Koi Fry: Global Prices, Varieties, Selection and Care
Many people believe that koi can bring good luck. Koi are a high-end ornamental fish popular around the world today, and they are also a highly adaptable fish that can be raised in almost every region of China. So how much does a koi fry usually cost? What varieties are there? How should you choose one? How should you care for it?
There is no uniform standard for the price of koi fry; prices vary according to variety, pattern, texture and so on. Generally, koi fry around 5 cm cost 1-2 yuan, those around 10 cm are basically around 20 yuan, and high-quality koi with good color and good body shape, about 20 cm long, range from 200-800 yuan. But prices vary enormously depending on body shape, pattern, color and so on. Some particularly high-quality koi with especially fine bodies and good looks often sell for several thousand to tens of thousands, and some rare top-grade koi cost several hundred thousand or even over a million yuan each, while some very ordinary koi cost only a little over ten yuan each.
The “local culls” on the koi market (koi screened out by farms; these fish are poorer in quality, so they are eliminated to be raised elsewhere, or sold cheaply, and if they cannot be sold they just keep growing bigger) generally range from 3-5-10 yuan.
Common koi varieties
1. Kohaku: the orthodox representative of koi, with red markings set into pure white skin, bright and eye-catching. According to their markings and lines, they are further divided into Inazuma Kohaku, Nidan Kohaku, Sandan Kohaku, Yondan Kohaku and Ippon Kohaku, Napoleon, Fuji Kohaku, and so on.
2. Taisho Sanke: Taisho Sanke shows red and black markings on a white base, with the basic requirements being that the head has only red markings and no black spots, and the pectoral fins have black stripes. More valuable Taisho Sanke include Kuchibeni Sanke, Fuji Sanke, and so on.
3. Showa Sanshoku: Showa Sanshoku is a top-grade fine koi, a three-colored koi with red and white patterns on a black base and black spots at the base of the pectoral fins. It is gorgeous and vigorous, full of masculine beauty, with bright red markings, and black markings like ink brushed on, deep and rich black, with a huge body and full of impact.
4. Utsuri: the markings of Utsuri resemble colored characters written on a blackboard. Those showing triangular white markings on a black base are called Shiro Utsuri, those showing triangular yellow markings are called Ki Utsuri, and those with orange-red are called Hi Utsuri.
5. Bekko: Bekko is the opposite of Utsuri, with black markings and varied base colors. Shiro Bekko is white with black markings, Ki Bekko is yellow with black markings, and Aka Bekko is red with black markings.
6. Asagi: Asagi is a descendant of the cross between the light yellow koi and the German mirror carp. The head is pale blue, clear and pure, the back is deep blue like a bright blue sky, and the tip of the nose, face, belly and base of the fins are all accented with red spots, making it even more beautiful. The better-known ones include Hana Asagi, Hi Asagi, and so on.
7. Koromo: Koromo refers to those koi that put on a beautiful outer garment over their original color. For example, Ai Koromo has a blue net-like pattern shaped like this month on the rear edge of the red scales, and Sumi Koromo is a variety produced by crossing Kohaku or Sanke with Asagi.
8. Hikari Utsuri: Hikari Utsuri is the offspring of a cross between Utsuri and Ogon, mostly with a metallic luster; its color patches are similar to those of the Utsuri type, with large markings on the body, and its representative types are Kin Showa and Gin Showa.
9. Ginrin and Kinrin: Ginrin and Kinrin refer to koi with glittering gold or silver scales on the body. These scales accent the colored markings, making the colors more brilliant and more luxurious and noble.
10. Tancho: Tancho is a prominent ornamental focal point, gorgeous and elegant. The more valuable ones include Tancho Kohaku, which is snow-white all over with only a round red spot on the head, and Tancho Sanke, which has a round red spot on the head and Bekko black markings on the body.
Determining the age of koi
1. If you want the exact age, you can look at the growth rings on the fish scales. The shape of the growth rings is similar to that of trees, ring by ring, but you need a magnifying glass or microscope to see them, and newly grown scales are also inaccurate. This part is the same for all fish.
2. If you only want a rough estimate of whether the fish is old or young, look at its eyes. Generally, among fish of the same body size, those with larger eyes are younger, and you can also look at the black part of the fish eye; the more black there is, the older it is.
3. Koi also have an additional indicator in body color. Generally, mature fish have more stable and more solid body color and texture.
Koi have a broad diet and are omnivorous fish. They also breed very easily, by methods no different from ordinary carp. However, cultivating one truly high-quality “meito” koi is a goal that many ordinary breeders dream of achieving. In the past, as koi producers, people focused on how to produce more fry and more commercial fish, while feeling at a loss about how to improve product quality and raise the high-quality rate. Although some also carried out so-called selection, because they had not mastered the real selection techniques, they kept what should have been culled and culled what should have been kept, so the results were very small, and in the end they still produced a large pile of inferior fish, wasting time, water surface and feed, and failing to obtain the benefits they should have.
At present, in the domestic market, a koi of the year about 20 cm long can sell for up to a thousand yuan if it is a fine fish, and Grade A fish also sell for over a hundred yuan; mixed-grade ones are 3-5 yuan each, while inferior ones are 6-20 yuan per kilogram. On the international market, the price of fine fish can reach more than 20,000 yuan. It can be seen that in the same farming area, using almost the same feed, the results obtained by careful selection and by no selection are worlds apart.
How to choose koi
1. Health: no matter what kind of fish you buy, choose those that swim agilely, eat actively, have a well-proportioned and sturdy build, broad shoulders, a thick mouth and a powerful caudal peduncle. Among other things, as long as the fish is healthy, the raising process is sure to reduce troubles with disease.
2. Body color: whether a koi has excellent genes is most directly reflected in its body color, and the requirement for koi body color is only that it be rich and vivid: white should be cottony, pure and warm, red should be vivid as blood, and black should be dense and not scattered.
3. Markings: different varieties of koi already have clear requirements for markings. For example, red should not pass the nose and should not go below the eyes; Taisho black does not go onto the head; Showa must have a menkui, and so on.
4. Body shape: the body shape of koi should be smooth. Only with a good body shape can there be good swimming posture. Generally, first look at the head, then look at the performance of the koi’s tail, and finally look at the overall performance of the koi’s body.
How to care for koi
1. Water quality management: koi are not strict about water temperature or water quality, and are suited to living in slightly alkaline water with low hardness. But as the saying goes, “to keep fish, first keep the water,” so do not underestimate water quality. You should know that most koi diseases are caused by poor water quality.
2. Water temperature management: the water temperature range for koi is 2-30°C, and the most suitable water temperature is 20-25°C. In water at this temperature, koi swim actively, have a strong appetite, are sturdy in constitution, and brightly colored.
3. Stocking density: when raising koi, pay attention to density. Generally, a 60×30×15 cm aquarium can keep 6 koi of 15-20 cm body length, a 90×30×50 one can hold 8, and a 110×30×50 cm one can hold 10.
4. Feeding: koi are similar to goldfish in terms of care, and can be fed twice a day. In different seasons of the year, increase or decrease the amount of bait according to temperature. Generally, you can feed fish worms, pellet feed, small earthworms and other bait, but do not feed too much; about 80 percent full is enough.
5. Fish disease prevention and treatment: common koi diseases include water mold, gill rot, enteritis, and dropsy. Pay attention to administering the corresponding drugs and so on to improve the situation. Although koi diseases are unavoidable, it is still recommended to do a good job of preventing koi diseases.
6. Four-season management
1) Spring: the weather turns warm but is still cold. Koi begin to revive from hibernation and should be moved from indoors to outdoors, but pay attention to sudden temperature drops, cover with film in time, and keep the water temperature stable. Feed mainly plant-based bait, and increase the amount gradually from small amounts.
2) Summer: the weather is hot and scorching. Plastic shade netting must be added to prevent direct sunlight, reducing sunlight intensity from 8000-12000 lux to 5500-5800 lux, which is most suitable.
3) Autumn: the weather has little rain and much sunshine, and the water temperature clearly drops. This is the most suitable time for koi growth. You can increase the proportion of animal protein, such as silkworm pupae. Increase the feeding amount to promote rapid growth.
4) Winter: the weather is relatively cold. When the temperature drops to 0°C, koi should be moved indoors to a fish pond in time to overwinter, and the indoor water temperature should be kept at 2-10°C, with appropriate feeding to maintain condition and prevent disease.