Who Cares

For many years the argument has raged abou the relative merits of Koi produced in Japan and those produced elsewhere.

The real question is......who cares? A great Koi is a great Koi.

Here are two facts to ponder:

1/ The best Koi in the world are produced in Japan.

2/ This Kohaku is the best Koi ever produced outside Japan.

In these difficult times its not helpful to perpetuate divisive meaningless debates, cant we just let the Koi speak for themselves and enjoy them for what they are - beautiful creatures.

If our hobby and industry is to develop and attain the long overdue renaissance it deserves we really do have to get over these petty differences and work better together.

2009 Grand Champion San Diego American Koi Breeders Show

73cm Showa Purdin Koi Farm (born April 2005)

Purdin Koi at San Diego

Purdin Koi are attending the prestigious San Diego show and AKCA seminar this weekend 13th - 15th February they'll also have some of their Koi to show you so if you get chance come and see them at the show.

2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge

The ground breaking Tetra 2007 Tategoi challenge really captured the imagination of Koi enthusiasts. In April 2006 three high grade Tosai were placed in a top class 18,000 gallon Koi pond and fed exclusively on Tetra Koi Excellence for a full year! We invited Koi keepers to use their skills to judge which Koi would be the best at the end of the growing period! The results in terms of growth and development were simply staggering and the response by Koi keepers so enthusiastic we overran the challenge until Autumn 2007!
What we didn’t mention is that we didn’t just put three Tosai in the Koi pond in April 2006 - we actually put FOUR Koi in the pond!!

That means we still have an amazing Tategoi Showa that’s already been growing and developing since April 2006! In addition we also procured another two Koi during 2007 and all three Koi have been growing in our TKE pond are all now Nissai and absolutely amazing, and guess what? – You now get the chance to win these three Koi!!!

All serious Koi keepers know that flash-in-the-pan foods come and go, and the only real test of how good a food really is, is to assess it over time. Tetra have always been keen to take on any challenge and the 2007 challenge demonstrated that not only does Tetra Koi Excellence provide comprehensive and balanced nutrition that results in great growth, you may remember that the biggest Koi grew from 35cm to a staggering 53cm in the growing period, but also, and crucially all developmental elements of all three Koi specifically: body shape, skin quality, pattern and colour delivered impressive across the board improvements.

The 2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge is our most ambitious and innovative ever, and by the end of this latest growing period, will see three high grade Koi one of which will have for almost three years, been fed exclusively on Tetra Koi Excellence – surely the most definitive food test ever undertaken. The very best part is YOU get the opportunity to win one of the three Koi!!!!! Our 2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge Koi are: a stunning Ogata Showa, a Hasegawa Kohaku and a Dainichi Showa:

April 2006 Summer 2007 November 2007
Ogata Showa 28cm 35cm 41cm
Hasegawa Kohaku 38cm 43cm
Dainichi Showa 30cm 35cm


The amazing 2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge will be on the Tetra web site soon and entries will be open until 31 December 2008. Entry forms will also be available at most Tetra stockists or download the PDF complete it and send it snail mail or better still simply email us with your entry nikoimag@aol.com listing the three Koi and your placing decisions - and remember you are not just assessing which Koi will be the biggest but which Koi you believe will emerge to be the best!!

• 2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge Flyer (page 1)
  
• 2008 Tetra Tategoi Challenge Flyer (page 2)

Holmeswood Easter Bash - Saturday 22 nd March 2008

Holmeswood Koi nestles in the heart of the rural Lancashire countryside a couple of miles outside Burscough. This spring Holmeswood are staging an Easter open day on saturday 22nd March 2008.

Holmeswood makes a great must visit venue under normal circumstances with a nursery comprehensively stocked with all kinds of trees, shrubs and plants but new for 2008 is the revamped coffee shop which in addition to great home made snacks and cakes also now includes an impressive water feature display.

Quarantined new selection of Koi will also be available for viewing and Holmeswood also boast an extensive selection of quality granite pagodas , lanterns etc.

Industry representatives will also be in attendance including the highly regarded Shingoi team, add to all this a warm friendly welcome, great personal service, and some great season launching offers on a wide range of products......thats Easter saturday sorted!

For more information telephone - 01704 822359

Cascade Spring Collection

Dave Dyson of Cascade fame, is currently in Kyushu in Southern Japan selecting Koi from the famous Ogata Koi farm.

Mr Dyson can spell democracy but is not so good at practising it and his uncompromising pursuit of excellence means that he selects just about every Koi sold at both casacde shops.

This commitment has ensured a loyal and discerning following of Koi enthusiasts at all levels and a reputation that the entire Cascade team are totally committed to delivering.

Dave is also an accomplished photogrpaher although doesnt make quite as much fuss as some still does some serious pics so we hope you enjoy them.

Nigel Caddock

Cascade Japan Pics

Drinking Water Report Analysis on the Web

The basic resource we all rely on is water. This fragile interface between our Koi and us is perhaps the most complex of all the elements, and, as all Koi keepers know is fundamental to success. While we have to take responsibility for water once it’s in our pond there is an increasing issue about the integrity and fitness for purpose of the basic resource – tap water in the UK and city water in the USA. The primary problem is while the various water authorities have a responsibility to provide water fit for human consumption that’s not always good enough for our Koi. Ignorance is never bliss so if there is a problem we need to know about it. The process of obtaining accurate and reliable information as to the content of our tap water, has, historically been challenging to say the least. Anne Telford and her leading edge water purification company have just made that difficult process a whole lot easier!

Not only does AllClear Water Purifiers website http://www.allclearwaterpurifiers.com/ have a brand new look for 2008, but there is now a great new innovation that for the first time provides Koi keepers with an online water analysis service!

Over a number of years AllClear developed a unique in-house software programme for analysing water reports for fish needs. This challenging technical task absorbed significant programming time and commitment of AllClear’s Anne Telford. The resulting programme offers a multi-user format, which could be used on the web.

The exciting bottom line is whether you keep Koi, general aquarium, discus or marine fish, anywhere in the world now you can now analyse your own water report on AllClear’s website.

This is a significant development and the service is unique to AllClear. The, behind the screen highly complex, computer programme has built-in:

• Different fish specie water needs


• Independent NAMAS accredited purification media performance test results


• The ability to calculate and supply individualised water treatment recommendations


• Bespoken (customising) effective lifetime ratings of purification media

To add to users protection: fail safe mechanisms are built-in and for waters which come outside the ‘norms’, fish keepers are referred direct to AllClear when even more specialised individual advice is needed.

Once your water report is analysed you can print out the report and you can store it in your own file on AllClear’s website. You can go back into your file and add further water reports should your water change or you move house.

Get your water report for your supply zone, test your tap water for KH and visit the website. Once registered, you will be able to analyse your water report and your unique password will be emailed to you for future reference. Having entered your information on the self explanatory data entry page, at the press of a button you will have a full written report related to your water details, your type of fish and in the water measurement of your choice whether you prefer, UK gallons, US gallons or litres. The purifier recommendation(s) includes the expected cartridge set effective life for your water and specifically tailored buffering advice. After that you will only have to login with your password and email address to enter your personal file.

Why go to all this bother, why not just get an off-the-shelf purifier?

Water constituents vary enormously from country to country, town to town, street to street and can even be different for houses next door to each other. No business, however good their intentions, can supply fish protecting purifiers without checking out the water you intend to send to your pond first. Even for the most basic of purifiers, as the amounts and the percentage mix of free chlorine and chloramine in water varies so hugely, the amount of water a simple purifier can treat effectively and how it can treat it will be different at times. And that’s even before you start looking at pesticides and other substances.

The art of treating new water for fish is a blend of knowing what a product can do and knowing what the fish need. That’s just what AllClear sort out for you. Fish can be damaged by installing a purifier, which adds ‘fish’ harmful substances to the water, or does not reduce substances enough or even a purifier, which takes too much out of the water.

Ann Telford said “We truly believe that we have invented something unique for fish keepers. It has taken years of work to develop this programme and we are very proud of it.”

For the computer buffs out there – get your water information and get tapping those keys. For those of you who are anti computers – AllClear will still analyse your water report for you whether you send it direct or via your favourite dealer.

Contact details:
Telephone +44 (0)1359 253 679
Fax: +44 (0)1359 253 680
Website/automated water report analysis: http://www.allclearwaterpurifiers.com/
Email: info@allclearwaterpurifiers.com

Wharp 9

The 2007 Topponds Koi Expo attracted visitors from all over the UK. A genuine buzz developed as visitors chatted with Bill & Maureen McGurk and reviewed photos of Purdin Koi.

Drawing special attention were the selection of Tosai, all the Koi were born in April 2007 and in addition to impressive growth, the size ranging from 28cm to an amazing 40cm, the quality of the Koi is amazing.

Its always difficult to try and get an impression of quality from a photo, but having seen all these Koi first hand we can confirm that they really really are every bit as good as they look. Bill & Maureen also used the opportunity to extend a warm invitation to Koi enthusiasts worldwide to visit the farm and see the Koi first hand.

Major development works are planned for 2008 designed to further extend the existing impressive Purdin facilities including a purpose built indoor Momotaro style holding pond for the brood Koi, and a visitor centre, but more of that later.

In the meantime check out some of the bets of the Tosai below and visit the purdin site and check all their sale Koi out – www.koiforsale.com

Scott Purdin really is in wharp 9 and we cant wait to see how the Koi develop!

PS also couldnt resist including our favourite Nissai Kohaku

Purdin Koi Pics

Marmite

Part of the reason that Koi Art is a bit like marmite is that a good number of artists who paint Koi simply arnt Koi people. The result is often stilted and without flow or form. The cumulative result of this is often a respectful but audible silent groan when the entire topic of koi art is mentioned, and It has to be said with some justification!

Ocassionally however there emerges an genuine exponent who gets it right. Anne Read is one such person. Her self effacing warm, straight speaking nature combines with a genuine talent and affinity for all things animal to deliver a unique perspective - there is much more to this lady than any of her numerous individual 'hats' might outwardly lead you to believe.

Anne hasn't really produced much in the last few years, but recently rediscovered her inspiration so we decided to pop over to visit her at her Cedar Lodge Koi home to see what she'd come up with. Koi people will all know what the Picasso Sanke is, but for those not as old as me, its Peter Watermans famous Sanke that blew everyone away in the early 1990's.

Anne has created a wonderful representation of this awesome Koi, along with my pal Scott's Purdin's sublime Sansai Kohaku that won the recent Koi America dealers section and is now owned by Dan Phillips. What also caught my eye among others is a seriously creative multi-canvas Kohaku work which is totally amazing. Anyway as is often remarked talk is cheap, so dont take my word for, Anne's collection will be premiered 8th & 9th December at the Topponds Koi expo event in Golborne, each work is an original there will be no prints and once they are sold they are sold, so if you get chance drop in and take a look for yourself.

Nigel

Anne Read Art

Gumbo Jumbo

As the Koi breeding envelope continues to be challenged and some of the most impressive Koi ever seen emerge from Japan, there is something very serious brewing a lot closer to home. We all know that producing high class Koi is difficult. Producing good Koi is hard enough but producing high class Koi that have the potential to grow seriously large as well - represents the ultimate challenge for the world’s leading Koi breeders.

Hiroshima Sakai, Momotaro, and other have made some seriously impressive progress in this regard and we all remember Tim Waddington’s awesome posts of Hiroi Seiji’s monster Tosai, the quality of the company of masters working on this holy grail make the work of Louisiana’s very own Koi Breeder the unique Scott Purdin, even more remarkable.

It’s often easy to dismiss the work of non Japanese Koi breeders but I have to tell you, heads up guys dismiss this one at your peril. Having followed the sometimes excruciating, but never faltering efforts of my friend for more than fifteen years I really do think its time for the Koi world to wake up to what’s going on in its own back yard. Not only are the Koi being produced by Purdin Koi Farm good - they are seriously good, but as I often remark talk is cheap so check out some of these Koi which were all born in April 2007 (yes April 2007) they range in size from 28cm to 40cm and are well worth a look-see.

Add to this the fact that the entire farm is virus free, in fact the brood Koi have no new additions for several generations and its no wonder why Koi folks like the seriously wily Mac McCreavey showed up during my recent visit to check out the Koi. I’ll leave Mac to tell you what he thought and the photos to speak for themselves. We all know pictures are fun but the only way to see these Koi is up close and personal, and for most of us…….Louisiana is a lot closer than Japan!!

Get your dollar ready Jim.



Nigel

Cascade in Japan

Dave Dyson Cascade head honcho is currently ravaging southern Japan in pursuit of the best Ogata Koi available for Cascade customers in the UK. Dave visits at least twice a year to consolidate and develop Cascades hard won reputation for high grade Koi.

November is especially exciting as this is the time of year when Ogata's larger Koi are available. This is a small sample of what's coming home to Bury and Harrogate in the next few weeks - check them out!OGATA KOI FARM was established in 1972 and for more than 30 years has been producing some of the finest Koi anywhere in the world. Located in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture in the south west of Japan. Ogata Koi are one of the most successful Koi brands in the industry, with an established distributor network spanning the globe.

What’s interesting is that not only do Ogata produce Koi in virtually all varieties, this selection has not only NOT compromised the quality, but its actually enhanced it.Consider that volume Koi production isn’t just about producing vast numbers of Koi, rather the volume production actually increases the numbers of high grade Koi available. This is reflected in the Go Sanke Koi produced by Ogata who won the grand champion in the ALL JAPAN TOKYO KOI SHOW in 1989 and since then increasing sales not only in Japan but also all over the Koi world, and in 2006 and beyond the export business is a fundamentally important part of the Ogata business.

The founder, Manabu Ogata was born on Feb.11,1955 in Kurume-City. After graduating high school. He joined IZUMIYA KOI FARM for training in Ojiya-City in Niigata. He returned to Kurume after 6years training and established OGATA KOI FARM. He has been breeding koi since then. Dave Dyson has been visiting Ogata for many years to select Koi for both his Bury and Harrogate Cascade stores and the 2007 collection is better than ever