Professional Documents
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AND TOSAI
Defining Body Parts
The main body parts are identified as follows: head is from mouth to the edge of the gill cover, body is from gill
cover to the vent below tail. The environment and grooming techniques will have a big impact on developing ranchu
head, body and tail.
There is an old Japanese saying “Good ranchu head is created before the color change”. For the head-
growth to develop properly, it needs a good scull structure, as a foundation. A good foundation must be
selected and formed in kuroko before the change of color. During this time it is important to achieve
balanced Dragon or Lion Head (more about ranchu standards here).
If any combination of head-growth below occurs, the head will appear unbalanced:
growth on the top of the head, no growth on the gill plates
growth evenly develops over the entire head
growth develops on cheeks and under eyes only
Delays in water changes help to suppress active fish movement and aids in developing head-growth at an
early stage.
Feeding bloodworm and green algae will help in developing funtan. Suppress movement by extending
intervals between the water changes and raising ranchu in green water.
It is important to develop a good skeleton in kuroko before the color change. Good balance between the
head and body is very important. Preference should be given to longer bodies with wide back and
peduncle, which will balance well with the size of the head.
To make back wider and increase the width between the eyes:
feed enough
use green water
slightly increase the stocking density to suppress active movement
Beware that with increased stocking density vertical body growth will be suppressed.
Water depth is very important in formation of a good back shape in fry. There is an old Japanese saying
“Shallow water gives gently curved back, deep water gives round back” makes a good point.
Water depth at 4 in (10cm) during the fry development produces gently curved back, while water depth
around 3.3 ft (1m) gives more rounded shape. Genetics are also important in developing the right back.
Tail Tension
Tail shape is very important and is greatly dependent on grooming technique. However, if you only pursue
creating a good tail, you will loose on fish health and overall quality. It is a trade-off to make a good tail
and to keep fish health. It is difficult to do and one has to find a balance.
To create a good tail, you must select kuroko with tail shoulders that are open at 160-180° and have a
strong tail core.
To make a tail shoulder curve like in a bow (bow and arrow), the fish must swim moderately to finish
formation before the color change. If the curve increases it may result in weak tension and possible
collapse of the tail shoulders.
Water depth will effect the tail core in fry. The depth at 4 in (10cm) during development is necessary.
There is a tendency for the tail core either to fall lower if the water depth is too shallow or rise up if the
depth is too deep.
After the tail is formed and the core is established in kuroko stage, it is not effected as much by the water
depth. Still, as a general rule, it is a good idea to keep the water depth at 6-8 in (15-20cm) during ranchu
development. Also, increased exercise may result in softening of the tail core, as well as loss of the tail
tension.