as planned. By next year koi show, this fish is expected to be around 80cm. See if my foresight is right!!! :)

Size: 75cm

Sex: Female

Age: 4 years old (Yonsai)

Price: RM 60,000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

This showa has good body conformation with solid 4 steps hi pattern and kuchibeni(red lip) and motoguro which I think it is ideal for a showa. Once the black(sumi) on the lips appear, it will match with the red lip and it will be even more stunning. The tail joint also has half black/half red pattern that also matches with the lips. With existing strong kage(greyish black) sumi on the body, it will definately make this fish a safer bet and most likely the sumi will appear strongly on the white skin.

Size: 57cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai ( 2yrs old)

Price: RM12,000.00

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

This showa will somewhat look like an inazuma(lightning) showa as it grows.Once the body starts to grow bigger and stretches more side ways, the inazuma pattern would be more visible. At this point in time, the sumi pattern is unpredictable and it can be an interesting fish to keep and see how the sumi will develop. The high quality hi and white background of this showa are also attractive.

Size: 48cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM5000.00

FOR SALE - Sakai Kohaku

2008-03-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

A very simple 2 steps (nidan) kohaku bred by Sakai Fish Farm comes with certificate.
Clean dorsal fin and pleasing pattern with long body which is an indication of a big fish.
It comes from Rainbow bloodline born in June 2005.

Size: 72cm

Sex: Female

Age:Yonsai (4 yrs old)

Price: RM12,000.00

FOR SALE - Kohaku

2008-03-14T01:29:00.000-07:00

This 5 steps (Yondan Kohaku) won a District Show in Japan from Sakuma Koi Farm. Clean white base and nice looking hi plate with long body.

Size: Approximately 45 to 50cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM17,000.00

For more details please contact: Mr. Lim Ching Chern at 012-7083703

Note: I am just posting on behalf of my friend Lim Ching Chern

FOR SALE - Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-03-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

This Omosako Koi Farm shiro utsuri looks like a zebra at first glance due to its neat black stripes/pattern on its body. Its rounded body and good quality black with pure white skin are also contributing to the pleasant appearance of the fish. The predominantly black pectoral fins is the setback of this fish but as a whole it is still a good fish and qualified for most koi shows.

Update On: April 2nd, 2008

It has won 2nd prize in 75BU Utsurimono category in Malaysia Koi Show 2008 at Megamall Midvalley. The size and quality of the fish by itself is an achievement.

This koi reopened for sale by the new owner on 8th of July,2008.

Size: 73cm

Sex: Female

Age: Yonsai (4 yrs old)

Price: RM16,000.00

FOR SALE - Sakai Sanke

2008-03-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Superb sanke with superb body structure that comes with well-placed sumi markings throughout the whole body.Very thick tail tube that matches the head and middle section of the body makes it a very good tategoi(fish that will become better in the future). The maruten look-alike red patch on the head looks really mesmerizing and natural. Once you see it, you will remember the fish for a long time. The hi plate pattern by itself looks like a very good kohaku pattern after subtracting the sumi. Once the fish grows wider (side ways), the hi pattern/marking from the belly/side will slowly emerge and become more prominent.However, more sumi is yet to emerge on the shoulder(katasumi) and towards the tail end. This sanke has thick hi plate but light in colour. This shows that the fish is still youthful and not even finished/fully matured at this size and age. This is truly a rare find and at the age of 4 yrs old now, it is already measuring at about 79cm.It is expected to grow well over 80cm by the end of this year(2008) at the age of 5 yrs old.If nothing goes wrong with this sakai sanke, I am confident that it may touch a length of over 90cm within the next 2-3 years.A well-designed and maintained 100 ton pond is currently the home of this sanke and it will most likely become a serious contender for Grand Champion in years to come. Due to its fast growing nature, the hi plate got lighter and becomes a little pinkish/light orange/light red but the quality maintains. Once the growth rate of this sanke slows down,the hi plate colour will likely become more red and shiny. There is a minor injury on the right side of the fin but it seems to be recovering and it is not visible from the photo shown above. For more inquiry please feel free to call me.

Updated on : April 2nd,2008

As expected, this sanke won 1st prize in 80BU Sanke category. During judging, the Chief judge Nobuyoshi Ozawa from ZNA Japan actually picked this fish as one of the Grand Champion contender. However, due to the unfinished hi plate and lacking girth mainly because the fish is still young and only 4 yrs old, I think it is not ready to win Grand Champion yet. According to Ozawa san, this sanke is a textbook pattern type of sanke. If you extract the sumi, it looks like a good kohaku and the sumi is very well-placed throughout the body.

Size: 79cm

Sex: Female

Age: Yonsai (4 yrs old)

Price: RM70,000.00

FOR SALE - Sakai Showa

2008-03-14T00:12:00.000-07:00

Needless to say about the pattern, body and quality of this showa as most experienced hobbyists would be captivated by it. Interestingly, this is a MALE koi that looks so much like a female.
This is a superb example of a good male fish that is almost on par with a good female fish of the same size. In fact, many females do not have such body and quality at this size/age.
I am entering this koi under 65BU Showa category for the up coming koi show on March 29-30th 2008 at Midvalley Megamall and I have high hopes for this showa.

Want to own this living jewel? Please feel free to contact me.

Updated On: April 2nd, 2008

As predicted, this showa won not only 1st prize in 65BU showa category and Best in Size 65BU, but it also won Adult Champion. Adult Champion is the best fish among all fishes in 55BU, 60BU and 65BU.Best in Size 55BU, Best in Size 60BU, and Best in Size 65BU both gosanke and non-gosanke are eligible to compete for Adult Champion. There were approximately 100 fishes in the 55BU,60BU,and 65BU category and regardless of how tough the competition was, this showa has beaten all female fishes and every other variety such as kohaku and sanke. For a showa to achieve this kind of finishing and beauty it is truly a rare find.

Size: 63cm

Sex: Male

Age: Sansai (3 yrs old)

Price: RM20,000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

Most koi hobbyist may think that this showa hi patch is not balance because the tail joint has no red patch but I personally think that it is a common misconception/misunderstanding for the showa variety.Showa variety does not have specific requirements for the pattern. Even if the tail joint has no red patch, if the showa has very clean light orange/red patch and high quality sumi throughout the body, a minor flaw of not having red patch at the tail joint becomes INSIGNIFICANT. One thing we must learn is to appreciate the good aspects of a fish instead of just looking at the flaw of the fish. In fact, NO FISH IS PERFECT. If there is one, please let me know. The showa shown above has won showa 50BU in 2006 when it was 2 yrs old and the show was judged by 9 Japanese breeders. Do you still think that this is not a good showa?

Size: 70cm

Sex: Female

Age: Yonsai (4 yrs old)

Price: RM22,000.00

FOR SALE - Maruyama Kohaku

2008-03-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

An interesting maruten kohaku is very much sought after by many koi keepers and this kohaku is simply one of them and it is very eye catching for most hobbyist. It has everything that meet the criteria of a good kohaku such as thick tail tube, good odome,maruten,clean sashi, sharp kiwa,thickness of the hi plate and smooth body. What more to ask when you have a kohaku like this?

Size: 56cm

Sex: Female with Maruyama Koi Farm, Japan Certificate

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM15,000.00

FOR SALE - Hoshikin Kohaku

2008-03-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

Excellent specimen of a Sandan (3 steps) Kohaku. Very distinct and attractive pattern with high quality hi plate. Good odome(tail joint) and smooth body shape. It has won 1st prize in Kohaku category and Best In Size category beating sanke & showa and other variety of the same size.
It was then placed into the mud pond for 6 months to further improve the girth/body of the fish.
Many may think that having a male fish is not as good as having a female but this male fish is exceptional because many female fishes do not have such body and quality.

Updated On: April 2nd, 2008

This kohaku won again in Malaysia koi show 2008 2nd prize 60BU Kohaku category. Once again, it has proven itself.

Size: 58cm

Sex: Male

Age: Sansai (3 yrs old)

Price: RM6500.00

FOR SALE - Maruyama Kohaku

2008-03-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

It is almost unbelievable when I tell most people that this is a MALE fish because of its stout and broad body that makes it look like a female. This fish is from Maruyama - Kagura + Murata bloodline. Its simple Yondan(4 steps) pattern looks neat and clean sashi as well as very sharp kiwa. See the real fish to appreciate it better.

Size: 53cm

Sex: Male

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM4000.00

FOR SALE - Marusyo Sanke

2008-03-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is a three steps sanke that has very good hi plate on the head and it will be more visible if you look at the actual fish. The sumi placing on the body and shoulder looks good. However, the sumi on the shoulder is yet to emerge. This goes to show the koi is still not fully matured/finished. Still have room for improvements.

Size: 48cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM4500.00

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Good hi plate, sumi,and white background quality are the highlights of this showa. Very clean and neat pattern and kiwa.Very well-finished sumi from head to tail. A showa that is qualified for show.

Updated On: April 2nd, 2008

This showa won 1st prize in 50BU Showa. With its pattern and quality, it is sufficient to win this
prize.

Size: 47cm

Sex: Male

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM2000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Sanke

2008-03-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

The sanke above is a rare find because the sumi on the shoulder is extremely thick. The sumi on the body is very well-placed and also the stripes on the pectoral fins is and added beauty for the sanke variety(just like motoguro in a showa). Thick hi plate on the head relfects the red quality on the body that might become better in the future. However, this fish growth rate is slow. It is Not a jumbo fish but the quality is good. Fishes that grow slowly tend to have higher quality.

Size: 40 cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM3500.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Ochiba Shigure

2008-03-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is a Ginrin Ochiba Shigure. Striking and intesting pattern with neat netting and large body shape. A nice koi overall and it will most likely grow fast like a chagoi.

Size: 35cm

Sex: Male

Age: Tosai (1 yr old)

Price: RM 1000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Goshiki from Ooyama Koi Farm

2008-03-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is a very unique Goshiki with good red quality. Most goshiki in warm weather will turn light orange/red but this goshiki maintains its red and sumi as well. Overall, a nice goshiki.

Size: 28cm

Sex: Unknown

Age: Tosai (1 yr old)

Price: RM1000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Koromo

2008-03-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

An interesting and even sandan(3 steps) koromo. Nothing much to complain about the pattern.
In fact, the pattern looks like a geographical map with white background reflecting the sea. Good white base and tail joint (odome).

Size: 35cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM 1500.00

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

A very good showa with striking hi pattern and very well-defined kiwa and good white base.
Beautiful motoguro and odome. Sumi on the head is still developing and it may become good menware and only time will tell. It has a very thick and stout body that matches the head.

Updated On: April 2nd, 2008

It won 2nd prize in 45BU Showa Category. A promissing male showa and more sumi on the head yet to come.I am expecting menware on the head to appear very soon.

Size: 44cm

Sex: Male

Age: Nissai ( 2 yrs old)

Price: RM 3000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Dainichi Showa

2008-03-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

A decent looking dainichi showa with very strong sumi(black) pattern and good motoguro. However, sumi quality has to be high and prominent for showa variety. It is more important that just a nice looking pattern.

Updated On: April 2nd, 2008

It has won 2nd prize in the 40BU Showa variety in Malaysia Koi Show 2008 at Midvalley Megamall. Most may think the pattern does not look good but I personally think it wins
not because of its pattern but it won because of its high quality sumi and evenly coloured red pattern.

Size: 38cm

Sex: Male

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM 1500.00

FOR SALE - Sakai Kohaku

2008-03-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

This is a stunning Yondan Kohaku (4 steps). Nicely balance red pattern with very beautiful and sharp kiwa. Some may not agree with me because the head patch looks one sided but it is actually a striking point of this fish. Assuming the head patch is even, it will look a little boring and very typical.

Size: 46cm

Sex: Male

Age: Nissai ( 2 yrs old)

Price: RM 2000.00

FOR SALE - Kohaku

2008-03-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

This is a two step kohaku with nice kiwa and high quality hi. The hi plate on the head is thick and it has broad body and big head. It will look even better when it grows bigger. Very good white background (shiroji) that matches well with the red pattern. That makes the fish looks more outstanding.

Size: 25cm

Sex: Unknown

Age: Tosai ( 1 yr old)

Price: RM1000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE- Kohaku

2008-03-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

A nice and simple two steps kohaku with high quality hi and sharp kiwa. Attractive head pattern is also an added advantage for this fish. Very good shiroji(white background) that matches well with the red pattern.

Size: 26cm

Sex: Unknown

Age: Tosai (1 yr old)

Price: RM1000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE - Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-03-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is a good shiro utsuri with nice motoguro(black on the pectoral fins) and black pattern with a hook look alike on the head section.

Size: 54cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM4000.00

FOR SALE- Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-03-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Another Shiro Uturi from Omosako Koi Farm. Needless to say, the white base and black(sumi) quality is very good. The black hook look alike pattern on the shoulder looks striking and very unique.

Size: 53cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM5500.00

FOR SALE- Omosako Shiro Utsuri

2008-03-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Omosako bred shiro utsuri is one of the most sought after shiro utsuri in the world. It is very well-known in breeding shiro utsuri and Omosako koi farm has won several major prizes in All Japan Koi Show with Musashi well over 85cm. The shiro utsuri above comes from Omosako Koi Farm and I believe it has a long body and the structure looks good. Very balance motoguro at the pectoral fins looks stunning and the pattern looks even and nicely placed makes this Shiro Utsuri looks good.

Size: 52cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM 6000.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE- Kaneko Kujaku

2008-03-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Another good kujaku from Kaneko Koi Farm. It has a strong bone structure and nice big red patch pattern. Look like a three steps pattern kujaku which is a rare find. It will look even better as it grows. Clean and shiny head and pectoral fins.

Size: 49cm

Sex: Female

Age: Nissai (2 yrs old)

Price: RM 6500.00 (SOLD)

FOR SALE- Kaneko Kujaku

2008-03-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent kujaku in all aspects. It has won several 1st prize in a few koi shows in different sizes.

The pattern is so uniquely attractive, nice shiny fins,clean head, superb matsuba based/pinecone scales.

I would say this is one of the best Kujaku in town you can find for this size and quality.

Size: 53cm

Sex: Male

Age: Sansai (3 yrs old)

Price: RM 8000.00

FOR SALE - Specially Selected Ohfuchi Kujaku

2008-03-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

These are specially selected ohfuchi kujaku. The "shine" , pattern and quality of these kujaku are excellent. Most of these are qualified as show fish for the Hikari category in the future.

Size: Ranging from 25cm to 30cm

Sex: Undetermined

Age: Tosai

Price: RM 1000 each

ZNA 4th Koi Raring Competition- Sakai Kohaku

2007-09-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

Overall 2nd Prize Winner(47cm) Nissai

On the 28th May 2006, ZNA Koi Club Malaysia has organized the 4th koi raring competition and each koi was priced at RM550.00. I have purchased 3 pieces for this competition in order to support the ZNA koi club after being encouraged by some committees and also mainly due to my personal enthusiasm and challenge. There were tank A and tank B to select from and each tank consists of 50 pieces of Sakai Kohaku. The three steps kohaku shown above was from tank A and I got the number A21. I was the 21st person to pick from tank A. As for the other two pieces of kohaku I purchased, I could not remember which tank I picked from.

After growing these three pieces for a few months, the first piece died due to my own mistake after putting too much salt in the pond. Then weeks later, another piece got crooked due to unknown reasons and I almost gave that koi away. But on the other hand, I was hoping that the koi will recover someday but to no avail and soon after that it died. So my only hope left with this three steps(sandan) male kohaku. I transferred this kohaku to my bigger pond of about 30 tons and started heavy feeding the fishes to build the body. Since it is a male fish, it can be much harder to increase the girth but somehow this kohaku is a good eater and I can slowly see significant growth in this fish. Regular and consistent water change is vital in order to maintain its eating habit as well as removal/reduction of ammonia,nitrite,and nitrate that comes from heavy feeding. After maintaining such feeding condition and stable water parameters, the colour begins improve and I can see shashi is tightening up as well as sharper and more prominent kiwa. White based has also improved together with its girth.

A few days before the competition, I started starving the fish to further improve the white and slight drop in body girth was observed but for a male fish, I personally think that it is still acceptable. I was quite confident that this fish would win a prize in the competition that was held on 23rd September 2007 and another experience koi hobbyist friend of mine said the same thing too. I was complacent and just hope for the best. True enough, it was voted the 2nd best fish by four local koi dealers as Judges out of approximately 20 pieces of fishes that came back for the competition . A total of 50 pieces were sold but only 40%(20 pieces) came back for the competition. This just goes to show the success rate to keep the koi alive and in good shape can be a difficult and challenging task.It is also an uphill task to improve the girth, colour, and quality besides keeping the fish alive.

As a 2nd prize winner I was awarded RM2000.00 and 50,000 yen voucher from Sakai Koi Farm, Japan. The first prize winner is a kohaku measuring 57cm owns by Mr. Soon Hui Cheong and he has got the number A26. Based on the result, it seems like koi from tank A is more promising than koi in tank B. In short, regardless of which number you pick during the selection of the koi raring competition, luck as well as koi keeping skill play an important role in winning. I hope more koi lovers would participate in the next koi raring competition and make it more fun if more participants are involved.

Happy Koi Keeping!!!

Malaysia Wakagoi Grand Champion 2006

2007-09-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

This my Grand Champion Maruyama Kohaku. The first person I would like to thank is Luke Shori from Sentul Park Koi Centre for introducing such a beautiful and high quality koi at an affordable price.

And he took great care of this splendid koi since I purchased it in August(2005). He put tremendous effort in keeping this koi in good condition.This fish has never went home(owner's home) as Luke insist to rare the fish for me and worried that I might spoil the koi. If I were to bring it home, probably I would win the UGLIEST KOI contest.

As mentioned by Luke, the GC Sandan Maruyama Kohaku and another inazuma kohaku are the first two kois I bought from Sentul Park Koi.With no intention to purchase any koi at the time of the visit (August 2005),I stumbled upon these two kois in one of the ponds.I requested Luke to net it up immediately.

I was comparing these two kois I selected with the rest of the kois in the same pond that were purchased by other koi hobbyist. I was wondering why nobody picked these two kois. I talked to myself, are these two kois that bad until nobody is willing to take the risk in buying them or was it me that has a bad taste in selecting koi?

Upon careful inspection on these two kois, I find the quality and the body structure are superb and I have never seen such high quality koi sold for that price at any other koi shops elsewhere in Malaysia. I couldn't resist myself from purchasing them even though I have to break my "piggy bank" to pay for these two kois. I did hear some comments on this GC Sandan on why nobody purchased it. The comments are as follow:
1.) It has no odome. It is important for a kohaku to have an odome.Odome means white pattern
towards the end of the tail joint.
2.) The Menkaburi red pattern on the face covers the eye(but not covering the eye)
3.) It has a tiny shimi on the shoulder.
4.) The pattern is not balanced due to the third one sided hi step.

In my opinion, no fish is perfect. One has to look at the good feature of the fish before looking at the weakpoints. Why I think this fish is good? Here are the following reasons:
1.) It has a very good structure and has potential to grow big.
2.) Good Maruzome kiwa that makes the koi looks very appealing.
3.) Clean and clear cut sashi that is hardly found in female koi at this age.
4.) Bright pinkish-red hi plate that is sought after by most experienced koi hobbyist.
5.) No deformities and injury free.
6.) Good Lustre and imposing balance pattern(in my point of view).

With these good points, don't you think it can easily OVER SHADOWED those weak points that some hobbyist have mentioned? In fact those good points I mentioned are more important criterias in judging a kohaku than those weakpoints mentioned. This is something most hobbyist MUST LEARN if they want to improve and continue to flourish in this hobby.

Before the Wakagoi Show most experienced koi hobbyists could tell the GC Sandan is a good fish and I was told it is also a grand champion contender.

Well, I guess I have written enough about the GC Maruyama Sandan Kohaku
and this kohaku has proven that Winning a Grand Champion title does not necessarily requires a lot of money if one learn to right way to pick a future fish. Thank you for reading and what I wrote solely based on my experience and opinions.

Happy Koi Keeping!!!

For more stories and photos:
http://www.sentulpark-koi.com/spkcadmin/catalog/exchange/c258.html

My Koi Keeping History

2007-09-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Many may wonder how did I get started with koi keeping at such a young age. At the age of 14(1993), my family moved to a new house with enough space to build a landscaped koi pond and garden. My dad found a contractor to design and build a 5 tons waterfall koi pond and garden. Without much experience in koi keeping, we had to solely rely on the contractor to build us a koi pond that has an adequate filter system and crystal clear water for viewing pleasure. After the completion of the koi pond, we added some local kois as well as tropical fishes like patin, belida, lampan, gold fishes, and etc.

Later, we were given some imported Japanese koi by a serious koi hobbyist from Johor and we got fascinated with the colour and pattern. Somehow that still does not spark our interest in serious koi keeping.This hobby continued for a few years until early year 2000, when I purchased some local kois from a local market(Pasar Road) and added them into the pond. Unknowingly, the new kois spread diseases into my pond and it caused a major outbreak. Most of my kois were wiped out and only a few survived. Due to this outbreak, it sparked my interest to learn more about koi treatments and appreciations.

Since most of my kois died, my dad and I visited Cheras Aquarium to look for some new kois and we got so captivated with the size, girth, colour,pattern, and even the way koi fish swims. We purchased a few medium grade imported Japanese kois and from then on, we were very keen in learning nishikigoi better.