Koi Crazy

3. Sharp Lines
Blurry colors won’t win you props in Tokyo — or in Boca Raton. “The lines between colors,” Berkow says, “should look like they were cut by a razor.”

4. Form
Learn your patterns. Sasha Cohen needed to master the triple Lutz; you, aspiring koi keeper, should be fluent in the basic patterns of the Nishikigoi tradition. If your koi matches the classic markings of a legendary kohaku, you might have a player.

ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Colby Katz

Paul Radice sits in front of his show pond, home of the prized koi

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5. Care and Maintenance
Don't be cheap or lazy. Keeping fancy koi means treating your fish like true VIPs. Prized koi need their space — one fish for every 100 gallons of water. Filter your pond constantly to simulate a pristine mountain stream. (Water should totally recirculate at least twice a day.) Also, vacuum and apply algae-killing products to your pool once a week. Feed your red-ribbon winners twice a day. And don’t feed them just anything. Mediocre food — such as doggy bits — will actually dull their color, says Paul Radice.