Koi baby color change update

[capewind]

Just a quick "color update" ...

This is one of our pond spawn babies from last year. This picture was taken Jan 1, 2013, At that time, this guy was about 4"


The SAME FISH, taken today, a bit over 8" ... The guy behind him is the same hatch, was a similar matsuba like color as this guy, but has orange starting on its pelvic fins ...


These guys are just pond spawn mutts, but curious as to what they will end up looking like. Going from black and orange, to black and blue is a bit of a contrast from the blah brown they started out as ...

 

[fishin4cars]

CW, I'm afraid to say that they are probably about as good looking as they will ever be. They may very well continue to change and add or lose color. I have a Butterfly that looked great as young, lots of good looking red and blue, then started changing to that blue coloration of your fish, Now there is still some blue and it still has a small bit of red lipstick, but other than that, It's really turned into a pretty ugly koi. I personally like Koi that change over time, but in most cases I've experienced, Most don't continue to get better looking as they age. Then again, neither did I! LOL

 

[capewind]

LOL... I dont mind ugly ... I am just curious of what next? LOL

 

[fishin4cars]

The dark row of scales down the top of mine slowly lightened up and got really smudgy looking. the blue went flat and more a blueish gray color. Now yours may very well have more Sushui in it, if that's the case the blue should turn more white than mine as it ages. I like the way it looks right now, nice looking fish, It has almost a evil look to it's face at this point and the smooth blue skin really is making it stand out. Personally I think it's one of those fish that finishes early (First few years of it's life) and then starts slowly falling apart. I think most of us that have kept koi over several years have all seen fish that will do this. They are fun to watch and you can learn from them. I keep hoping I can get that one in a million baby that really keeps improving as it ages. Most all of the ones I have raised from fry have all gone down hill since about the second year.

 

[capewind]

Given when these guys were spawned, it made it easy to narrow down who the parents are ...

Mom was a ki/orenji matsuba, standard scales ... there were actually two fish, same age, same color, plump with eggs together ...

UNLESS the doitsu scale pattern can be recessive, that narrows dad to one of two fish ... ie, I only had two doitsu males ...

One is the fish in my profile picture (that picture shows him as a 5" baby) ,,, I dont know if he is called a doitsu blue matsuba (I've seen his color called that, but he isnt metallic to meet the matsuba standard) or a bad quality shusui, as he lacks any red/orange pigment ...

He is 4-5 yrs old now and this year changed color ... He is now black on the top and sides, still has a cream colored belly, but throughout his sides, he has BRIGHT blue dots (giant freckles) here and there. He looks more like an orca with some battle scars now.

The other doitsu male is a mutt ... white body, black doitsu zipper, and obnoxious metallic blotch on his face.

 

[fishin4cars]

I was able to get a couple of shots of Blue today. Keep in mind he looked almost exactly like the picture you posted at one point only butterfly. When he was really young he had equal blue and red markings both on his face and back. now, well not the best pics but you can get a idea of what I mean by UGLY! LOL

 

[Mmathis]

CW, I'm afraid to say that they are probably about as good looking as they will ever be. They may very well continue to change and add or lose color. I have a Butterfly that looked great as young, lots of good looking red and blue, then started changing to that blue coloration of your fish, Now there is still some blue and it still has a small bit of red lipstick, but other than that, It's really turned into a pretty ugly koi. I personally like Koi that change over time, but in most cases I've experienced, Most don't continue to get better looking as they age. Then again, neither did I! LOL

Hey, Larkin, is this ugly fish one of the ones you told me about??

 

[addy1]

I was able to get a couple of shots of Blue today. Keep in mind he looked almost exactly like the picture you posted at one point only butterfly. When he was really young he had equal blue and red markings both on his face and back. now, well not the best pics but you can get a idea of what I mean by UGLY! LOL

aww I think it is neat looking

 

[capewind]

He isnt ugly ...

 

[Mmathis]

I agree with Addy & CW -- not ugly.

 

[fishin4cars]

Hey, Larkin, is this ugly fish one of the ones you told me about??

Actually no, but if you want Blue your welcome to him. By the time we can pull, which could be Oct. possibly Nov. before the water cools down enough we may even have more.

 

[Mmathis]

Actually no, but if you want Blue your welcome to him. By the time we can pull, which could be Oct. possibly Nov. before the water cools down enough we may even have more.

OMG! Don't give me too many choices

 

[fishin4cars]

Ok, so maybe he isn't the ugliest ducklin out there. LOL
Really though after going to shows and talking to people that have far better quality Koi I'm really starting to appreciate more the Art of koi keeping. I use to want quantity, I thought a pond with several fish looked better. There is something about seeing 20-25 koi all come up at once. It's really cool seeing this.. But seeing more and more better quality fish I think I'm heading to more quality and less quantity. Having to cull the babies this year made me look at pond keeping in a different light. What effects are some fish lacking due to being over crowded, A few years back I would look at fish as what they showed at the time I bought them. Now I'm learning more and more of what to look for in a Koi as they grow and what their potential may reveal as they grow. When Capewind ask what the Koi in question might do I saw what mine looked like two years ago, and what it had become. Looking at others I now am starting to see mistakes in my choices and as I learn. I would slowly like to thin my herds down and pick and choose down to 10-12 of the best fish per pond. . I've never shown a Koi, But that doesn't mean I'm not going to. My goal is to bring a fish I raised from a fry and have it compete. It's not easy parting with Koi you have had for four-five-six years or longer. To reach my goal though I have to accept that I need to remove those fish that just don't have what I'm looking for.

 

[fishin4cars]

TM, I have a feeling I know which fish your going to want. I have a list of fish that are on the cutting board for removal. That list keep growing. But for what your looking for there are only about 5-6 that are what you are asking for.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Sometimes being what someone considers ugly is what makes them cute to someone else