Jun 2002
20th Anniversary Year
Selected Articles
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Jun 2002 20th Anniversary Year Selected Articles |
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Secretary's Report By Todo Tim called the meeting to order at 2:15, with 29 members and guests present. As it was mother’s day, the first order of business was to distribute plants and cookies to the mothers. Joanne gave her tresurer’s report and Tim asked that it and the Secretary’s report (as it appeared in the newsletter) be approved. They were.
Tim gave an At-A-Boy to Dan and Barbara Webhy for the super job they did on the young fish show.
Jan gave the club the run down on the upcoming pond tour.
Jim discussed koi show committee news: Dan Wehby to handle security, possible seminar by Allen Riggs, location, Town Hall Park.
Tim called for new AFKAPS reps. Anne Miller volunteered with Jon Lockerman saying her could be an alternate.
We had a very informative presentation on pond wiring and electrical safety by Dan.
Finally, Jim handled the auction of Peggy Morris’ fish. The club made about $250 on the auction.
Contractors v Koi Keepers We have had several new members who have had ponds built or plan to have them done. In a recent issue of “What’s Up Doc” they had some helpful hints on the contractor and customer relationship. The article is excerpted here with a few addition from your editor.
Signs of a Professional Pond Builder: There’s much more to a professionally built pond than what it looks like when it’s finished. It should be functional as well as beautiful. Low-maintenance and healthy systems are available for comparable cost. The buyer should know what to look for in a prospective builder. He should know what questions to ask and how to separate the professional pond builder from the rest of the pack. Remember - if he is representing himself as a pond builder, he is stating that pond-building is his business and he should know it well!
Signs of a Real Professional:
* Knows the difference between a side-skimmer and a fish-safe skimmer. (A side-skimmer just draws water from the surface and does not offer proper water flow to prevent stagnant pockets)
* Suggests placing an ultraviolet water sterilizer on the pond and can tell you why.
* Tells you the importance of installing an external pump vs a submersible pump.
* Can install a low-maintenance system such as a bead filter and external pump.
* Has showcase ponds that you can visit.
* Provides lots of references. (Check them out!)
* Owns (or rents) equipment.
* Returns your messages and shows up on time.
* Is probably booked for a few weeks to a month (unless it’s winter).
* Knows the difference between a koi pond and a water garden.
* Does not line the bottom of the pond with rocks.
* Takes more than a day to build the pond.
* Builds more than 10 ponds a year.
Signs of a Builder Who Knows Only the Side-Skimmer System
* Suggests placing rocks on the floor of the pond to hide the liner.
* Says your filter is in the waterfall.
* Pushes you toward the side-skimmer system.
* Has never installed an external pump, bead or vortex filter.
*Tells you it will take him no more than a day or two to build the pond.
* Does not like to build ponds more than 2-1/2 ft. Deep.
Signs of a Disaster About to Happen
* Says you do NOT need a filter.
* Can install a bog “filter” using sand or lava rock and that’s all you need!
* Uses a hard plastic preformed pond liner.
* Suggests a submersible pump.
* Has never heard of a bead filter.
* Shows up late a half asleep.
* Has no references because he’s “new” to town.
* Drives up towing a trailer filled with lawn mowers and weed eaters only.
Meeting Expectations: A pond-building project requires good negotiation skills from both the builder and the buyer from the bidding process through the end of the project. Know what to expect and what are unrealistic expectations.
Buyer’s Side:
* Understand your budget very well and remember that the rule of thumb is build the biggest pond you can within that budget.
* Don’t expect to get something for nothing. Installing even a small pond with a contractor is expensive and a 5000 gal. pond will cost several thousand dollars.
* Don’t expect the pond to be finished in a day. Sometimes it takes a week or two, depending on the amount of hardscaping to be done. You have lived without a pond for many years and if it takes even a few months to get one that is all right.
* Expect problems. Don’t be surprised by them but expect them to be corrected before completion of the project.
* If you deviate from the original plan expect to pay a little more. Changes can cost the builder labor and materials.
* When comparing bids, compare apples to apples. One might have a better filtration plan than the other. Ask why one is higher than the other.
* Don’t be afraid to question anything. EXPECT GOOD ANSWERS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND.
* Do your homework. Know what components you want in your system and how they work. Know how to figure gallonage study pond design online or in books, trust your contractor, but examine each phase of the construction
* Listen to any suggestions by the builder. If it saves you time or money it may be well worth it.
* Ask for warrantee paperwork and packaging before the work begins because these things are easily thrown away and lost during construction.
* Expect a mess for a while!
* If he doesn’t return your calls during the bidding process he won’t return them if there is a problem after construction.
* Remember, just building the pond is the first step in pond owning. You have to know enough to maintain the pond and its inhabitants long after the contractor has left your backyard. Understand how to work all items associated with your pond. Ask for written instructions if necessary.
Builder’s Side
* Be prepared to explain the components you want to install and the reasons why.
* Return phone calls promptly and show up on time.
* Expect questions.
*You’re there to give them what they want, not what you want to give them. Listen to them.
* The job is not finished until they have been checked out on the system. Make sure they know how to clean the filters, etc. before you walk away.
* Pass along any warrantee paperwork and packaging.
Chlorine Kills Koi from http://www.coloradokoi.com/chlorine_kills_koi.htm
Most of the people who contact us to purchase a whole pond full of adult Koi, do so because they have just killed all their Koi. In fact, from our experience we would say that 90% of all Koi deaths are from chlorine.
How does it happen? In almost every case the owners' put a hose carrying chlorinated water into the pond to just "top it off". Then they go away, get distracted, and forget it until the next day. The result is a pond full of dead Koi.
The only way to prevent forgetting a hose in the pond, is to set a reminder "before" you put the hose in the pond.
If you put the hose in first, with the intention of setting the reminder later, and then the phone or the doorbell rings, you can forget the reminder and the hose. Then you kill all your Koi.
Some reminders are a steel ring around your neck, the timer on an oven, a mechanical timer, etc.
This chlorine kill has happened to so many pond owners, Koi dealers, and even Koi hatcheries that it is a major problem.
Even if you get in the habit of setting the reminder before you put the hose in your pond, you should have an emergency supply of sodium thiosulfate or "dechlor" handy, with the correct dosage either pre-measured or well known.
We will be happy to do this for you if you need help. We will need to know how large your pond is, and how many gallons your hose delivers in an hour.
If owners' can kill their cherished Koi this way, imagine how easy the unattached Koi sitters can do it, when they are asked to care for your Koi when you take a vacation. In fact, some inheritances may have been lost this way.
Club Forum The idea of a 2-day Koi show has been broached and it is on the mind of several members. It might be helpful to examine some of the forces driving this issue.
Up until about 5 years ago there were no koi shows in Florida save ours, with the nearest one in Atlanta. We could and did draw top quality fish venders such as Ray Able to our shows. However, in the past few years the number of shows has proliferated. AFKAPS, Tropical Club, Natures Coast Club, and others in the state vie for space. Outside the state we have the MAKC shows like Chantilly and Piedmont. The latter is in direct competition with our show as it is held in the fall. The vast majorities of these shows are 2-day affairs and are in a much better position to attract quality venders. The club is already on notice from some venders that they will not travel to a one-day show. We need to remember that one of the main draws to our show is the fish venders. This counts for club and non-club members alike.
Nothing living can stand still and expect to thrive. This goes for organizations too. The greater Jacksonville area, our club’s turf, is growing and moving forward. The hobby of pond and koi keeping is growing as well. One need only look at the expansion of Reeds & Rocks over the past few years to see the exploding market in pond related items. More people moving in means more ponds in more backyards. This club, if it is to continue to hold its place as a leader in the koi community must move and grow with our city and hobby. Otherwise, we will be relegated to a backwater existence where we will see our membership shrink and our preeminent position evaporate.
Membership is the life’s blood of this club and a continuous infusion of new members is important in maintaining a vibrant and active organization. How are we going to keep members interested and attract new members if we continue to provide the same events in the same old way? Our koi show is one of our jewels and needs to be given its due.
There are forces more directly connected with our fish that need to be considered. Water quality use to be a hand full of salt and a little Stress Coat, but now we have people devoted full time to watching what the water is doing. The main reason for this is to protect our fish during the show, to reduce stress. Yet the biggest stressor for our finned friends is moving them out of their home and into a tank. This cannot be avoided if they are to be shown, but it can be softened over 2-days. As it is now we catch the fish in the early morning, transport them, show them for a few hours and then its back into the bags and another ride, maybe to be put back in their pond, maybe not. What could be more stressful? Dr. Allen Riggs says that what is less stressful is keeping the fish in the show tanks for a longer time, given that the water quality is maintained. This gives them time to settle down before their return trip.
Some members see the NFKC as just our local koi club, but this is not the whole picture. As a Florida club we are one of the movers of AFKAPS. Much of what went into its formation came from us. We now stand at a cusp where we either take on the challenge of a first rate club and move ahead, or step back and let our influence, reputation and integrity founder. Make no mistake; the koi show will not stay as it is. It will either get bigger and better or smaller and less meaningful, as will the club itself. The past several administrations have tried hard to keep us in the forefront of South Eastern clubs. It would be an insult to all who worked so hard if we stagnate and let their efforts go for not.
One final point, several in this club, myself included, have entertained the idea among ourselves of hosting the AKCA seminar. 2004 and 2005 shows are open right now, not to mention the out years. One of the preliminary steps to hosting such an event is gaining the skill and experience needed to mount a multi-day event. Having a good 2-day show will go a long way to making NFKC attractive to our national affiliate. Todo
Leak Detection Looking for a lead uses much the same methods as we use in other troubleshooting. We isolate segments of the system in order to eliminate the parts that work and what we have left is the problem area. Whenever you check for water loss, let the water run for a while so the system is balanced before taking any measurements.
The first question is whether the pond is loosing water all the time or only if the pump is running. If you are loosing water only when the pump is on, then the leak is after the pump, probably in the waterfall. Likely problems are:
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Plants or other debris has ‘dammed up’ parts of the streambed thus causing the water to overflow.·
If you have a liner streambed, possible the edge has bee pushed down allowing water to escape.·
If you have a concrete streambed there may be a crack in the concrete. Usually the cracks are bigger on the edges and smaller in the middle. If you have a crack on one side of the streambed, be sure the check or the opposite side. Often the cracks are at the thinnest part of the streambed or where the streambed meets the pond. These cracks are caused because the dirt below the streambed has settled.·
If rock were mortared together with the idea that this joint would hold water, you’ve got problems. You may be able to find the leaks but they could be very numerous. Often they are found on the lower side of the rocks because the mortar slumped away while still wet. You may want to consider taking it all out and putting a liner underneath and redoing it.If you are losing water all the time, even when the pump is off, the problem is found below the water line. This may be in the pond or in any plumbing below the water level. For a system with an external pump, segment the system further by plugging or capping the pipe going to the pump. This can be done inside many skimmers with a male fitting and a piece of pipe that extends above water level. If you have a three-way valve on the return, close the side that goes back to the pond (thus separating the pond from the plumbing). With this method, you can look down the pipe to see if the water level changes within the pipe or remains the same. If the water level goes down look further at the plumbing. Hopefully you don’t have to do much digging. Look for areas that remain wet, even down hill from the site.
If you lose water when the pump is off and get a lot of air in the leaf trap and filter, the leak may be on the intake side of the pump. If you don’t get air in the filter, the leak should be after the pump but still below the water level of the pond.
If none of these tests have isolated the leak then the only place left is the pond itself. Allow the water level to drop below the perimeter shelf if you have one. If the water level keeps dropping, the leak is still lower. If you are patient, you can wait for the water level to stop falling. When it does, you have found the lowest part of the leak. Look around the water level for the problem. You may need to put the fish in a temporary tank while proceeding. In concrete ponds, look for cracks, areas that stay wet, and check around any pipes skimmers and bottom drains for loose concrete or gaps. A lot of times if you start poking around with an old screwdriver or ice pick you can dislodge pieces of concrete and soon push the tool up to the handle.
If the water level stops going down at the perimeter shelf, that’s where the leak is. Depending upon your situation, you may dig some hole outside the perimeter to see which ones fill with water and which remain dry. In those with water, see from which way the water enters. This may take emptying it a few times and patience. PF Pro’s – The Pond & Fountain Professionals Reprinted from The Inland Koi Connection
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