Rarity sparks joy, replication murders art. ~ Inspired by Ming Dynasty fishbowl inscriptions.
4-bubbles bred by Tian Zhuang ( (田庒戲泡) displayed during the CIPS Guangzhou 2024. Picture courtesy of Mr. Alvin Lim
What began as a humble crucian carp in ancient China has blossomed into one of nature’s most extraordinary canvases. Since the Jin Dynasty 晋朝 (265–420 AD), when the first golden mutant crucian carp emerged, we’ve witnessed an evolutionary ballet. With a remarkable 100 chromosomes — more than double our human count, the goldfish’s genetic symphony erupts into dazzling mutations under different environments, yielding endless variations that have captivated civilizations for centuries.
selectively bred swordtails with compact body
While most aquarium fish, such as swordtails, tetras and gouramis display modest variations like elongated fins or compact bodies, goldfish explode with radical transformations. Every feature mutates spectacularly: from bulging eyes, pearl-like scales, dorsal-less egg shapes, crown-like head growths, and tails like butterfly spreads. Even their mouths reshape, as seen in the Ryukin’s sharp beak. One of the most unimaginable mutations, the throat sac of the Four Bubbles, swells into hypnotic, glass-like orbs with every breath it takes.
breeding and importing goldfish over the years, we have experienced our fair share of mutations too
Humans became co-creators - enhancing these spontaneous mutations through selective breeding, artfully combining different traits like a master decorator assembling nature's finest ornaments. Sometimes a single fish emerges bearing multiple marvels: pearlscale with dragon eyes and pompoms, celestial eyes paired with lionhead growths, or Orandas with broad butterfly tails.
a rare mutation of the pectoral fin
Herein lies their magic. While ornamental fish like guppies are "dissected" in competition — stripped into segments, each trait scored in isolation. But goldfish refuse such reduction. Their beauty lives in the whole: A lush head wen may crown one fish elegantly yet overwhelm another. We do not tally their parts; we feel their balance. Like judging a face not by nose or brow alone, but by the silent music of their harmony. With forms too diverse to catalog, each human or goldfish becomes a unique testament to nature's creativity.
Goldfish mirror humanity’s dance with nature; our attempts to shape it, and our humility when it surprises us. As Japanese breeders say, "The perfect goldfish doesn’t exist." Yet this imperfection makes them perfect. Even breeding successes reveal paradoxes: the Red Cap Oranda, once revered for its rare red crown, lost much of its allure when it can be bred true and mass-produced to a high degree of consistency. Scarcity, it seems, fuels wonder and uniformity extinguishes it.
The Red Cap Oranda
The art of goldfish appreciation teaches us that life’s most breathtaking creations emerge not from rigid control, but from the beautiful tension between human intention and nature’s boundless imagination. In each unique specimen, we find a masterpiece written in scales and fins — a testament to the wonder that unfolds when we collaborate with, rather than conquer, the natural world.
Yet today’s market tells a narrowing tale. While a handful of goldfish varieties dominate aquariums worldwide, few realize that over 300 documented and undocumented strains exist. Ancient breeds, like the Celestial, the Tigerhead, or the Phoenix are dismissed as "less regal" despite their storied and ancient lineages that have endured centuries longer than their commonplace counterparts.
Some rare exotics imported over the years
Our concoction of Pompom, Dragon Eyes and Pearlscale
At JuzFish ArtQuatics, we have quietly championed these overlooked treasures for years. By curating rare, high-quality specimens of exotic varieties, we hope to rekindle appreciation for goldfish diversity beyond the familiar. For in their forgotten forms, sculpted by time and refined by history lie masterpieces of living art, waiting to be rediscovered.
Stay tuned for our limited retail opening announcement as we present some of these exquisite specimens at their most resplendent. 😉
To get timely updates, subscribe to our telegram channel : https://t.me/juzfishart
Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there. ~ Josh Billings
SingPostrecently launched Singapore’s 2019 goldfish definitive stamps. I am honoured that the image of one of my goldfish was featured in the 1st Local and Local Stamp Book designs.
The image is of a Telescope Eye (a.k.a Dragon Eye) Pearlscale that has been on the main banner of my Facebook page for some years. Born and bred in 2010 in Singapore, it won first prize in the Pearlscale class at the 2011 Aquarama International Goldfish Competition. This uniquely Singaporean creation was the product of a breeding program that I had begun in 2006.
Tank view of the First Local Stamp Pearlscale
The basic features of the Pearlscale are a roundish body and pearl-like protruding scales, from which the breed derives its name. The more commonly available strains are the Ping-pong Pearlscale and the Crown Pearlscale.
The idea of creating a new strain came about in 2005. I wanted to set myself tougher challenges in the goldfish hobby and was determined to refute critics who believed it impossible to produce quality goldfish in tropical Singapore. Thus was the blueprint of the new variety conceived, based upon the Pearlscale variety - one of the most demanding goldfish to properly cultivate.
A big pearlscale from the Little Red Dot:
Size from the top view of the First Local Stamp Pearlscale
My dream was to develop a Pearlscale with an adorable rounded body and short tail; and exotic oriental features in the form of dragon (telescopic) eyes, pom poms (velvety narial bouquets), and topped off with a mini crown. I also wished for it to have a multitude of colour variations and the potential to achieve an impressive size.
It does not take much imagination to realise that my ideas would be accompanied by a engineering challenge - a fish with a short tail on one end having the daunting task of powering a plumpish body which would sport the heavy payloads of dragon eyes, pom poms and a crown at the other end. Balance had to be achieved through careful selective breeding for the optimal backbone structure, body-head-tail proportions, eye size, tail shape and angle. This was important to allow the fish to swim with grace and refined deportment, and live a healthy dignified life.
Dragon Eye Pom Pom Crown Pearlscale came to life in 2013
A goldfish breeding programme is a long term project. It entails knowledge of goldfish genetics and show standards, water quality management, contingency planning, ample pond space and the commitment to track the development of the bloodline.
In livestock breeding, a stable bloodline is one that exhibits a high consistency of desired traits over generations. Outcrossing - ie mixing with unrelated strains or bloodlines - is necessary to introduce new desired features to the baseline pearlscale variety.
Power of the dream
However, outcrossing is akin to shuffling a deck of hitherto ordered cards - once done, it is difficult to predict the hand that will next be dealt. Stable and desired traits may diminish or even disappear in the new hybrid offspring. A bad decision in outcrossing or casualties in brood stock can have catastrophic - or even show stopping - consequences for the whole breeding programme.
Tank view of a Singapore Dragon Eye Pom Pom Crown Pearlscale in 2015
If the outcross proves promising, back-crossing - breeding the new outcrossed hybrid back to the original stable line - is done to reinforce any original desired traits “diluted” by the outcross. This process may take multiple iterations over years before the new bloodline stabilises. As such, preserving the “last working version” is crucial so that there is no need to return to square one, when things go awry.
Creating a new goldfish variety is a long game of patience with no guarantee of success. The journey was at times lonely, with few fans or believers when it began with the first generation in 2005. Singapore’s tropical climate has allowed me to breed up to 3 generations of goldfish a year (as compared to only one generation in spring for temperate climates like China’s or Japan’s). But even with the quickened progress, it took years to stabilised the new variety.
2019 Dragon Eye Pom Pom Pearl babies 5 month old
As of the time of writing in December 2019, this labour of love has endured for over a decade. Having given many of my best years to the cause, it all seems worthwhile whenever I see specimens developing nicely.
Whilst still less known here at home (at least before the stamps were launched!) the Telescope Eye Pearlscale has gained recognition internationally as a uniquely Singapore variety.
However, the quest for “pearl-fection” is a continuing passion and I would hope to continue enhancing the breed for as long as I possibly can.
My heartfelt thanks once again to SingPost for showcasing my work in the prominent way that they have!
You may purchase the Singapore goldfish definitive stamp set and Stamp Book from shop.singpost.com
無國界的藝術 Art is universal. It unites mankind in common brotherhood. ~ Excerpt from the quote of James Jackson Jarves
The appreciation of all things beautiful is human nature, more pertinent is the fact that people from any culture can appreciate the beauty of a great piece of art or music from a foreign culture, without the need to understand that foreign language.
Today, I would like to share one of my favorite YouTube video - "Matsuri" by Master Kitaro. Master Kitaro often coalesce his music with the flavors and cultures of the countries that he performed in. In this particular music video, filmed in 2011 in his Hong Kong performance tour, the Matsuri theme was harmoniously blended with the euphony of Oriental musical instruments.
The sheer concordance of the Kitaro tempo often evokes psychical peace and inspiration to many... including myself - overwhelmed by the profound serenity and inspiration from the tempo of Matsuri to sketch the dynamic beauty of the Goldfish :))
Beyond doubt, many cultures also found the love for the Goldfish and develop various strains of Goldfish in accordance to their aesthetic preferences. We can often appreciate different perspectives of beauty from these communal development. Breeders also cross bred Goldfish developed by different cultures to create new and interesting perspectives. Like the beautiful music of Master Kitaro, the beauty of the Goldfish is appreciated by people of many cultures! Please also enjoy the exceptional musical performance by master Kitaro with the VIVA girls in this music video!
Sometimes, a change in perspective is what it takes to see the light. ~ Dan Brown
Most who had visited Japan would be awed by its unique culture that has been very successful in conjugating tradition with modernization. Albeit Japan's technological prowess, various ancient trades and art still persist in the traditional way, reverberating the candid contrasts of old and new in the Japanese's lifestyle and society.
Goldfish aquaculture in Japan is no exception. Long before the advent of glass tanks, goldfish were kept in ponds and naturally, they were bred to be appreciated from the top view. Today, many Japanese goldfish varieties are still bred for their top view aesthetics with some of the important goldfish competitions in Japan still assessing the goldfish from the top view.
Jikin Club Competition in Japan :
How beautifully the jikin waves its tail like the petals of
a flower from the top view!
Ranchu Competition in the AJRS (All-Japan Ranchu Show)
The most famous of all Japanese goldfish is of course the Ranchu. In fact, the Chinese Ranchu was created in the early 80's when the Japanese Ranchu was introduced into Fuzhou to cross with the Chinese lionhead. Ironically, it was the Chinese Ranchu that first took the goldfish world by storm. The Thai breeders have also imported the Japanese ranchu and selectively bred it for appreciation in the side view profile. The Thais, being very skilled in ornamental fishes, and inevitably these ranchu become very popular too and are widely known as the Thai ranchus (side view appreciation).
Top view profile of a Chinese ranchu: head is more rounded, body more olive shaped, peduncle thinner and tail are not so widely open
Top view profile of a Japanese ranchu: head is squarish, thick back, streamline body and wider tail spread
Why are the original Japanese ranchu not as well known as their cousins in China and Thailand? The main reasons being that in Japan, ranchus were mostly bred by closed groups of Japanese hobbyists in ranchu clubs, hence the lack of commercialisation until the age of the Internet in the mid 90s. Another reason is that most hobbyists are not accustomed to appreciating goldfish from the top view because of the popularity of keeping goldfish in glass tanks.
What then is the allure of the Japanese Ranchu? For a culture passionate about the refinement of anything, the aesthetics of dynamics is but only a natural course in the Japanese goldfish art and culture. The Japanese ranchus are bred not only to look beautiful from the top view but also to swim beautifully. They also seem to exhibit very different temperament from the Chinese and Thai ranchus; Japanese ranchus are extremely hyperactive like playful puppies. This could be due to their structure that was bred for swimming aesthetics. The most endearing moment for the Japanese Ranchu keeper is a shoal of cute ranchus wagging their tails and sexy peduncles in anticipation of their meals. Their active temperament, stocky peduncle, broad back and wider tail spread are a real joy to be appreciated from the top view ponds. Many people who started keeping the Japanese ranchu soon realised that they have open up a whole new perspective in enjoying the goldfish hobby.
Always therapeutic to watch a group of healthy ranchus feeding
Tips of starting the Japanese Ranchu hobby:
The Japanese ranchu have been closely inbred and isolated for more than a century in Japan and are very sensitive to gill bacterial and gill flukes. A wrong footing in the hobby can prove very painful and disastrous for the newbie. However, the Japanese ranchu can be very easy to keep if we are discipline and observe some basic rules.
1) Reliable source
Get your Japanese ranchu from a source who has quarantined and acclimatized the ranchus to local conditions for sometime. Healthy fishes should be eating well and swimming actively.
2) Do not mix Japanese ranchu with other types of goldfish or ornamental fishes.
Avoid mixing Japanese ranchu with other types of goldfish or ornamental fishes from other continents. The Japanese ranchus are not well immune to new pathogens carried by fishes from other continents due to a century of isolation. Mixing them is not impossible but usually prove very tricky. The story of all Japanese ranchu wiped out in a matter of days after mixing with other varieties of goldfish is all too common.
3) Learn to diagnose their sickness before they deteriorated.
With early diagnosis and applying the correct treatment, the chances of recovery is very high. For such hyperactive fishes, low appetite, listlessness, parking on the bottom or floating near the water surface are tell-tale signs of sickness. The good news is, the majority of the sickness can be tackled with salt and anti-bacteria treatment in the early stages of development.
4) Be familiar with the basics and salt treatment techniques
Perform the salt treatment whenever you mix fishes from different sources or different ponds. Salt treatment should be used as a routine maintenance too. The salt treatment article which I shared in an earlier post has received very favourable feedback from hobbyists who tried it out. They observed that the fishes have improved in health and growth.
Close up.. focus on the tail and the thick peduncle
5) Water quality and feeding
A good water change regime based on your stocking and feeding should be observed by the ranchu keeper. In essence, learn to feel and read the water quality by studying the behaviour of your ranchus. Water change regime will vary according to the stocking, feeding and environmental factors.
In general, for goldfish keeping in Singapore, water change should be at least 80% to 90% once every 7 days. The frequency of water change also depends on your stocking, feeding and weather conditions. it is highly recommended to buffer the water with baking soda because we have very soft municipal water. The guideline is one tablespoon of baking soda for every 25 US gallon, which should buffer the water to maintain a stable pH above 7 for a week or so under normal conditions.
Either a bio-filter system indoors or the natural wall algae and green water in the outdoor can be used to maintain the water quality. The later is preferred as goldfish are essentially outdoor fish that do best with ample sunlight. Some advance hobbyists have also successfully used the high output T5 lightings or the metal halid to groom wall algae and natural green water algae to maintain good water quality indoors.
6) Well balanced diet
In competitions, winning ranchus are ranked in accordance to the sumo titles. Sumo wrestlers may be big and fat but they are not the average fat man; they are very strong and very agile - thanks to the nutritional food and a strict exercise regime. It is the aspiration of the Japanese breeders to develop their ranchus like sumo wrestlers.So it is the same for the ranchu - big, strong structure nurtured with good exercise and a well balanced diet.
More frequency of lighter meals is preferred to a few heavy meals. Keep them well fed, but not too indulged so that they will have plenty of exercise foraging the pond for food. The older second year (nisai) and third year fishes (oya) also do not need as aggressive feeding as do young yearlings (Tosai).
7) Start small
Black Baby Ranchu (BBR)
Patience is very important in the art of the Japanese ranchu. Learn the hobby from basics with the cheaper grade ranchu. Black baby ranchu (BBR) are also good to kick start the hobby. Investing in the hobby too aggressively without a good understanding of the ranchu would likely kill the hobby.
Eventually, most hobbyists do not need to acquire very expensive or very high grade ranchu to enjoy the hobby. Most are just happy with the average ranchu for general appreciation. Like many other hobbies, it all depends on how we want to play, there are different grades of ranchu to satisfy players of all levels and expectations.
You may contact me for any queries regarding the Japanese ranchu or any type of goldfish. No purchases is required.
Not too long ago, I learned something very interesting from a good friend regarding the Zen (禪) perspective of the different stages of learning:
Stage 1: A mountain is a mountain (見山是山)
This is the beginning level where we simply use our senses to experience the things around us. There is no profound feel for the subject matter (the mountain). This is the state of mind of the layman.
Stage 2: A mountain is not a mountain (見山不是山)
This is the next level where we use our logic to analyse the subject matter. We see multiple perspectives and dissect the subject into smaller parts to analyse. The mountain is no longer just a mountain as we examine the streams, the birds and the animals within. This is the state of mind of the scholar who studies the subject earnestly.
Stage 3: A mountain is still a mountain (見山還是山)
In this level, we no longer use psychological projection to label things. We see the streams, the trees and the animals as part of the whole that makes up the mountain again. The mountain has not changed, but what has been changed is a more refined sensual feel of the mountain. This realm of feel (心境) cannot be expressed with words. This is the state of mind of the enlightened.
In the discipline of art, it is this "feel" that we should aspire to nurture. The same recipe followed by different cooks will not make the same quality of dish; the same teacher giving equal attention to his class will not have equal quality of work from his students. There is nothing wrong with the recipe or the teacher, the deterministic factor is just ourselves. While I have yet to attain the realm of feel to fully appreciate the profound teachings of Zen, I strongly believe that the basis of learning anything really well is to first master the fundamentals. Without setting the basics right, it is just a matter of time that things will fall apart. We would be wasting our energies going round and round and nowhere else, just like a hamster on the tread wheel. The other key aspect of learning as I have always emphasized, is to be truly objective and humble to see our own faults. If we think we are perfect then there is no more room for improvement. The worst case will be to think that we are already in the higher levels of learning but in actual fact, still grappling with the basics. Such will be destined to be stagnated on the same spot like treading hamsters. In our local slang, it is known as "hentakaki" ;-)
Nothing can be loved or hated, unless it is first understood. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
If we try swimming the breast stroke underwater as leveled as possible nearer the surface of the water and then in the deeper parts of the water, we will feel much more resistance in the deeper water compared to nearer the water surface.
Reducing our aerodynamic profile by pointing our hands straight or keeping them very close to the body reduces these resistances and we glide forward easily. Now imagine that we are Ranchus trying to swim with our hands wide open to simulate the open tail fins. The stress and strained will be felt mostly on our shoulders and joints as we pushed forward (assuming if we managed to swim this way underwater).
The tail bones of the BBRs are very soft and delicate and prone to damage. We can reduce the resistance and strain on the tail fins by lowering the water level (10cm to 14cm). However, do take extra precaution on the water quality and provide good aeration because the water volume is decreased and the rate of oxygen exchange from the air stones is also reduced due to the lower water level.
Spawn A: spawn date: 11 Jan 2014 video date: 24 Feb 2014
Next, imagine swimming with hands wide open and some weights tied to our abdomen to simulate a Ranchu with a full "stomach" and then, if we can, wag our hips like the peduncle of the Ranchu (just kidding). It is just common sense that we will struggle to keep our heads up against gravity and our hips may be injured due to the strains. For a Ranchu swimming with a heavy and full "stomach" and wide open tails, the strain on the back and tail core from the weight may alter their backbones, ruin their tail bones and tilt their tail dish (ozara).
A seed ranchu having damaged tail shoulder
BBRs, like human babies need more feedings to grow and path the foundation for a healthy adult. However, overfeeding them may do them more harm than good as exemplified by the above analogy. So spread out the feedings to more moderate feeds vs a few heavy feeds to reduce the weight of the BBR and encourage them to look for more food and exercise, which in turn aids digestion and growth.
BBR with flip up tail tip on the right side and a folded tail tip on the left
On the flip side (pun unintended), underfeeding the BBR will make its tail closer as it naturally evolved less widely-spread tail to swim faster and compete for food with its peers. In essence, the Ranchu keeper should exercise their own feel and judgment to groom their Ranchus. As each Ranchu is unique, some will turn out better than the others with specific grooming techniques.
Even with these measures in place, we can only minimise but not eradicate the possibility of tail or structural damages in a BBR simply because Ranchu aesthetics defies nature: In the first place, why are we asking for a fish with beautifully spread out tail to swim and glide at ease and with good balance? Isn't the Ranchu art an amazing engineering feat? Which is precisely why the Japanese always refer to "making a Ranchu" literally. There is no perfect Ranchu and as we appreciate that it is not easy to be a Ranchu, we should try to see more of the beautiful aspect of every Ranchu and not only on its flaws :))
As I am now selling some excess BBRs in my Goldfish sales blog to most people who may be keeping the BBR for the first time, I reckoned that this blog post should come in handy in saving much repetition and making the concepts clearer ;-)
Master Huang's Zisha clay figuring and my real creation
The aftermath of Aquarama left me with backlogs of work. Garnering whatever free time in these few weeks, I finally managed to sort out the photographs and updated the Vermillion Goldfish Club's website of Aquarama 2013 and the club's 10th Year Anniversary.
Master Huang at work
I am very honoured to know Master Huang, a good friend from Beijing - China, and one of the Aquarama Goldfish judges whom I first met in the 2012 Inaugural World Goldfish Competition. Master Huang impressed me as one with great passion in Goldfish breeding and conservation, he is also artistically inclined and devoted to put his life skills to the Goldfish hobby.
Though I had not shown Master Huang a life specimen of my new Pearlscale variety, he had crafted my dream fish out of "Zisha" (紫砂) clay, based entirely on his imagination. Remarkably, the figuring epitomized much of my dream fish's configuration and provided such a wonderful comparison with a real fish that I bred last year - a jet black Pompom Dragon Eyes Pearlscale. This is just one of the very few fishes that I hope to propagate more of such in the years ahead.
If you are interested in the Zisha figuring of any variety of Goldfish made by Master Huang, you can email me for enquiries and orders. Each Zisha figuring is unique and handmade, and complete with refine packaging in a traditional bamboo box. You may peruse more of Master Huang's creation in the following links:
I love things that age well - things that don't date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best.
~ Giorgio Armani
My painting for the Vermillion Goldfish Club 10th
Anniversary Book
2013 has been a good Ranchu breeding year sharing and learning with some very good hobbyist friends. To add to my joy, this year is also the Vermillion Goldfish Club's 10th Year Anniversary. I am relieved to have completed a painting in time to commemorate this great moment in conjunction with the Aquarama 2013 and the launch of the Vermillion Goldfish Club decade book ~ The Golden Decade.
I feel very honoured to be part of a group of dedicated goldfish hobbyists in the Vermillion Goldfish Club. The club has
done Singapore proud in the world wide goldfish community, helping to set up best practices and standards in the Aquarama goldfish competition as well as forging alliances with goldfish hobbyists and breeders locally
and abroad..
Vermillion Goldfish Club members discussing
about Ranchu appreciation in our outdoor haven.
circa 2005
Forming an interest group or a club is not that difficult actually; the real challenge is standing together through thick and thin in a decade of good cohesion, mutual trust, great teamwork and true friendship ;-)
Grooming in accordance to one's calibre. ~ Confucius
Every Ranchu is unique and merits detail study on how to groom each to the best of its potential. Besides structural differences, each fish has its own character and charisma. Some fishes developed slower and blossomed only later in their Nisai and Oya stages, while some emanates outstanding beauty even as a young Tosai.
Development rate of differs between Ranchus
Varying techniques to "tune" different Ranchu in various stages of their development is a challenging and interesting aspect of the art. It is a dynamic game of patience and control involving much creativity and intuition.
Training to make Ranchu indifference to human presence
Change what cannot be accepted and accept what cannot be changed. ~Reinhold Niebuhr
Hand-drawn TVR artwork - metallic gold ink on Japanese tray
It is not every day that I could have the inspiration to let loose of my creativity. I need to feel calm and at peace before I can start working on my artworks. There is always this huge inertia to switch from a hectic life to work on my art pieces straightaway.
In my artworks, I strive for a style of simple elegance and spontaneity, which is very much inspired by happiness and inner peace - happiness in doing the things I love and feel morally right to do; inner peace in having a clear conscience and oblivious to the things that I cannot change, like how people persist with their own misguided speculations. I have learned to accept and disregard these distractions, for I have a lot more important things that I want to prove to myself than to others.
If the truth is deem too hard to believe, then let time do the work.
The secret of patience is doing something else in the meanwhile.
~ author unknown
A couple of hours to work on this anatomy of an aquarium rock
I love working with watercolour. This wonderful media empowers the artist to exploit transparency, colour layers and shadows to create natural effects in their works. Watercolour art, like the art of Ranchu, is also a lot about patience; starting from the lighter colour layers to the darker colour layers, Sometimes, waiting for the colours to dry before studying how best to continue with the painting. The visual effects created by different pigments, brushes, water quantity and paper texture in watercolour are always fascinating to explore.
My recent work: Chinese Ranchus
For the past few weeks, I've been spending a fair bit of time gazing at rocks and aquatic plants, engrossed by the simple beauty of which. These are the subjects that I always wanted to complement my Goldfish paintings. The natural contours of rocks and the fluidity of the foliage of aquatic plants are extremely pleasing to the senses.
As I feel the inspiration to paint again, I am patiently awaiting the right moment to spawn the TVR...
Trust is like a mirror..once it is broken, you can never look at it the same again...
~ unknown
Its about time to foster a relationship of trust with the Ranchus. Hand-feeding is a routine practiced by the avid Ranchu fanciers to accustom the Ranchus to manhandling. For the Ranchu fanciers, nothing beats the joy of having a school of Ranchus wagging their tails and feeding off our hands. As mentioned in one of my earlier blog, hand feeding is also an important routine to train the Ranchus to get use to the intensive human presence and handling during the TVR competitions.
In fact, the spirit of friendship with emphasis in trust, integrity, respect and honour is highly regarded by some revered old Ranchu Masters in Japan. Sad to say, the lucrative TVR trades around the world have diluted much of the original teachings, even in the land of the Ranchus... :(
The video shows one of this year's BBR exhibiting the typical traits from the old Okayama bloodlines of 2002 ~ 2005 - longish head frame and "dragon cheek" funtan. This is an interesting piece with exaggerated features of well developed head and wide open tails, plump but yet swims with relatively good control! It is also a bulky babe (approx. 7.5cm) and has not completed colour change yet. I love the cute baby fats of the BBR... enjoying it as much as I could before it changes colour. Hopefully, it will not change for the worst under my care.
*PS:The date in the video is wrong... it should be 15th April. I think I am looking too much forward to the Aquarama 2011 :)
In those days of the film camera, Goldfish photography was more than a challenging feat - it was also extremely costly as the films were expensive. Moreover, the photographer could not preview the outcome of the shots and had to snap more photographs and develop them all, hoping that there would be a few good ones.
One of the most avid Goldfish photographers in Singapore is none
other than Alvin, who is never short of Goldfish models from his club
members. Rain or shine, he would be braving the elements in the open
almost every weekend, either cursing the unaccommodating weather or the
uncooperative Goldfish that turned away from the camera or pooped at
just the critical moment.
The advent of digital photography technology made it much more cost effective, time-saving and easier to compose and archive the photographs compared to the olden days. However, new technologies does not alter the fact that to take good photographs of the Goldfish, the photographer needs to have lots of patience and a good feel of the subject. This is also true for any photographer attempting to specialise in any subject matter, for without understanding the appreciation of the subject, it will be difficult to deliver the "wow" factor in his/her photography.
Though I have learned much about Goldfish photography from Alvin, unfortunately, I do not have as much patience and time for studio-style Goldfish photography. I am still eagerly awaiting his new set of studio photographs that he had promised to update in the Vermillion Goldfish Club website. Stay tune to the Vermillion website by following the club's new twitter updates!!!
Photos:
1. Alvin and his weekend pass time.
2. One of my first attempt in studio photo taking in 2005 - over exposure in some parts of the picture.
3. One of my favourite Butterfly Dragon Eyes - it is relatively easier to set up and shoot top view pictures of Goldfish compared to side view pictures.
Candor is always a double-edged sword; it may heal or it may separate.
~ Wilhelm Stekel
There is a time to push and a time to pull back when grooming the TVR. Harmonising with the laws of nature and yet at times, breaking the laws of nature; the more I dwell into the art of TVR, the more I feel I am wielding a double-edged sword. So much zen about the TVR... after all, the fancy Goldfish could never have existed in nature without man's intervention and years of selective breeding.
Batch A ~ 51 days after hatching
This year, I got a few
BBR (Black Baby Ranchu) achieving 6 cm before they changed colour. The Japanese believe that the transitional stage from BBR to
CBR (Coloured Baby Ranchu) is like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. It is a difficult time for the BBR and they lose much of their "baby fats". It is also the time for us to pull back a on aggressive feeding and keep a much closer watch on water quality.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
~ Winston Churchill
Welcome to my goldfish blog! My name is Wee Yap and I am an avid goldfish hobbyist from Singapore.
Come on in to Goldfish Artquatics where I will share my diary of goldfish adventures. Feel my passion in my artwork and follow my journey to breed the Japanese Top View Ranchu and my dream to create an all-new goldfish variety!
Posts
