My Journey Begins

Welcome fellow Ranchu enthusiast! Having found yourself here I assume that you are becoming or have become as obsessed with Ranchu as I have. Fear not, you are not alone...

You join me at the beginning of what I expect to be a long and challenging journey. My hopes are to keep, breed, groom and show Ranchu, self bred here in the UK to traditional standards using traditional methods more commonly associated with Japan and the East. I intend to blog about my adventures regularly and hope that my ramblings may provide some useful information for anyone interested in the Ranchu culture.

Ranchu are commonly available in local fish stores here in the UK but they are so far from a traditional standard that you may as well start your breeding project with a clown fish! In Japan, Ranchu are traditionally kept and viewed in large, shallow ponds rather than glass aquariums, due to this you may hear some enthusiasts refer to traditional style Ranchu as Top View Ranchu (TVR).

Although the Ranchu world is still relatively small in the UK access to stock from quality Japanese lineage is still possible. There are a couple of dedicated ranchu clubs that would provide a possible route to fish and advice. Fish from recognized lineage are also sometimes available at open fish keeping shows running throughout the year.

After many months of research, planning and preparing, 4 weeks ago i finally acquired a selection of Ranchu of Japanese lineage that will begin my own project. The fish have settled in well and undergone careful quarantining procedures. I will introduce my Tosai in a future entry, for now it is bed time...