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.

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.

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:

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.