Originally Posted by
inazuma28
I fully disagree in regards to the shiro. The kohaku is nice, i wont argue that, but this is not the "average" shiro that you would find on an auction site or pond retailer. the skin is showing superior luster at the shoulder, the neck, and down the whole dorsal. the body line is long and strong. the head is both long and wide and the sumi is deep blue-black with a lacquer luster. I think both of these fish have improvement in their future. as for the ozutso being thin, it isnt. These fish, although they may be the same age, are at slightly different stages of development. If you need proof of this, just look at the skin on the faces and noses. There is no indication here, that i can see, that suggests that in the next growing season the ozutso will not thicken right up. my omo's sure did. the picture i am including to show this is a NOT MY KOI. I wish it were. In terms of development, your shiro is somewhere between the first pic and second, much closer to the first. but you can see it goes from having a puny tail section, then fills out a bit in its nisai year and then by the end of the four years has a very nice body overall. it is also good to keep in mind that as far as body goes, It is much harder to find the "ideal" body on a fish that is non gosanke. the gosanke are just more refined because the are the types that are focal points for most breeders.