Buying koi now? I live in IL ...

[addy1]

I would love to find some butterfly comets. Those butterfly koi they have are beautiful.

 

[CountryEscape]

Addy, when I first started researching, I opened up a Word document to jot down info as I went along. One of the things I was interested in was the different types of goldfish, since I had a unique one with the 55 gal aquarium I bought. My notes say that Comets are the body of the common goldfish (hibuna) but with more slender bodies, and have long forked tails preferably as long as the body in an adult Comet! I have only bought calico Comets, which my notes say are American or Japanese/American Shubunkin. I love the long tails, and wish I had been more patient with my koi and only bought butterfly, but I love my koi and would never get rid of any of them. I do, however, have some really large Hibunas, and probably will net them all out and only keep the long-tailed Comets in the spring/summer next year. The great thing about this is that most of the babies are from my long tailed Shubunkin (which, btw, lost all of her black coloring, although she had lots of black when I first got her) and a really long tailed Sarasa! In fact, the one I know to be a male is gorgeous - solid white with large red spot on top of his head. His tail is longer than his body, and that's what I want to strive for!

 

[CountryEscape]

Larkin, the fish I was looking at on Ebay (the ones that ended last night) went for $22.50 and $17.48 and $10.50 (Taisho Sankes). Watching the price on several more ending tonight and tomorrow evening. It's fun to see what the prices are for fish I would be interested in. Since I have the room in my 55 gal aquarium, I'm still considering the 5" fish, but if they go for $10 or more each, it's really out of my price range. They are all butterfly's though. One is a Gin Rin that is ending tonight, but it already has some serious interest, and likely will be far more than I would want to pay. But, as you said, it only makes sense to get 3-5 fish to help defer the shipping cost. I consider that when bidding as well.

 

[fishin4cars]

I would love to find some butterfly comets. Those butterfly koi they have are beautiful.

Addy, I know your frequent another forum as well, Try to keep an eye out for anyone breeding Bristol Comets, or Bristol shubunkins, They are a little different than comets, not quite the fins of a of a butterfly Koi but they grow some spectacular tails when they get up in size. The look very similar to comets and shubunkins except when they are young the tips of the fins and tail are rounded not pointed like common comets and such, As they get bigger the tail widens and starts flowing like a sheet on close line or flag on a flag pole in the wind. I'm looking for some as well, In fact if anyone finds any unusual types of goldfish that someone is breeding and would like to sell/thin out, Please keep me in mind for next year. Once all is going I plan on doing a little playing with breeding the goldfish. I think it would be cool to come up with my own variation of Goldfish. The more I read and learn the less I won't to deal with Koi for that kind of breeding, I'll leave that up to the experts in Japan that have room to raise hundreds of thousands to get a select 100 or so GOOD quality fish.

 

[fishin4cars]

Larkin, the fish I was looking at on Ebay (the ones that ended last night) went for $22.50 and $17.48 and $10.50 (Taisho Sankes). Watching the price on several more ending tonight and tomorrow evening. It's fun to see what the prices are for fish I would be interested in. Since I have the room in my 55 gal aquarium, I'm still considering the 5" fish, but if they go for $10 or more each, it's really out of my price range. They are all butterfly's though. One is a Gin Rin that is ending tonight, but it already has some serious interest, and likely will be far more than I would want to pay. But, as you said, it only makes sense to get 3-5 fish to help defer the shipping cost. I consider that when bidding as well.

LOL, I was watching the Taisho Sankes as well. I plan on buying from them again once the new ponds are settled, IMO they have some of the nicest LF's/Butterfly koi available on a regular basis.

 

[j.w]

Me too looking for the Butterfly comets w/ the long, long, long tails and yes Larkin those Bristols are quite pretty and fancy looking too! Bet they are pricey tho?

 

[CountryEscape]

I actually took a chance and bid on a Gin Rin tonight, Larkin, but in the last seconds literally went from $5 to $22. Don't want it that bad! Bad thing is if I buy one, I'm going to be hard pressed to buy 2-3 more, just to defer the shipping. I think I should sit back and wait, and that is likely what I will do, unless several go for $2 or something. LOL Seems whatever I'm interested in, so is everyone else. Of course, there are several on there that are already over $40, and the auction doesn't end for 2 more days! The good thing about NDK, and he/she obviously does it on purpose, is that they will have 10-20 fish ending within 30 minutes of each other, so if you happen to like several in that group, you can bid away!
Those Bristol Comets and Shubunkins are very pretty! Now I'll be watching for them everywhere I go. The first and last fish look more like the fantail bodies. Very different!
I will look for a picture of my Sarasa Comet male that is white with the red spot. I probably got a picture of him while he was in the big aquarium, before he went to the pond. He has extremely long tails and fins. Now I'm wondering if he is anything special. Probably not, though, just pretty! LOL

 

[fishin4cars]

Patti, I watch for one fish that is something really knock out special, Once I have my mind set that's the one fish I go after until I reach my limit. But at the same time it will depend on what's following behind it, My goal is to get one or two really nice ones and 2-3 that I can pick up that I like but at a far better price, this really offsets the shipping and makes the five in reality cost less even though you pay dearly for one or two. The one in my avatar is a Sudan Kohaku. I paid $33 for her (Candy) The one below was the Kumonryu Butterfly (Magic) $10.50, he got taken by the owl, Next is a Kuchiben Kujaku, $16(Lipstick) That's also what Kuchiben means BTW, Heron got that one, Kikokuryu $53 Didn't survive the shipping, I was really down I lost this one! and the the next shipment I got, Beni Kumonryu, $5.50 (Spot) heron got, Maurten Sanke,(Rudolf)heron Got The Blue Doitsu I still have (Blue) $7 I think,(Not pictured You would know it wasn't one of favorites from the beginning but one of the few that survived. And the replacement fish from the first shipment, Doitsu Sanke, (Nemo) which is sill one of my favorites and still living.
Your long fin Comet is a good candidate to breed back to ones of desirable color. Super long fins are always well liked, i have a almost solid orange that has a very little white that it's tail is extremely forked and super long tips, I would say the tail is slightly longer than the body. But I keep inside in the tank, outside the fins would get destroyed. hopefully I will get a chance next year to try and put it with my others and get some to breed in one of the new ponds??? Wishful thinking I'm afraid...

 

[addy1]

My pond of mutt fish has a lot of shubunkins with really nice long fins, some of the goldfish also are long and flowing, then have a bunch of very nicely colored short fin ones. I would just like to have another of the butterfly comet so much fun to watch on the camera as it flows through the water.

 

[CountryEscape]

Larkin, love that Maurten Sanke. From the beginning, before I knew anything, I liked the tri colored, whatever they called them, and seems I still do. However, I'm now looking at a solid black Karasu, a Lemon Hariwake (almost solid white, with yellow on the head), but the black one is already moving on price, so that sucks! I already have a black Kumonyru, but would love a solid black, even though you can never see them. LOL I'd love to have a Platinum Ogon (solid white), but the ones I like, so do others, and they get up above $30. Yes, you're so right, I should chose one I REALLY want and then go for it. I probably should have kept bidding on the Gin Rin, as you don't see many of them in butterfly tails, but I let it go. Live and learn. The main bidder may have had a $50 bid out there, too, just never know. I see they are going to stop selling before Christmas, and get all fish shipped out to arrive before Christmas, so if I don't find anything I just have to have, that's fine, I'll wait for my buddy's spring sale and go from there. After all, I got some really sweet fish from him this past July, and at a very reasonable price. Had to drive about 3 hours one way, but it was still worth it. I take that into consideration as well when I'm bidding, as gas is surely not cheap either.
Now, Larkin, don't bid on my fish! LOL Actually, if you're watching any, let me know so I don't bid on yours! I have a few others I'm watching as well, and as you said, not as interested in them, but good back up fish to fill the box.

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, and Larkin, I love your avitar fish! I've seen them referenced as "3 step". Is that just a common reference, or is there something to that with breeding and showing them? And, I bet you really hate it that the heron got such beautiful fish! That really sucks! I've asked for this pair of metal heron from Ebay from my son .... hoping he gets them for me for Christmas! I figure with 2, I won't have to worry about the males thinking it's a female in breeding season, and hoping they will all stay away! I have never had any come yet, but I know they will in time.