Got this from a friend's pond. Is it worth anything. There are 2. One is 32cm and the other is 28cm (with a deformed fin).

Quite stressed due to netting and transport (i think). Fins seem to be a bit clamped but wwere not like that a day ago. Please can you help with identification as well as i am new to this. Please say it as it is.

Hi

I am also very new to Koi and still plenty to learn. Had a small pond for 3 years but new to large ponds. I think it is a Cha Goi, but might be wrong and I am sure the advanced keepers will be able to give you a proper answer.

Cha Goi:

A brown koi, the brown colour can vary from deep chocolate brown to light, almost olive green in appearance. Despite its drab appearance this is one of the most popular types of Koi due to its friendly nature and ability to rapidly grow to a large size. A large Cha Goi is an imposing sight in any koi pond and sets off the brighter colours of its more glitzy cousins

Both of them are indeed Chagoi's.

When judging a Chagoi, the net pattern are the most important thing to look at. It should be even and unblemished, with no black or different colour marks on it. The colour should be the same all over the body.

The Chagoi's have a fairly dull colour, and therefore it should not have demerits.

Your net pattern is not very good, and there are blemishes, which makes it low quality Chagoi's.

The red in the fins is probably only due to the stress, but still an indication of lower quality.

The more brownish (Chocolate) colour as apposed to the mustard colour is preferred.

These Chagoi's appear to be underfed. Chagoi's are the pigs of koi and will normally eat much more than the other varieties, and therefore they grow fast and large, and often fat. These Chagoi's are very skinny.

They are extremely tame and friendly and normally do not stress as quickly as other varieties. This makes them quite popular and the "dull colour" often show off the more brighter colours of your other fish.

The fact that your Chagoi's have split fins is a demerit, although you can rectify it with good nutrition, good quality water and patience.

These are just ordinary common carp. I've caught many of these in the local vlei's. You will notice that the fins are larger on these fish than compared to nishikigoi of the same size,their bodies also tend to be slimmer than nishikigoi.The wild carp all tend to have red in the pec fins and lower half of the tail fins.

I've also caught a pure grey bodied carp it would have been a perfect soragoi if it wasn't for the red in the fins.

Koi are common carp that have been bred for different colours. Some are closer to the wild like the Chagoi and often in a spawn, you get kickbacks to the wild carp.

I was under the impression that the taditional common carp is brown/black. The grass carp has more the Chagoi mustart colour like these?

Both species occur in brown and black and everything between. I've seen very dark olive green carp and almost yellow common carp. In a few issues of stywe lyne I've seen fish with a creamy white colour.
I've also read that nishikigoi where bred for not only colour but also for a stronger body conformation.

I have also noticed that when you place a common carp in a container of a lighter colour the fish can go from being a strong brown to a more washed out looking colour. Does this also happen to chagoi or are the chagoi more phenotypically stable?

You'll also notice that you will never come across the rooibos tea variant of chagoi in the wild.