Oct 1999
Selected Articles
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Oct 1999 Selected Articles |
The summer is over and the Hurricane passed us up with out any major damage to our homes and ponds. Some of our members had to evacuate their homes and leave their koi behind. This is always a great concern to koi keepers. We should have a discussion on this topic at the next meeting.
At the next meeting we will discuss our upcoming show in November. The show will be in Orange Park in the Town Hall Park . If you have not reserved a tank, please do so as soon as possible by calling 268-3582. The Judges will be Joan and Bob Finnigan and Richard Chesler Trainee Judge.
The Banquet will be at the Best Western on Roosevelt Blvd. Kate Daeton is selling the tickets to this Event.The price is only $20 that includes gratuity and tax.
As you all well know, the end of the year is just around the corner and with this change comes a change in the Club. The present Officers need to be replaced. We will form an election committee at the next meeting. Anyone interested in running for Office or who would like to recommend someone please call us or let the new committee know.
The next meeting will be at Susan and Jim Roberts’ on Sunday October 10 at 2.00 p.m. We’re planning a little Octoberfest with brautwurst and soft drinks. Bringing a side dish is greatly appreciated. See you all there.
FRED aSecretary's Report By Susan Roberts September meeting 24 members attended.
The meeting was held at the Stogdill’s house. Fred gave out copies of the insert from Galen Hansen’s supplement to Koi USA for those who did not receive an issue.
-Fall Show- Fred ordered banners to hang over the street or on the bandstand. We won’t be putting the tanks on the bandstand, but on the ground in front of it. There was concern about the weight the water would carry damaging the bandstand. The banquet will be at the Spindrifter at the Best Western. Price, $20 per person, $10 for kids under 10 years. Menu has been chosen and the club will pay for one additional entree. See Kate for tickets. There will be a deadline for tickets so we can have a count of attendees to give to the Spindrifter, so the tickets must be purchased one week before the Show or you will not be able to attend..
If we have tanks left, they will be offered to other clubs. Members need to sign up as soon as possible for tanks. Call Fred.
Judging starts at 9 AM. Fish need to arrive by 8 AM. Show ends at 3 PM. Banquet starts at 7 PM. Awards will be given at the Banquet. Bob & Joan Finnegan will be judging our show with Richard Chessler as Assistant Judge. Jim Roberts and his crew will do setup on Friday the 12th. Joe White will assist in water quality. There will be seminars on filter building ,pond building and other subjects.
There will be two divisions, under 12" and over 12", with thirteen categories. We will be having raffles throughout the day and again at the banquet. Anyone who volunteers 2 hours of work at the show will receive tickets for a special drawing at the banquet. Many volunteers are still needed to cover the show, before, during and after. There may be games at the show, Each member should bring a unique plant, maybe from your pond or yard, for the club to sell at the koi store. Hot dogs will be sold at the show. With approval from Fred, you can set up a table and sell items.
Tanks will be covered and taped down after set up since there will be no one guarding the tanks Friday night.
Things to remember: Stop feeding your fish at least 3-4 days before showing so they will not mess the tank. Don’t dump water into your tank when putting fish in so the water will not be contaminated and clouded.
Other items: Existing board members’ terms end at the end of the year. Anyone interested in being on the selection committee should speak up to any member of the board. A Test Kit was raffled off at the meeting and was won by Anne Miller. a
Last month I did a little about how fish growth effects the biomass of your pond. Here is a related article I found on rec.pond
The USDA Watergardening publicatiohttp://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/aquanic/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/435fs.pdf offers this "consensus" fish stocking guideline: Unaerated pond: up to one 12" fish per 10 square feet of surface area. Aerated: up to one 12" fish per 2 to 3 square feet. and says conservative hobbyists stay well below these guidelines. To apply this to smaller fish, note that while their weight goes up almost with length cubed, their metabolic rate goes down with length. So feeding rate, oxygen demand, and stocking rate go with length squared, as a rough guide. So stocking four times as many fish, of half the length, is roughly equivalent. Until they grow! Pushing these guidelines requires good aeration and biofiltration, keeping the temperature from getting too high, not overfeeding, and increases the risk of losses during spring cycling. So there isn't a fixed stocking formula, but a range of difficulty. The rates the USDA gives elsewhere for professional aquaculture are much higher, acknowledging they can't be competitive without pushing the limits. That's in ponds designed with optimal aeration and filtration, not for appearance. It also demands full-time husbandry and accepts some losses. a
Testing Your Pond Water Reprinted from Fl. West Coast Koi & Water Garden ClubThe following is a brief description of some common water quality problems and the tests that you should routinely make of your pond’s water. Remember, water quality is the #1 killer of your wet pets.
pH - is the measure of acidity or alkalinity. Koi and Goldfish can live in a wide range of pH, but 7 to 8 is best. You can raise pH with baking soda. Do not attempt to lower pH without expert help.
Ammonia - is a deadly toxin to fish. It comes from fish waste, decaying food and plant material or unseen dead fish. It is best treated through the use of a bio-filter. The only acceptable level of ammonia is ZERO!!. If your ammonia is high, treat with water changes and reduced feeding.
Nitrite - is detrimental to fish. It comes from the breakdown of ammonia in the bio-filter. The amount of nitrite in your pons should stay below .25 PPM. To treat higher levels, make water changes and clean you filters and pond bottom to cut down on mulm and dirt.
Nitrate - is the last step in the ammonia cycle. Your plants use nitrate as a fertilizer. If nitrate levels get too high , 40 PPM, they can induce a pea-soup algae bloom.
Total Alkalinity - measures the bicarbonate ions in your water. Liner ponds can have dangerously low total alkalinity. Testing should read 80-120 PPM on a dip stick test or around 4-8 DH (4-8 drops of reagent) on the Tetra KH test. You can raise total alkalinity with baking soda.
O2 - is dissolved oxygen in your pond, and is best tested just before sunrise when oxygen levels will be lowest. A low of 7 PPM is the minimum for a healthy koi pond. To raise dissolved oxygen levels aerate your pond with a waterfall, run water over rocks in a stream, or use a Venturi tee on your return water.