Home  

  Main Index MAIN
INDEX 		Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS 		Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE 		Log in LOG
IN

Home: KOI Talk: Koi Appreciation:
why pay so much?? -beginner's question

 





 


tancho_boy
Koi Lover


Jul 15, 2007, 7:47 AM

Post #1 of 6 (551 views)
Shortcut
why pay so much?? -beginner's question Can't Post
hello koi bros and sis.. this would be my 1st and hopefully not last of more tiresome questions Angelic

i have been tru this site quite a while now since my abah started to finally convince my mama to built his long-dreamt pond- all 17 ft of it..
all well and good, while anticipatingly waiting for e pond to finish by abang imam from surabaya (who claims does carvings in bali temples Crazy), i went doing some researching, surveying aquarias, koi specialist like SPK and of course this amazingly insightful site, to really know what this whole fascination and high price for it.

ive always loved watching people's kois and i have an aquarium myself, so this (the finding about kois) is only natural. i knew they were quite pricey.. but now i know also that u dun have to really spend to really get a impressive looking koi.Laugh

there is a difference i know in imported kois and local kois, but if u find a gem in your aquarias, to the subtle hobbyist the difference in price is much more significan!!! and im sure most u agree.

so back to our pond, once it finished 3 weeks ago, my dad told me that in sik kedah, jabatan perikanan has started a koi farm for about a year, and his contact said that its japanese koi.. i was sceptical(in my mind) to compare to the kois in SPK. so we made the road trip, 5 hour drive to kedah only to find out that the white(beni??) aint snow white!! so its local koi i told my dad.Frown but nonetheless i was like a child with candy touring the koi farm!!! the jabatan showed us around, showed us the brood stock and how they stock up with fries (surprisingly its not that hard..AT ALL!!) and ok we picked our 30 20cms hopefuls...

so my dying question is.. what is the difference between japanese koi and local koi? i boldly assume that local kois are local and japanese are..well japanese. the stock they have in sik kedah is really not bad. and i loosely assume that the price u pay for the supreme imported ones are for the necessary qualities and the bloodline and farm. but ill never pay thousands for something a could get way way cheaper tho of not much difference. the big aquaria in shah alam is selling a 50 cm imported ones for 400+ (and buy 2 free 1 summore wan!) and sungai buluh is going for 250 and the aunty hand picks herself from ipoh.

furhermoore i love going around and finding bargains.. ill post a few (got a lovely 30 cm tanco for rm 40!!) once i know how.

sincerely koi, rizhan


larz1
Koi Kichi


Jul 15, 2007, 10:50 PM

Post #2 of 6 (507 views)
Shortcut
Re: [tancho_boy] why pay so much?? -beginner's question [In reply to] Can't Post
Everyone has their own reasons for keeping Koi, and that means a lot when you decide where to buy and how much to spend. If you are interested in having Koi exclusively for your own pleasure, buy what pleases you. You still need to be wise with your purchases, making certain that the facilities you do business with maintain careful procedures for Koi health, as it only takes one sick fish to infect an entire pond.
Locally bred Koi will not be as impressive as Japanese imports, but the locals don't have the experience in breeding and selective culling that the Japanese do. That means there will always be a larger number of poor quality Koi in the local markets. That is the main reason why they are so much cheaper. Lower quality usually means lower price.
Many Koi Keepers begin like yourself, but change over time. As you become exposed to more Koi of higher quality your tastes will change, your standards will go up, and you will find yourself slowly paying more for new Koi a few dollars at a time.
Since you are just starting in the hobby it is best that you begin with less expensive fish. It takes time to develop a good eye for purchasing high quality fish anyway, and you can waste a lot of money on expensive fish that aren't as good as you hoped.
One more word of caution. SLOW DOWN!!! You have already purchased 30 fish. I don't know how many gallons your pond holds or how good your filter system is, but it takes time for a new pond to become able to hold a large fish population well. I wouldn't buy any more koi for at least 2 or 3 months. You have much to learn about keeping your water healthy for fish, and too many too soon can become a painful and expensive lesson.


tancho_boy
Koi Lover


Jul 15, 2007, 11:37 PM

Post #3 of 6 (496 views)
Shortcut
Re: [larz1] why pay so much?? -beginner's question [In reply to] Can't Post
thx for e reply..

so, it would be safe to imply that once local breeders do get the know-how, that the gap in quality would be different? i suppose the japanese has centuries of history behind this, but the world as we know it today can do wonders..

to be quite frank when i went to e local farm in kedah by jabatan perikanan (fisheries department of malaysia) i knew quality wasnt its sale but rather bulk, but its saddening to know that if enough effort is put in, im sure that all of the masses would enjoy having the showas and sufficient quality kohakus at a reasonable price. i say this with all my highest regard to the japanese farms who has brought ages of culture and history to us all in these fishes we love.

i suppose im asking a further discussion on this, whether local koi, given enough r & d and enough exposure, could one day provide us with excellent kois, thus pushing the market price down.

anyways thx for e concern larz1, my 30 young ones are small, all less than 20 cm. size is sufficient, 17 ft long 5 ft wide and 5ft deep. filteration is by 4 chambers half the length of the pond. but thinking of making my own diy trickling system, maybe just 2 tiers in the last chamber. maybe once i get the itch ill get my dad a sakai and give a away a few local ones Tongue


larz1
Koi Kichi


Jul 15, 2007, 11:48 PM

Post #4 of 6 (491 views)
Shortcut
Re: [tancho_boy] why pay so much?? -beginner's question [In reply to] Can't Post
I fully understand and appreciate your sentiments about locals catching up, but it will take a lot longer than you might think. Many dedicated breeders around the world have been trying to play catch up for 2 or 3 decades, and while they have gotten much better not a single one has been able to match the old Japanese families yet. You will not find a major Koi show anywhere in the world where a domestically bred Koi beats Japanese Imports in competition above size 6, and that is where the most serious measure of true quality lives. Koi are a living art form with unstable and elusive genetics and it takes great skill passed from generation to generation to produce the highest quality.


koinutx
Koi Lover


Jul 15, 2007, 11:56 PM

Post #5 of 6 (489 views)
Shortcut
Re: [tancho_boy] why pay so much?? -beginner's question [In reply to] Can't Post
In Reply To
i suppose im asking a further discussion on this, whether local koi, given enough r & d and enough exposure, could one day provide us with excellent kois, thus pushing the market price down.

If you have spent some time reading up on the history of the jap breeder, and how a bloodline is developed, you will not think again on whether anyone can produce similar quality fish.

It is not as simple as Buy 2 GC from Japan and you can start breeding high quality fry.

Do spend some time reading up, and not just any Sakai fish is good. The bloodline is important.

I suggest you join your local koi club, which is one possible way to expose to the koi world.


(This post was edited by koinutx on Jul 15, 2007, 11:57 PM)


tancho_boy
Koi Lover


Jul 16, 2007, 10:33 PM

Post #6 of 6 (429 views)
Shortcut
Re: [koinutx] why pay so much?? -beginner's question [In reply to] Can't Post
well, i suppose getting from this is that ur really provided with choice, and i agree. some would go to that extend of acquiring a higher budget cap! and i truly appreciate the need to buying that special koi that u fall in love with, at first sight, even though it cost a whole lot more, and beleieve me i would if i could myself.
so for now, ill go with the 'basement bargains', which may not be reputable, and not snow white, but boy do they have good pattern and colour too.
food i dun mind spending because i know it does makes a difference. then maybe itll be worth noting the effort to put faith in the local bargains Smile
so for now ill spend wisely first, but i dun think ill ever spend that much, ever.

 
 
 



Search for (options) Back to Koi.com.my Main Page

  Disclaimer  Privacy Statement     
Copyright 2001~ 2002 Hileytech Sdn Bhd , All Rights Reserved.  
No part of the forum postings can be copied without prior permission from Hileytech Sdn Bhd and the Author of the Posting.
For comments and Suggestion, Please contact the Webmaster at koi@hileytech.com