Solid Platinum Ogon Koi

No one, it seems, can agree on the exact origin of these festive-colored carp. Perhaps no one truly knows. It is known that nishikigoi have been around for thousands of years. They definitely have Asian ancestry probably bred in China first, possibly more for a food source, then the art was mastered much later in Japan. The carp was used as a subject in many Ancient Asian sculptures and drawings. Asians believe these beautiful fish bring good luck and prosperity especially when presented as a pair.

Platinum Ogon High Quality Koi, imported from Asia, are a striking solid white color with a brilliant metallic sheen. Their deep, pure coloration does not contain blemishes of any kind. These beautiful Koi have a ghostlike appearance and stand out dramatically against the dark background of a typical pond. Ogon Koi are in the family Hikarimuji, which translates to "light without pattern." The Platinum Ogon Koi we offer are rated by breeders as AAA Grade Select - the highest rating these fish can receive. They are produced by some of the best brood stock in Asia. While Platinum Ogon HQ Koi can live longer than 200 years, they typically live 25 to 35 years. These high quality Japanese Strain Koi are a product of years of professional breeding, and will turn your pond into a showcase of champions.
The ideal setup for Platinum Ogon Koi is a 1000+ gallon pond with a fine gravel substrate, rocks, and hardy plants. Because these Koi savor plant roots and will dig to get to them, be sure to place large rocks around the base of plants to protect them. You will also need to provide adequate filtration to maintain proper water conditions.

Males are easily recognized by their concave anal section and occasionally by breeding spots on the head. Spawning may result in as many as 1,000 eggs, with fry emerging in approximately 4 to 7 days, depending on the water temperature. Feed fry small live foods or frozen daphnia for the first 3 to 4 weeks. At that time, gradually change their diet to crushed flake and pellet foods. Their color will emerge in about 3 to 12 weeks.

Nishikigoi are most often referred to as “koi” by those who speak English. That’s probably due to the fact that “koi” is easier to say. Regardless of what we call them, they are basically carp that have been bred for color though most koi-keepers will refer to them as more of an obsession! It’s hard to resist buying “just one” for the pond — and it’s tough to decide which one to buy. They come in so many different colors and styles. It’s almost like picking out a car or a new sofa!

Koi fish

Koi fish are a form of carp fish originally from Japan. They are very similar to goldfish, and some experts believe kois were an attempt by Japanese breeders to imitate goldfish. Raising koi fish was not introduced worldwide until 1914, and before that date it was solely a Japanese affair. During this time period, shipping became faster and safer and so the threat of fish death was very low. The hobby of raising koi exploded.

Different types of koi fish are classified by their patterning, scalations and coloration. Koi fish come in many different colors. A few of the main ones are blue, yellow, purple, white, and black. On the scales of a koi, it is possible to see a metallic gleam. This is what's called Gin Rin. Also, there are types of koi that have no scales. Scaleless kois are usually called Doitsu. Doitsu fish were made by crossbreeding Nishikigoi and German mirrored carp.

Although there are endless variations of koi fish, there are some varieties in specific categories. An example of a popular type of koi is the Gosanke. Fish that fall into this group are Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku and Showa Sanshoku varieties. The main groups of named koi are Kohaku, a white and red striped fish; Taisho Sanshoku, a white fish with red and black design; Showa Sanshoku, a black fish with a red and white design; Asagi, a fish with blue scales on top and red scales on the bottom; Shusui, a similar fish to Asagi with less scales; Bekko, a white, yellow and red fish with a black design; Utsurimono, a black fish with a yellow, red and white design; Goshiki, a black fish with touches of brown, blue, white and red; Ogon, a fish that's all one color ( can be red, orange, platinum and yellow); and KinGinRin, a fish with shiny scales.

Today, there are fourteen types of koi and they have been bred especially to draw attention to their visual appearance. A lot of koi are bred in the US, but some koi come from Japan, China and Israel. There is a wide range of prices for purchasing koi, starting at $3 for baby koi and skyrocketing up to $20,000 for a prize fish.

Really, to pick a good fish you want to start with a good koi dealer. They can give you advice on color and sizes that will fit how much you can spend and how much experience you already have with koi. Usually dealers will sell inexperienced owners fish that range between three and five dollars. Then they can trade in for bigger fish once they have more experience.