How to Select Koi

By Kao Lee and Greg Garner

Do you know how to select Koi? Whether you wish to stock a Koi fish pond for your own enjoyment, raise Koi for sale, or raise them to compete, you need to know the best means of picking Koi to get the best results.

When picking Koi, you should know that a nice fish can be fairly expensive. Where even non-champion fish can cost hundreds of dollars, prime Koi could cost $1600 or more. To save money, your best bet is to learn to pick choice Koi while they are still young. One thing to remember when selecting these fish is that the colors become darker and sharper as the fish mature. For example, if a Koi has a gray marking while young, that color will become blacker later on, pinkish colors usually become darker reds, and the scales also become darker and more distinct.

One thing you should look for is the shape of the fish. A long skinny Koi is probably not as valuable a fish as one with a nice bulky oblong shape. The scales on the fish should also be clear and distinct, in a uniform pattern. The best show fish tend to have nice sharp color patterns, and darker colors tend to make a Koi fish more popular and valuable as well. Usually, female Koi are more popular than male.

Check for previous injuries before purchasing any Koi. Scars detract from the beauty of the fish, and lowers their monetary value considerably. Also look for torn fins, swelling, discoloration, or any other abnormalities or imperfections.

There are several classifications for Koi, and you should learn what to look for in each type. Remember that Koi fish, as with people, are each unique. You would be hard pressed to find two fish with exactly the same markings. Each type of Koi has varied different colored patterns. A Tancho, for example, is an all white Koi fish with a red circular marking on the head. Generally, the rounder and darker the red marking on the head, the more valuable the fish.

The Ogon are a very popular type of Koi. They differ from most other Koi in that they have a single basic color, somewhat metallic in appearance. Such fish should have good quality uniform color. A Platinum Ogon, for instance, should be a nice white color all over, without discolored patches or an off-white color. Other Ogons may come in a variety of colors, but the uniform color throughout is the important thing to look for.

If you intend to place Koi in a Koi pond for your own pleasure, you should consider a variety of Koi types. However, if you plan to breed Koi to sell, you should purchase the best breeding parents you can. Even with the best breeding parents, all the offspring won't be the highest quality, but the better the parents, the greater the chance of producing quality offspring becomes.

Koa Lee is a major importer of Japanese Koi Fish. You can find out for information about KOI at http://www.koistop.com