New Editors for the Nishiki Koi Club Newsletter

During the April 10, 2010 general meeting Andrew and Blanca Corlett volunteered to become the editors for the monthly Nishiki Koi Club newsletter. We (Andrew and Blanca) are delighted to help with this task and hope that we can follow the footsteps of those before us who have done such a wonderful job; the praise we heard about the past editors at the last meeting was just outstanding.

We joined the Nishiki Koi Club in November of last year (2009); just in time for the December Holiday Party. We currently have 6 koi and our desire for more is great. However, our pond is only approximately. 1500 gallons so we have to cap the number of koi to a small number. We think we are currently one over our limit. (Fortunately for many of us, Fish and Game doesn’t regulate this hobby! )

Our pond was built and completed in February of 2009 and we added our first koi on May 3 of that same year. We initially placed 4 tester red and white goldfish in the pond. One of the goldfish died immediately and the other three thrived all too well.

The number of gold fish expanded to eight (8) and the number would have been exceptionally larger if it were not for our first two koi eating the fry! We quickly removed the goldfish and gave them to some of the neighborhood kids withholding one that we’ve placed in a 10-gallon aquarium in Andrew’s home office. Not sure why he is keeping it. We have named all of our koi after observing their personalities and hope to introduce them in the monthly “Your Koi” column over time.

Our pond was built as part of a larger landscaping project on our property. The main contractor subcontracted the pond work to Eric Triplett of The Pond Di"ers. When we first met with Eric he greeted us with great enthusiasm and knowledge. We had many questions that we wanted to ask and to learn as much as possible about the needs of koi and pond construction. As he started to explain different aspects you could see in his eyes and hear in his voice the vast amount of information he had and wanted to tell us. Containing himself, we spent several hours discussing many different aspects and technologies.

At one point Andrew stopped Eric in mid-sentence and told Blanca “we either need to call 911-now or we have the right guy!” Andrew was very surprised about the excitement and enthusiasm that a person could have over “fish” that it came as a bit of a shock.

Now that we have our pond and koi we too understand about this enthusiasm and excitement. We reasoned that if there were people like Eric and us, then there must be other “wackos” too and that is how we started to look for koi clubs and found Nishiki Koi Club.

Before any of us jump to conclusions, we want to say that we have refined our idea of what a “wacko” is and conclude that koi are unique animals and have a purpose in beauty, enjoyment, and relaxation for all of us. We are fortunate enough to Blanca is a social worker for the County of Orange and is working on her education in the field of Optometry. Andrew is a software and

electrical engineer building products for the Telecommunications industry. He is working on applying his knowledge and skills to projects related to koi.

Sincerely,

Andrew & Blanca!

Tomigai koi food source

Tomigai Koi Food was originally created by Kois and Ponds, Corporation to supply the market with the highest quality Koi food. Formulated in conjunction with the Japanese experts on Koi, this product boasts cutting edge formulation direct from Japan and enjoys the endorsement of such prominent names in the Koi industry such as Sakai, Dainichi, Marudoh, Isa and Tani among many others.

KOI POND CALCULATOR

When and how much food to feed your koi?

Temperature is a crucial factor in properly feeding your Koi.

Below is a guide to the appropriate water temperature, quantities and number of times you should feed your fish:

• 82°F & above:
  
  • Feed once daily
• 72°F - 82°F :
  
  • Feed in small, frequent quantities. Total amount of food feed should be no more than 3% of total body weight.Temperature is a crucial factor in properly feeding your Koi.Use larger quantities of ToMiGai Wheat Germ and Spirulina mixed with smaller quantities of ToMiGai Taberu to maximize growth and conformation
• 65°F - 72°F :
  
  • Feed twice daily. Use larger quantities of ToMiGai Wheat Germ and Spirulina mixed with smaller quantities of ToMiGai Taberu to maximize growth and conformation
• 55°F - 65°F :
  
  • Feed once daily. Use a higher dosage of ToMiGai Taberu mixed with smaller quantities of ToMiGai Wheat Germ and Spirulina.
• 50°F - 55°F :
  
  • Feed ToMiGai Taberu no more than twice weekly
• 50°F & below :
  
  • Stop Feeding
  
  

Feeding Tips

• When Kois do not eat willingly, refrain from feeding.


• It is recommended to feed your fish during the hours between daybreak and nightfall or when pond temperature is steady and at its peak.


• If your fish have healthy appetites, the recommended amount of ToMiGai Koi Food at 69°F to 85°F is 2.5 percent to 3 percent of your Koi's body weight per day. This amount should be consumed within 2 to 4 feeding periods daily.


• To enhance the color of your koi, you may increase the percentage of ToMiGai Spirulina used in each feeding period.


• Koi food unconsummed within 5 minutes of feeding is recommended to be netted out of the Pond.


• It is recommended that the optimum Koi pond conditions be achieved to increase Koi appetite.


• It is advised that stored Koi food remain dry in package. Please ensure that one's hand or scooping cup remain dry when taking ToMiGai Koi Food from box.

ToMiGai Koi Food is packaged through the Nitrogen gas rush packaging method. Oxygen, which shows to be a primary cause of spoilage, is eliminated from the bag then pumped with Nitrogen to ensure that moisture levels are kept at a minimum. Nitrogen gas is proven to maintain quality and freshness of food for prolonged periods of time, and because contents are allowed to move freely within the bag, the integrity of the shape and form of ToMiGai Koi Food is maintained.