Apr 2001 Selected Articles
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Apr 2001 Selected Articles |
Our club was involved in many areas of the show. Todo was part of a presentation on Newsletters and several others helped with the seminars, benching and fish handling. Great job, thanks to our club reps and all our volunteers. At the evening banquet the NFKC presented Joe White with a plaque announcing him as Florida’s 200l Koi Person of the year. I think all persons attending agreed on Joe being the most outstanding Koi person in this state. His volunteer work goes far beyond the boundaries of his club. Joe travels all over Florida and surrounding states giving presentations and does water quality at various shows to keep our koi in good shape during the show. Congratulations to Joe. Sherry White needs to be commended for the great job she did as show chairperson and keeping the records straight during the show and to Don Hellard for holding all the strings together and making this a one-of-a-kind show. We enjoyed seeing our good friends Joan and Bob Finnigan again. Our Head Judge, Joan commented on how well all our clubs work together and that no where else had she seen l0 clubs putting on a show together.
Four members showed their koi in the show and did very well considering all the tough competition from all over Florida and several other states. Our club brought home 1 Friendship Award, 1 Chairperson Award, 3 Best in Variety, 8 First Place Award Ribbons, 9 Second Place Ribbons. I feel this year’s show was the best yet and I am looking forward to next year’s event. Congratulations to all the winners.
The April meeting will be held at the home of Joanne and Pat Rutherford on Sunday the 8th at 2 p.m. The club purchased some beautiful koi and will raffle them after the meeting. Koi Classification will start this month where we try to make identifying koi easier for the beginners. Hope to see you all there. Fred
The weather was ideal for the March 11th club meeting, which was held by the pond at the home of Tina & Clifford Kaler. Their new concrete pond was absolutely beautiful with a wooden bridge that crosses over it, and a concrete ledge all the way around gives you many opportunities to sit and enjoy the peaceful ambience created by their fish and water plants. We would like to thank them for opening up their home to us for the meeting. There were 39 members in attendance.
Fred Leib opened the meeting up by discussing the club’s old business. The Kanapaha Gardens trip was discussed and finally decided upon. Club members will car pool and go either Saturday or Sunday of the Spring Festival.
All club member whose dues are paid were given their membership cards. The membership packets will be available at the next club meeting.
The meeting progressed to a discussion about the April 28th “Young Fish Show.” The location has been arranged at “Reeds & Rocks” starting at 9:00 A.M. Please sign up by the next club meeting if you are interested in showing your fish.
Rod Lawton gave us the final update on the AFKPS. The club voted on and approved buying $300.00 worth of Koi at the show to be auctioned off at our next meeting. This will be a silent auction.
A sign up sheet was made available for anyone interested in having their pond on the NFKC Pond Tour. This will be one day only on June 2.
Ending our meeting was an informative presentation on “Water Plants” given by the very knowledgeable Jan Brown. She generously gave out samples of water cress plants for those interested in introducing it into their ponds.
Club Forum Another year of AFKAPS is over and we can have a few months when we don’t have to hear about it. Still, this year might be the best year yet. The venue at the Ramada was so appropreate for our needs and though it didn’t rain with most of the show under cover, that would not have dampened the show.This past weekend several of us made the trip to Kanapaho Gardens and had a great time. But what was really nice was the Gainesville and Nature’s Coast Koi clubs had a booth. So it was like old home week seeing folks we had just visited with the week before. It was great hearing about the aftermath of the show and how the loose ends were tied up. For instance, three bags of fish were left on the upper walkway of the show floor. No one knew who they belonged to and several people offered to take them home. There were two very nice kohaku in the mix. Don Hellard arranged for someone to take the fish and put them up for the time being. Then he got a call from one of the show officials (not to be named here) who said, “You know, I went off and left my fish. What am I to do?” Where upon don told the person that he had the fish in quarantine and they were all well.
Don also told me that at his meeting with Ramada after the show they seemed to have no problems with AFKAPS, so right now there is no reason we won’t be back next year. Not all the bills are in as yet, but it also appears that there will be a nice check coming back to the club this year. Even though the expenses were greater this year.
As far as Kanapaho Gardens, they had over 100 booths set up selling all sorts of plant, brick-a-brac, iron and copper work, fancy painted birdhouse gourds, art work of all kinds, hula dances and blue grass pickers for entertainment….and my favorite, food.
Parking was a problem as they had such a large crowd and some of us had to take a school bus in from a satellite parking lot, just like Disney.
At one point Jan and Anne and I got pretty pooped and could not find a place to sit. So we went over to the Gainesville booth and got some help from our koi friends. They let us sit in their chairs in the shade until we got our oomph back.
I recommend you don’t go to a garden party with Jan (our master gardener) as she is in her element. Jan lead Anne and me through all the trails and forest paths on the entire property. And though we were wilted and faded as last months blooms, she was bright and vibrant and would have done another trek without missing a step.
We gave her a hard time about dragging us around, but we would not have missed it for anything. The things we learned and the facinating plants we saw were worth the effort. Todo
DEALING WITH THE PONDKEEPER’S BANE
Algae Remedies: Greenwater is with us every spring and from conversations with club members I see that this year is no different. So, for all you algae-lovers out there, here’s the obligatory greenwater article. Via Ponds & Garden, April 2001
Algae is a green plant, albeit microscopic, that needs sunlight and nutrients to survive. Controlling this pondkeeper’s bane requires deprivation of either light or food, or both..
Be Patient...Even if your pond is not overstocked with fish, spring often brings a touch of string algae followed by green water... until the pond’s plants have fully reawakened. Patience is the key; wait it out as the pond balances on its own. Of course, performing a partial water exchange may temporarily alleviate the algae bloom, but until the pond plants are awake and out-competing the algae for the pond’s nutrients, the algae bloom will return.
A Clean Pond -- If fish wastes and particulate organic matter, commonly known as silt or muck, accumulate on the pond bottom or in gravel pockets within the pond, you may as well incorporate your own algae business. These organic wastes, through their decomposition and role in the Nitrogen Cycle, supply a continual source of nutrients to the water...fostering continual algae blooms and slimy, string algae. Regularly vacuuming the pond bottom in conjunction with partial water exchanges prevents such build-ups and their resultant algae problems, as does the use of bottom-drain systems.
Eco-Balance -- Although many sources cite a list of quantities of various types of aquatic plants to be stocked in the pond to achieve ‘eco-balance’, even a full-sun pond can remain free of algae with only enough submerged grasses or floating hyacinths to out-compete f or nutrients. One bunch per square foot of water surface of submerged anacharis, Eoldea, or coontail (free-floating-but submerged Ceratophyllum demersum) will keep the pond water free of algae as long as the pond is not over-stocked with fish. Northern ponds should use Elodea canadensis which is more tolerant of cold water than the South American native, anacharis. Elodea often breaks dormancy and begins removing nutrients from the water at the same time as traditional algae blooms. It is possible with the proper amount of Elodea to not experience an algae bloom at all.
Water Wyche -- Another way to remove excess nutrients from the pond water is the new Water Wyche (R). Its natural media absorbs the water’s nutrients so long as the water’s pH is in a neutral range below 8.0 pH. Remaining effective for 3 or 4 months, the Water Wyche (R) naturally removes nutrients created by fish that nibble away your submerged aquatics.
Barley Straw -- An effective prevention of algae growth is the use of barley straw. Generally most effective at prevention when used from November through spring, it seems to keep the algae at bay during the season with the assistance of aquatic plants. The straw should be removed from the pond before it starts to decompose and begins adding nutrients to the water. Many people include barley straw as a media layer in the bio-filter where it is out of sight.
Shading the Water -- Many botanical gardens attack algae by depriving it of sunlight with water dyes. These dyes shade the water in either blue or black. Especially in the early spring, such shading inhibits the growth of aquatic plants. Move them closer to the water’s surface until they are established and can survive at normal depths. Shade can also be supplied with surface-covering plants such as water lily leaves and floating plants like water hyacinth. Remember, however, that the pond’s primary source of oxygen is at the water’s surface. Too much surface coverage can result in low oxygen levels, your fish advising you of the fact by gasping or gathering at the surface and at waterfall entries. You’ll need to provide additional aeration and/or reduce the amount of fish in the pond, if you maintain extensive surface coverage. Yet another way to shade the pond surface is with a canopy of shade cloth or lattice. Koi Pondkeepers often use this method that also protects the koi’s colors and shields them from view of overflying predators. Northern water gardens find this method inhibits the growth of many flowering aquatics, while southern water gardeners find that partial shade of lattices protects flowering aquatics from excessive heat and oppressive sunlight.
Mechanical Algae Removal -- Twirling a stick or brush in the water is the best way to rid the pond of string algae. Shutting down the waterfall and using a scrub brush (with no soap or chemicals) satisfies fastidious Pondkeepers.
Ultra-Violet light kills free-floating, green water algae as the cycling pond water flows past it. The algae cells are damaged by the light and die within the pond. Cleaning their debris from the pond bottom prevents it from feeding future algae blooms. UV lights also kill the free-swimming stage of many parasites, as well as any bacteria in the flowing water. To protect the beneficial bacteria in the pond, the UV light is set up after the bio-filter in the pond’s plumbing scheme.
Chemical Controls? -- Do not use chemicals to kill the algae since most algicides are based on one of two chemicals; copper sulfate or simazine. Copper sulfate also effects other aquatic plants in the pond, particularly submerged grasses, floating aquatics, and more sensitive water lilies. Simazine is not recommended in the presence of fish.
Top 10 Stupid Ways to Kill Koi By Larry Lunsford; Rocky Mountain Koi Club reprinted from Mid-Atlantic Koi Magazine, May 2000
10. Take advice from the kid at the pet store, For most, their knowledge is limited to the hype printed on the boxes of the products they sell; they don’t know anything about products they don’t carry and have very little real experience.
9. Add too many koi too quickly. The koi you already have will grow quickly, As you fish mass increases, so must your filtration and pond-keeping skills. Adding more koi only exacerbates the situation if you’re not equipped to handle it.
8. Assume that the sore on the side of your koi will just go away. If your koi gets injured from some physical event, such as banging against a rock, the wound may heal on its own...or it may not. Bit if a sore just appears, it’s a sure sign of water quality problems. Find and fix the problem ASAP.
7. Put off cleaning your filters for just a little while longer. Dirty filters are a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. Decaying material also gives off poisonous gases. Keep your filters clean. Don’t worry about losing all your good bacteria; they grow back quickly. (Just don’t Clorox your filter to clean it! That’s too clean.)
6. Drop the hose into the pool to top it off and run to the store for a quick errand. Come home hours later to chlorinated koi. Never just turn on the hose and leave it. At least use a timer, but be very careful about putting too much trust in a timer. Your best bet is to put all new water into a quarantine tank, treat and test, then pump it into your pond, Treat that hose like a loaded gun; don’t point it at any koi you don’t want to blow away with chlorine.
5. Leave a full bag of koi chow with instructions to “feed daily” for the neighbor kid while you’re on a three-week vacation. Come home to an empty bag, foul water and sick koi. Your koi will do just fine without food while you’re gone. If you must have them fed, put out pre-measured amounts and put the fish on half rations.
4. Ignore your carbonate hardness (KH) until your pH crashes. You must keep adequate levels of carbonates and bicarbonates in your pond. Failure to monitor KH is the No. 1 cause of biofilter problems. In lined ponds, you must monitor KH or you WILL run out, the pH WILL crash, and you WILL have a crisis in your pond.
3. Don’t bother to test for chlorine or use a dechlorinator. Test your tap water every time you add water to your pond. You never know when you’re going to get hit with high doses of chlorine. Always use Dechlor. Chlorine damages the gills; the affects of many small doses of chlorine can add up to major damage.
2. Assume that your water parameters are fine and your water doesn’t need to be tested. You need to establish a routine for testing and stick to it. As your pond matures, you can relax your testing routine, but you can’t eliminate it. Testing your water is like giving your pond a checkup; do it regularly. At the first sign of trouble, your first response should be to test your water.
1. Assume that you know it all and don’t need to learn anything else. Arrogance and ignorance are our ponds’ greatest enemies. Don’t assume that, just because everything has been fine in your pond for a while, you’ve got it all mastered. When you start thinking you’ve forgotten more about koi than most people know, you’re right! You have forgotten a lot! Go back and relearn the basics and learn ‘em now before Mother Nature comes along to give you a hard lesson.