Feb 2001 Selected Articles
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Feb 2001 Selected Articles |
President's Corner - President |
The January meeting day started out with a surprise. Everyone expected a rainy, cold day. Instead we had a warm, sunny afternoon and the meeting was held outdoors at the Browns back yard. Thinking back, I can still taste the delicious barbecue chicken our hosts Sherry and Dave prepared. Thanks to Dave and Sherry for a great afternoon. Like several times before, Terry Carter surprised us with some of her handcrafted items. She donated floating fish candles for the club’s raffle. How unique. Thanks Terry.
We had a good turnout for this first meeting of the New Year and many of us are excited looking forward to the first Event/field trip, The All Florida Koi and Pond Show ( AFKAPS) in Orlando. This makes the fourth All Florida show, where the ten koi clubs from Florida come together. This year’s show will be held at Ramada Inn Resort and from what I have heard from our Reps will be bigger and better than the last one. The Show Committee invited more Vendors and added several speakers to the seminars, which will extend over three days. A Gold fish show will take place at the same location on Saturday. Raffle tickets for 16 inch Kohaku (valued at 2000$) will be pre-sold to club members at the next meeting. The tickets are 5$ each. Well, are we excited yet? Please try to attend this show and support this event. The show committee needs volunteers for setup, fish handlers, raffle sales as well as break down of tanks on Sunday. You could even volunteer to help at the seminars. The show is a great way to participate and learn something in the process. All right folks, it’s time to plan to travel to Orlando, meet friends and see KOI, KOI and more KOI. ...All right and gold fish too.
The next club meeting will be at the Robinson`s and promises to be a fun day. We will have a fish auction. Remember how much fun we had at the last auction? Well, we’re doing it again. Please contact me if you have Koi that have outgrown your pond or you have too many and want to donate them to the club. We will raffle them to the highest bidder. What a great way to find a new home for unwanted koi and at the same time fatten the club treasury a little. Some members already contacted me and have asked for help in netting their Koi. We also need a few volunteers to setup tanks at the Robinson`s. Oxygen and bags will be provided at the meeting (only for the Koi). HA, HA….
Please try to attend this meeting on Sunday February 11 at 2.00 PM. If you like, bring a dish to contribute to the dinner. Hope to see you all there. Fred
First, I'd like to thank you for electing me Secretary of
the North Florida Koi Club. In the two years that I have been a member, I've been
impressed by how close-knit, fun, and friendly a club it is. There is an amazing
dedication to helping others learn about koi & pond keeping while developing
friendships and good fellowship. It has truly been an adventure and a fun journey that I
look forward to continuing. From the list of activities and events the Board has planned,
it can only get better. I want to give Anne Miller a big THANK YOU!! for helping me with
the transition. There is a lot to learn. One thing that I am looking forward to is getting
to know you all. If we haven't meet yet, please do spend a few minutes with me at the club
meetings. I'll be the one giving out the name badges and I don't bite.
Minutes of the Jan. 14, 2001 NFKC meeting:
Our first club meeting of the year was held at the pond of David & Sherri Brown's. We
would like to thank them for hosting it. Their beautiful pond and bubbling waterfalls set
a wonderful mood for the meeting. With hard work and much luck, the majority of their pond
plants survived the hard freezes and their pond looked splendid.
Despite the clouds of an overcast day threatening the event, the
temperature remained terrific. We had 27 club members in attendance. Fred began the
meeting by introducing our newest club member Frank Renaul. Also introduced were the new
Board of Directors, Phone Committee, Club Photographer, Historian, and "Koi Person of
the Year."
Next, he outlined some of the events that have been planned for the
year. A calendar containing these dates will be given out at the February club meeting.
It was decided that a committee be organized to review the club
policies & procedures. Two volunteers are needed to help with this. If you are
interested, contact Jan Brown. The club also decided to purchase an easel for easier
presentations, and additional books and videos to enhance our library.
Rod Lawton, gave us an update on the All Florida Pond & Koi Show.
The show dates are March 16-17. Help is needed March 15 (set-up) 16, 17, 18 (break-down).
Sign-up sheets were made available for our upcoming "Young
Fish Show" that the club will host on Saturday, April 28. The club discussed how this
is a show for fish that are 12" or less.
Members were encouraged to write articles to submit to the newsletter
to personalize it. It was noted that a person is needed to sell advertising space.
The meeting ended with a discussion about things we do differently with our ponds in the winter vs. the summer. Many great ideas were shared concerning issues of fish feeding, pond filtering and air temperature. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting! Linda Hagan
What is the Nitrogen Cycle - As explained by Tom Lansing
With the new season approaching and in light of the cold winter we have had and
may continue to have, I thought this article might really
help some of the members, who ARE going to see some filter stumbling and major start overs
this year. Understanding what is happening can help. Rod Lawton
What is the nitrogen cycle? Good question and I’m about to give you more than you
ever wanted to know on the subject. It’s really kind of interesting. In it’s
simplest definition, the Nitrogen Cycle occurs as follow:
1. Fish excrete ammonia from their gills and kidneys. Ammonia also is formed from decaying whatever (leaves, uneaten food, etc.)
2. This ammonia is converted to Nitrite by Nitrosomonas bacteria
3. Nitrite is converted to Nitrate by Nitrobacter bacteria
4. Nitrates, in most cases, are harmless unless at high levels and are consumed by algae, plants or through regular water changes.
One of the most important aspects of successful koi keeping or any fish keeping for that matter, is biological filtration and its function in the nitrogen cycle. I read recently, that the number one reason novice fish keepers become disillusioned with the hobby is the frequency in which they experience high death rates of their aquatic pets after setting up a new system. Statistically, as much as 75% of the fish sold to hobbyists will die within the first 30 days and 2 out of every 3 new hobbyist abandon the hobby within the first year. This data applies to all types of fish but nonetheless, they’re pretty staggering statistics. My very first four koi died in less than 24 hours. For some unknown reason to me at the time, they didn’t like all that chlorine I had in the water to keep it clear.
One of the most common reason for these kill rates is known as ‘new tank syndrome’ or as your questioned asked, the ‘nitrogen cycle.’ The fish are simply poisoned by high levels of ammonia (NH3) that is produced by the bacterial mineralization of fish wastes, excess food, the decomposition of animal and plant tissues and let’s not forget, the additional ammonia that is excreted directly into the water by the fish themselves. The effects of ammonia poisoning in fish include: extensive damage to tissues, especially the gills and kidney; physiological imbalances; impaired growth; decreased resistance to disease, and; death. Nitrite poisoning inhibits the uptake of oxygen by red blood cells. Known as brown blood disease, the hemoglobin in red blood cells is converted to methemoglobin. This problem is much more severe in fresh water fish than in other marine organisms and can easily cause death.
So, to quickly answer the question these are the ‘nitrifying bacteria.’
Nitrosomonas bacteria convert ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (NO2)
Nitrobacter bacteria convert nitrite (NO2) to nitrate (NO3)
You don’t have to go any further but for those interested, here’s some additional information/data that I and few others might find interesting.
Nitrifying bacteria are classified as obligate chemolithotrophs. This simply means that they must use inorganic salts as an energy source and generally cannot utilize organic materials. They must oxidize ammonia and nitrites for their energy needs and fix inorganic carbon dioxide (CO2) to fulfill their carbon requirements. They are largely non-motile (can’t move around easily) and must colonize a surface (gravel, sand, synthetic biomedia, and the 1001 other filter materials out there) for optimum growth. They secrete a sticky slime matrix, which they use to attach themselves. Species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are gram negative, mostly rod-shaped, microbes ranging between 0.6-4.0 microns in length. They have evolved to become extremely efficient at converting ammonia and nitrite. One disadvantage is, they have a very slow reproductive rate. Nitrifying bacteria reproduce by binary division. Under optimal conditions, Nitrosomonas may double every 7 hours and Nitrobacter every 13 hours. More realistically, they will double every 15-20 hours.
Nitrobacter and Nitrosomonas bacteria have limited tolerance ranges and are individually sensitive to pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salt, temperature, and most chemicals. They cannot survive any drying process without killing the organism. Doc Conrad will disagree with the drying process part of that statement but until he supplies me with scientific data, non-anecdotal, science on this subject isn’t on his side. In water, they can survive short periods of adverse conditions by utilizing stored materials within the cell. When these materials are depleted, the bacteria die.
There are several species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria and many strains among those species. Most of the following information can be applied to species of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter in general., however, each strain may have specific tolerances to environmental factors and nutriment preferences not shared by other, very closely related, strains. This is why Genesyz (Lymnozyme) coexists with Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria, they don’t compete for the same food source.
Temperature
The temperature for optimum growth of nitrifying bacteria is between 77-86° F (25-30° C).
Growth rate is decreased by 50% at 64° F (18° C).
Growth rate is decreased by 75% at 46-50° F.
No activity will occur at 39° F (4° C)
Nitrifying bacteria will die at 32° F (0° C).
Nitrifying bacteria will die at 120° F (49° C)
Nitrobacter is less tolerant of low temperatures than Nitrosomonas. In cold water systems, care must be taken to monitor the accumulation of nitrites. Here again, except for a few people I know that feel nitrifying bacteria can survive in freezing water, science isn’t on their side. If either of them has found some data to the contrary, I’d be most interested to see it.
PH
The optimum pH range for Nitrosomonas is between 7.8-8.0.
The optimum pH range for Nitrobacter is between 7.7-8.2
Nitrosomonas growth is inhibited at a pH of 6.5. All nitrification is inhibited if the pH drops to 6.0 or less. Care must be taken to monitor ammonia if the pH begins to drop close to 6.5. At this pH almost all of the ammonia present in the water will be in the mildly toxic, ionized NH3+ state.
Dissolved Oxygen
Maximum nitrification rates will exist if dissolved oxygen (DO) levels exceed 80% saturation. Nitrification will not occur if DO concentrations drop to 2.0 mg/l (ppm) or less. Nitrobacter is more strongly affected by low DO than NITROSOMONAS.
All species of Nitrosomonas use ammonia (NH3) as an energy source during its conversion to nitrite (NO2). All species of Nitrobacter use nitrites for their energy source in oxidizing them to nitrate (NO3).
Chlorine and Chloramines
Before adding bacteria or fish to any aquarium or system, all chlorine must be completely neutralized. Residual chlorine or chloramines will kill Nitrifying bacteria. Most US cities now treat their drinking water with chloramines. Chloramines are more stable than chlorine. It is advisable to test for chlorine with an inexpensive test kit. If you are unsure whether your water has been treated with chloramine, test for ammonia after neutralizing the chlorine. You can also call your local water treatment facility.
The type of chloramines formed is dependent on pH. Most of it exists as either monochloramine (NH2Cl) or dichloramine (NHCl2). They are made by adding ammonia to chlorinated water. Commercial chlorine reducing chemicals, such as sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O2) break the chlorine/ammonia bond. Chlorine (Cl) is reduced to the harmless chloride ion.
Since dichloramine has two chlorine molecules, a double dose of a chlorine remover, such as sodium thiosulfate, is recommended. Each molecule of chloramine that is reduced will produce one molecule of ammonia. If the chloramine concentration is 2 ppm then your pond will start out with 2 ppm of ammonia. Chlorine Remover will reduce up to 2 ppm of chlorine at recommended dosages. During the warmer months chlorine levels may exceed 2 ppm. A double dose would be required to effectively eliminate the excess chlorine.
There’s a character (I mean that in a kind way) in the UK, who believes that adding DO (dissolved oxygen) to one’s filtration media is not only wrong, but has disadvantages. He’s the only person on the face of the earth that thinks that, as far as I’ve ever found. Actually, as I stated above, the nitrifying bacteria consume more oxygen then our fish require. I believe that this person feels that given your pond water is oxygenated well, there is enough left over for the nitrifying bacteria in your filters to use. I personally don’t want to have to depend on ‘left over’ oxygen for my nitrifying bacteria. Each one of my filter chambers has (4) air stones each, a total of 45 air stones.
As to good books on aspects of koi keeping, in my biased opinion and tens of thousands of others, there is only one, ‘Koi Kichi’ by some relatively unknown British guy named Peter something.
Good luck with your pond and filter system. Tom Lansing
People have asked what is a good way to reduce algae in the pond. We have heard that Muriatic acid works well but it does take close measuring and monitoring. We asked on KoiVet and Doc Conrad answered the following:
“Muriatic acid is much too concentrated and dangerous to use to lower pH in a fish pond, unless you are dealing with a lake of over 30,000 gallons. You are likely to either drop the pH too far, or not wait long enough for it to mix, or kill some fish when the muriatic acid is being mixed in. Instead, use the very safe pH reduction technique of using white distilled vinegar. This will not hurt you, the fish will never get hurt when you mix it in, and your bacteria in the biological filter love the acetic acid in the vinegar as food to grow on. Suggest you test a quart of vinegar per 1000 gal., then adjust according to the result—if this much vinegar lowers pH below 8, use some baking soda to bring it back up to the preferred 7.8 to 8.3 range.
Having said that, I also see absolutely nothing wrong with leaving the pH of a koi pond at 8.6 if the biological filter is mature enough to keep ammonia levels very low.”
Reprinted from Oasis, newsletter of the Santa Fe Pond Society and Koi Appreciation Club Sep 2000
Club Forum is a new feature which will appear from time to time thanks to Fred’s call for more members to contribute to the newsletter. Think of it as an OP-ED section where you can let members know what is on your mind about our club and our hobby.
January marked my 3rd year as newsletter editor and I must admit it has been a joy doing this job for the club. So just as the Roman god Janus with two faces, I’d like to take this opportunity to look backward and forward.
Through these years my guiding editorial philosophy has been to provide a broad range of informative and interesting material relating to the hobby of koi keeping. As I see it, koi are just one aspect of this hobby, among others are ponds, water, plants, koi and human interaction and many other related subjects. It is impossible to cover all these areas in eight pages a month, but over time I’ve tried.
Admittedly, not every article has been applicable to every member every month. This is the way of life. Our members span the range from experienced ponders with expert knowledge to folks who have yet to break ground. Producing an informative document for this diverse group is no mean feat.
I have stumbled in my efforts (I still take heat for the cooked koi recipe a few years back), but these were honest mistakes and my eyes have always been on the goal of enlightenment and amusement.
Time marches on and so does the newsletter. In my files I have a copy of each issue and it is humorous to see how it has evolved. Each January I have tried to give it a slightly different look, strove to develop and include fresh features. This year there is a Table of Contents, Bug of the Month, Club Forum and the issue’s main article starts on page one. (Oh yes, and the pages are numbered.) The President and Secretary’s notes have their own page owing to their importance to the members. Also, Caught in the Net has been discontinued as the Internet is so pervasive these days, having a section devoted to it makes little sense.
Looking further ahead, each individual member should feel free to give me their thoughts and suggestions on future articles and things you’d like to see in the newsletter. After all, it is your publication not just mine or the officers’.
If you will indulge me a bit of crowing before I close, our newsletter is so respected around the state that at the 2000 AFKAPS show I was chosen as a panelist for the Newsletter Seminar and this year I am taking the lead at an expanded seminar. We must be doing something right. Thanks for your support over the years. Todo
President's Corner - President |