Tategoi

Nisei Koi Farm

Tategoi is the term we give to koi that we believe can improve and become more beautiful in the future.  This also correlates directly with a more expensive koi.  As koi become larger, deviations from perfection become more apparent.  As a breeder of high class koi we are continually striving to breed a perfect koi.  Every year we hope that there will be just one of these koi produced.  For us, this would be an over 36" gosanke female with a perfect body and pattern.  She would have high class soft thick beni, snow white skin and in the case of Sanke and Showa,  deep shiny black placed artisticly on her white skin.  The culling process removes the koi that no longer conform to these very narrow characteristics.

The pursuit of these elusive koi, motivates Koi Breeders all around the world every year.

Each year tategoi are found all through the sizes produced.  We seperate them into inch size classes.  We use 3-5 mud ponds to raise tategoi tosai to Nisai.  Each pond has koi that are less then 1" differential between the largest koi and the smalles koi. The ponds range in size from 1/10 of an acre to over an acre, with the larger ponds growing out the avarage size koi.  The mud pond can only support the intensive growth of a limited number of koi.  We usually have a surplus of koi in each size category and we are forced due to lack of space to sell these high class koi as tosai.

It should be stated that over 50% of the koi named tategoi in Spring will no longer be considered Tategoi in Fall at Harvest time.  If any breeder knew for certain which koi was 'the one' at tosai age and size, then raising koi would be significantly less expensive!!  Keeping and buying Tategoi is an expensive gamble for both Breeder and hobbyist and should be regarded as a risky investment.  However, the intrigue and education gained as you watch each one grow always seems to be worth the investment.