Koi Club of San Diego

Volume 22 Issue 11

KOI CLUB OF SAN DIEGO

NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2022

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

by Lenore Wade

When I first started writing my President’s message, I said there would be nothing about my pond. Well, I guess I lied. Koi Jack had said that the fall is a good time to clean the filter so as not to have problems in the Spring. So, last weekend my two sons-in-law came to empty the media from the filter and do a long over-due cleaning. Lucky for me, I had a meeting to get to. Katie at San Diego Pond and Garden helped me write down what the guys needed to do, step by step. I gave them the list and left.  After arriving at my meeting, it was decided to cancel it. Feeling a little guilty, I returned home to “help.” Four hours later, we were all covered head to toe with guck. I learned a lot, helped a lot, and thanked the boys a lot. Next time, I will be sure not to return home before they finish the job.

Thanks to Tamsie and Al for hosting our last meeting. The weather was nice and the turn-out was good. They loved explaining the uniqueness of their pond set-up. A new member came all the way from Carlsbad to find out about the club. He must have liked what he saw, because he has volunteered to host a meeting in the first part of the new year.

Our November meeting will be in Alpine at the home of John and Nikki Schultz. If you were lucky enough to visit last year, I am sure you are looking forward to seeing their beautiful large yard and natural pond again. If this is your first chance to visit on November 13^th, be prepared to be “wowed” with the beauty and the unexpected.

The Koi Club exists for many reasons, but one of the prime reasons is to educate the public about our love for Koi. On that note, for the past 2 months, I have been going to the Japanese Friendship Garden on their “Free Tuesday “, which is the third Tuesday of each month. I spend two hours in the morning talking about the Koi in the pond and sharing pictures in the folder I always carry with me. Koi Jack gave me some info about the pond and the feeding schedule because people want to know. Of course, I always wear one of our SDKC shirts so people will take me seriously. I love it, when the little ones tell me about which fish is their favorite.

Thanks to all of you who came to the auction to both work and to bid on fish. The show was not as big as in the past, but we did make a nice profit which is always a good thing. But as with any function, without help from the members, it doesn’t happen.

 At the board meetings, we all put our heads together trying to figure out what programs would be of most interest to you, the members. Koi Jack has completed his programs on fish classification. We are open to suggestions from all members. Just give a call or shout out. We exist for you.

PS: Today, October 26^th, my granddaughter, Piper, and I had a most amazing adventure.

At the Koi meeting at Tamsie and Al’s, Dick Long and his wife Bonita invited Piper and me to see their home with all of their

There are even decorations in the backyard around the Koi pond. Piper spent a half hour playing with and petting the fish who enjoyed the attention. The 12 turtles were not quite as friendly, but it was fun to watch their antics as they bathed in the sun and interacted with each other.

If you get a chance, please take a trip to see this wonder for yourself: 

8312 Beaver Lake Dr. San Diego. 619-742-1979 

It is not far from Highway 125 and Navajo Road. 

Social hour - 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm

Meeting begins at 1 pm

Potluck, bring your own chair

If you have any koi related issues or questions, bring them to the meeting! 

OUR HOSTS WILL BE JOHN AND NIKKI SCHULTZ

1954 Oak View Place

Alpine, CA 91901

Koi Club of San Diego Ponder Profile

by Lenore Wade, photography by Phyllis Spoor

John and Nikki Schultz

Huge trees, green bushes, rolling grass all surrounding a natural pond dedicated to Koi. The welcoming house surveys this acre and one-half property that is bounded by dedicated open space.

Magical can be described in so many ways. Last year when I first visited the home of Nikki and John Schultz in Alpine, I was disappointed that there had been no pond preview so I would know what to expect. It was then that I asked the club if I could re-start the long-time column started by John Svelan. I want you to feel the beauty and wonder before you get there on November 13^th.

Some of you were lucky enough to be at the meeting last year, I hope more of you will come this time. The yard is gorgeous and the pond enticing, but I want you to know a little more about our hosts before you arrive.

John is out-going and filled with whimsy, you never know what story you will hear  next. Originally raised in Chicago, he was brought to San Diego when the Marines drafted him during the Vietnam War. It took 21 months for the Marines to realize that this young man, who afflicted with polio as a child, was not physically able to be a “Marine”. When discharged, he decided to stay in the land of sunshine and palm trees. John spent 32 years working for the Navy all over San Diego while staying with one command. He was involved in soft-skill training among other responsibilities that gave him a chance to travel all over the world.

Nikki, on the other hand, was raised in beautiful Vermont where she was a realtor for many years. While being married to her job, she realized what she was missing in other parts of the country. That is when she ventured to San Diego. Here, she fell in love with our landscape and the variety of homes and places to live in our area and became very successful.

In the late 1990’s, John, a divorced father raising 3 sons, put a crazy ad in The Reader. Among other things, he wanted a woman who was not a Cancer in the astrological scheme and who could also jitterbug.

Enter Nikki who also loved to dance. In the last 22 years they have loved, laughed, and traveled together. Their adventures are filled with stories that would amaze.

In 2019 they found this home in Alpine, which Nikki says was prettier than the pictures. They have made changes to the property, including making it into an Air B&B using a 5^th wheel. They have had many visitors who enjoy the rustic make-up of their temporary home. The property, known as Bliss Ranch, comes with a small section of western buildings which are being re-vamped for rental, as well.

John views his pond as a recreational viewing pond where there are beautiful lilies and small caves to protect the fish from a very-determined heron who haunts them. Due to old pipes and irrigation problems which affected the pond, John has added a 2500 gallon holding tank since we were last there.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING EVENTS

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 pm

(earlier if you are ordering food)

Dennys

2691 Navajo Road

El Cajon, CA 92020 

KHA KORNER

by "Koi Jack" Chapman

Fall Season in Southern California

Been a year since I wrote about this important subject so as a reminder, I’ve decided to just reprint last October's 2021 unchanged article.   So soon we will reach the fall season and for us the coast area will see lower temps sooner and we inland will still have some warmer days late into fall.  Good time to sit with your koi and evaluate what you and your fish have been doing for the past seven or eight months.  What were your goals or what were you hoping to see happen during this past spring and summer season?   Even if you did not have any goals it’s a good time to review what has happened with your pond system and your koi (really).  Even if you only wanted the status quo or nothing bad to happen – so what happened and what were you doing to maintain your pond and koi???  This is when I put my shameless plug in for you to have a pond journal even if you only write in it a couple times a year!!!  It’s even a good time to think about what would you like to see happen next year (pond and koi)??? So now that you’re out by your pond and making notes (past and future) and maybe on your second drink LOL it’s time to get the pond and koi ready for your winter season.  Paying attention to your pond and koi during the winter season better prepares your pond and your koi for an uneventful spring.  For us with mild winters, I like to advocate that a good filter cleaning (SEP-OCT) is an excellent way to prepare your pond and koi for the winter season.  Your koi’s immune system is charged fully with less chance of having sick koi from the unavoidable stuff (bacteria/particulate matter/critters) you will add to the water column from a good cleaning.  Good time to have less junk (detritus – decomposing organic compounds DOC) in your filter for the bad bugs to winter over on and explode their populations in early spring with possible resulting sick koi (Aeromonas alley or even parasites).  This year proved to be especially bad for both internal and external bacterial infections (Aeromonas – hole in the side infections) with several club members losing one or more koi to include the Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG), which lost 8 koi.  I lost 3 koi this year to bacterial infections and that had never happened to me before YUK!  Almost all those affected had added koi last fall or this spring and with only one exception were not accompanied by additional parasite infections.  Trust me when I say you want to do anything possible to avoid a large Aeromonas outbreak in your pond.  For the JFG we called in the veterinarian – Todd Cecil, DVM - who came to the koi pond and along with solicited club members – John Svelan, Adriana Cespedes, Linda Pluth, Matt Rhoades and myself the following was accomplished.  John and I packed our trucks every other day for 10 days with large tubs, nets, air pumps and ulcer treatment materials.  The koi pond at JFG was seined and 21 mostly adult koi were netted and placed in the large tubs for individual examination by veterinarian leading to each koi receiving two antibiotic injections and topical treatment of all ulcers before returning each koi to the pond.  Culture and sensitivity tests were also taken and later a deceased koi was sent to a California State lab for necropsy which identified 3 different bacterial infections (Shewanella putrifaciens; Pseudomonas spp; and Aeromonas veronii).  The same was accomplished for the last four (3 hour) visits, minus the vet, and only one antibiotic injection and topical treatment of ulcers.   I can’t thank my fellow club members enough – their efforts made the treatment regimen possible.  Sure makes you think twice when buying new koi and reviewing your quarantine practices.  Now back to fall LOL -With winter comes leaves and you want to always keep them out of your pond and filter system as their decomposition are the hotels  for the bad bugs.  This mass of DOC also erodes water quality.  If you have water plants this is when they die back so work at removing the dead plant material!!  Time to think about reducing the quantity of food and going to an all season or wheat germ-based food.  When my pond water hits 55F I’ll begin feeding every other day and at 52F twice a week and quit at 50F.  Koi articles recommend stop feeding at 50F and I have a friend with nice koi who stops at 55F.  Water temp down equal’s koi metabolism down (cut in half for each 17 degrees Fahrenheit) - so the koi do not have the capability to process high levels of protein.  Unprocessed food passes out the vent and provides high value nutrition for the bad bugs during winter giving you a larger base population come aeromonas alley in the spring (BIG TIME).  A lot of our local area ponds do not go below 47/48F during winter and aeromonas does not go dormant until around 39F.  Koi get larger each year and we have been known to add koi from time to time so it’s a good time to review filtration and bio-chamber capacity to keep up with the ammonia/nitrite pollution demand.  Don’t forget DOC adds additional ammonia to the water column.   Remember we have recirculating systems that have to refresh the water our koi pollute with each breath and poop.  NO – twice the size does not = twice the pollution.   Think 3 to 4 times the pollution due to body mass.  Adding bio-filter capacity in the fall is a good idea as it will be on line (up and running) for spring or you could consider a reduced fish load (no joke).  Just because it’s winter time does not mean your pond maintenance goes on vacation.  I really missed not having our annual koi auction last year and now find myself with 4 to 6 koi I need to find homes for or my koi additions this fall will be reduced YUK.  Don’t forget our annual koi auction this month, on Sunday, October 24th – come help please and see ya there.  Contact Tamsie to volunteer.

For your consideration - Nicholas Saint-Erne, DVM and author of “Advance Koi Care” has recommended that autumn (pg119) “A 2-week course of 0.3% salt is a good preventive treatment against protozoal parasite.”  He also offers a 3-dose preventive treatment of formalin/malachite green solution.   Erik Johnson, DVM has also supported the use of salt against certain koi parasites in his book “Koi Health and Disease.”   And I would add you review the use of potassium permanganate and yes, I use it on day 1 and day 3 after I complete the fall cleaning of my bio chamber.  While not wanting to get my butt caught in controversy and I’ve not talked to Doctor Nick or Erik but due to publishing date of their books and several later anecdotal remarks from Japanese breeders and dealers in USA regarding increasing resistance to salt from parasites coming out of Japan – I have gone to 2 or 3 weeks at 0.4% for preventive salt treatments in the spring (Feb/Mar) for both my pond and the Japanese Friendship Garden for the past 5 years.  My salt pond treatment is done AFTER our annual koi show (March) as salt results in additional slime coat which can DULL the sharpness in the appearance of color and reflection of Gin Rin.   Lastly, I would only remind you that the more serious treatments for koi parasites are in my opinion reserved for microscope confirmed infections of specific identified parasites.       

To end on a fun note - fall is the time to review your koi collection and if pond space/koi count is available it is the perfect time to review the fall season (Oct/Nov) new koi arriving at your favorite koi dealership.   Remember red is considered best as a primary color when viewing your koi population as a group in your pond.  It does not matter if you want a $20/200/2,000-dollar koi or just a fun day with a few koi friends you just can’t beat the excitement of looking at all the new koi each year.  Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next backyard club koi meeting, but in the interim be safe and healthy.

Notes from Koi Club of San Diego Steering Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 by Tamsie Pierce

Members Present in person:

 Matt Rhoades

Jill Rhoades

Jack Chapman

Lenore Wade

Al Pierce

Linda Pluth

Greg Ruth

Tamsie Pierce 

Will Vukmanic

Called to order at 7:04 PM.

Several steering Committee members received email queries from Inland Koi Club (Riverside area) about tanks they believe they are storing for us.  They will be contacted and things straightened out.

VP Program: Looking for suggestions of programs for meetings. One idea was a panel to respond to questions from the membership. In January one of our members will be traveling to Japan and talking to breeders. Also, the meeting immediately before the show could involve demonstrations of catching and bagging fish for transport to and from the Show.

VP Venue:
   John Schultz - Alpine - November
   Cannizzaro- San Diego - Holiday gift exchange
   Dick Long- San Diego - January
   Lenore Wade - El Cajon - February
   Open - March
   Jeff Kane - Carlsbad - April

Treasurer: Report submitted. Auction was a success, however final numbers are not in due to percentages to be paid to sellers on fish sold.
   
JFG: Seining of pond on Saturday, October 8 successful. 9 people helped out, about 60 fish were caught, leaving about 40 still left in main pond from the spring spawning (Those that jumped out of the net or eluded the seining). The filter cleaning of side 2 was also accomplished at this time. The number of times a day the fish are fed is related to the pond temperature.

KHA: No change.  Now is the time to clean your biofilter to prepare for Spring.

Membership:    116 member families on list. An updated membership list will be sent to Steering Committee members.

Newsletter: There was a question on the ads. Yes, there is a charge for vendor ads posted at the end of the newsletter.

Show: Much discussion. Contact with Del Mar Fairgrounds has deteriorated due to COVID19. We are hoping for the end of March. The show will be most successful depending on the other events on the fairgrounds to provide walkthrough traffic for our vendors.
   We are also looking for a vendor chair.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM

Koi Person of The Year 2022 Lenore Wade

OFFICERS

EMAIL

President: Lenore Wade   

lenorewade@yahoo.com

First VP-Program: Will Vukmanic

obshen33@gmail.com

Second VP-Venue: Matt Rhoades

matrhoa@gmail.com

Secretary: Tamsie Pierce

tamsie@cox.net

Treasurer: Matt Rhoades

APPOINTED OFFICERS

EMAIL

Show Chairman 2023: Matt Rhoades

matrhoa@gmail.com

Newsletter editor/

Webmaster: Julia Schriber

julia.schriber@gmail.com

Membership Chairman/

Vendor Chairman: Greg Ruth

gruth.kcsd@gmail.com

Koi Health Advisor/

Librarian: Jack Chapman

jackchapman1@cox.net

AKCA Representative: Scotty Yee

scttyee@yahoo.com

Club Historian: Dr. Galen Hansen

galenkoi@aol.com

Property Manager: Al Pierce

alpierce@cox.net

Correspondence Secretary: Shirley Elswick

 sfelswick@cox.net

Japanese Friendship Garden Liaison: Linda Pluth

 lpluth@cox.net

HELPING HANDS

Koi Health Advisor/

Water Quality: Jack Chapman

jackchapman1@cox.net

Program Suggestions: Will Vukmanic

obshen33@gmail.com

To Host a Meeting: Lenore Wade

lenorewade@yahoo.com

To Submit an Article: Linda Pluth

 lpluth@cox.net

MONTHLY WATER REPORT

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