IWGKS March 2017 Newsletter

Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society

NEWSLETTER March, 2017

Water Quality for Koi Health

March into Spring!

Page 2-From Pet to Pest: Goldfish invasion Page 5- Koi of the Month Page 6- Kick Off Banquet Page 7- Award Deadlines Page 9- Club News

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March meeting topic

Two decades ago, someone dropped a handful of unwanted pet goldfish into a creek in southwestern Australia. Those goldfish grew, swam downstream, mucked up waters wherever they went and spawned like mad. Before long, they took over the whole river.

Researchers from Murdoch University believe this scenario, or something like it, is the cause of a feral goldfish invasion in Australia’s Vasse River. Since 2003, they have been running a goldfish tracking and control program that involves catching fish along the length of the river, freezing them to death and studying them in the lab. Despite this program, goldfish in the Vasse are thriving, with some fish growing as long as 16 inches and weighing up to four pounds — the size of a two-liter soda bottle.

Goldfish are one of the world’s worst invasive aquatic species, with outbreaks also having been reported in Nevada, Colorado and Alberta, Canada, in the last several years. Goldfish in the Vasse River, though, “have the fastest known growth rate of goldfish in the world,” said Stephen Beatty, a researcher at Murdoch University who helps lead the control program. If his team gets the Vasse’s goldfish problem in order, its work could inform goldfish management efforts far beyond Australia.

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Goldfish invasions start with a disconnect between how people view goldfish and what goldfish are like in the wild, Dr. Beatty said. “Once you introduce something into a new environment — even if it’s a cute, cuddly aquarium fish — it can have quite unexpected, serious biological consequences.”

The goldfish is a domesticated carp, first bred in ancient China for ornamental gardens. For centuries, goldfish were prized symbols of luck and fortune. Shortly after they made their way to the United States in the mid-1800s, however, they transitioned from the exotic to the mundane.

The United States government played a large role in this, according to Katrina Gulliver, a historian who has chronicled the goldfish. For decades in the late 1800s, the newly established Commission on Fisheries gave goldfish to Washington, D.C., residents as a publicity stunt, handing out as many as 20,000 fish in some years.

In a New York Times article from 1894, a reporter jested, “The business of distributing free goldfish to the people of the District of Columbia has become such a tax on the Fish Commission that it appears they must choose between running a goldfish bureau for Washington exclusively and conducting the legitimate work of the bureau.”

This, and the later practice of giving out goldfish at carnivals, spawned the harmful notion that goldfish are disposable and inconsequential. In fact, when tossed into waterways — particularly warm, nutrient-rich and relatively stagnant ones like the Vasse — goldfish behave in unexpected ways.

For one, they look different. Freed from the constraints of a tank, goldfish balloon to the size of footballs. Within a few generations, they revert to natural yellow and brown colors, in place of the bright orange that breeders try to achieve.

They are also an ecological nightmare. Goldfish swim along the bottom of lakes and rivers, uprooting vegetation, disturbing sediment and releasing nutrients that trigger excess algal growth. They feed broadly, eating algae, small invertebrates and fish eggs. To add insult to injury, they transmit exotic diseases and parasites.

Females produce up to 40,000 eggs each year — much more than most freshwater fish species — and are capable of interbreeding with other species of wild carp. With no natural predators, a large portion of goldfish offspring survive to reproductive age, continuing a cycle of rampant overpopulation.

So how do you get rid of them in a lasting way? Once they’re established somewhere, eradicating goldfish is a notoriously difficult undertaking — which is why Murdoch scientists recently spent a year tracking the movement of the fish in the Vasse. Their study, published last month in The Ecology of Freshwater Fish, yielded some unexpected findings.

For starters, goldfish are long-distance swimmers — Dr. Beatty’s team saw goldfish routinely travel the length of multiple football fields in a day, and even observed one fish that traveled more than 140 miles in a year.

For another, goldfish migrate to spawn. That’s right, the same fish that are often kept in tiny bowls, swimming in circles, navigate in droves to an off-channel wetland during breeding season.

It is perhaps a surprising finding for a domesticated species, but the behavior seems to be innate, Dr. Beatty said, and points to goldfish having complex cognitive abilities.

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“We think of goldfish as not being very intelligent — more like furniture or home accessories than sentient creatures,” said Dean Pomerleau, an engineer from Pittsburgh. But his family has trained pet goldfish to perform complicated tricks, such as nosing a tiny soccer ball into a net, and researchers have shown that goldfish can discriminate between music by Bach and Stravinsky. (Yes, goldfish can hear — they have evolved a bone structure that translates changes in pressure from sound waves from their swim bladder to their inner ear.)

A better understanding of goldfish behavior can inform management strategies, Dr. Beatty said, such as trapping fish en masse after they have migrated to their breeding grounds.

Meanwhile, to ensure goldfish invasions don’t get worse, it is crucial that pet owners get rid of unwanted fish responsibly, said Linda Walters, a biology professor at the University of Central Florida who has helped produce two children’s books on the dangers of emptying home aquariums into local waterways.

The best strategy is to give healthy fish away, to a responsible aquarium, pet store or hobbyist, Dr. Walters said. In Florida, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes unwanted exotic pets off people’s hands on regularly scheduled amnesty days.

If your fish is sick, the most humane way to kill it is probably to put it in an ice slurry. As for whether you should flush your fish down the toilet, experts recommend against it. Not only is there a slight chance your fish could survive a journey through the septic system and end up in the wild, but, in general, it’s just not a very pleasant way to say goodbye to Bubbles.

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Koi Variety of the Month: Kujaku

The Kujaku is a metallic or Ogon koi with the reticulated net-like pattern of the Asagi on its back. This is overlaid with either a gold, yellow, orange or red Kohaku-type pattern creating a striking effect.

Created by crossing a Goshiki with a Hikarimuji, its full name is Kujaku Ogon, or in English, “Peacock.”

The development of high quality Kujaku has led to their being judged in a category of their own at recent koi shows.

Created in the early 1960’s by Mr. “Nishi” Hirasawa of Hiranishi Fish Farms, the Kujaku was originally included in the Hikarimoyo category. In recent years Kujaku (literally “Peacock”) have received a lot of attention and with their increasing popularity, are often judged in a category of their own.

Because it is a metallic koi, the sheen and luster of the skin are considered one of the most important points to look for.

Whether the head has color or not, it should be clear and not congested-looking. The fins should be vibrant and unblemished.

The clarity of the reticulation (fukurin) on the net pattern is also important but often remains undeveloped until the koi is two or three years old.

The overlay pattern whether of gold, yellow, orange or red, is commonly referred to as the beni (literally “red”). The beni on the Kujaku should be uniform in its intensity, but should allow the net pattern to show through from underneath.

Since there are so many variables on a Kujaku, one has to be prepared to forgive a fault or two, or pay the price for an exquisite specimen. When selecting any koi, it is better to concentrate on the koi’s strengths and attributes rather than to focus on its shortcomings. All rights reserved Joel Burkard/Pan Intercorp, 2009

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Clockwise from top left: Loree Jackson and Bonnie Reiterman.

Tony and Diane Dann, Jim Kitchen from Mamason koi presenting, Michael Sevig

The Kick Off Banquet February 25th marked the date of the start of the koi season in the Treasure Valley. Even though there was plenty of snow still on the ground and the temperature was hovering around freezing, the Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society held the annual kick-off banquet at Louie’s Italian restaurant in Meridian, Idaho. Over 30 people were in attendance to hear guest speaker Jim Kitchens, from Mamason koi, speak about how to bring ponds out of a severe winter.

With record snows playing havoc around the state, club members listened attentively to Kitchen’s information and slideshow about koi health and water quality.

Children of the Sun Koi donated 5 nice Isa showa koi for raffle. Honeycomb Koi donated a $100.00 gift certificate to the raffle also. Member Sue Boydstun donated an embroidered Silk art piece she brought back from her trip to China. Many nembers donated items to the raffle such as a

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bronze koi bell and a preformed waterfall with filter. The generous spirit of the club made for a memorable event.

Bronze Koi Award Nominations are being accepted!

Each year the Pacific Northwest Koi Club Association gives an award to one outstanding member of the PNKCA. The winner must exhibit a long term commitment and substantial contribution to the koi hobby. To be considered for the Bronze Koi Award, a candidate must be a member of a PNKCA Koi club and involved in Koi keeping in the Pacific Northwest for at

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least ten years, must be a Koi hobbyist and, during that time, must not be involved in the selling of Koi, Goldfish or related products. The candidate must have demonstrated a long, outstanding commitment and dedication to the Koi hobby.

Last year our own Sue Boydstun won this prestigious award!

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Go to http://www.pnkca.com/id6.html to nominate someone today!

The Ed Fujimoto Award Each year a member of each club in the PNKCA is selected for the Ed Fujimoto award. Ed Fujimoto was the founder and editor of Koi USA magazine in California. Ed started the AKCA

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(Associated Koi Clubs of America) and was its first president. He also started the PNKCA (Pacific Northwest Koi Clubs Association) and was their first Chairman. Ed was active in many clubs in California including the co-founder of the Nishikigoi club.

The Ed Fujimoto award is given to one person from each PNKCA club “in appreciation for outstanding dedication and performance to his/her club”. It is given to someone who has gone beyond just being a member and has done

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something special for their club. Only one member (or couple from the same household) may be submitted from each club. Nominees are voted on by club members.

Please visit: http://www.pnkca.com/id5.html to nominate someone from your club today!

Deadline is March 31!

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Club News Board Meetings are the 1st Monday of each month at Idaho Pizza Company at Glenwood & State and are open to all members. Please feel free to stop in to contribute your ideas. Let your Board know what you think about how things are going and sign up to be a part of what’s going on in your club! These meetings are open to all club members and prospective members!

Club Meetings- All Members welcome March –

3/19

Meeting at NEON (North End Organic Nursery) - Water condition questions. Bring a 1 cup sample of your pond water for testing In a clean jar collected right before the meeting. We will have test kits for sale.

April –

4/23

Aquatic plants – Speaker and location TBD

May –

5/21

Idaho Botanical Garden new pond celebration at IBG.

June – TBD.

6/18

Lillies – How to grow water lillies and lotus plants - Speaker and location

July –

7/16

IWGKS Pond Tour.

August –

8/26

IWGKS Annual Koi Show at IBG & Speaker, Chai Taevanitcharoen, “how to

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evaluate a fish’s potential as a tategoi” September – 9/17

IWGKS annual barbecue.

October – 10/22

Meeting at NEON (North End Organic Nursery) – Winterizing your pond.

November -

No meeting

December - TBD

Christmas Party and Dinner.

IWGKS 2017 Officers: President: Tom Barnes

Past President: Sot Chimonas

President@iwgks.org

PastPresident@iwgks.org

Vice President: Katy Shanafelt

Secretary:

VicePresident@iwgks.org

Currently vacant

Treasurer: Diane Dann

Newsletter Editor: Katy Shanafelt

Treasurer@iwgks.org

katy.shanafelt@gmail.com

Past Treasurer: Paul Jackson pasttreasurer@iwgks.org Webmaster: Zac Feuerborn webmaster@iwgks.org Shop Keeper: Tom Barnes Shopkeeper@iwgks.org At Large Board Members: Sue Boydstun; Carl and Bonnie Reiterman

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PNKCA Representatives: Sot Chimonas & Paul Jackson AKCA Representative: Katy Shanafelt Koi Health Advisor: Sue Boydstun

Committee Chairs: Kick Off: Katy Shanafelt and Kim Peterson Pond Tour: still in need of a chair! Let us know if you'd like to volunteer Koi Show: Sot Chimonas

Silk embroidered koi from China provided by Sue Boydstun. Above donated to PNKCA. Below silent auction at Kick-Off.

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IWGKS P.O. Box 6060 Boise, ID 83707 The IWGKS Newsletter is published 10 times per year. Members and others are invited to submit material for publication in our newsletter. Illustrations and good photos may be reduced and incorporated into the newsletter. Advertising is available in our newsletter. Personal ads by members of five lines or less are free with appropriate content determined by the editor.

Commercial ad rates are available by contacting the editor.

Check out our website! www.iwgks.org is running. Email Zac (webmaster@iwgks.org) with your thoughts.

IWGKS needs you! Do you have knowledge or access to information that would benefit your fellow club members? Do you want to volunteer to help the club, but don’t know how you can help?

The IWGKS needs volunteers. If you are interested please contact anyone on the board. If you are in need of info or help with your pond or fish, let us know, that’s what we’re here for!

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Koi- “Feed Me!” You- “Not til 50 degree water for a week!”

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Serving the Treasure Valley since 2012 301 # 45th St #1, Garden City, ID 83714 (208) 713-7754

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IDAHO WATER GARDEN & KOI SOCIETY Membership Request New ___ Renewal ___ (Please Print Clearly) Date: ____Name(s)______________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________ City: ___________________State: _________Zip Code: __________ Phone (Home): (___ )__________ Phone (Cell):_(____)____________________ Email: ______________________________________ Do you have a pond? Yes_____ No______ Are you interested in having your pond on the pond tour? Yes___ No_____ Do you prefer to receive your newsletter in the mail? If so, Circle Here and add $5 to your membership or renewal, to help us offset the cost of printing and mailing.

Do you prefer to receive notices and reminders via Text Message? If so, give us your cell phone number again here, as authorization to text you! ________________________________ Annual Membership Individual/Household: $25.00 Commercial: $50.00 Note: Commercial membership NOW includes a Full Page ad in each newsletter and on the IWGKS web site! Commercial Members, please e-mail your updated ad copy to us at newsletter@iwgks.org Make your check payable to IWGKS and mail it along with this form to: Idaho Water Garden & Koi Society P.O. Box 6060 Boise, ID 83707

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