Hi Koi Lovers from Fred   Last months club meeting was held at Dave and Sherry Browns home in Mandarin. Prior to the meeting all members were ask for a moment of silence for the many lives we lost in this horrible attack to our country. We all joint in to sing “God bless America” led by Todo Todorsky.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Betty Muehe after her car accident. Get well soon Betty! Hope to see you and all at the Collins.

SECRETARY'S JOURNAL  by Linda    What a beautiful day we had for our September 16th club meeting at the lovely home of Dave & Sherri Brown. There were approximately 47 in attendance. In remembrance of our recent national tragedy, Todo Todorsky opened our meeting with a respectful, “moment of silence” followed by everyone singing, “God Bless America.”

We had an excellent turnout for our Fall Fish auction. It was the best ever! The club would like to thank all of the club members who graciously donated their fish.

HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN THE KOI POND OR AQUATIC GARDEN  by Scott Weber MSc Aquatic Pathobiology, VMD and Melanie Newman, Extension Associate in Fish Health

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gas that can form in aquatic gardens and ponds, when certain bacteria feed on organic debris in areas of the pond that are low or depleted in oxygen. The most common way to detect H2S is by a rotten egg odor that may bubble out of the water when bottom sediment is stirred-up while seining fish, planting, or conducting general maintenance. In well water that has a high iron content, H2S can react with iron to form iron sulfide that appears as a black film or sludge on the pond bottom. H2S may be more prevalent in ponds and aquatic gardens that have been established for several years and have been heavily stocked with aquatic plants and animals. This is because organic debris accumulates on the bottom sediment surface, preventing oxygen to diffuse into the pond bottom.

Because H2S forms in anaerobic zones, where no oxygen is present, it is usually found only at the bottom, or near the soil-water interface in a pond. When mud and water from the bottom is stirred-up by wind action. Or seining, or even activity of bottom-feeding fish, then there is a much greater possibility that H2S will come in contact with fish. This is a big concern because even a very low concentration of H2S can kill fish. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a maximum acceptable level of H2S for fish and aquatic life is 0.002 ppm.

Hydrogen sulfide is affected by pH, temperature, and dissolve oxygen. H2S is most toxic at a pH lower than 6.5. Most fish ponds and aquatic gardens are maintained with pH ranges from 7.0 to 9.0. However, pH fluctuates and can decrease significantly during early summer mornings because of plant and animal respiration allowing H2S levels in the pond to become lethal.

In contrast to pH, at increased temperatures very low levels of H2S can be toxic. In July and August, sulfide concentrations, which are relatively harmless during the winter, can cause significant damage and mortalities

of fish within a few minutes. Dissolved oxygen also plays a role in the harmful effects of H2S. As H2S toxicity increases at higher temperatures, oxygen converts it to a nontoxic form. When ponds are well oxygenated, H2S will not escape from sediments unless they are disturbed as during planting, seining, or pond maintenance. Hydrogen sulfide can be exasperated in warm months, as rapid organic decomposition occurs during periods with low dissolved oxygen levels, higher water temperatures, and large pH fluctuations.

The main health concern caused by H2S is gill damage marked by increased opercular movement and respiratory arrest. Fish may seek areas under waterfalls or near aerators in order to obtain more oxygen. Fish exposed to near lethal levels of H2S over prolonged periods show other signs of disease. Symptoms include poor feeding and an increased susceptibility to common diseases and parasites.

After long term exposure to H2S, fish become thin and sickly. Fish experience outbreaks with other common diseases and parasites because of gill damage and stress from initial exposure H2S. Often several fish in the same pond will be sick. Yet on diagnostic scrapes several fish may appear to be infected with different parasites.

The best treatment is learning how to prevent this problem from occurring. This can be accomplished by providing adequate aeration and by designing ponds and gardens in order to decrease dead or stagnant areas. Frequent water changes are also beneficial. H2S can be diluted by flushing old water, preferably from the bottom of the pond, and then replacing with an equal volume of new water. Keeping ponds aerated will help decrease H2S levels. Some well water contains high levels of H2S and stagnant pipe water can create favorable conditions for sulfate reducing bacteria. In this case, aerate the water as it flows into the pond, this can be easily achieved by allowing the water to flow over several baffles from the faucet. If well water stands and aerates for several days before adding it to your pond or aquatic garden, H2S generally evaporates. H2S can be removed from pond water suing potassium permanganate, but this is only a temporary solution and not recommended. Potassium permanganate can also be caustic to fish and cause gill damage itself.

In rare cases, a rotten egg smell may emanate from hot water lines or water heating units. When a rotten egg smell is detecting from warm or hot water, sulfate-reducing are often the culprits. The magnesium anode used in many water heating units offers the bacteria a great home. To correct this problem, the water heater and hot water lines should be disconnected from the pond or aquatic garden and the unit and lines should be flushed with chlorinated water and then rinsed with fresh water. If possible, remove the magnesium anode and install a polyphosphate feeder on the cold water or chiller line entering the heating unit to prevent corrosion. Make sure all the cold water and chiller lines are free from leaks and the polyphosphate does not enter system water or system lines. Reprinted from MAKC, Sept 2001

FISHING FOR ADVICE:  Dear Miss Fishing for Advice:

My question is about being entered in Koi Shows by my owner, with the local Club and other Club’s in the Country. My fellow entrants and I find ourselves getting disappointed by our owners, and others, for their lack of “Show Etiquette”. Do you have some good advice on how they can help us when we’re trying to look our best for the judges? Thank you for your advice, I am sure they’ll all listen to it.

Flipper (and the rest)

Dear Flipper:You bring up a subject that hasn’t come up for awhile, since a lot of Clubs no longer close off the show ring during judging. I’m afraid gone are the days when we used closed circuit TV and video cameras to monitor the judge’s activities and they watched from another location. This is not completely a bad thing because people like to hear what the judges are saying about a particular fish. But it does bring up some suggestions on etiquette. A show should be a fun time for all with a few rules to keep it moving smoothly. Here are a few things for your owners to remember:

1. Your owner should remember not to feed you for at least 5 days prior to the show (sorry about that, Flipper). This allows you to keep your water sparkling clean and for your colors to show to their best advantage. It also makes the job easier for your Water Quality Team. They have a hard enough job making sure water quality is excellent without you fouling the water.

2. Get your owners to arrive early and avoid the last minute registration rush. This allows you to get used to your temporary home-away-from-home and look your best during judging. If they can, have them pre-register. Have your owners fill in as much information as possible on the registration form prior to arriving. If they aren’t sure which class to enter you in, a member of the experienced Registration and Check-In Teams will assist you. If they can, have them bring pictures, this will help things move smoothly.

3. Ask your owner to leave your show tank area during judging. The judges aren’t supposed to know who your owner is (although it is hard for them not to pick up subtle clues as they go from tank to tank). The Judges should also not see pictures of you, Flipper, before the show. Lets keep your owners’ name secret a little longer. It is a distraction to the judges if your owners are hovering around your tank chatting about how great you are while the judges are going from one tank to the other during and English style show. They also do a disservice to other entrants when they distract the judges. The judges need to remember a lot of important things about you and the other fish they are currently judging and your owner’s talking may make them forget something. (It could be you they’re judging!)

4. Remind your owner to relax during judging! The people inside the show ring are experienced and will do their best to keep you calm and in top form as they bowl you to bring you closer for the judges inspection.

5. Please remind your owner again to remain quiet during judging! If they choose to stay near the ring, they need to be quiet, or they face the embarrassment of yo being disqualified. The Show Chairman has the right and authority to tell them to leave. And if your owner feels they must sell you, tell them to wait until Sunday (or the end of the show) to discuss any transactions.

6. Your owner must respect the opinions of the judges. Your owners should also hold their questions until after judging is completed; most judges stay around or come back the next day to do this very thing. And they need to let them eat their meals in peace, they earned it!

7. You and your owner must respect the decisions of the Show Chairman. The Show Chairman will try everything in their power to right a wrong. Your owners should remember to also do their homework by reading the registration rules first. They can vary from show to show.

There are also a few Don’ts:

1. Your owner should not get in the way. If they are not helping with set-up or registration, they should not be in the middle of the ring. They should see if they could help at the NFKC table or with something else. Someone will surely welcome his or her assistance.

2. Your owner should not be impatient. If someone is busy and your owner has a question, tell them to be patient. Your owner should understand everyone is doing a job (hey, maybe they could learn it too and help!) And may need a moment or two before they can answer you.

3. Your owner MUST NOT bother the judges during judging. This is basically a repeat of items above, but it can’t be said enough.

4. Your owner should not bother the Show Chairman. If they need a decision on something, they should run it by a committee member or two first. The Show Chairman is extremely busy during these times which is why they’ve chosen the people they work with so carefully. They trust their committee members to speak on their behalf.

5. Let’s all have fun - and learn as much as we can. That’s what shows are all about anyway.