About us

Discover our world of koi

Our team

Here we introduce the dedicated people who represent Dainichi-Europe.

Harald Bachmann

Managing Director

Harald Bachmann is Managing Director of Dainichi Europe GmbH and has been a fixture of the European koi scene for 35 years.

His passion for koi has taken him to Japan more than a hundred times. On numerous selection trips he accompanied groups of dealers, chose koi on site and, during longer stays, also worked at renowned koi farms such as Torazo and Dainichi.

That intensive experience of Japan gave rise to his own specialist publications, among others with Aqualog Verlag and Koi Concept Verlag. He also contributed to specialist literature published by Dähne Verlag.

A particular honour was his role as a judge at the 50th Memorial All Japan Nishiki Goi Show of the Shinkokai in 2019 – as one of only three European judges.

Today, at Dainichi Europe, Harald Bachmann combines decades of koi experience, close contacts in Japan and practical know-how in selection, husbandry, rearing, water quality and modern aquaculture. This practical experience is complemented by professional exchange with scientific partners, among them the University of Rostock and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state research institute for aquaculture.

Who is Harald Bachmann?

Kerstin Bartel

Back office · Shipping and customer service

Kerstin holds everything together for us behind the scenes: accounting, logistics and orders, from shipping supplies to whatever our colleagues at the facility need. There is no such thing as an ordinary working day for her. But it usually starts with her preparing the shipping papers for the fish that are setting off that day.

Once a koi has been sold, Kerstin gets in touch with the customer and agrees when their fish should arrive. She explains to new customers which shipping options there are and what to look out for when the fish arrives, such as acclimatising it and introducing it to other fish. Making sure the fish are loaded properly and arrive in good condition is especially close to her heart. And for that, she says, communication above all has to be right.

Kerstin has been with Dainichi Europe since December 2018, and permanently with us in Mecklenburg since early 2020. What she likes most about her work: the variety, the many different tasks – even if it is sometimes really a lot.

Frank Hanitz

Head of Production

Frank keeps everything running here: the technology of our facility, the care of the drum filters and all the systems. He is our all-rounder, and yet one task stands above all the others: Frank packs the koi for shipping.

If you collect fish from us, Frank is usually the first person you meet. Don't be surprised: he is on first-name terms with everyone straight away. He is never shy, incredibly funny, a lively North German who gets on with everyone. He'll show you how best to park your car so the boxes fit in easily, and he lends a hand wherever one is needed.

Andre Kleinschmidt

Plastics fabricator

Andre is our plastics specialist. In our facility he builds indoor holding systems, gas exchangers and special equipment for aquaculture. For our customers he welds PE sheets and filter chambers and builds or rebuilds filter and pond systems.

We particularly like getting filters to work that aren't running properly. Drum and belt filters have to sit exactly at the right pond level, and that is exactly where many mistakes happen. This year alone, Andre has relocated a belt filter that was installed too high three times: lifted out of its brick chamber, connections changed, reinstalled lower. Since then the filters have been working at full effect.

It often starts quite inconspicuously. Kerstin calls a customer to arrange the shipping date for their koi, and they mention that they aren't ready yet: something is wrong with the filter, and they don't know who can help. Kerstin passes it on, and in the end Andre is standing at the pond with his welding kit.

Dr. Dr. Henrike Seibel

Fish veterinarian

Dr Dr Seibel is a veterinarian specialising in fish and brings particular expertise in fish health, aquaculture and animal welfare. After studying veterinary medicine at the Freie Universität Berlin she first took her doctorate at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, and later devoted a second doctorate to aquaculture questions surrounding the welfare of fish.

Today she works at the Fraunhofer IMTE in Büsum in the field of aquaculture and aquatic resources, where she heads the fish health and welfare section, among other duties. She also runs a specialised mobile practice for fish with a strong focus on koi.

With her combination of scientific expertise, practical experience and specialisation in koi, Dr Dr Seibel is an extremely valuable professional presence in the veterinary care of our facility.

Dr Dr Seibel on video

In selected videos, Dr Dr Seibel offers insights into fish health, koi, aquaculture and veterinary care.

Prof. Harry Palm

Scientific advisor

Knowledge transfer, Steinbeis Transfer Centre in cooperation with the University of Rostock

Research:

Aquaponic production of fish and plants
Diseases and parasites of aquatic organisms
Interactions between aquaculture and the environment

Teaching:

Principles of aquaculture
Rearing and holding of aquatic organisms
Aquaculture in practice
Diseases and parasites of aquatic organisms

With Prof. Palm in Japan

Dr. Adrian Bischoff-Lang

Scientific advisor

Knowledge transfer, Steinbeis Transfer Centre in cooperation with the University of Rostock

Research:

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA)
Nutrient budgeting, including phosphorus in aquaculture
Fish larvae culture, including artificial food chains
Polychaete culture for the use of solid waste

Qualifications:

Dr rer. nat. in fisheries biology
Diplom-Biologe (biologist)

Teaching:

Aquaculture systems

Origin

Our values

Dainichi Europe does not stand for just any origin, but for one of the most formative lines in modern koi breeding. That origin lies in Ojiya in Niigata Prefecture – the region regarded worldwide as the cradle of nishikigoi. There, over decades, the Mano family built up the Dainichi Koi Farm into a breeding operation that has set international standards and stands to this day for exceptional body quality, capacity for development and presence. What comes from this origin is not merely a name, but an understanding of breeding grown over generations and recognised at the highest level worldwide.

Dainichi was founded by Minoru Mano. Today that legacy is carried on by Futoshi Mano and Shigeru Mano. In the international koi world the name Dainichi stands for the highest show successes, grand champion titles and a breeding philosophy that seeks quality not in a short-lived impression but in substance, development and presence. What is decisive is not success in the show ring alone, but the consistency with which, over decades, fish have been produced that rank among the defining references of the field in body, volume, skin quality and overall presence.

Dainichi Europe grew out of this origin. Since 2011 there has been a close and steadily developing connection with the Dainichi Koi Farm in Japan, from which Dainichi Europe was founded in 2018 with the support of Dainichi Japan. Harald Bachmann's appointment as one of only three European judges for the 50th anniversary All Japan Koi Show of the Shinkokai in 2019 further underlines the depth of expertise and the trust on which this connection rests. It shows that the closeness is not a matter of presentation, but of many years of practical cooperation, of experience on site and of professional recognition earned over time.

Dainichi Europe therefore does not stand for distribution in the usual sense, but for the European continuation of a breeding philosophy that originated in Niigata. Behind it lie established bloodlines, breeding knowledge from the home region of the nishikigoi, international recognition at the highest level, and a connection based not on presentation but on practice – on the farm, at the ponds, in selection and in judging at the highest level. That is precisely where the difference lies: Dainichi Europe did not arise at a distance from its origin, but in immediate proximity to it.

Today, then, Dainichi Europe stands for an origin that reaches far beyond the name. The connection to Dainichi Japan means access to a matured understanding of quality, to a clear breeding line, and to an attitude that sees the nishikigoi not as merchandise but as the result of experience, selection and long-term development. Dainichi Europe carries that origin into Europe – not as a copy, but as a credible continuation of an origin that has set the standard in the koi world for decades.

Attitude

Our commitment

Our commitment is the expression of an attitude, not the result of isolated measures. We see our operation as a single system in which quality, responsibility and sustainability belong together. That is why we invest not in short-term effects but in structures that hold up over time and stand up to professional scrutiny. Energy supply, water treatment, rearing and the use of resources do not sit side by side here; they follow one clear internal logic.

For us, responsibility begins where decisions have to hold up not only economically but also professionally and ecologically. In a sensitive setting in particular, this calls for care, foresight and a willingness to shape processes so that they do justice to the site, to the fish and to our own standards alike. We therefore see sustainability not as an add-on, but as part of running a serious business fit for the future.

Our commitment shows in the deliberate linking of cycles, in the use of resources already at hand, and in developing solutions that work in daily practice. It shows equally in the decision not to take the easiest route, but the professionally correct one. Combining experience from Japan, our own rearing in Germany and a clear understanding of quality is not a marketing claim for us, but lived practice.

The result is an operation whose sense of responsibility is visible not only in the outcome but already in its structure. Our commitment lies in the consistency with which we make quality possible, keep sustainability in mind and give our work a solid foundation.

Koi sales

We offer a carefully chosen selection of first-class koi. Our fish come directly from the Dainichi Koi Farm in Japan and stand for quality and good health.

Find out more

Koi auctions

Take part in our regular auctions and secure special koi at fair prices. Experience the thrill of bidding in a friendly setting.

Bid now

Advice

Draw on our expertise and let us advise you. We help you choose the best koi for your pond system and offer tips on their care.

Request advice

Buy accessories

Discover our extensive range of accessories for koi enthusiasts. From pond filters to feed – everything you need to keep your fish well.

Shop now

Sign up for the newsletter

Stay up to date with news and special offers from our koi business. Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss an event.

Customer service

Our customer service is always there for you. If you have questions or concerns we are glad to help, so that your shopping experience is as good as it can be.