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triangle koi fish picture

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Injecting Koi Fish

There are three injection sites on a Koi, Intraperoteneal (IP), Intramuscular (IM), and Intravenous (IV). IP is the most common  and the most effective method. Antibiotics or vaccines injected into the peritoneal cavity are absorbed into the fish’s system slowly as opposed to oral medication which will mostly pass straight through.



IM is the second choice for injection and is used if the Koi has ulcers that have broken through to the body cavity. Any medication injected into the peritoneal cavity in a fish of this condition could drain out through the ulcer. The draw back to IM is that the muscle tissue of the fish will contract and force some of the injected material to be squeezed back out the injection site. IM can sometimes leave visible welts from trauma to the muscle tissue.

1.Intraperoteneal (IP) Koi Injections

The actual IP injection is performed by injecting in the abdomen at a 45 degree angle between the caudal fins and the anal vent. The needle points towards the head of the fish and enters approximately 2/3 of the way from the anal vent, 1/3 back from the caudal fins (see Drawing 1). Insert the needle quickly, plung smooth but quick, & withdraw the needle. You may fill some resistance from cartlidge below the skins surface. If the fish is large and the cartlidge difficult to penetrate, you can insert the needle slightly to one side of the center line.

You can not avoid hitting a scale, so don’t waist time searching around with the needle. Scales will grow back if lost and since you are injecting on the underside of the fish, any temporary damage will not be visible.

The beauty of the IP injection performed under sedation is that the fish does not thrash about. Without the thrashing, you will not lacerate an organ. In addition, with the fish relaxed & upside down, the organs tend to settle out of the way a bit. You might still puncture an organ, but with the fine needle pushed in and pulled out cleanly, there will be little danger. I have never lost a fish from injecting this method.

2. Intramuscular (IM) Koi  Injections

Intramuscular (IM) Injections

The IM injection is performed with similar needle angle and direction, but it is in the muscular tissue along and to the side of the dorsal fin (see Drawing 2). With a muscular injection, you must keep the needle in the muscle tissue and press the plunger as you with draw the needle giving room for the fluid to enter. Because of this, the needle must be inserted deeply.


2.1 Dorsal muscle

Dorsal Muscle Injections

This injection site offers the opportunity for deep Intra Muscular injections. Slip the needle underneath a scale, aiming towards the nose of the fish and administer the injection. Keep some pressure on the injection site with a thumb for a few seconds to ensure better distribution of the antibiotics and to prevent it from being forced out by contracting muscles. Topical treatment can be applied to the injection site to prevent bacterial infection. Some scales may be lost because of the possibility of a non-contagious cyst that can develop, or a scale that has been pierced will be dislodged when the needle is extracted. This site is risky from an aesthetical point of view and is not recommended for valuable koi.


2.2. Caudal muscle

Caudal Muscle Injections

This injection site offers the opportunity for injection into the red muscle of the fish that will ensure rapid distribution of the antibiotics through the fish. The needle is also slipped underneath a scale. The procedure is similar to the injection into the dorsal muscle, and is also not recommended for valuable fish.



2.3. Base of the dorsal fin

The injection site is located at the rear of the dorsal fin, just behind the last fin ray. There are no scales at this site and offers an injection site without the immediate risk of scale losses. If a non-contagious cyst develops, scales may be lost. Insert the needle just behind and slightly to the side if the last fin ray, aiming towards the front of the fish at a 45-degree angle. Because this is also an IM injection, apply a little pressure to the injection site when the needle is withdrawn.


2.4. Pectoral muscle

An injection into the pectoral muscle is the best injection site for an IM injection, mainly because any cysts will be hidden from view and there are no scales. As with all injection sites, this one is also not without risk. Some medications are harsh on muscle tissue and the muscle of a fish may harden, rendering the fin immobile, especially in smaller fish. It however remains the IM injection of choice if the visual damage must remain as little as possible. The accompanying photo demonstrates how the pectoral fin is lifted away from the body exposing the muscle. The injection is administered and the injection site lightly massaged to ensure even distribution of the antibiotic. Topical treatment can also be applied to the injection site to prevent bacterial infection.

The injection site is located at the rear of the dorsal fin, just behind the last fin ray. There are no scales at this site and offers an injection site without the immediate risk of scale losses. If a non-contagious cyst develops, scales may be lost. Insert the needle just behind and slightly to the side if the last fin ray, aiming towards the front of the fish at a 45-degree angle. Because this is also an IM injection, apply a little pressure to the injection site when the needle is withdrawn.




3. Intravenous Koi Injections

Intravenous Injections (IV), Some antibiotics are developed for injection directly into the bloodstream, because it loses it's effectiveness quickly. This can be achieved through an intravenous injection to the base of the caudal fin. The main problem that one experience with this specific injection is the ability to penetrate the vein that runs through the centre of the fish. The best way to determine when the needle is placed correctly is to turn the fish upside down and then to insert the needle at the base of the caudal fin. If you draw the plunger back a little, blood should be entering the syringe. When this happens, the plunger can be depressed and the antibiotic will be deposited into the bloodstream. This should not be attempted unless it is absolutely necessary.

Intravenous Injections

Source:
- http://www.lonestarkoi.com/Articles/needles.html
- http://www.koi4u.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=49

Koi Pond With Waterfall

Koi Pond With Wide Waterfall

Although in no approach reduction fantastic than a H2O fountains, waterfalls upon a side or dilemma of a grassed area is located. However, this is wholly unsentimental reasons: a waterfalls, as against to a sources, need walls as a bottom prior to they can operate. Artful raise of stones have been used as a basement for a cases since they used a healthy demeanour add. You have a choice, though if we would have use of fabrication or healthy stones for a waterfall. Who would.

Koi Pond with smooth Waterfall

Waterfall

Source:
1.http://www.homeexteriorinterior.com/backyard-landscaping-ideas-water-fountains-waterfalls-or-garden-ponds/
2. http://fine-fare.blogspot.com/
3.

TREATING KOI FISH WITH SALT

When you have selected the correct bowl for the job in hand - always put enough water in the bowl so that the Koi can move freely in the normal upright manner .. then you will need to add some anesthetic - just enough to gently put the Koi to sleep whilst you go to work on the infected, or damaged, area. It is always hard to advise people on how much anesthetic to use ... it depends on many things ... mainly how big the fish to be treated is ... the temperature of the water and how much water is in the bowl ... and how healthy the fish is .... but it is important that you do not put too much anesthetic in the bowl and the fish is almost unconscious as soon as it hits the water ..

It is far better to add a measure of anesthetic when the Koi has settled down in the bowl and see how the Koi reacts during the next few minutes and if the fish shows no sign of the affects of the anesthetic then add just a little bit more .. Eventually the Koi will lay on its side but at this stage the fish is not completely under the anesthetic and should be left in the solution until the fish can be lifted just clear of the water in your open hand(s) and if the fish then struggles or flaps then place the fish back into the bowl. When it can be lifted out carefully lay the fish on a wet towel ready for treatment. If you are in any doubt then we advise that you seek professional help and guidance.

N.B. Anesthetic's are dangerous and should be handled with the utmost care and placed well out of children's reach when not in use - locked in a medical cabinet if possible. We can supply a completely safe and easy to use anesthetic - see 'Medicine Chest' ...

We do not intend within this first section to discuss the manner to treat the various problems that your Koi may need during their life- but we do discuss this subject elsewhere - but, of course, we are quite willing to try to assist anyone and give our opinion and guidance on the treatment of a particular problem ... please email us if you wish to use this free service ... or seek other professional opinion.

TOPICAL DRESSINGS

Again there are many topical dressings, as such, that can be obtained from a good Koi Dealer who hopefully will give sound advice on their use. Many people use Malachite Green to place on the infected area with reasonably good results. Others may have their own particular brand of dressing that they already use and quite happy with them and we do have a good selection of such dressings and treatments - details of which are all contained within the subject surrounding 'Medications' ... but for those of you who are just starting out in the world of Koi - or you just can't find the right Topical Dressing - then we offer what we consider to be the most effective dressings that we have found to date - the test results that we have run over the past 18 months are conclusive and we wholeheartedly endorse this product and highly recommend it to our many customers. it is ... the KOI DOC Click here

SALT as a Medication:

Salt is probably one of the best forms of pond and water treatment available and at a very minimal cost ... and salt added to any pond or tank at the rate of 1/2 ounce to the gallon is extremely beneficial ... but please seek advice from your Koi Dealer before increasing the dosage rate for whatever reason you may think...

A salt bath is often the cure for many minor problems, like gill infections, raised scales caused by a bacterial infection, ulcers on the body etc .. .and a salt bath cannot do any harm to the Koi providing you don't go over the top with the salt levels ... and depending on the severity of the problem we suggest a salt bath with a level of between 1.5 ounces per gallon to 2.5 ounces per gallon .. but as salt can act as an anesthetic after a period of time, then I suggest that you do not place the Koi into the bowl and walk away - otherwise you may return to find it is too late to recover the Koi ..

BUT if you are using Salt as a Medication Bath then you MUST ensure that there is plenty of air supply in the water - using at least a single 2" air stone - oxygen is extremely important as salt in the water, especially at the higher levels, depletes the oxygen levels very rapidly.

Also NEVER use salt in the water if you have any 'Formalin' present in that water, which you may have been using for other treatments .. many times you may get away with this - but salt reacts with the Formalin and causes stress related problems to the Koi under treatment .. if you are unsure that please contact us for further advise before you use these salt baths or decide to run your system even with the low salt level of 1/2" ounce per gallon ..

Many customers and Koi enthusiasts we know maintain their ponds and tanks constantly at this salt level throughout the year .. others only at certain times of the year. But there is little doubt that a level of salt of 1/2 ounce per gallon is beneficial, and let me stress that Salt will not hurt the Koi at all ... A salt level within the system keeps the gills free from congestion problems which of course is one of the possibly causes of a secondary infection... so I am personally a big advocate for using salt ...

One of the best know treatments for Koi that have been transported for long periods of time, say from a Japan etc .. or from a dealer who may be quite away from you ... and one that we certainly always used upon the arrival of any new stocks from Japan, was to use ELBAGIN AND SALT .. the Elbagin calms the fish down and helps them get over the stress of the journey whilst the salt helps clear congestion from the gills etc

To be able to assess the correct amount per gallon - and to maintain that level - you will need a 'Salt Tester' or a Salt Meter, which will then give you a reasonably accurate dosage rate for salt and enable you to keep that level steady..

It is possible to buy a Salt Tester for a few pounds, but a 'Good' Salt Meter can cost you quite a lot of money - but a simple Salt Tester, which works similar to a hydrometer and will give you the specific gravity.

Please take a look at these Salt Meters if you don't already have one - it will become an important part of your Medical Cabinet - just click on the Product details listed below to see further details on that particular salt meter/tester



Source:

http://www.koicarp.net/koi_medication/treating_koi.html

Quarantine Koi Fish

New Koi Fish can be carrying parasites, and in rare cases systemic infections (internal problems) and although the Japanese breeders and koi dealers in the U.K. normally treat fish when they first arrive, there is no guarantee that problems will not occur after you have purchased your koi. The induced stress of their long journey, and radically different water quality can inhibit the immune system response in newly arrived koi fish. This can lead to parasite attacks , and ultimately bacterial infections.

However, we should bear in mind that the vast majority of koi are strong and healthy when they are first harvested in Japan, and are not riddled with parasites or infection.  Most problems occur because of the induced stress of up to 24 hours in a plastic bag during transit to the U.K, and because of substantially differing water conditions, in particular pH and general hardness.

During the journey, your new koi has almost certainly been subjected to water temperature changes of 15 deg. C over a 24 hour period which adds to the stress problem.

Therefore, rather than treating problems after they occur, we need to get the koi 'comfortable' in their new environment as quickly as possible, to ensure that their own immune system is working properly, so that they can fight of any potential problems without human intervention.

Many people run into self induced problems when quarantining new fish simply because they are unaware of the level of aftercare required for their new purchase and assume their new Koi will look after itself. The single most common cause of problems in our view is quarantining fish in a vat or pond which is too small.

There is a well publicised view that a quarantine facility of between 250 - 500 gallons is adequate for quarantine purposes. This may be the case if you only have 4 or 5 small koi to quarantine, but not for anything else.

In our view your quarantine facility should be minimum 1000 gallons with temperature control and a mature filter. Setting up you quarantine facility 3 weeks before the fish are due to arrive is asking for trouble.

Do's and Don'ts Quarantine Koi Fish

1. Do have your quarantine facility ready for the job, the larger the better with a mature filter.
2. Do carry out regular water changes.
3. Do monitor for ammonia and nitrite regularly.
4. Do take scrapes to ensure an appropriate treatment regime.
5. Do observe your new koi's behaviour
6. Do provide adequate aeration.
7.Don't quarantine your new prize 26" koi in 500 gallons of water!
8. Don't use chemicals on your new arrivals until they have settled in.
9. Don't use dips - they are very stressful and not particularly effective.
10.Don't quarantine single fish - koi are gregarious and are happiest with company.
11.Don't use chemicals indiscriminately - use an appropriate remedy for the specific problem encountered.
12.Don't subject your koi to fluctuating temperatures or other water parameters.
13. Don't overfeed the Koi, - once per day @ 17 deg C is quite adequate.

We recommend the following quarantine regime
1. Adequate facility, mature filter, temperature controlled.
2. Five days before new fish arrive dose quarantine pond with chloramine T or Virkon S to disinfect and reduce bacteria count.
3. Carry out 10-20% water change immediately prior to arrival of new stocks.
4. Introduce new fish and allow to settle in for minimum 3 days. During this period, use only salt at 0.5 oz per gallon and or Elbagin as a supportive treatment to help koi overcome stress. No other chemicals.
5 Take scrapes of selected koi and check for parasites.
6. Apply appropriate parasite treatment if required.
7. Maintain adequate aeration through the period of treatment.
8. Retake scrapes at the end of your parasite treatment. and re-dose if necessary.
9. Dose pond with chloramine T to reduce bacteria count.
10. Continue to carry out regular (at least every 5 days) 10% water changes.
11. Monitor for ammonia and nitrite readings regularly.
12. Maintain a stable temperature. (17.5 deg C or 64 deg F is recommended)


Source:
http://www.koicarp.org.uk/quarantine.htm

Koi Pond Water Temperature

Koi Fish and garden ponds are naturally heated up by the sun. Ponds with large volumes of water and/or deep water will take longer to heat up. Furthermore, water requires a lot of energy to heat it up so it will take many days of hot sun before a pond’s temperature warms up. Conversely, the pond will keep its temperature for several weeks after the first cold snap of autumn. Koi Fish , like all fish, cannot control their body temperature, so whatever the water temperature is will be the temperature of fish, too.


Koi are naturally warm-water fish and, in the UK, they are on the edge of their tolerable conditions. Unsurprisingly, they visibly respond to warm water and all their natural processes are geared to temperatures around 18–22°C (such as breeding, digestion and growth). Koi are much more active and responsive when it’s warm, leading many people to artificially heat their ponds.

High temperatures are not without their problems, though. Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water (see the Dissolved oxygen section), but because all the processes in a Koi are going faster when the fish is warm, its need for oxygen is greater. Therefore, in warm water, Koi can have oxygen shortages and might come to the top of the pond (where there is relatively more oxygen) to breathe. Also, in warm water some pollutants (see the Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate section) are more toxic and more likely to poison fish.

Cold water, of course, will contain more oxygen and some toxins are less harmful, but Koi will naturally slow down as it gets colder. Below 10°C, a Koi’s systems are on ‘tick over’. It will not digest particularly well so it feeds less. Its immune system, which protects a Koi against disease-causing organisms, is very limited in cold water so outbreaks can occur.

Heating a pond does keep fish more active for the whole of the year. It also means they grow all-year round. On the other hand, it is expensive and it is not an environmentally sound practice. If you do decide to heat your pond, make sure the fish have a cool period for a month or so in the winter because this lets a Koi’s body clock set itself to the natural seasons.


Source:
http://www.koimag.co.uk/advice/water-quality/koi-pond-water-temperature

Selecting And Culling Koi Fish

Why good Koi Fish are so expensive? The answers because the selection process to obtain good quality of koi is very long and complicated. From thousands of fry only a few are selected to be a good koi fish. Koi that have a standard specification of good koi very rare among thousand of tosai, selected Koi is the best. Breeding Koi starting with selecting good parent of koi, spawning process, and step by step selection and culling process by time and size of koi. The selection process will result koi with variety of quality. Koi with the best quality will be expensive and be winner in koi champion.

Culling Koi Fish

After Growing On in mud pond , tank or aqurium for about three weeks, koi fry start first culling process, remove any larger fry to another tank .The the basic recipe you can follow throughout all the culling procedures are Shape Culling, Color culling and Pattern Culling. Separate Koi fry with the jumbo growth with normal growth, because koi with rapid growth likely to win in food fight. Jumbo Fry become very aggressive especially if sufficient food is not provided. In this condition koi are small in size can not grow well.

Selecting Koi Fish

The first cull happens when the fish are 1 to 2 inches in length where the unmarketable fish are removed. Koi Fry with good color will be selected, then put into grow out ponds where they will continue to grow. Koi that do not pass the selection will be removed.

After an additional 45 days, the previously selected tosai are culled again. These fry are now 3 inches long. This culling is much easier – both because the patterns are much easier to see, and because there are so many fewer individuals to look through.

In an additional 70 days age to 3 months ,Koi Fish selected based on the pattern. Tategoi with the grade A pattern selected and kept again in the pond. This potential koi (tategoi) will keep up to jumbo size and ready to contest. To optimize the growth of Tategoi usually given koi food with Hi Growth type.

Reference :

1. Akca Library

Koi Fish Breeding

Koi Fish Breeding start with Select good Parent. Kois are selected as the parent if it really age. Female Koi must have egg in it's stomach for 6 until 9 month. The female is most important to the baby’s conformation. Female Must have jumbo size, approximately 75 cm in size. Male parent must have a good quality skin and color. The ratio of male and female is a 1 female and 2-3 male. The female koi deposits her eggs approximately 100,000 per kilogram of her body weight. As a general rule, Koi need to be three years old and at least 0.5kg to mature, although males can mature younger and smaller than this. When female Koi start to mature the eggs inside their body cavities and visibly start to swell and fill out around the abdomen.

Koi Spawning

Koi will try to spawn if the water in warm condition, in temperature 20 c. Naturaly Female lay egg in the submerged weed in koi pond. If there is no submerged weed in your pond, the addition of some artificial spawning rope at the right time will be sufficient to encourage Koi. It is usually best to add this substrate a week to 10 days before your Koi spawn. Preparing your pond to allow the fish to spawn is fairly straightforward. Koi prepare to spawn will notice males chasing a female, nudging her side with their mouths. The female will occasionally stop and suck at the sides of the pond in an attempt to clean an area on which she can deposit her eggs. This is the time to gently lower the spawning ropes into the pond. Spread out the coils of rope into a fanlike shape and anchor them to the side of the pond.

During this time it is best to leave the fish to it, although you can make sure they avoid too much damage by removing anything from the pond that they might bang into; including plant pots or any ornaments and light fittings. It is best to leave any water features such as fountains and waterfalls switched on, as the water currents they create will help the fish. To actually spawn, your female fish will run through the spawning substrate, attracting the attention of the males, who will then follow in close attendance.

After a short while, the female will release batches of eggs into the substrate and the males will release clouds of milt to fertilise them. The eggs must be fertilised within 20 seconds of them being laid, so the males must be very close by and ready once they are.When they have finished spawning, the females hang head down, respiring heavily, and the other fish will become less excited. Koi are not good parents and unless remove the eggs from the pond quickly before they will begin to eat them.

Feeding Koi should be suspended during the days that the fish are actively spawning, although in reality the fish normally stop feeding altogether as they start the major spawning periode.
Incubating Koi eggs

After Spawning process finished, remove the spawning ropes and carefully place them in a vat for incubation. Fertilized eggs will hatch within4- 5 days. Koi Fry will instinctively seek shelter and hide in any cover they can find. The spawning ropes are ideal for this. We Can give Hard-boiled egg yolk for koi fry food for the first day.This has very little dietary value, but will increase the size of the stomach. Newly hatched brine shrimp larvae are also a good food source for young Koi fry. Start feeding the brine shrimp when the Koi are about one week old. After another week or so, the Koi will be ready for a mash diet (the powder dust that is left after the manufacturing process of fish food).

During this first feeding stage, You will need to remove accumulated debris and waste frequently. Fresh water should add regularly to the vat to remove nitrates and ammonia. After three or four weeks, the fry will have grown to 5-10 mm in length and will be starting to take larger quantities of more generously sized foods. In this age usually kept in the pond mud, aquarium or tank.

Prepare A Quarantine Tank For Koi Fish

Ah, yes, the often dismissed but very necessary part of the Koi fish hobby, the infamous quarantine tank. Do you really need one to be successful in this hobby?

For freshwater fish as Koi  you may be able to get by without having one. Freshwater fish are generally more suited to captivity because they are usually tank raised and don't seem to break out in disease as readily as their saltwater counterparts. However, if newly acquired fish do come down with something, you will surely wish that you had one ready to go. One newly bought Koi  fish that is introduced to your main tank can easily wipe out the entire tank population. Better safe than sorry, right?


For saltwater aquarium keepers, I would say that you definitely need a quarantine tank. Marine specimens are mostly wild caught and not used to being kept in captivity. Their journey to a dealers tank is usually much longer and much more stressful for them. Stressed out fish will usually come down with some kind of disease if they don't simply die from the whole ordeal. Saltwater fish keepers will usually have other things in the main display tank such as invertebrates and live rock, that they don't want to expose to the harsh medicines necessary to treat one or two fish. Some medicines can wipe out all of the invertebrates in a tank, so be sure to research any medicine before using it in your tank.

Quarantine Tank Setup
You don't need to go all out here. A simple tank size of 10 - 20 gallons will suffice for most people. If you have larger fish then obviously you want to get a bigger quarantine tank. All you really need is a bare bones setup with the following equipment:

* Some type of filtration (a hang on the back of the tank power filter will work, just use filter floss without the carbon since carbon will remove medication from the water, being counter productive)
* Heater
* A powerhead and/or an airstone for increased surface agitation
* Test Kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
* Fish Net - don't use the same net for your main tank

Fill the quarantine tank with water from the main tank and then turn everything on in the quarantine tank.

Freshwater Fish (Koi Fish) Quarantine
For newly acquired freshwater fish like as Koi Fish you will want to acclimate them to the water in the quarantine tank and monitor them very closely for a period of two to three weeks. Monitor the water parameters with your test kits and check for signs of parasites or bacterial infections.

If the newly acquired Koi fish does come down with something you will need to use the appropriate medication and you will need to keep them in quarantine for a further two weeks to make sure that you have indeed treated them effectively. If after a few weeks no problems develop, you can then acclimate them to the main tank water and then introduce them.

If a Koi  fish comes down with something while in your main tank, just net them and plop them into the quarantine tank. There should be no need to acclimate them because you used water from your main tank. If you didn't use water from the main tank you will need to acclimate them to the quarantine tank water. Diagnose the problem/disease and treat appropriately. After the disease clears up you will still want to keep the fish in quarantine for a week or so monitoring the water parameters with your test kits the whole time.

Saltwater Fish Quarantine
For newly acquired saltwater fish you will want to acclimate them to the water in the quarantine tank and monitor them very closely for a period of two to three weeks. Monitor the water parameters with your test kits and check for signs of parasites or bacterial infections.

If the newly acquired fish does come down with something you will need to use the appropriate medication and you will need to keep them in quarantine for a further two weeks to make sure that you have indeed treated them effectively. If after a few weeks no problems develop, you can then acclimate them to the main tank water and then introduce them.

If a fish comes down with something while in your main tank, just net them and plop them into the quarantine tank. There should be no need to acclimate them because you used water from your main tank. If you didn't use water from the main tank you will need to acclimate them to the quarantine tank water. Diagnose the problem/disease and treat appropriately. After the disease clears up you will still want to keep the fish in quarantine for a week or so monitoring the water parameters with your test kits the whole time.

Always have some extra saltwater ready in case you need to perform an emergency water change. Remember, you want to monitor those water parameters frequently (daily or at least once every two days). Many saltwater hobbyists always have saltwater ready just in case. You never want to mix up saltwater and add it right away. Freshly mixed saltwater can be fairly toxic to fish, in turn causing you more problems.

Conclusion
Freshwater hobbyists may get away with not using a quarantine tank, but saltwater hobbyists would be crazy not using one. Save yourself some money, headaches and especially the fish by having a quarantine tank. The fish in your main tank will thank you for it.

Author Bio
Mike is an editor at FishLore.com. Designed for beginners, FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more! www.FishLore.com - Tropical Fish Information

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Golden Koi, Hikari Mono

These are all metallic and “one” colored koi Fish. They are known collectively as “Ogon”. Hikari means shiny or metallic, and mono means one. Ogon means “golden”. You may often hear variations of the name to include “muji”, which also means “one”. It may seem like a “double emphasis” to say Hikari Mujimono, but it is still considered a correct variety name. I guess some people really want you to know that it really is just the one color. Then just to confuse us all, koi that have a matsuba (a black netting pattern, with the black at the center of the scale) pattern, but have one “primary” color are also in this group.

Koi like Gin (silver) Matsuba Ogon and Kin (gold) Matsuba Ogon are the more common examples of these. The Gin Matsuba has been called the “Leopard Ogon”, because the black centered scales can look to many people like leopard markings. The Kin Matsuba Ogon actually looks to me like it is more an Orange color, and Ray Armstrong in our club has an outstanding example swimming in his pond.Ogons come in many colors. The most common are Purachina (platinum or white), and Yamabuki (bright yellow or almost gold), but other stable types include the Cream (pale gold), Nezu (grey), Orenji (deep metallic orange), Hi (metallic red), and lesser known ones like Mukashi (bronze), and Kuro (metallic black). The original color was“Saffron”, which is supposed to be a golden orange, but I have never had the privilege of seeing this type. They can come in Doitsu varieties also. They may also have kin-gin-rin scales, but these koi are usually moved into the “Gin Rin B” class for koi shows.

Ogons are one of the easiest koi to see a skin quality that separates truly outstanding koi of all types, and just really good ones. It is called fukurin, or amine. Once you have seen with your own eyes this quality, one can work at picking it out in patterned koi. It can easily be confused with gin rin, or metallic,even by accomplished koi keepers and judges. But it is not the same. It is difficult to describe without an outstanding live example in front of you, but I will try. I am referring to a fine netting effect over the koi’s body. The layering effect of skin and scales, the subtle or dramatic difference in pigmentation and luster between the layers, and the difference in light reflection by scales and surrounding skin, all combine to produce this attractive effect. One should first look at the skin on the back of the koi, and then between the scales to distinguish this in your mind and “eye”.

This is where it is most obvious, but Ogon with visible fukurin extending to the belly area are said to be highly valuable. Once you have “seen it” you will not forget it. It is what makes a koi “pop out” in a pond. That indescribable “something special” that someone who has not studied koi and fukurin in depth will talk about.

They don’t know what exactly is different about a particular koi, but they know it is different. The difference is fukurin.Because these koi only have one color, the standard is quite severe. Of course, the basic requirements of koi appreciation must be present. Conformation and skin quality is all there is to judge on, because there is no pattern. They are more obvious if they are “not there” and therefore critical. Conformation interacts with skin quality for metallic koi in a unique way. The higher the luster, or reflective finish, the better quality is the skin. At the same time, the harder is the outline, and more demanding of the basic shape. The flat reflective finish is far more unforgiving in terms of imperfections, than the soft, non-reflective skin of other varieties. The outlines of metallic koi appear harder, very strongly defined.

For example,the rounded, trailing edge of the pectoral fin is almost transparent in many non-metallic varieties, especially younger fish, making a deviation from the perfect line hardly noticeable.A metallic koi, however, has solid looking, highly visible fins right to the tips. Poor quality Ogons unfortunately abound, and are often unfairly marketed as “rare” or “unique”.

Early Ogon types such as “Kin or Gin Kabuto”, which have a light colored head and a black “horseshoe” marking, and black body or black edged scales (not matsuba) are ones to watch out for. Ogons are among the fastest growing, and friendliest koi of all the varieties. This is often credited to their closeness to the original Magoi in breeding. If one wants their koi to hand feed, one common “strategy” is to buy an Ogon as they are usually
the most bold. The other koi will often follow the “lead” of the Ogon and be much friendlier. One of the most famous breeders of Jumbo Yamabuki Ogons in Japan is Izumiya, and for Platinum Ogons, is Choguro, both of the Niigata area. Our “Akachan” (baby) is from Izumiya, and sadly both breeder’s koi houses took major damage in last fall’s earthquake. Hopefully, they will recover and continue, as their koi have a distinctive and powerful presence that would
be missed.

When looking for a young Ogon, there are some important factors to concentrate on.
- Start with the head, as with most koi. It must be very clean, almost “bald”, with no spots or stains, and a highly reflective surface. Older Ogons tend to develop darker areas, and small pits on the head, which are not desirable. I like to see older siblings of any koi, if possible, when selecting koi. Gives one a “glimpse” into the future possibilities of the koi.
- The scales, and particularly the pectoral fins, must have the brightest possible shine to them. The shape of the pectoral fins is critical, and should appear large and well formed.
- The scale pattern must be perfect and symmetrical, leading the eye toward the tail. The light netting effect, already described, tends to highlight the neatness of the scaling very attractively.

Hikari Mono, or Ogon, are very popular among novice koi keepers and are one of the first types of koi many of us have bought. The trend is move away from these koi as one’s taste becomes more “refined”. Very serious koi keepers often move “back” to Ogons because of their quiet charm, the generally big size they achieve, and because to have an absolutely flawless example is an achievement in itself.We find that the contrast of a nice Ogon in a pond makes all the koi stand out and now find them an essential part of any complete collection.



Taken From :
Selecting a Young Hikari Mono, by BobWinkler, AKCA Certified Judge with Credit to Kate McGill, BKKS and ZNA Certified Judge