Selecting Koi
You are staring into the water and trying to pick just the right Koi. Maybe you are sorting through a dozen. Which one to choose? Koi keepers are constantly in this situation. No matter how long you've been in Koi - whether you are a professional or a hobbyist - this is still a trying situation. The decision is rarely easy.
The final judgement of a Koi keeper's eye is the fish they select. The better eyes have better fish. And the better Koi keepers have healthier fish. The two go hand in hand. You have to learn how to care for Koi. And you have to learn now to select Koi. Both are necessary and this is true whether you compete in Koi shows or not. So what's the secret?
White Skin
Train your eye to see whites. Select fish with great white - a white that glistens and shines. A famous breeder in Japan once said that the white skin of a Koi should be soft like the finest white porcelain. White is stable; it doesn't change and the white is what the fish is, it's the canvas on which the rest of the colors sit and it affects the tint of those colors. The white is the background. The white is the fish.
Pattern
Unfortunately, most new koi keepers evaluate koi exactly opposite to experienced koi keepers. What do I mean? When a beginner selects a koi, this beginner usually focuses on the pattern and the colors. Is the pattern like what they've seen in koi books and magazines? Are the colors intense? Is the red a lipstick red? Experienced koi keepers have learned several things: Don't pay too much attention to the pattern; it often becomes what you want in a year or two anyway. And the pattern you like one day may change to a pattern you don't like. So, give the koi's pattern some attention, but unless you intend to show the koi in the immediate future, pattern is not the first priority.
Intensity of Color
The intensity of color is very important -- especially as it relates to thickness and sharpness of edge. When you look at koi, note the thickness of the colors, the sharpness (crispness) of the edge of the colors. These are good starting points.
Conformation
Conformation is the manner in which shapes of different body parts come together to form (or conform) an elegantly shaped animal. Before looking at what the koi has, first, make sure the koi has no deformities. Make sure the fish doesn't have a broken back, a fin that is curled over, a twisted mouth, or a caved-in or distorted head. The rule of thumb is never buy a fish with a deformity.
When you have ruled out deformities, next look at the head and its proportion to the body, then look at the area from behind the head, where the pectoral fins (the hands) of the koi are located and extend to just before where the tail connects. What you want is a long back with a strong shoulder and a well proportioned head. The long back grows into a koi that swims elegantly. Short-backed koi tend to look like fat basketballs in the water. Most long-backed young koi are males. To find a long-backed, strong-shouldered female is rare. That's one reason these high quality females are so expensive.
