Here are some pics of some Ogata Sanke's I purchased in May... and some pics in October were around 21"...
I identify them as the 3 step and 5 step, not sure if that is correct or not...
Here are some pics of some Ogata Sanke's I purchased in May... and some pics in October were around 21"...
I identify them as the 3 step and 5 step, not sure if that is correct or not...
Here is the 3 step in October, is the beni breaking up on the shoulder area?
Here is the 5 step, the pictures are zoomed out a little and don't show the detail as well...
Well, first, you have a two step (Nidan) and a four step (Yondon) Sanke. There must be definitive breaks in any hi patterns to make them 3 and 5 step paterns. Based on the updated pics, they both appear to be males, but overall, they are still developing. The first one has one weak spot in the shoulder hi. It does appear to have hoshi (darker centers to the red scales) which is good. It may have just grown faster than the beni could keep up with this summer. Winter will tell more how it recovers from all the growth to see what happens with that one area. The second one appears to have better skin and depth of color. The sumi is also decent. Being Ogata fish, they will either make or break over the next 2 years.
Mike
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Thanks Mike, I'll keep updating as they grow... I thought there was a good possiblilty of being male as well...
Updadte: The two step is 18" and beni is very red and the fish is growing well, the weakness in the beni on the shoulder remains but it is enjoyable to have in the pond.
The other sanke's beni has turned more of a persimmon color and is 19.5" with still 2.5 months left in the growing seasons here... These both get to stay for another year at least...
Pulled in October, the three step was rehomed and later died in a lighting strike... The four step is now 63 cm... female... probably will get re-homed soon, she is on the lower quality side of some of my other sanke's now...