What is the difference between Japanese koi and domestic koi?

 While it is true that domestic koi are bred from Japanese parents and have much of the same bloodlines, they are not always the same.  First because the Japanese have about 200 years more breeding experience then we do.  Also because to breed the best koi you must start with the best parent koi.  But the absolute best koi never leave Japan so the breeders here in the US have a handicap right from the start.  They simply don't have access to the absolute best koi genetics.  However it's not fair to say all Japanese koi are better the all domestic koi.  There are low grade koi even in Japan.  What is fair is to say the very best Japanese koi are better then the very best domestic koi.


But how many of you will be buying the very best koi in Japan?  Not many hobbyists these days are willing to spend more then a brand new BMW on one koi.  Most hobbyists will buy high grade and mid grade koi, koi that are still very beautiful and easily meet those judging standards I talk about above, but koi that do not represent the very best in Japan.  It is in these categories that domestic koi are able to compete with the Japanese.  In fact many would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I have always said, buy the koi, not the breeder.  That means don't worry about where the koi came from, buy the best koi for the money.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do you breed koi?

  Koi carp are egg scatterers with slimmer, smaller males chasing the larger females before pushing them into weeds and expelling thousands of eggs and sperm together. Do nothing in a large planted pond and your koi may spawn of their own accord when the water warms in spring and summer. They eat their own eggs after spawning so wait to see if a few survive or remove the plants they spawned on and raise separately.  If you want to deliberately breed koi, separate a ripe female and two males and move them to a spawning vat containing only water, an airstone, and koi spawning brushes. On a sunny morning if the temperature is right they will spawn before the parents are placed back in the main pond and the eggs and fry are raised separately.  Professional breeders may even hand strip selected males and females, squeezing the fish’s flanks by hand and mixing eggs and sperm in a bowl. Fry can be placed in a growing pond consisting of green water and live Daphnia or raised on n...
Read more

Are Koi easy to take care of?

  Contrary to common belief Koi are not made of porcelain and are very forgiving animals. The key to maintaining a happy and healthy Koi pond is a combination of good practices and routine. This includes but is not limited to, cleaning your filter frequently, partially changing the water and water testing. If you have any concerns with your Koi do not hesitate to contact us.
Read more

How long can Koi go without food?

  During winter months when the water is cold, your fish might begin to refuse food and sit low to the bottom of the pond, in these instances Koi can go for long periods of time not needing to feed and can rely on naturally occurring food in the pond. However if your fish still surface for food during cold periods it is advised that you continue to feed them a suitable food such as wheatgerm.
Read more