While much of this is of course common sense, when it comes to Koi Shows and exhibiting having a plan and preparing properly can make a big difference, and help ensure the whole experience is a positive one for you and your Koi, so we’ve come up with a comprehensive list of headline topics for you to consider, and if you decide you want to have a go at showing, you can then apply to your own circumstances. At the very least by following these guidelines it will make the whole process less stressful and more enjoyable.
Don’t get over ambitious.
Its vital that if you decide to take your Koi to a Koi show the only thing you take seriously is the health of your Koi, and not winning a prize! Koi shows are fiercely competitive and winning anything should be thought of as a nice bonus, not a win at all cost necessity!
Its also important you don’t take things personally – especially the judging, which can seem brutal. Its not its just honest, so don’t get upset if your pride and joy doesn’t win! Koi shows also attract lots of “experts”, so take everything you hear and overhear with a pinch of salt!
Its also a good idea to stay reasonably local. If you follow our guidelines your Koi will be perfectly happy for a couple of hours, but thats realistically it, so don’t push it, and always remember the longer your Koi are in a confined Koi box, the longer they’re at risk, albeit it a managed risk.
If you want to enter a Koi show you can’t just show up on the day, you have to book a vat(s), so contact the show organisers and register your interest, and book your vat and pay. Much of this can be done online today and is very simple, and the cost remains low and reasonable.
Exhibition Short List
Take notice of the size and variety classifications of the show you are planning to attend, then start developing a mental short list based on what you have, that might compete in each. You can’t and shouldn’t take everything in your pond to a show, you need to be very selective. You may well have five Yamabuki Ogons, and you may well think they are all beautiful, but please don’t take them all, the Judges will have to pick the best one so you may as well just take the best, and save the others
the stress!
You also have to be honest with yourself. Just because you think your Goshiki or Sanke is fantastic, doesn’t mean its so. Be critical and target your best Koi for your short list, and don’t compete with yourself! Don’t take three Sanke in the same size, just take your best Sanke.
Also think about the show classifications and our previous tip about over and under subscribed show classes. While there will always be lots of Showa, Kohaku and Chagoi, chances are there won’t be many Bekko, Kin Ki Utsuri, or Asagi,so if you have an especially good example of one of these, that might have a better chance than your 3 best Kohaku?
The mid sizes are also often heavily represented, so you might have a better chance in sizes 1 and 2? Remember there are also awards for Beginners – first time exhibitors, and Novice – never previously won an award at a show so theres lots of awards to go round!
You will also need to be flexible as the Koi that start on your shortlist might not be on it on show day! By considering this intelligently your chances will improve, before the show starts!
Developing a list of potential show Koi by definition benefits the selection process, because you are thinking about it and over time you will be able to refine your list.
Pre-Show Conditioning
In the final analysis the Judges will evaluate your Koi on the day they are judged. Most Judges are Koi Keepers and all are Koi enthusiasts, so while they might be interested to speculate if your Koi may or may not get better in the future, at that show on that day, thats 100% irrelevant – they judge all the Koi in the show as they are in on that day. So, its entirely about which Koi is best on the day and your job is to work to get your Koi to look at its very best, on that one day.
There are all manner of water conditioners, clays additives you can deploy in pursuit of this and everyone has their own preferences, but whatever you decide to do, don’t forget the basics of good water keeping, and don’t take your eye off the water quality ball whatever you do, because, one thing is certain, Koi in sub optimal water quality seldom look good, and never look their best.
Individual Issues
Koi are all individual. Some stress easily and some are bomb proof. Some almost swim into your net, while others avoid it to their last breath. Some Koi are perfectly happy bagged and boxed for hours, while others start thrashing about the second you close the box lid. To this end its crucial to get to know your Koi, and get to know them individually. To illustrate this well use the example of Tancho and Shiro Utsuri. It’s not uncommon for them to sometimes instantly go pink, the second you net them. Some quickly settle down, de-stress and their skin returns to normal while others don’t. There is little point taking the latter to a Koi show no matter how good they look in your pond, because chances are they won’t look anything like that in a Koi show.
Similarly, if an individual Koi really doesn’t like being boxed you have to ask yourself is it really worth risking the potential damage it can do to itself, thrashing round in the bag just to take it to a show? By contrast there are other Koi that seem to be totally un-phased by the experience, having no problem being netted, bagged and travelling to a show.
If you are in any doubt – leave the Koi at home!
Size Is Important
There are currently 7 size categories in most Koi shows. They do sometimes vary so always check with the organisers. It is important that you know the sizes of each Koi you are planning on taking to the show, simply because you should aim to exhibit Koi that are close to the upper size limit rather than the lower. The reality is if we take size 2 as an example, which is for Koi in the range 25cm to 35cm, Koi closer to 35cm have, all other factors considered, a better chance of winning by virtue of their size. This doesn’t mean if you have an absolutely stunning 27cm Koi its not worth bothering, its simply a factor to consider in your Koi show strategy.
Stress
There is no denying there is stress attached to showing Koi. Stress for the Koi and stress for you, the objective is to minimise it for all involved. For the Koi, an excellent rule of thumb in this regard is that each individual Koi should only go to one show per season. If you can stick to this basic principle, and its not always easy, you will have less issues. These days there is, in the UK, a controversial show vat/tank stocking points system that limits how many Koi per vat, but points systems or not, it makes no sense to overstock an unfiltered show vat any more than it does to overstock your pond! For you, the more you prepare the less the stress.
Feeding
This is a massively important issue and worthy of close attention. There are two elements to this topic the first is fasting the Koi in the period before the show. This is vital because at most shows the vats don’t have filters, so the water quality will deteriorate quickly if the Koi have been fed prior to the show, and continue with their normal bodily functions. To avoid this, its necessary to suspend feeding completely in your pond 7 days before the show. This means suspending feeding totally that way you can be sure the Koi you are showing are properly fasted. More than 7 days and Koi tend to start losing condition and body volume which is clearly not desirable.
Equally important is your feeding programme in the months preceding the show. This needs to be geared to ensuring your Koi is its optimum shape and the colours and skin are glowing, correct feeding is crucial to this process. Most people have their own individual preference and regime, and we’ll have more to say on this topic in a separate feature, but don’t ignore this aspect and do gear your regime to attempting to get your Koi to their peak at show time.
Temperature
It’s likely that there will be differential water temperatures between your pond and the show vats. Most organisers are happy to provide information on water parameters and temperature, so you can attempt to get your home conditions as close as possible to those at the show. By taking notice of this you can again reduce stress levels. Specifically, if you heat your system, you will need to adjust system temperatures to coincide with those at the show. Its also important to leave time for this and make any adjustments over a week – not the day before show day!
Physical Checks and Re-Checks
All shows have strict health criteria for what is and what is not acceptable at Koi shows. Generally any Koi displaying evidence of visible parasites or infected damage to any part of their body, will be excluded at benching. Obviously any sick or damaged Koi should not be taken anyway, as it likely that the stress of the experience would exacerbate any pre-existing conditions.
Its therefore important to inspect your Koi very carefully before taking them to the show. Check for any damages, knocks or abrasions. Check their mouths, and fins, with special attention to anal fins, and the general undercarriage areas. If you have a viewing window its easy, if you don’t put the Koi in a single bag and hold it up so you can see all sides of the Koi including the underside.
Mature females require an additional level of consideration. If you have the slightest inclination that your Koi is about to or could be persuaded to drop her eggs by wanted or unwanted male attentions, don’t take her. One of the biggest risks to mature female Koi is dropping her eggs in the show vat or worst still in the bag. This is especially problematic at Summer shows where unexpected temperature variation can trigger this. Its potentially deadly to your Koi…
…if you are in any doubt, don’t risk it – leave it at home!
Deformities don’t preclude Koi from entry, but they are designated a serious demerit by show judges. Given this, it seems a fruitless exercise to subject a Koi with, for example, a deformed mouth, tail joint etc to the stress of a show, when it has virtually zero chance of winning anything?
One final thought with regard to health issues in general. If an actual or suspected health issue forces you to make the difficult decision to not take a Koi you have been working on all year that’s difficult. Its not however as difficult as damaging it, or worse because you dodged the decision. Airing on the side of caution might be painful at the time, but nowhere near as painful than if something goes horribly wrong, because you didn’t.
Finally in this regard its important to consider that there will always
another show, another time, but not…if your Koi is dead!
Have The Correct Gear!
Before you even start, make sure you have all the necessary equipment, and get organised and have it to hand. Specifically, a proper Koi pan net to catch the Koi, a handling net/sock and bowl measuring device, to put and measure your Koi in.
Each bag needs to be double bagged so make sure you have plenty of bags and elastic bands to hand. Bagged Koi always do better in Koi boxes, and covering the boxes so they’re in the dark and quiet seems to settle them down. Here’s an equipment check list:
• Pan net of appropriate length and diameter
• Koi sock
• Measuring bowl.
• Koi Boxes
• Vinyl Koi bags – double bag each Koi!
• Elastic bands
• Oxygen!
Double bagging is simple if you know how. Rather than trying to dry wrestle one bag inside
another, put a small amount of water into one bag then drop it into the outer bag, the weight of the water makes this easy peasy. Once the two bags are located bottom corner to bottom corner, turn down the tops of both and you can easily add transport water and the Koi. Putting Koi into a bag is better done in water beit in a bowl or in a net in the pond.
Just like your pond, overstocking is a bad idea and that applies to bagging Koi too. Here’s a bagging guide:
Up to 30cm = 4 Koi max
30cm – 50cm = 2 Koi max
Above 50cm = 1 Koi Only
Correct bag banding is also important. There are numerous ways to execute this, our preferred way is to, following oxygenation, twist the double bags then take two bands and loop them and fold the end of the bags back on themselves, and complete the banding by twisting the bands over the twisted now folded down to the max, the bands will stretch.
The bags also need to be placed in the box with the bag seams parallel to the bottom of the box and the banded sealed end slightly upward. One final piece of advice is before you put the bag complete with Koi into your Koi box, put in a separate plastic membrane. If you don’t have a single piece of plastic sheet, you can use un-punctured visqueen, but do deploy something that acts as a final additional safety measure in the unlikely event that the bag bursts or leaks, at least you have an outer membrane to retain at least some water. This is preferable to a worst case scenario soggy mess and a Koi thrashing about in an empty bag!
Care and experience is needed whenever handling or moving Koi, and this is one particular area where inexperienced Koi enthusiasts might do best to call in the cavalry. Consider also that water is heavy so don’t overfill the bag, just enough to make sure the head of the Koi is properly submerged. This process is important for the journey both ways; to the show, and back home. There’s always a potential for problem whenever you’re moving Koi, and they can get damaged just as easily coming home, as they could have getting there. In fact the risk on the home journey can be increased. Everyone is tired, and the desire to get the Koi home and back into their home pond tends to result in the temptation to rush things, from the journey to the unloading – don’t.
Remember our initial advice – take your time.
Float the bags and when the temperatures of bag water and pond equalise release the Koi again don’t just tip them out, open the bags and encourage them out, then dispose of the water in the bags down the drain, don’t just tip the Koi and bag water back into the pond. It’s best to use a measuring bowl to release the Koi into then use a Koi sock to lift it into the pond with minimal water transfer.
“Airing on the side of caution might seem time consuming at the time, and even a bit of a pain, but trust us its nowhere near as painful than if you don’t and something goes horribly wrong because you didn’t.”…Paul White
Get Some Help
You may or may not be capable of executing the catching and boxing on your own, but its much more sensible to get some help. Carrying Koi boxes especially with larger Koi is heavy work, and much more safely executed with two people, than wrestling with it on your own. This not only reduces the risk of accidents but can be fun and great banter. It is important to consider that this exercise is potentially risky to your precious Koi, and an extra pair of hands (and eyes), is the very least, a useful resource.
Leave Yourself Plenty Of Time
This sounds obvious but moving Koi safely takes time and the very last thing you want is to have to rush. Plan your journey in reverse. You know what time you plan to arrive at the show, you can work out the travelling time (being generous allow for delays and round up not down) then leave approx 15minutes per Koi for catching, final health inspection and bagging, total it all up and then start 30 minutes before that.
By pre-planning all this you can reduce the actual time it takes which will take the pressure off you more. Mistakes happen when the pressure is on, and things have to be rushed – so don’t do it! Not only does this have the potential to ruin all your hard work and planning, but more important it puts your Koi at risk!
Oxygen is Non- negotiable
Oxygen really is absolutely vital and while some show organisers have limited availability ,and usually only for de-benching at the end of the show, not all do so it’s much better to be self sufficient, unfortunately this usually means spending some money. The main oxygen suppliers have got the industry pretty much sewn up these days, so you need to hire an oxygen cylinder form your local supplier, simply because they won’t refill or swap unlicensed oxygen bottles, citing health and safety regulations. While this isn’t cheap one small cylinder lasts ages, obviously depending on how much you use it. A smarter solution is to get together with your pals and share the cylinder and the cost. Your local Koi dealer will also have access to oxygen, so as a last resort you can try chatting him up, to see if you can borrow one.
Transporting Koi
There have been lots of useful material published on this topic so we don’t want to labour this, but suffice to say locating the boxes side onto the direction of travel, covering them with blankets to dampen noise and vibration, stacking them no more than three levels (two is better and one is best), combined with deferential defensive driving, avoiding sharp braking and speed bumps, is most definitely the order of the day.
At The Show
Make sure you’re happy with the vat your going to put your Koi in! Make sure there’s enough air and make sure they’ve dechlorinated the water, and more importantly, make sure they’re testing the water throughout the show, including changing the water effectively! Don’t take it for granted ask! There is usually a benching tent or area where the paperworks done, they will tell you what number your vat(s) is/are. Float the bags in the vats and then when the water temperatures are the same release your Koi into the vat – but not the water in the bags. Its important not to dump the water in the bag into your vat, most shows have waste tanks put it in there, if not take it home and dump it there. Show organisers usually require you to stick around until its your turn for benching, after which you sign the form and you are done, and can finally – relax.
De-Benching
Most shows have a de-benching procedure that usually, despite best intentions, quickly descends into total anarchy as everyone wants to leave asap, and get their Koi home. Please don’t bag your Koi up until the organiser gives the go ahead, which is usually after the award ceremony.
Anyway you will be too busy collecting your trophies before! Seriously, please be courteous and follow show organisers instructions, these procedures are there for a reason and designed to protect everyone’s interest.
Bio security requirements at most shows mean that to catch your Koi during de-benching, you need either bring your own (best option), or use the nets used by the judges at the show, so a polite request to the show staff should get things underway. If this doesn’t happen instantly please be patient. If your planning has been up to scratch, you will have everything to hand and now you also have the experience gained bringing your Koi to the show, the whole thing should be hassle free, just in reverse. Last job before you leave take the temperature of the show vat. This will help you later, but do resist the temptation to rush everything and dash home…take your time!
Post Show Strategy
Back in the day – the practice for Koi that had spent two days in unfiltered show vats and already pretty unhappy, was subject them to a potassium dip. Post SVC/KHV “Japanese Style” shows where exhibitors Koi were mixed together (yes we really did used to do that!) are a dim and distant memory, and today, although the PP dip protocol is still followed by some, the reality is that “English Style” shows where each exhibitor has their own vat, render the practise pretty much redundant. Although its fair to say opinion is still divided, simply putting your Koi back into their home environment is more likely to induce a big subliminal sigh of relief from your Koi, than chucking them into a bowl of oxidising chemicals is, but, as always, the choice is yours!
Vigilance – What is crucial is that you watch your shown Koi very closely for a couple of weeks after the show, and, investigate and deal with any issues that might develop. Specifically, water temperature variations that Koi at shows are subject to over a show weekend, can be significant. This causes stress which can precipitate parasite issues. In view of this, whether your Koi display symptoms or not, its a good idea to do a skin scrape a week after the show, just to check.
Feeding – Remember that the Koi you took to the show haven’t been fed for more than a week. Don’t just pile in the food straight away, introduce and increase volumes gradually. Its also a good idea to put some more easily digested food into the mix. Wheat germ is ideal for this, but whatever your chosen Koi food menu, take it easy and build up volumes slowly, aiming to get back to
normal feeding levels in about a week.
Don’t worry about the nutrition implications for your other Koi that didn’t go to the show, very few Koi ever starve to death whereas many are overfed to death, so it won’t do any of your collection any harm to have reduced rations, while things get back to normal.
Finally, at the end of all your efforts, stress and tribulations you can sit back and gloat, bask in your glorious victories, polish the silverware, and start the whole process all over again for next season!
