that's alot of snow....
12 feet, that is just incredible. Now I know why they have ladders to their roof's.
oh sorry ..
Prem
Prem
When I read a post of someone discribing quality of skin, I make a point to go over the pic several times trying to see what that person is describing. Most of the time I cant see what it is there talking about. When I recieved my INC showa and another from Koda I could tell a big difference in the quality of skin from the INC showa. Much nicer. I guess its just easier for me to tell when they are side by side.
When it comes to great skin, can you tell me what you looking at? How or what makes it nice? Especially on the head of the koi. Is it the color or depth??
If you dont have time right now to answer a question like this right now, I understand, and will try to remember to get ahold of you for a lesson.
The first step towards getting somewhere, is to decide you are not going to stay where you are.
Mike
check out our website at: http://www.pond-life.net
"Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."
What is INC and what is Koda?
INC is Isawa Nishikigoi Center aka koi breeder Mr. Sakai who developed the Matsunosuke line. It's where Russ has been visiting.
Koda is another koi breeder and I think he is located in the Niigata prefecture but I'm not sure.
I apologize if I got any of that wrong but since Todd got the fish he's talking about from me, I thought I would chime in.
Most fish I see for sale from INC are via Russ. He and Kari do a trek there to pick out fish a couple times a year. Their shop is also about 15 minutes from where I live so I have it easy.
The Koda koi I purchased were from another dealer local to me. I'll pm you the info. I haven't made any Kodama purchases for over 2 years.
PSKoi has a website, not sure is this is the link for koi purchase though since I do mine locally.
http://www.pskoi.com/
Actually, I've never seen either INC or Koda fish for sale on Kodama's website. Russ is the U.S Distributor for INC. Champion Nishikigoi is a S.F Bay Area dealer who obtains fish from Koda Koi Farm (yes, Marilyn, you are correct, from Niigata area).
Usually, only a dealer can purchase fish from the farms in Japan. The first thing the breeder asks a prospective buyer is: Who is your agent and do you have a shipper?" Without these, they usually won't even talk to you.
Mike
Mike
check out our website at: http://www.pond-life.net
"Our goal is to assist with emergency and Koi health issues, as well as educate on best practices. Please help us gain a clear picture by giving the original poster time to answer our questions before offering opinions and suggested treatments."
Cool, the discussion can carry on over there.
https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...0-Skin-Quality
Our first visit today was to Teradomari Koi Farm. He is known for his own type of Gin Rin that does not fade when a Koi gets over 28", in fact, it gets better. The Gin is named after him and is called "Teradomari Gin". It is best explaned from this excerpt from the INPC website.
Featured Breeder
Kiichi Hoshino(Teradomari Koi Farm) Kiichi Hoshino
After becoming the Division Champion at the 30th All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show in 1998, Teradomari Koi Farm’s Ginrin Kohaku is now called the “Teradomari Ginrin” and is beloved by Koi lovers all over the world. Family head Mr. Kiichi Hoshino currently focuses on body conformation and quality of the gin scales of his Teradomari Ginrin and is aiming to become the first non-Kohaku/Gosanke Grand Champion at the Show.
Teradomari Koi FarmIn the early 1960s at the age of eighteen, I got involved in the Nishikigoi business to earn extra money. At the time, I worked at a steel factory on weekdays and helped a Nishikigoi business (Miyakoya) in Ojiya City on my day-offs. My daily pay was one thousand Koi fry. I kept them in mud ponds, and kept raising them and selling them. That’s how it all began. Perhaps because of the Nishikigoi boom, I earned more by selling Nishikigoi on the side than by my day job. I got seriously involved in the Nishikigoi business when I was put in charge to manage mud ponds after starting to work at Hoshikin Koi Farm. In 1967, when I was 24 years old, I wed the daughter of Hoshikin Koi Farm. I moved to Teradomari to take over a pond they owned in that area and helped the production as a breeder until I became independent in 1979. I ran an unknown Koi farm for a long time, but in 1990 I hung out a sign as the current Teradomari Koi Farm. I mainly produced Kohaku (of Hoshikin lineage) back then, but after winning the Division Champion at The All Japan Combined Young Nishikigoi Show in 1995, I changed course to Daiya Ginrin. Now it accounts for about 70% of the production.
The roots of “Teradomari Ginrin” is the Hoshikin female Kohaku and the Suda male Ginrin. Since most of the production was Kohaku in 1992, Ginrin Kohaku was very few in number, but luckily one of them won the Division Champion. The characteristic of “Teradomari Ginrin” is that the gin does not fade away as it grows. A normal Daiya Ginrin will lose its gin color when it becomes about 70 cm (28 inches), but as our Daiya Ginrin grows older, the gin alignment improves, and the glitter stays. That’s its uniqueness. None the less, the most important element in a Koi is body conformation, so it needs to be large in size. The alignment and appearance of gin, the quality and patterns of hi are all very important, but what relieves and soothes us is the leisurely and vigorous swim of a big Koi.
Nowadays breeding techniques and environment have progressed, and there are too many well-looking Koi from an early stage. I hardly ever see a bad Tosai or Nisai that may become wonderful depending on how they are raised. It’s a real shame that there are few Koi that can dramatically change like before. I say this because my “Masked Ginrin Kohaku,” which won the 75th Kin Gin Division Champion at The 31st Yurinkai Nishikigoi Show in 2000, used to be a yellow Koi with faded Kiwa and bad patterns. The only good thing about it was body conformation. Nobody even looked at it back then. When releasing the Koi into field ponds, my friends made fun of me for putting “such a bad Koi in such a good pond.” But I raised it because “I knew this Koi will become good.” And as a result, it became a Champion Koi. A breeder could never forget such joy.
My present goal is to produce a Daiya Ginrin that can top its oyagoi. All breeders want to catch up to and pass Koi of their previous generations. I would like to produce an old-time Daiya Ginrin which has five or six “gin” on the scales; one that glitters differently depending on the angle, just like a diamond. And of course, with good body conformation. Recent trends are fully gin scales, precisely why I am set out to produce glittering Daiya Ginrin that my predecessors used to make. It is usually difficult to win Grand Champion with a Ginrin, but perhaps there is a chance if it grows to be over 85cm (34 inches).
It is wonderful that Japan’s national fish, Nishikigoi, has become known in the world. I would like for Koi lovers to spend a lot of time in taking care of their Koi. I couldn’t give advices on how to raise a Koi because every Koi lover’s pond and breeding environment are different. All I can say is to love your Koi just as loving a pet and to raise it into a beautiful Nishikigoi. Compared to other varieties, because of the appearance of gin, the skin of Daiya Ginrin is very sensitive. Please take time and give it a lot of attention. I hope your Daiya Ginrin becomes your pride and joy.
Last edited by Russell Peters; 02-04-2011 at 05:53 AM.