My Favorites

[rll]

Took these pics last Saturday. The Kohaku and the Sanke were some of the first Koi I purchased for my pond in 2002. The Chagoi is 2+yrs and is ~23". They're easy to catch this time of year, as the water is still in the low 40's.

I really like/love these guys, but most people I know don't understand. Hope you like these pics.

[Busy B]

Those are nice fish but I think you need a bigger bowl for the Chagoi:-P I really like the Sanke.

In the 40's...where are you located?

By the way..welcome to the board;-)

[Terri]

Nice rll, I like the kohaku, interesting pattern. The Chagoi looks like a Soragoi? I know they can change colour(light to dark) depending on time of year, just looks so "grey".

Thank you for sharing, they are lovely.

[Jackie Ramo]

Wow, great looking fish, I agree with Busy, but fall you'd better have a bigger bowl. I agree with Terri that the big guy looks like a soragoi rather than a chagoi - cha means tea, so the fish should be tea coloured. I have one of each just babies as yet but growing... very quickly.

[Busy B]

Chagoi...brown/tea Saragoi/grey

Are they any other color variations? I guess I have a Saragoi variation, but in the winter, orange is coming out in patches...she's one of those non expensive pond fish..She has to be either grey or brown to be classified as either?

[Jackie Ramo]

I believe they have to be one or the other and any other colour makes them something else. Old pics of my guys from the early summer last year. They have some growing to do still to catch up to rll's

[rll]

Actually, Chagoi coloration can vary a lot. I have another Chagoi that is much more of a orange brown.

Here's my Ochiba which is definitely soragoi grey.

http://D:\2005_02_26 Koi\IMG_0364rs.JPG

[Busy B]

Alrighty then...that's the kind of patches mine has in the winter...then goes back to grey in the summer..

[Terri]

I agree, chagoi can vary in colour, from greenish/grey to very dark brown(almost black) ...

Ochiba are one of my fav's :-D We have a doitsu now I want a fully scaled one with that oh so pretty "fallling leaf" pattern. (don't ask much do I? LOL)

[Jackie Ramo]

Although I haven't seen changes in the soragoi's colour certainly the chagoi changes a lot!! Still they only change depth and darkness neither develop patches. My limited understanding is that they should not develop other colours but have a fine netting (sorry can't dig into my brain for the right word)

[Busy B]

Reticulation?

[Jackie Ramo]

Thanks Busy - probably couldn't spell it if I did remember :grin:

[rll]

Sorry to confuse you.... the last pic is of an Ochiba Shigure, a gray fish with a brown pattern. Chagoi are one color fish and many have reticulation. I only posted the Ochiba to describe the gray color of an soragoi. The Chagoi in the pic does have a grayish tint but it is definitely a Chagoi. She was purchased from a very reputable dealer in Seattle and has terrific size genetics. She grew from 9" to 23.5" last year and even though she's the youngest fish in my collection she's by far the largest.

[Jackie Ramo]

I, at least, am easily confused :grin: thanks for sorting me out.

[Busy B]

She might know what's going on, but now I'm confused..

Maybe mine's a Ochiba....Is the Ochiba yours RLL?

Is it possible that the color change I'm seeing is just coming up because of age?

More ?'s...Ochiba ...is that the fish with the fallen leaf pattern?

*just answered most of my own ?'s by looking at Mudsow's thread<:o *

[Ian]

I like them all! You are doing something right that is for sure. A chagoi/soragoi/ochiba is a must for a pond as they bring a certain calm to the group in their ability to put food ahead of fear. I have not seen a skiddish one yet thats not waiting at the surface for food. Gives confidence to other koi as they relate you to food dispencer at a much faster rate than many other types of koi :roll:
The kahaku and sanke appeal to me with nice patterns and think your going to enjoy them for some time to come. I think you can tell even with a picture a luster that comes across or gloss that tells you what a healthy koi is and should be.

Jackie that chagoi is becoming a handfull in short time. :grin: Looking good too!

[Jackie Ramo]

Ian, that's an old pic of him, taken when he went into the pond last spring!!! As you know after getting him in the fall he overwintered in the greenhouse with Tweet. He's more than a handful now. I do believe he grew under the ice as well. I expect he will be the biggest in the pond by the end of this summer.