Said I would post pics of my showa a month after getting it. He was very skinny when I got him....below the before (roughly 2 months ago) and after pics (yesterday)

Please feel free to comment.....thanks

Before ( about 2 months ago)





These were taken yesterday evening

Can see he has been eating well.....

eats like a pig.......loves loves loves manda fu.

When I first got it I was convinced it was male......don't know anymore looking at the rounded fins....what would the experts say about the sex???

Hard to say about the sex... Tip it over and take a pic of the bottom (the anal pore) then I should be able to tell you what sex it is.

Any general comments on the fish itself??

Where's wayneb....I know he asked for a head to tail pic

wow he has really bulked up. Glad hes getting nice dinners now.

just noticed on every pic his tail is bent to the same side. lol

Quote :

just noticed on every pic his tail is bent to the same side. lol

lol.....just noticed that now as well.....nicely spotted...lol

Quote :

This new showa is a very good one for right now. The kiwa and sashi seems sharp. The shiro (white) is already pretty good. All the colours are out and are bright which might indicate that its a male. I would like to see a photo from head to tail. (Head being at the bottom)

Its still small but a very good quality specimen in my books and will propably take baby grand champion at most shows.Im not sure what its future potential will be like as most of the red pattern is isolated on the back and nothing wrapping it from the sides.Just too bad that he has no sumi on the shiro. Sumi on hi always appear dark but could fade with time. But right now it looks nice.

Hi Cliff, i copied some of my previouse comments regading the koi.

Yes it has bulked up nicely. Are you feeding colour enhancer? I ask cause i see some yellow staining on the white on the nose, pectoral fins and tail fin. Im still pretty sure its a male. The colours are too bright to be a female in my opinion.

I have highlighted a comment i made in the original posting. If you can maintain the red pattern and it does not appear to small on the back as it grows then it will be a nice koi. I would like to see it when its close to 40cm. How big is it right now?

I feed shogun and manda fu, thats it!!

Shogun mornings and evenings and manda fu every evening.

As for size, I would say it's pretty close on 25cm's by looking at the pic and the size scale I put on the side.

Thanks again

Its looking good Cliff. The yellow stains could also be because its eaiting algea.

If you can control the red on its back then you have yourself a winner.

I dont see any motoguru in the fins.

it's right at the base........would have to take a full on side pic for you to see it.

Maybe this will come out more at a later stage??

also if you look very closely you can see black lines running through out the tail and pectorals.

Hi Cliff, I have also fed Manda Fu and the Koi is estatic over this. Please do not overfeed this in summer as Manda Fu is also a colour inhancer. The orange spots could be a result of to much colour food, use Manda Fu as a treat only.

oh ok........I have been throwing in about 15 "balls" a night for the last 2 months. Sometimes on week ends would give to them for lunch as well.

Will try my hardest to only give to them every 2nd to 3rd day then....

I just love spoiling my fish!!!

The colour enhancers are forcing the koi to develop its colour prematurely. White is turning yellow, red is turning bright red, underlying hi is becoming specky and in areas where sumi is underlying some red pigments the colour appears brown. Picture 4 shows this the best. Look at the red specks just behind the sumi on its side.

Gosanke needs colour enhancers just be carefull with the amounts. At the size the koi is right now it needs more protein than colour. Just pull back slightly and it will regain its proper colour balance.

I think the normal way to mix colour enhancer into the diet is to use 20% colour and 80% hi-protein.

I dont really know Mandu fu but it sounds more like something to use as a treat than a daily food.

Sh!t...honestly was not aware that manda fu is a color enhancer. The box and paper has no English on it so it might say so but not in English.

Really don't want to cause more harm than good....will definitely cut down to once....maybe twice a week on the manda fu

The advertising does not directly say that its a colour enhancer. Its says:

Quote :

Why is MANDA NISHIKI popular?
Winning at koi shows is a big goal for the Japanese KOi Hobbyists, To win, Hi need to thick and lustorius. Being "lustrous" Koi is crucial. To enhance red is not that difficult. Feeding color-enhancing food will do. But the problem is feeding color enhancing food only wil not make the koi lustorous.

Quote :

Manda Nishiki, a popular Japanese health supplement, is added to Manda Fu promoting health and lustrous color for your Koi. It looks like a big pellet. It is very absorbent, once it touches water; it becomes soft like a sponge. Even small Koi are able to chew it. Or, you can crumble a few pieces up and feed your smaller Koi with it. This is a very popular product; make sure you keep a good supply

I will take it that "lustrous color for your Koi" means that it must have a colour enhancer in it of some type. I did some searching on the net and i cant find anything more regarding the ingredients.

Quote :

You can feed your Koi Manda Fu even when the water temperature drops as low as 45F to 50F. In the summertime, your Koi will love this as a treat.

Quote :

With the best digestion rate of 98.2%, MANDA FU is the most suitable Koi food for autumn, winter and spring.

Quote :

Manda Fu is a blend of ingredients mixed together making sure plenty of air gets in and baked at very high temps, what you end up with is liek pink polystyrene, the koi love it, it is a really old recipe. no waste at all, and I mean no waste, but above 16 degrees its a waste of time feeding it.

Ref : http://www.summerkoi.com.sg/koisale/Manda.htm
Ref : http://www.koipondcentral.com/koi_food/index.html#manda fu
Ref : http://www.usakoi.com/Manda-Fu-Koi-Food-sc-331.html
Ref : http://www.nipponnishikigoi.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=156&start=30

Hi All

Munda Fu does not contain any colour enhancer. If it did then you should have only feed it in the summer. Have you ever heard of wheatgerm with colour enhancer........well if have'nt. Bobby just dont want any one to feed more then him.

The word lustrous means - adj. shiny, glossy; splendid, brilliant
OR
A gentle sheen or soft glow. The manner in which the surface of a mineral reflects light.

Ref: Orient Koi Farm sole distributor of Manda Nishiki & MANDA FU in SA.

Well in that case you will need to send me another box or 2 . As the fishies do like it. Still I will only use it as a treat.

Well Cliff after that reference from Orient Koi Farm sole distributor of Manda Nishiki & MANDA FU in SA i suggest that you must go and look for the colour enhancer source somewhere else in your pond... there is definatly something.

It must be a food source.

Morning Koi Friends.

What is this Mandu Fu?
When do you feed this?
Where can you get it?

Thank You

Hi Christo

Manda Nishiki, a popular Japanese health supplement, is added to Manda Fu promoting health and lustrous color for your Koi. It looks like a big pellet. It is very absorbent, once it touches water; it becomes soft like a sponge. Even small Koi are able to chew it. Or, you can crumble a few pieces up and feed your smaller Koi with it. This is a very popular product; make sure you keep a good supply

With the best digestion rate of 98.2%, MANDA FU is the most suitable Koi food for autumn, winter and spring.

You can feed your Koi Manda Fu even when the water temperature drops as low as 45F to 50F. In the summertime, your Koi will love this as a treat.

Manda Fu is a blend of ingredients mixed together making sure plenty of air gets in and baked at very high temps, what you end up with is liek pink polystyrene, the koi love it, it is a really old recipe. no waste at all, and I mean no waste, but above 16 degrees its a waste of time feeding it.

You can order it from Lee-Ann 0833873177 she is leaving for Japan on Tuesday and she is only bringing stock back for our regular clients.

Hi Collin, you mentioned you're the sole agents for manda fu. Do you distribute to the likes of pet masters, loolilocks etc....cos I see they stock it as well?

Thank you. Will phone her

Hi,

I use Manda Nishiki, to mix Garlic to Koi Food, as it makes the food sticky.