Yumekoi


MOMOTARO KOI FARM Momotaro Koi Farm (Okayama Nishikigoi Centre) is without doubt one of Japan's finest breeders. Owned and run by President Michio Maeda, and Daisuke Maeda, they take great pride in producing Koi for the Japanese and Asian markets. Mr. Maeda has one aim, to be regarded as the world's top Koi breeder.

Momotaro are using many parents that have won Grand
Champion in the most prestigeous shows in Japan. 7 of
the last 9 All Japan Grand Champions have been raised
here. This includes the famous 101cm Sanke that won
the All Japan Show 2002. This Koi was purchased at
80cm as a future parent Koi.

		Momotaro are noted worldwide for their 1500 ton (330,000 imp gallons) indoor pond. This is the largest filtered concrete pond in Japan and is home to no more than 70 Koi! These range from 70cm to over 1 metre long. Filtration runs beneath decking around the perimeter of the pond and uses their own filter media called "Bacteria House". Last year, this won an international award for 'Best filter material in the World'. It is also used in the shower filters that you can see to the left as this removes nitrates and, to a degree, lowers water hardness.
Amongst Momotaro's achievements, they have so far produced the biggest Tosai (yearling of 58cm), Nisai (74.5cm), Sansai (about 84cm), Yonsai, and Gosai Koi!
		One of five fish houses. The six ponds in the foreground contain some of the parent Koi. The three closest ponds contain Koi that have just been spawned, they are being rested here until going back out into the mud ponds. In the far right corner are two very big ponds containing big Koi, with smaller ponds running towards the far left corner. The smaller ponds presently contain eggs, and newly hatched fry. In the Autumn, these small ponds will contain newly harvested nisai Koi (two year olds).
This picture is taken from the opposite corner. Here you can clearly see the spawning ropes and the fine white nets, which prevent Koi disappearing into the filters that lie underneath the blue decking which runs around each of the ponds. In the background you can see the two larger ponds, which I would estimate to hold around 30,000 gallons each.
		Here are some of Momotaro's man made mud ponds. At the time of taking this picture the total mud pond space covered 27,000m², but have now been extended to some 60,000m². Mr. Maeda also has natuaral mud ponds, but feels that there are many risks. By building these man made mud ponds, risks are almost completely eliminated and the Koi can be very carefully looked after during the growing months of summer.
Here is another of Momotaro's Koi houses. This one has been over-wintering the many Tosai, which are to be put out into the mud ponds. Some of these also contain exclusively male Koi. As you can see once again, the filters lie beneath the wooden decking. At the far right corner are a few more ponds containing eggs and fry.
		Yet another big pond. This one contains 500 tons of water (110,000 imp. gallons). At the far end you can see the shower filters. This size of pond would be a dream come true in England! The picture below is of the other pond within this fish house. These two ponds contain Koi of 3 to 5 years old and serve as summer growing ponds as well as over-wintering ponds.
In the same building as the one above, this also contains 500 tons of water. The tags attached to the hand rail have vital information about how many Koi are in the pond, the variety, ages and the parents they are from. Also included in these notes is a plan for the weight of food to be given in each feeding, based on the Koi's condition on each morning before the first feed.