Tropical Fish Forums

[JWalk79]

I am reletively new to koi keeping, and I am finding them extremely interesting and lovely little (a word I use loosely) fish. I have one which is orange/red on a white field which I guess is known as the standard Kohaku markings. My other one (which I think is probably a male) is very interesting. He has an orange "mask" which covers his head with a few black speckles. His body is mostly white with black speckles and orange speckles. He also has large plate-like scales down his sides and along his dorsal ridge. He's a beautiful fish, but I have no idea whether he's a "breed" or if he's just a "mutt." Anyone know anything about IDing koi or any good sites which might help?

Thanks all!

[Oscer]

Can you post a pic
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Years of fish keeping = Good advice

[Myshuki]

Oscer beat me to it. Pictures would help 100%.
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29g - Misc. Fish
-Hopefully-
10g Saltwater

[nonamethefish]

With black and orange speckles he is likely some kind of mutt as those would be considered faults in show koi. Platelike scales means he is something along the lines of a breed of "Mirror Carp''(but I don't have the Japanese name on hand).

I'd like to see a photo too as he sounds like an interesting fish.
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46 gallon bowfront tank
10 gallon planted single species tank
10 gallon tank
plus all kinds of smaller containers

[JWalk79]

OK! Finally I think I got a picture which sort of shows what he looks like. I know he definetly is not a show quality koi- but he sure is a great "mutt"! This is certainly not the best picture but my digital camera doesn't have good settings for taking moving pictures. And my koi just won't sit still! But I think you get the jist!

Ladies and gentlemen- I give you....Sake (hey, he's a koi and koi are japanese, right? )




It doesn't show very well in this picture (my appologies!) but you can sort of make out the line of plate-like scales down his sides, and near his belly and also along the ridge of his back. Between these scales, he is scaleLESS. He looks so smooth- like a baby's bottom! Heehee.

[Oscer]

Well I don't think I've ever seen a koi like this, so you must be right, Sake's a "mutt", but still a beautiful fish
_________________
Years of fish keeping = Good advice

[nonamethefish]

Agreed...you could simply refer to him as a mirror carp. I think he looks almost like a shubunkin koi....
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46 gallon bowfront tank
10 gallon planted single species tank
10 gallon tank
plus all kinds of smaller containers

[Oscer]

What do you keep him with
_________________
Years of fish keeping = Good advice

[JWalk79]

Right now he has a companion named Panko who is also a koi- more of a Kohaku (red and white) style. They live in a 20 gallon I have set up because right now he and Panko are small- only about 2 1/2" inches (he looks bigger in the picture ). When they outgrow that (in like a few months) they are going into our outdoor pond. It's a good size- dunno exactly how big/how many gallons. Right now it's frozen over (gee, it snows in Buffalo?) so I can't really get into it, and don't want to shock them in the cold water. If they outgrow the pond, I plan to donate them to our Botanical Garden which has a HUGE indoor koi pond with lots of buddies for these guys.

[Oscer]

Sounds good, but