KOI CLUB OF SAN DIEGONEWSLETTERMarch 2024 |
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JAPANESE FRENDSHIP GARDEN VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR MONDAY MORNINGS AROUND 8:00 AM
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We are looking for a member who can help us at the Japanese Friendship Garden on Monday mornings around 8:00am. Before there was a koi pond in the upper Garden area there was grass. That’s all. We suggested for years that we would take care of the filter system if they would build a koi pond which would become the central jewel to the Garden (there was no canyon Garden at the time). Norm Meck of our club designed the pond (with a few modifications) and Voila! we have a koi pond. We have been taking care of and cleaning the filter system since 1999 really as a community service to Balboa Park. We would appreciate any help even if you can’t commit to every Monday. Being able to lift 35-40 pounds is necessary to open each section of the deck where the filter is located. AND you get to pick the brain of our KHA/Show Entrant Chairman, Koi Jack, who has been overseeing the fishes health since 2005
If interested, call me and leave a message at 619-200-4146 and/or email me at lpluth@cox.net.
Linda Pluth
Japanese Friendship Garden Liaison
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Photos from the February Club meeting at the home of Lenore Wade by Matt Rhoades
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March Koi Club of San Diego Meeting
March 10th, 2024 |
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OUR HOSTS WILL BE
Jack Sr. and Jeanne Story
Jack Jr. and Carrie Story
Social hour - 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Meeting begins at 1 pm
We will visit two ponds
We will hold the potluck and meeting at Jack Sr.’s home: 23501 Barona Mesa Rd, Ramona, CA 92065.
After an abbreviated meeting, each attendee will be given an address and a map. And we will caravan to Jack Jr.’s home. |
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PONDER PROFILE
by Lenore Wade, photography by Bill Newell
Jack Sr. and Jeanne Story
Jack Jr. and Carrie Story
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Have you ever faced the dilemma of what to do when your happy koi enjoy making lots of babies? For Jack Sr. that isn’t a problem, he just builds another pond. And for Jack Jr. that isn’t a problem either, he just builds another pond.
Shortly after Jack and his wife, Jeannie, bought their home in Ramona 45 years ago, he built his first pond. Now, through much work and planning they have 9 cascading ponds in the back yard. Four of the ponds have fish, while the others, for now, just add to the beauty. To make this a little more
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confusing, 6 of the ponds are on one system, while the other 3 are on a different one. At the meeting, Jack can explain all of this to you as he also explains how he managed to terrace his yard into a wonderland of easy to walk trails up and down and around. You will also have to maneuver around Frank’s habitat. He is a 47-year-old tortoise.
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There are so many different types of fruit trees that I lost count. A variety of cacti, succulents, and flowering plants abound. The beautiful huge oak trees around the property all started out as saplings he planted. He will also generously offer cuttings of anything you take a fancy to.
Jack retired from Cal Fire after 37 years of service in different areas of the state. As his seniority grew, he was able to stay in San Diego County for the later years. In the early years, Jeannie taught school and then later became a mail carrier around the area. They both remarked on how much everything has grown and changed around Ramona over the years.
They were members of the Koi Club in the late 80’s and actually hosted 2 meetings during that time. After about 16 years, they faded away until…the rest of the story! |
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Jack Jr. told me of his memories of when he was young, and he and his little sister would play in the family pond. Four years ago, around the time he retired from Cal Fire after 30 years of service, he decided to build a pond. His dad gave him a large stack of old Koi magazines, which he diligently read.
Jack and Carrie and their 2 sons built a 1500-gallon pond in their back yard. At which time, his father jokingly asked, “When are you going to build the next one?” |
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As of now, he has 4 ponds, two of which are dedicated to all the babies. (There is also an aquarium full of fish.) Recently, he decided to create a small business with the little fish. He is also creating a theme around the ponds |
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which, as of now, has a metal sculpture of a donkey…
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A little over a year ago, they decided it was time to re-join the Koi Club. Their love for our amazing “hobby” makes them great members. Like all of us, we share our knowledge and greatly appreciate advice when needed.
The father and son live only about 1 ½ miles apart. We will hold the potluck and meeting at Jack Sr.’s home which is 23501 Barona Mesa Rd. in Ramona. After an abbreviated meeting, you will each be given an address and a map. And we will caravan to Jack Jr.’s home. Don’t forget to bring your chairs. I hope you will venture to Ramona and be as captivated as I was by all that the father and son have achieved.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEby Lenore Wade |
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Today was a beautiful morning in El Cajon, and being the third Tuesday of the month, I got ready and drove toward Balboa Park. Three-quarters of the drive was wonderful, then the drizzle started. As I got closer to the Japanese Friendship Garden, the rain increased. I figured since I was so close…Why not?
Well, my usual 2-hour stint lasted 50 minutes, with an umbrella in my hand. My Koi ID chart fell a few times and became as wet as I was. Surprisingly, there were visitors who had questions. Two couples from Manitoba, Canada were thrilled to talk about koi. Lots of kids wanted to know lots of things!
Finally, soaked from head to toe, I left. Because of the puddles everywhere and really wet shoes, I drove home bare-footed. But as I drove home, I started thinking about so many of you members who give of yourself and your time to educate the public, or to help people who have ponds. We exist as a club to educate and are happy to do it…most of the time. But we have lives outside the club, so give yourself a pat on the back and know you are appreciated for all you do to keep us as Koi Club of San Diego.
Our March meeting in Ramona will be a first for the club. It will be held at the homes of Jack Story Sr. and Jack Story Jr. They live about 2 miles apart. I don’t know the logistics yet, as I write this article. But we will all know by the time this Newsletter reaches you. I hope you will read the Pond Profile so you will know what to expect.
As a club, we are looking forward to a bright and happy Spring. Usually in the past that would mean “Show Time”. Unfortunately, again this year, that is not the case. Be assured that board members are seriously trying to find a time and place to have another show. Our treasury was depleted by the Pandemic and hopefully we are on the road to a full recovery. The Koi Show is the highlight of the year for most of us koi lovers, so keep your fingers crossed and please offer suggestions if you have any.
Please mark your calendars now for our May meeting. It will be on the 3rd Sunday of May (always moved to accommodate Mother’s Day) in Hemet. It will be a joint meeting with the Inland Koi Society and our first in Hemet. I know it will be a drive, but we hope you will look forward to it as much as I am.
Since the February meeting was at my house, I want to thank all of you who came in spite of it being Superbowl Sunday. We had a good turnout, good food, and a great presentation by Koi Jack on the “Showa” (Very fitting for the special day!!!).
I look forward to seeing you in Ramona as we get to visit and learn about 2 new Koi Club ponds. |
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ADDITIONAL UPCOMING EVENTS
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STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
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Wednesday, March 13th at 7:00 pm (earlier if you are ordering food) ALL MEMBERS WELCOME!
Dennys
2691 Navajo Road El Cajon, CA 92020
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Chris Beatty
WELCOME BACK RENEWING MEMBERS!
Will Vukmanic Tim Cooke Steve and Alexa Ford
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KHA KORNERby "Koi Jack" Chapman |
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I have talked a lot about your “koi poop watch”, but I’ve not put it in a
KHA Korner article since 2012, 2020 and now 2024 so maybe is a good time for an
updated review. This time of year (just
before spring feeding starts) is a good time to remind everyone about what you
can learn from "Koi Poop Watch.” Don’t you just love it - but you can tell
a few important things by observing the koi poop in the bottom of your pond or
worse floating on top your pond at this or any time of the year. For my pond early in the morning is the best
time to make my evaluation. But first -
while not required, an elevated hobbyist practice would for a newly purchased
koi include a microscopic fecal slide examination looking for nematode ova,
intestinal parasites and/or other flagellated protozoa, bacteria, and /or helminth
ova - like I do for said newly acquired koi prior to adding them to main pond from my temporary quarantine 500-gallon
system. I have found that the transfer
water your koi has been in will often contain fresh feces and you can collect
with syringe (without a needle) for your microscopic examination. And, if crazy
like me you can collect a larger sample and spin down in your centrifuge prior
to placement of sample on slide. Yes, I
do it even if more than one koi in a bag and this is a good time to do a skin
scraping for parasites as you already have the microscope out and the koi
available. Now back to pond poop watch -
if you see a lot or an increased amount of fecal material lying on the bottom
of your pond it is a clear sign that you are overfeeding (maybe too high
protein content) at this time of year for your current pond temperature. This
is especially true when you can see the shape of the individual food pellets
singularly or even in a row as part of the fecal stream. Your koi's metabolic rate is reduced as water
temp is reduced (by half per 18 degrees C). So, your koi have a reduced requirement for quantity
and protein levels and any undigested food is what you see in the fecal
material at the bottom of the pond - polluting the water column, increasing
ammonia, reducing oxygen and providing the medium for the growth of bad bacteria
(Aeromonas causing hole in the side). When
feeding at lower water temperatures, say below 62 degrees feed mid-DAY –
so the food will have time to properly be digested. Feeding in colder temps late afternoon can
result in your koi being unable to completely digest the food due to decreased
digestive enzyme activity. This can
result in bacterial decay of the remaining undigested food leading to gas
formation and bloating within the digestive track, which can resemble dropsy
and can lead to koi deaths if not corrected.
I’m a notorious heavy feeder of my koi and trust me I’ve seen this first
hand and moved the koi to my 500-gallon isolation tank and no feeding for a
week with no fish loss yet. My first late
observation of this 12 or so years ago – well I cheated and warmed the water in
my isolation tank by 10 degrees over three days and no feeding for 10 days and luckily,
I did not lose a show quality koi. Some
lessons are learned the hard way. Final note:
If you see floating or gelatinous feces, this usually means you have a
koi(s) that has(have) indigestion from a scrape/irritation involving the
intestinal lining caused by something the koi has eaten. Normal koi feces should sink and dissolve in
the water right away. Observing your koi and their fecal material can assist you greatly in evaluating your current
feeding schedule and health of your koi.
Stay safe and healthy, while enjoying your koi pond. Spring feeding up next month.
r/koijack
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PLEASE VISIT OUR APPAREL SHOP!THANK YOU JAMIE KANES FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS! |
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Koi Person of The Year 2023 Julia Schriber
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First VP-Program: Matt Rhoades |
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Second VP-Venue: Ben Adams |
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Newsletter editor/ Webmaster: Julia Schriber |
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Membership Chairman: Jill Leach |
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Koi Health Advisor/
Librarian: Jack Chapman |
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Club Historian: Dr. Galen Hansen |
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Property Manager: Al Pierce |
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Correspondence Secretary: Shirley Elswick |
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Japanese Friendship Garden Liaison: Linda Pluth |
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Koi Health Advisor/
Water Quality: Jack Chapman |
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To Host a Meeting: Ben Adams |
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To Submit an Article: Linda Pluth |
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Program/Activities Suggestions: Matt Rhoades |
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