Presidents Corner:

Our August meeting will be in conjunction with the Annual Summer Cookout. The club will provide drinks and the main dish, and members bring a covered dish. We have lots planned for the day. The pool will be open for those who would like to take a swim or just get wet to beat the summer heat. We are working on some nice raffle items and will possibly have some fish available for raffle or silent bidding. Join us for a day of good food and socializing!

I am very pleased to announce that we have confirmed Joe White to be the guest speaker for the meeting. Joe will give a presentation on Water Quality. If you would like to have your pond water tested bring a small sample and Joe will test it for you after the presentation.

For those who are interested in attending the Atlanta Show September 15 -17, room reservations are being handled by Hampton Inn. You can book room reservations by calling 1-800-Hampton and give the reservation code KOI to receive the $74.00 show rate. Make your room reservations by August 15 to get the lower rate. There are some other conventions going on in the area so you will want to confirm as soon as possible.

Preparations are under way for our Fall Show November 4. The show will be opened to entrants outside of the club after August 31 if there are tank spaces available. Be sure to return your tank reservation form prior to the 31st to reserve your space. Our members are not charged any fees to participate in this show.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Summer Cookout!

Charlie.

Office of the Secretary by: Anne

We had a good turn out for the meeting at Chuck and Betty Muehe's house.
Pictures of the ponds on this year's tour were displayed and all in attendance voted on the winners. Congratulations to Bob and Peggy Morris for placing number 1! Second was Dave and Sherri Brown's pond and third went to Jim and Susan Roberts. Every pond exhibited the many hours of work and effort put in by our members and picking the winners was extremely difficult.
The presentation was on building a quarantine tank filter. If you would like a copy of the plans, please let me know if you would like a copy and I will bring it to the cookout.
With the pond tour behind us, it is now time to get ready for the Fall fish show. The show will again be held at the Orange Park City Hall Park. Please get with someone on the board to volunteer to be on a committee. Tina Stogsdill is still looking for plants to sell at the show. Also she could use any next plant pots you may have around.

Koi Chat with Sandee

Jim & Susan Roberts joined the NFKC during the Pond Tour of 1994. They had had a 300 gallon pond with an old pool liner for 2 years. It had no filtration or aeration, but they had fish. When those fish died from over treatment of infection and/or parasites, the Roberts decided it was time to get some information on what they wanted to do before they lost any more fish.

The course of Koi Keeping has not been easy for Jim & Susan. They had a predator kill some fish and injured others. They also had an incident where something clogged the return water and nearly emptied their pond. By then they were truly seasoned Koi keepers and really committed to keeping these beautiful fish.

The Roberts have a beautiful pond complex which includes their main pond as well as a separate area for their Orandas and a plant bog. They circulate approximately 4300 gallons of water through the complex and over 2 waterfalls.

When asked how many fish they have, Susan said 28 without having to think about it. After their devastating loss, they make sure they see all their fish everyday. And they count to make sure they are all there. Their Koi range in length from 6"-28". And they have 5 Orandas. Their fish all have names.

Their worst fish story was about the attack of a predator. They found 2 of their fish half eaten by this predator who had dragged them out of the pond. Many of their fish had sustained injuries by apparently being scraped along the rocks on the side of the pond. The injuries were not seen right away. While treating the wounds topically, they lost another 8 or 9 fish. They finally injected 19 fish in order to save them. They swore this was something they would never do. But, alas, the thought of continuing to lose fish was too heartbreaking to think about.

When asked about information they would pass on to new Koi Keepers, they agreed that checking the pond and fish daily is a must. Keeping the pond netted will save a lot of heartbreak by keeping predators out. And, naming your fish makes them easier to discuss. Koi Keeping is a family hobby for the Roberts. Their son Jimmy and their daughter Brianna are junior members who attend most club functions.

Caught In The Net ByTodo

Algae is a part of nature just like the other parts of the eco-system. The main goal in keeping clean water is not to attempt to completely rid your pond of algae, but to keep it in balance with nature.

Nothing is more frustrating to a pond owner than battling algae. Green water and long, ugly string algae cause headaches not only for the homeowner, but also for the landscape contractor building ponds. There are many factors and causes that are responsible for algae growth, and

stopping the growth of algae can sometimes seem like a losing battle to the novice pond keeper. Fighting green water is not fun for anyone, and it does not allow homeowners to enjoy the pond as much as they would like to. Simply put, no one likes a pond with an algae problem.

Thankfully, prevention and control of algae is easier than one might think. In this article you will learn how to apply a simple, time tested formula to ensure clear, healthy water.

There are two main types of algae that afflict the pond. The first type is suspended algae, and this is the algae responsible for turning the water green. The second type is filamentous algae, otherwise known as string algae. String algae forms in hair-like chains, and attaches itself to rocks, plants, or any available surface it can locate in the pond. Although both are a real nuisance to the pond keeper, and are two distinctly different types of algae, it helps to understand the causes for each of them.

Suspended algae blooms occur typically in the springtime. This is because the pond is first waking up from the winter slumber. As the temperatures first begin to rise, plants and fish in the pond are not active yet. Algae are the only organism actively contributing to the pond's eco-system. And, since the algae has no competition for a food source, everything is perfectly set for a bloom of suspended algae. Typically, this condition clears up in a week or two, as soon as the temperatures rise enough for the biological filter to start generating beneficial bacteria. Spiking the pond with an application of bacteria is a good idea at this time of the year, since it gives the Biofalls a huge dose of bacteria. The rising temperatures will not only start the production of bacteria in the biological filter, but it also breaks the plant's dormancy. All of the plants systems start up again for another year in the pond. With the pond in balance, suspended algae does not stand a chance.

String algae is a major pest, especially this time of the year. There are many different factors that encourage the growth of string algae. Sunlight, a heavy fish load, and not having enough plants can contribute to blooms of string algae. String algae consumes excess nutrients in the pond, such as phosphates and nitrates. Having a sufficient number of plants in the pond will help remove nutrients from the water. By having plenty of plants in the pond, you can, in effect, starve out string algae. Also, last year we had great success with our String Algae Buster, which forces the strands of string algae to take in excess calcium from the surrounding water. When the algae absorbs this calcium, the strands break off, floating to the surface.

Once they separate, they will either go into the skimmer, or be easily weeded out by hand. Although it doesn't completely eradicate string algae, it reduces it down to a manageable level. After all, some string algae is healthy for a pond, however, it becomes a problem when

string algae is prevalent. The prevention of algae is made much simpler by reducing the amount of nutrients available for algae to feed on. This is accomplished by having a balanced pond and also with proper filtration. Having a well-balanced pond makes it much easier to avoid having algae problems. There are five factors that are necessary to have a balanced eco-system.

Removing any one of these items will make it much more difficult to keep a pond with clean, clear water.

THESE FIVE FACTORS ARE VITAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS IN A POND, AND IN TURN, KEEP YOUR POND FREE OF ALGAE.

1. PLANTS. Plants have a variety of benefits in and around the pond. In addition to beautifying the pond and its surrounding area, plants help control algae. They do this by taking nutrients out of the water that algae would normally consume. Also, there are many oxygenating plants that add oxygen to the pond, helping maintain a healthy eco-system. Some plants, such as water lilies, will shade the pond, thus reducing the amount of sunlight available for algae growth.

2. FISH. Large fish, especially koi, will eat a tremendous amount of algae. Fish will constantly forage for food amongst the rocks and gravel in the pond, picking them clean of any algae they might come across. Koi over nine inches are a definite asset to have in the pond, as they love to eat string algae.

3. ROCKS AND GRAVEL. When rocks and gravel are added to a pond, bacteria will actually colonize in the gaps and crevices between the rocks. The rocks and gravel provide huge amounts of surface area for the bacteria to colonize and multiply. Once the bacteria colonizes the rocks, it is just like having an additional biological filter in the pond.

4. SKIMMER. A pond skimmer acts as a mechanical filter by removing leaves and other nutrients from the surface of the pond before they can sink to the bottom. This way, the leaves and other debris will not decompose in the pond and thus provide nutrients for another algae bloom.

5. BIOFALLS. Having a properly sized biological filter is essential if you want clean, clear water. Without a biological filter, you are facing a losing battle against green water. The Biofalls provides a huge area for bacteria and enzymes to colonize. These bacteria and enzymes consume nutrients and help break down organic debris and fish waste that would otherwise contribute to water quality problems.

Even when you have a balanced pond, there are still some factors that will contribute to having an excess amount of algae in a pond. Things such as overfeeding of fish, not having enough plants, or having too heavy a fish load can all contribute to having algae problems. Thankfully these are easily avoidable with some foresight. Another important thing to safeguard against is the addition of any chemicals or nutrients entering the pond from an outside source. There are several ways that nutrients find their way into the pond, with the two most common being from drainage runoff, and also from lawn fertilizer. Rainwater runoff that is allowed to enter into the pond will quickly add loads of new nutrients into the eco-system. Lawn fertilizers accidentally sprayed into the pond can quickly turn the clearest pond water green. We advise our customers not to have any adjacent lawns chemically sprayed or treated, as this more often than not creates problems in the pond.

Algae is often controlled by adding additional bacteria to the pond. Bacteria feeds on the same nutrients that algae does, and adding nitrifying bacteria such as our Aquaclearer will help win the fight against green water. Nitrifying bacteria converts harmful fish wastes into nitrite, and eventually into nitrates, which plants take in as a fertilizer. The bacteria colonizes the filter mats and lava rock in the Biofalls, as well as the rocks and gravel in the pond. As soon as this bacterium has taken over the rocks and gravel along with your Biofalls, your entire pond has, in essence, become a biological filter. This, in itself, will help your water stay clear.

Thankfully, taking the proper measures can drastically reduce the occurrence of algae. It is important, however, to remember that algae is a part of nature, and an important part of your pond's eco-system. A pond is an eco-system that supports fish, plants, frogs, tadpoles, birds, dragonflies, and other wildlife. Algae is a part of nature just like the other parts of the eco-system. The main goal in keeping clean water is not to attempt to completely rid your pond of algae, but to keep it in balance with nature.

Happy Ponding, BullfrogEd Landscape Temptations Inc. Aquascape Designs Ecosystem Pro Pond Kits <http://www.pondguys.com>

A Cry From the Green Water Wilderness

Let me open with a joke:
A man goes to a therapist and says, " Doc, I have two recurring dreams. First I dream that I am a teepee. Next I will dream that I am a wigwam.
Then I'm a teepee, then I'm a wigwam. Teepee... wigwam... teepee...wigwam..."
The shrink interupts and says, "That's simple. You're just two tents!"
The moral of my joke, I'm stressed out over this green water.
My 1000 gal pond is three months old. It has lots of submerged plants, floating plants, marginal plants, and lilies. I do not fertilize the plants. I have 5% veggie filter fully stocked with watercress and bullrush.
I have a two stage biofilter; one filled with 50 yards of fine bridal netting flowing into another filled with three bags of lava rock and 10
yards of bridal netting. I only have 2 feeder comets, two small koi, and a dozen Rosies (the tadpoles left). I have three fountains and a waterfall.
Both of my pumps have their own washable polyester batting prefilter, which I clean without soap in clorine-removed water when the pump output gets low. I have seeded the pond with two different bacterias (BioPond and CSA) and
followed the maintenance schedule. My pH, KH, GH, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate levels are all in the ideal range.
About three weeks ago, the green water mostly cleared up. I could see the botton of the 4 foot area, but the color was that of weak iced tea. I even saw the beginnings of string algae forming. Alas, my pond bliss was not to last. A week and a half later, my pond started to look a little cloudy.
Tuesday morning I awoke to find that I had pea soup even worse than before.
I realize that I am doing everything technically correct and I need patience. I just have a few rhetorical questions to ask (I doubt that anyone here can answer it):

1. WHAT DID I DO IN A PAST LIFE TO UPSET THE POND GODS THIS BADLY?

2. IF SOMEONE CAN CONVINCE NAIVE PONDERS THAT MAGNETS CAN CONTROL ALGAE, WHY CAN'T I CONVINCE MYSELF THAT ZERO VISABILITY THROUGH GREEN WATER IS IDEAL?

3. HOW CAN A HOBBY THIS AGGRIVATING BE RELAXING AT THE SAME TIME.

4. DID THOSE WITH CLEAR WATER SELL THEIR SOULS TO SATAN, LOKI, MARS, ENUBIS, OR ANY OTHER DARK LORD?

5. WHY IS THE TERM TO REFER TO CLEAR WATER "GIN CLEAR" AND NOT "VODKA" OR "TEQUILA"?

I'm not really looking for any advice, just support and pity. Although I work with ten other psychologist, NOBODY UNDERSTANDS. Even the guy who works at the local pond shop is condescending (he treats everyone with contempt). Believe it or not, you guys are my only social support network in regards to this matter.
Thank you for allowing my to ventilate my frustration. You all can go back to debating whether a blind toad can or will fertilize a frogs eggs, and whether the result would be able to mate with spring peepers. Corey Zone 5, Lansing MI