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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 11 May 2009 00:41 |
 What's in a Name?
The Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa varieties of Koi are collectively the Gosanke. In this case, the “go” does not mean f ive, but refers to three noble Japanese families. Gosanke have the highest quality of skin and colour of all Koi. For this reason, grand champions are usually these varieties. A Kohaku is a white Koi with red pattern markings while Sanke and Showa are three-coloured Koi—red, black, and white. Showa and Sanke appeal to all types of hobbyist, especially those who want to show their Koi and compete for top awards. It is not easy to raise a Koi with three colours of high quality. For those that can achieve this feat, there is the possibility of having a grand champion. Hobbyists and even benching teams sometimes have difficulty in deciding whether a Koi is a Sanke or a Showa. People often say that a Sanke is a white Koi with red and black pattern markings and a Showa is a black Koi with red and white pattern markings. It is true that breeders keep the all black Showa fry at the first cull. However, this does not help to distinguish larger Koi exhibiting all three colours. |
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Nidaime Koi-shi: 2nd Generation Koi Breeder |
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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 10 May 2009 06:21 |
 Mitsunori Isa of Isa Koi Farm opens up
Whether you’ve raised Japanese Koi for years or just started, no doubt you’ve heard of Isa Koi Farm. Due to the popularity of Showa, many breeders specialize in this variety, but few are as famous as Isa Koi Farm. Along with Dainichi Koi Farm and Suzusei Koi Farm, Mitsunori Isa is definitely one of the top Showa breeders. Mr. Hajime Isa, the farm’s founder, was a former chief of Niigata district of Zen Nippoin Nishikigoi Shinkokai, or the All Japan Nishikigoi Breeders Association. He contributed to the industry as both a breeder and a leader. I am fortunate to have his Nidaime, or successor, for this interview, Mr. Mitsunori Isa.
Taro: When was Isa Koi Farm founded?
Mitsunori: My father started it when I was born, so that would be around 1970-71.
Taro: So, Isa Koi Farm is 38 years old and your
father is the founder.
Mitsunori: Yes. Some breeders in Niigata have been here for generations. There are many third and fourth generation Koi breeders. In that sense, our farm is still young.
Taro: I know your Showa is great, but do you breed other varieties, too?
Mitsunori: Yes, we do. We breed Kohaku and Sanke, in addition to Showa.
Taro: I know many breeders produce five or more varieties to make more options available to dealer customers. But you focus only on Gosanke (Kohaku, Sanke and Showa). Why?
Mitsunori: We think it is better to focus on what we are good at. We would rather concentrate to improve our Showa instead of breeding okay quality Koi.
Taro: How many pairs do you have?
Mitsuhiro: I think we have somewhere between 15 to 20 pairs; 60% are Showa.
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DIY Sand/Gravel Fines Filter |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 08 May 2009 17:34 |
Yet another use for our beloved 55 gallon drums!
Koi hobbyists have been using several forms of sand and gravel filters for probably as long as they have been keeping Koi. These filters work great when fresh but with time they will pack, clog, and channel. Just standard back flushing just will not clean them up enough. A while back Kent Wallace of Living Water Solutions, also a contributor here at Koi Nations, came up with a design that I like and also uses an air blower to dislodge and flush all the trapped waste from the sand. This concept will keep your sand and gravel filter free from all the problems of the old style back wash filters. 
How It WorksWater flows up through different layers of gravel that get progressively smaller as they get to the top then finally through a layer of sand. There is a 2in/5.0cm water inlet from the pump in the bottom of the barrel and two 3in/ 7.6cm outlets in the top of the barrel. One outlet takes clean filtered water to the pond. The other outlet takes dirty water to waste. The top sand layer traps the waste. There is an air manifold in the bottom of the barrel that blows air up through the layers of gravel and sand when cleaning. This dislodges all the waste, flushing it out a different exit. The progressively finer layers of gravel keep the sand from mixing with the gravel when flushing. This is perhaps the best mechanical fines filter design I have seen. It also provides some bio-filtration. Here is my version of Kent’s design. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 11 May 2009 02:27 )
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