Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The First Dainichi Auction November 30th 2011
Dainichi Koi Farm will be holding their own auction for the first time at the end of this month. Photos and info on the koi to be auctioned can be found here: http://www.dainichikoifarm.com/auction/index.html
Should you find a koi that peaks your interest, please get in touch with Devin before November 27th to discuss which koi you would like to bid on. You can reach him at: devin@koiacres.com Please include the Number (ex. No. 2087, ect.) of the koi and maximum amount that you would like to bid, in Japanese Yen, on your select koi. Please keep in mind that Koi Acres will charge a commission fee on top of the winning bid price. Winning bid price does not include any shipping fees or grow out fees should that option be available. Further details and questions can be answered by contacting Devin.
Should you find a koi that peaks your interest, please get in touch with Devin before November 27th to discuss which koi you would like to bid on. You can reach him at: devin@koiacres.com Please include the Number (ex. No. 2087, ect.) of the koi and maximum amount that you would like to bid, in Japanese Yen, on your select koi. Please keep in mind that Koi Acres will charge a commission fee on top of the winning bid price. Winning bid price does not include any shipping fees or grow out fees should that option be available. Further details and questions can be answered by contacting Devin.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Check us out on Google+
We now have a profile on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106419944118760735589
Follow us, we may put up some deals exclusive to our profile from time to time.
Follow us, we may put up some deals exclusive to our profile from time to time.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Photos of the 2011 Nogyosai Koi Show
The following pictures were taken by Devin at the 2011 Nogyosai Koi Show in Niigata.
Nishikigoi Shinkokai Niigata District Breeders' Auction Nov. 8th 2011
The Nishikigoi Shinkoikai Niigata District Breeders will hold their annual autumn auction on Nov. 8th this year. Photos of all the koi to be auctioned can be viewed here: http://www.echigo.ne.jp/~nishikigoi/auction.htm#4
Should you find a koi that strikes your interest, Devin will be there to take part in the action. Please get in touch with Devin before November 6th to discuss which koi you would like him to bid on for you. You can reach him at: devin@koiacres.com Please include the maximum amount that you would like to bid, in Japanese Yen, on your select koi. Please keep in mind that Koi Acres will charge a commission fee on top of the winning bid price. Winning bid price does not include any shipping fees or grow out fees should that option be available. Further details and questions can be answered by contacting Devin.
Below are a few examples of the koi to be auction:
Should you find a koi that strikes your interest, Devin will be there to take part in the action. Please get in touch with Devin before November 6th to discuss which koi you would like him to bid on for you. You can reach him at: devin@koiacres.com Please include the maximum amount that you would like to bid, in Japanese Yen, on your select koi. Please keep in mind that Koi Acres will charge a commission fee on top of the winning bid price. Winning bid price does not include any shipping fees or grow out fees should that option be available. Further details and questions can be answered by contacting Devin.
Below are a few examples of the koi to be auction:
2011 Nogyosai Grand Champion
Nogami Koi Farm takes the top award at this years Nogyosai Koi Show with their beautiful 5 year old 82 cm Kohaku. Congradulations to Nogami Koi Farm!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Devin's Vlog
Check out my new vlog! In it you will find the reason for my decision to start a vlog as opposed to writing in my blog. I talk about the first annual Koi Acres' Mud Pond Harvest, along with the events leading up to the big day. Including the importance of the diet the koi are being fed to bring them to their full potential. Enjoy!!!
Transcription:
If you've been following my blog through the years, you'll find there are periods where I go stale and stop writing, often because I'm out of inspiration. I like to think I'm a really good writer, but sometimes it just doesn't come out as good as I thought it would. And since Mikki started writing a blog and I married her and all, she's actually a pretty good writer I think. She likes to think otherwise. And I'm afraid I can't compete, there's just no comparison in her writing skills to mine. So that's the end of my blog writing. How does that saying go? Something about something or other, if you're not good at it just give up and try something new. So I think I'll try a vlog, because personally, I think I'm much more interesting in person than Mikki is.
I'd like to talk about the Koi Acres First Annual Mud Pond Harvest today. From the beginning of construction of mud ponds, we got a little bit later of a start than we'd hoped to due to road restrictions not allowing us to get the heavy machinery in as early as we wanted to to dig the ponds. We'd initially planned on digging the ponds in April. Unfortunately, we were tied up with building a pond down in Tennessee this winter, and by the time the pond build crew got home from building the pond, road restrictions were on so we could not move in machinery without some serious fines if we got caught. So we got off to a late start. The ponds were completed, I think, around mid-May and the fish were moved out on June 12th.
In between the completion of the ponds I had to get them filled and the water conditioned properly before I moved the fish in. So throughout the summer, unfortunately, I didn't have any auto feeders this year. Hopefully should have some next year. So everything was hand-fed. When I was home, not out at koi shows during weekends, I was feeding them six times a day. Other times, it was my mom I had to rely on to feed. I hope she fed them three times a day, but I'm thinking maybe she only got around twice on some days. But as you can see, I'm very happy with how the fish turned out even without the aid of auto feeders with consistent feedings every day. I did not expect the fish to grow to the size they are. I think the largest growth we got is around 20 or 21cm, and the smallest 11cm which is great considering the conditions, first year mud pond, no auto feeders so we're just relying on humans to try to stick to a set time schedule for feeding them. And the consistency of the food being fed. I was pretty consistent because I weighted the amount of food and split it up over the feedings per day, and I tried to tell my mom how much to feed, but I don't know how consistent she is.
I chose ToMiGAi because it's a very nice, high-protein food. It's manufactured here in the US. So as far as a feeding regiment goes in the mud ponds, in both of the ponds that I harvested there was mixed Gosanke with Shiro Utsuri. The best thing to do would be to separate, have a pond itself of Shiros and a pond of Gosanke, so I can better control the diet of each fish. But since they were mixed, the Hi is one of the more delicate colors of the fish so I want to cater to that, to make sure I'm keeping the Hi from breaking down, losing its quality. So for the ponds, throughout the summer, when the temperature was above 70 degrees Fahrenheit I would feed half ToMiGAi spirulina, and half ToMiGAi wheat germ. Those are both high-protein foods, 50% each, so it gets good growth out of those foods too along with the Spirulina helping to maintain the Hi and make it better. Because there's a big misconception I believe here in America in the Koi industry, that everybody's afraid of using color-enhancing foods or whatnot because it's just going to destroy the red on the fish. But that's not true at all. The fish are not going to naturally synthesize carotenoids in their body, so they need to take it in from an external source whether it be from algae in the pond they're eating that contains carotenoids or through their food. I think that's something a lot of people don't quite understand. So it's very important to feed Spirulina to your fish, or make sure, if they have red patterns, they're getting some form of carotenoids. Because without it, it's like painting your house once and just letting the sun burn it up and never putting a fresh coat on.
I think another misconception too is a lot of people don't realize what the breeders are feeding the fish in Japan. During my time there, I spent extensive time refilling auto feeders. I know exactly what these fish are being fed. And typically through the summer months, they were fed half growth food, half color-enhancement food or whatnot. So trying to debunk the myth that color-enhancing foods are bad for the fish, it's just proof to show you. It's needed for the fish. Without it, the fish are not going to develop to their potential. In the future I'd like to pull up some fish and do individual breakdown on the fish, how it's developed. Right now I'm just letting them de-stress, watching them now after the pull. They've only been out of the pond about four days, and I started feeding them yesterday. But so far everything is looking very good. The fish speak for themselves. You can see the results. I didn't think the fish would turn out so good, but I attribute a lot to the food, being that it's fresh. Just look at the fish, they're amazing.
Transcription:
If you've been following my blog through the years, you'll find there are periods where I go stale and stop writing, often because I'm out of inspiration. I like to think I'm a really good writer, but sometimes it just doesn't come out as good as I thought it would. And since Mikki started writing a blog and I married her and all, she's actually a pretty good writer I think. She likes to think otherwise. And I'm afraid I can't compete, there's just no comparison in her writing skills to mine. So that's the end of my blog writing. How does that saying go? Something about something or other, if you're not good at it just give up and try something new. So I think I'll try a vlog, because personally, I think I'm much more interesting in person than Mikki is.
I'd like to talk about the Koi Acres First Annual Mud Pond Harvest today. From the beginning of construction of mud ponds, we got a little bit later of a start than we'd hoped to due to road restrictions not allowing us to get the heavy machinery in as early as we wanted to to dig the ponds. We'd initially planned on digging the ponds in April. Unfortunately, we were tied up with building a pond down in Tennessee this winter, and by the time the pond build crew got home from building the pond, road restrictions were on so we could not move in machinery without some serious fines if we got caught. So we got off to a late start. The ponds were completed, I think, around mid-May and the fish were moved out on June 12th.
In between the completion of the ponds I had to get them filled and the water conditioned properly before I moved the fish in. So throughout the summer, unfortunately, I didn't have any auto feeders this year. Hopefully should have some next year. So everything was hand-fed. When I was home, not out at koi shows during weekends, I was feeding them six times a day. Other times, it was my mom I had to rely on to feed. I hope she fed them three times a day, but I'm thinking maybe she only got around twice on some days. But as you can see, I'm very happy with how the fish turned out even without the aid of auto feeders with consistent feedings every day. I did not expect the fish to grow to the size they are. I think the largest growth we got is around 20 or 21cm, and the smallest 11cm which is great considering the conditions, first year mud pond, no auto feeders so we're just relying on humans to try to stick to a set time schedule for feeding them. And the consistency of the food being fed. I was pretty consistent because I weighted the amount of food and split it up over the feedings per day, and I tried to tell my mom how much to feed, but I don't know how consistent she is.
I chose ToMiGAi because it's a very nice, high-protein food. It's manufactured here in the US. So as far as a feeding regiment goes in the mud ponds, in both of the ponds that I harvested there was mixed Gosanke with Shiro Utsuri. The best thing to do would be to separate, have a pond itself of Shiros and a pond of Gosanke, so I can better control the diet of each fish. But since they were mixed, the Hi is one of the more delicate colors of the fish so I want to cater to that, to make sure I'm keeping the Hi from breaking down, losing its quality. So for the ponds, throughout the summer, when the temperature was above 70 degrees Fahrenheit I would feed half ToMiGAi spirulina, and half ToMiGAi wheat germ. Those are both high-protein foods, 50% each, so it gets good growth out of those foods too along with the Spirulina helping to maintain the Hi and make it better. Because there's a big misconception I believe here in America in the Koi industry, that everybody's afraid of using color-enhancing foods or whatnot because it's just going to destroy the red on the fish. But that's not true at all. The fish are not going to naturally synthesize carotenoids in their body, so they need to take it in from an external source whether it be from algae in the pond they're eating that contains carotenoids or through their food. I think that's something a lot of people don't quite understand. So it's very important to feed Spirulina to your fish, or make sure, if they have red patterns, they're getting some form of carotenoids. Because without it, it's like painting your house once and just letting the sun burn it up and never putting a fresh coat on.
I think another misconception too is a lot of people don't realize what the breeders are feeding the fish in Japan. During my time there, I spent extensive time refilling auto feeders. I know exactly what these fish are being fed. And typically through the summer months, they were fed half growth food, half color-enhancement food or whatnot. So trying to debunk the myth that color-enhancing foods are bad for the fish, it's just proof to show you. It's needed for the fish. Without it, the fish are not going to develop to their potential. In the future I'd like to pull up some fish and do individual breakdown on the fish, how it's developed. Right now I'm just letting them de-stress, watching them now after the pull. They've only been out of the pond about four days, and I started feeding them yesterday. But so far everything is looking very good. The fish speak for themselves. You can see the results. I didn't think the fish would turn out so good, but I attribute a lot to the food, being that it's fresh. Just look at the fish, they're amazing.
Congrats!
Congratulations to Bryan & Bay Bateman for taking home the Mature Champion Award at the 2011 Ikona koi show with the Showa bred by Devin during his internship at Marudo Koi Farm!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
2011 Mud Pond Teaser
Catch a quick preview of the Koi in the mud ponds.
Harvest dates are:
10.7.11
10.8.11
10.9.11
Check our website for photos of the harvested Koi after those dates.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Congratulations to Dick Thomas!
Congratulations to Dick Thomas! He was the high bidder on the Oya Koi Farm 2 year old 54 cm Female Sanke in the recent Shinkokai Charity Auction that benefits the victims of the Hokuetsu earthquake.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Shinkokai Charity Auction
Due to the tragic earthquake & following tsunami that struck the North East Side of Japan last month the Shinkokai decided to call off this years Wakagoi Koi Show. In it place they are mounting a Charity Auction. All of the proceeds from the Auction will be donated to the victims of the Tohoku earthquake. The Auction will take place on April 10th 2011.
Dealers & Hobbyist alike are invited to take place in this auction.
Details and photos of the koi to be auctioned off can be found here: http://www.echigo.ne.jp/~nishikigoi/auction.htm
If you would like to place a bid on a fish you can contact me at: devin@koiacres.com
Please include what fish you would like to bid on and how much (in Japanese Yen) in the e-mail.
*Remember: All of the proceeds go to the victims of the Tohoku earthquake!!*
Dealers & Hobbyist alike are invited to take place in this auction.
Details and photos of the koi to be auctioned off can be found here: http://www.echigo.ne.jp/~nishikigoi/auction.htm
If you would like to place a bid on a fish you can contact me at: devin@koiacres.com
Please include what fish you would like to bid on and how much (in Japanese Yen) in the e-mail.
*Remember: All of the proceeds go to the victims of the Tohoku earthquake!!*
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Rental car conundrum...
I'm back in Japan, down in Hiroshima looking for koi at the moment. First stop: Omosako. The plan was to rent a car to get around. I first tried to make a reservation online prior to coming here but, I couldn't get any of the rental car websites to work. I wrote it off as possibly being a server problem due to the recent events here, so I just decided to go get a car in person.
I walked over to the closest rental car place from my hotel, one that I had tried to make a reservation online. Upon asking whether the had any cars available I was told that they were sold out for the day... At the next place it was the same story. I ended up going to five different rental car shops, but they were all sold out! I decided to give Omosako a call to inform them of my dilemma, I asked them if I could reschedule for the day after. To my surprise Omosako graciously offered to come pick me up!
I spent the afternoon with Omosako picking out nisai & tosai Shiro Utsuri to bring home. I'll upload some pictures later. For now I'm off to pick up a rental car and head over to Sakai. They said they don't have much available right now, but it will be fun to visit regardless!
I walked over to the closest rental car place from my hotel, one that I had tried to make a reservation online. Upon asking whether the had any cars available I was told that they were sold out for the day... At the next place it was the same story. I ended up going to five different rental car shops, but they were all sold out! I decided to give Omosako a call to inform them of my dilemma, I asked them if I could reschedule for the day after. To my surprise Omosako graciously offered to come pick me up!
I spent the afternoon with Omosako picking out nisai & tosai Shiro Utsuri to bring home. I'll upload some pictures later. For now I'm off to pick up a rental car and head over to Sakai. They said they don't have much available right now, but it will be fun to visit regardless!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
New Feature: Bowl This Koi
We're exited to introduce the new "Bowl this Koi" feature for all of the medium and large Koi that we have listed on our website. When you click on the button, a video clip pops up and allows you to view the Koi in motion. You can try it out for yourself on any of the Koi pages at http://www.koiacres.com/koi.html
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