Garden State Koi
  • Home
    • Site Maps
    • About US
    • FAQ's
    • Pond Myths
    • Aquascape Foundation
    • The Pond Squad
    • EVENTS
  • Design & Installation
    • Our Installation Services
    • Fish & KOI Pond Installation
      • Backyard Pond Projects
    • Disappearing Pondless Waterfalls
      • Pondless Waterfall Projects
    • Landscape Fountains
      • Landscape Fountain Projects
    • RainXchange Rainwater Harvesting
    • Aquatic Plants
    • LED Pond LIghting
    • Large Pond Fountain Aerators
  • Service & Maintenance
    • Maintenance Services
    • Pond Maintenance
    • Pond Cleaning
    • Pond Repair
    • Spring & Summer Maintenance
    • Fall Maintenance
    • Winter Maintenance
  • Product Information
    • Airmax Aeration
    • Airmax Fountains
    • Aquascape Product Links
    • Pond KIts
      • Pond Filtration
      • Skimmers
      • Biofalls
    • Pondless Kits
      • Waterfall Spillways
      • Pondless Pump Vaults
    • AquaBasins & Fountainscapes
    • EPDM Rubber Liners
      • Liner Accessories
    • Professional Grade Pumps
    • LED Lighting
    • Installation Supplies
  • Contact
  • Learning Center
    • Homeowners
    • Contractors
  • Project Spotlight
  • Home
    • Site Maps
    • About US
    • FAQ's
    • Pond Myths
    • Aquascape Foundation
    • The Pond Squad
    • EVENTS
  • Design & Installation
    • Our Installation Services
    • Fish & KOI Pond Installation
      • Backyard Pond Projects
    • Disappearing Pondless Waterfalls
      • Pondless Waterfall Projects
    • Landscape Fountains
      • Landscape Fountain Projects
    • RainXchange Rainwater Harvesting
    • Aquatic Plants
    • LED Pond LIghting
    • Large Pond Fountain Aerators
  • Service & Maintenance
    • Maintenance Services
    • Pond Maintenance
    • Pond Cleaning
    • Pond Repair
    • Spring & Summer Maintenance
    • Fall Maintenance
    • Winter Maintenance
  • Product Information
    • Airmax Aeration
    • Airmax Fountains
    • Aquascape Product Links
    • Pond KIts
      • Pond Filtration
      • Skimmers
      • Biofalls
    • Pondless Kits
      • Waterfall Spillways
      • Pondless Pump Vaults
    • AquaBasins & Fountainscapes
    • EPDM Rubber Liners
      • Liner Accessories
    • Professional Grade Pumps
    • LED Lighting
    • Installation Supplies
  • Contact
  • Learning Center
    • Homeowners
    • Contractors
  • Project Spotlight

Homeowner Corner

Koi Varieties:  Sanke – Showa – Kohaku

4/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Sanke – Showa – Kohaku-- Do I have any in my pond?
 
Sanke, Showa, Kohaku, what on earth do these names mean?   Well, let me tell you, they are color patterns, and these three color patterns are the cornerstone of koi keeping. They are almost always found in any serious koi keepers pond.  So how do you know which is which?  Let’s start by identifying some terms of what we want to look for.

Quick Definitions of Colors

Shiroji
White, the cleaner and more pure the white, the more desirable the fish will be.

Hi (or Beni)
The red spots, bright, deep red spots are preferred over orange-red.

Sumi
Black spots, the deeper and more solid black, the more desirable the fish will be.

Sanke
The Sanke and Showa both are koi that are red, black and white, but which is which?  A sanke will have white base color for the body.  This white body begins at the nose and goes all the way to the tail, including the fins.  It should be clear and white with no discolorations.  The hi on a sanke tends to be a bit more orange than fire-engine red, and should be a nice prominent pattern down the body with patches of shiroji in between.  The sumi on a sanke should be less than the hi, mainly a few accenting small black patches on the body.  No sumi should be present on the face, or in front of the eyes, only hi or shiroji on the head of the fish.

Showa
So how is a Showa different?  This fish will have a black base color for its body, and will have red and white accents.  What defines a black base color is black will be somewhere on the head.  Beni and sumi are dominant, where the shiroji is more of an accent here.  Showa will always have some sumi on their heads or in front of their eyes.  The patterns seem to wrap around the fish more than a sanke, showing more sumi and hi than shiroji.  There are also classic showa vs modern showa.  The classic showa has more hi and shiroji, and the hi tends to be more orange in color.  A modern showa has only a little shiroji, and the hi is definitely a deeper red.

Kohaku
The easiest to tell between these three, a kohaku has only two colors, white and red.  There are other fish which look similar to a kohaku (kujaku, hariwake, kikusui and goromo), and we can discuss them in a future post.  The best looking kohaku will have a bright and blemish free white background with a nice red pattern laid on top.  The three basic varieties of kohaku are Nidan (two red patches), Sandan (three red patches) and Yondan (4 red patches).  There are many other varieties as well, but these are the basics.

Conclusion
We hope this helps you to identify which fish are in the pond in the backyard.  For us, part of the fun was searching for specific patterns that we liked, always looking for that perfect specimen.  For others, just having a variety of colors and types in their pond is what they want, meanwhile some pond keepers like to be able to tell their friends what each fish is called.

 

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    April 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Construction Services

  • Home
  • Main Contact Form
  • About Us
  • FAQ's
  • Ponds
  • Pond Projects
  • Pondless Waterfalls
  • Pondless Projects
  • Fountainscapes
  • Fountainscape Projects
  • RainXchange
  • LED Lighting
  • Aquatic Plants
  • Large Pond Fountains

Maintenance Services

  • Home
  • Pond Consult Form​
  • Pond Cleaning
  • Pond Repair
  • Pond Maintenance
  • Spring Maintenance 
  • Fall Maintenance 
  • Winter Maintenance 

Products & supplies

  • Pond/Lake Fountains
  • ​Pond/Lake Aeration
  • Pond Kits
  • Skimmers
  • Biofalls
  • Pondless Kits
  • Pump Vaults
  • Spillway
  • Aquablox
  • Fountain Kits
  • Pumps
  • LED Lights​​

Contact Info

  • 845.651.4100
  • Email
  • 657 Route 94, Warwick, NY 10990
​OPEN 
9am- 5pm
EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK

Picture
Site Map
Copyright © Garden State Koi All rights reserved. - - Powered by P-O-N-D.Services
  • Home
    • Site Maps
    • About US
    • FAQ's
    • Pond Myths
    • Aquascape Foundation
    • The Pond Squad
    • EVENTS
  • Design & Installation
    • Our Installation Services
    • Fish & KOI Pond Installation
      • Backyard Pond Projects
    • Disappearing Pondless Waterfalls
      • Pondless Waterfall Projects
    • Landscape Fountains
      • Landscape Fountain Projects
    • RainXchange Rainwater Harvesting
    • Aquatic Plants
    • LED Pond LIghting
    • Large Pond Fountain Aerators
  • Service & Maintenance
    • Maintenance Services
    • Pond Maintenance
    • Pond Cleaning
    • Pond Repair
    • Spring & Summer Maintenance
    • Fall Maintenance
    • Winter Maintenance
  • Product Information
    • Airmax Aeration
    • Airmax Fountains
    • Aquascape Product Links
    • Pond KIts
      • Pond Filtration
      • Skimmers
      • Biofalls
    • Pondless Kits
      • Waterfall Spillways
      • Pondless Pump Vaults
    • AquaBasins & Fountainscapes
    • EPDM Rubber Liners
      • Liner Accessories
    • Professional Grade Pumps
    • LED Lighting
    • Installation Supplies
  • Contact
  • Learning Center
    • Homeowners
    • Contractors
  • Project Spotlight