pond society, inc beneath the surfacebeneath the ...pictures from the koi class held on january 27th...

O ver 40 members cele-brated th close of a

successful year at the No-

vember 18th meeting.

Volunteers were recognized with awards and a writing pen engraved with Eastern Iowa Pond Society Inc. “Happy Pondering” for their participation in the Pond Expo, Pond Tour,

EASTERN IOWA POND SOCIETY,

INC

Visit us at www.eips.org

February, 2008

Beneath The SurfaceBeneath The SurfaceBeneath The SurfaceBeneath The Surface

2008 Officers:

President

Monica Morley

319/294-4866

[email protected]

Vice President

Dave Bell

319/351-8487

Secretary/Treasurer

Jackie Allsup

319/934-3665

[email protected]

Volunteers

Editor

Monica Morley

319/294-4866

[email protected]

Co-Editor - Maria Hamilton

Webmaster

Josh Spece

319/334-6593 josh@inthecountrygardenand

gifts.com

Librarian

Herman & Rosie Michel

319/366-1789

[email protected]

A Compendium of Facts, Fancy, Tidbits, Tips

1st Meeting of the Year….. Saturday, February 23, 2008

5:00 p.m. Larry & Erma Thompson

131 Rosedale Rd Cedar Rapids IA 52403 319-377-6481

Larry will be our speaker of the evening….. Ideas for starting up your pond in the spring.

Oxygen requirements of the pond during the summer and test kit options Open discussion and questions.

Directions from the 2006 Pond Tour: From outbound 1st Ave go right (south) onto 30th St Dr, continue on past East Post Rd, the road has now changed from 30th St to Lakeside Dr, continue on and take a right (south) onto Rosedale Rd #131 is on the right side.

EASTERN IOWA POND SOCIETY INC. offered a 3 part series on Koi Health

Presented by Koi Health Advisior Jackie Allsup

Assisted by Greg Bickal & Larry Thompson

What a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our koi and ponds. Classes were open to our club members and the Waterloo club members. We

learned about water quality, classifications of the koi, types of food & different prod-ucts. We had the opportunity to watch a koi be put to sleep, learned about the his-tory of koi, and received a home made recipe for koi food. We talked about anatomy and learned how to scrape a fish for parasite identification. We also learned to dress a wound and hands-on giving an injection of meds. What a wonderful opportu-nity……...not to mention the great treats many members brought during the 3 classes. Those who completed all 3 classes were recognized and given an EIPS pen. Monica

Pictures from the Koi Class held on January 27th

Dwarf Variegated Sweetflag

Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' Also known as

golden Japanese sweetflag, this

plant is ideal for

container water gardens and wa-

ter gardens alike. It's extremely

flexible, as it can be grown with its

toes in the water

or partially sub-merged.

The beautiful foli-age is light green

and highlighted

with bright yel-low stripes, re-

maining beautiful all season and

sometimes through the win-

ter. Does well in

Zones 6 to 11, tolerates some

shade, and grows 8 to 12 inches

tall. An all-

around great plant that adds a

bright, cheerful spot to any water

feature!

Greg Bickal’s Koi House bickal.home.mchsi.com

Checking for parasites. Jackie and Greg take a scraping from under body of a koi. Greg and Jackie check for parasites. Paul Wise checks out the findings.

Donavan Burke views some findings. Dave Bell practices giving a shot.

Kim Jordan fills the syringe as Jackie Allsup, Greg Bickal and Donavan Burke watch.

Koi class at Greg Bickal’s January 6th by Koi Health Advisor Jackie Allsup

Week 1

Jackie & Hugh Albrecht discuss different products.

Jackie Allsup giving valuable information to the class.

Our 1st class was on the quality of water. We spent an enjoyable afternoon.

There was a nice turn out, 17 members from the

E.I.P.S. Club and 4 from the Waterloo area club. We all made the trip safely driving

in some heavy fog.

Week 2

Week 3

Wow, a lot of information at this class. Larry Thompson talked about types of food for the Koi and Greg talked about the different classifications of koi. Greg put a Koi to sleep using clove oil and Jackie gave us the history of the koi.

We learn the different classifications of koi.

Greg puts koi to sleep.

Jackie puts some light on the subject

as Greg is attempting to grab hold of one

of his koi.

2 yr. old Koi during the autopsy.

Jackie makes the 1st incision.

Jackie with two of the members from

the Waterloo Club, Donavan Burke, president, and Kim Jor-dan.

This was the best class of all. Hands-on dem-onstration of giving shots and using a micro-scope. Viewing pictures of parasites, learn-ing the different meds and how to set up your area when treating your fish.

Special Thanks to Jackie Allsup for Special Thanks to Jackie Allsup for Special Thanks to Jackie Allsup for Special Thanks to Jackie Allsup for sharing her valuable knowledgesharing her valuable knowledgesharing her valuable knowledgesharing her valuable knowledge

February Birthdays

Kacy Novak 4th

Rose Milden 6th

Ron Rife 13th

Robert Ward 14th

Edna Rife 15th

Tim Nolan 16th

Elena Murillo 16th

Lou Ann Jayne 18th

Pam Moore 21st

Quinn Novak 21st

If you would like your birthday printed in the newsletter, e-mail us at mespring-cov [email protected] or sign in with the Hospi-tality Committee: Elena Murillo or Gil Morley .

Recipe CornerRecipe CornerRecipe CornerRecipe Corner

TENITIVE 2008 Meeting Schedule Times determined by the Host/Hostess

Programs will be updated as available along with the times of the meetings.

March 22nd Greg & Martha Bickal Speaker Greg Bickal/ Pond Filtration April 10th Gil & Monica Morley/Elena Murillo Jackie Allsup/ Hands on dividing water lilies April 26th Bob & Stephanie Geers May 8th Dave & Karen Frieden May 24th Carl Unkel 5:00pm

Congratulations To

Larry Thompson For his article in

Koi USA.

Building a Do-It-Yourself

Greenhouse Over Your Koi

Pond Good magazine for a ponders’ library www.koiusa.com

Special “K” BarsSpecial “K” BarsSpecial “K” BarsSpecial “K” Bars

1 cup dark Karo

syrup

1 cup sugar

1 ¼ cup peanut

butter

6 cups Special “K”

cereal

12 oz. milk

chocolate chips

12 oz. butter-

scotch chips

Bring Karo syrup

and sugar to a boil.

Remove from heat

and stir in peanut

butter. Pour syrup

mixture over the

cereal. Mix and

then spread into a

9” x 13” pan. Melt

chocolate chips and

butterscotch chips

together. Stir. Pour

over bars and

spread. Let cool

until frosting sets

up. Cut into bars.

Kathi Albrecht

In The Country Gar-den & Gifts. E.I.P.S. members receive a 10% discount. Must show your current membership card at time of purchase.

Hosta of the Month by Josh Spece

Hosta ‘War Paint’

Many Hostas continually change colors throughout the season. Some-times the change is very subtle and slow. Other plants change drasti-cally and quickly. Hosta ‘War Paint’ is one of those whose color change is very dramatic. It is a sport of Hosta ‘Niagara Falls’. The large leaves have a wide, dark green margin and in the spring, the irregular leaf centers are creamy yel-low. The edges of the leaves are heavily ruffled. ‘War Paint’ is a strong grower that forms an impressive 4’ wide mound. The spring coloration lasts only a few weeks, but the contrasting colors and large size make for an extraordinary focal point in the garden. Even after the dazzling spring show, you are left with a sturdy, attractive green backdrop for other Hostas and shade plants. Photo courtesy David Fishman

Just for Fun

1. A group of koi nuts that meet monthly.

2. What is secreted through the gills?

3. Fish love it, we hate it.

4. Raises kh and ph quickly.

5. We don’t want this guy visiting our pond.

6. Cheap declorina-tor.

Permission from Koi USA

1.Koi club 2. Ammonia 3.Algae 4.Bakingsoda 5. Heron 6. Sodiumthiosulfate

Visit Prairie Creek

Nursery 4100 Bowling St SW Cedar Rapids IA 52404

365-1406

www.prairiecreeknursery.com

The frame is about 35x16 foot. We purchased an 80% black screen cover first to keep as much of the leaves and those mil-lions of acorns out of the pond. The frame is 1.66 OD steel tub-ing and the car-port cover is 12 oz-24 mil rip stock fabric. Even though the frame is on 4 ft spacing we added a 23/4 inch wide batten tape. Hoping this would take up some of the sag between pipe spacing when we added the final cover. We purchased extra corners and spacers to build the correct length and width. This is where Farmtek comes into play. If you have never been to Farm-tek in Dyersville they have everything, even a surplus store. Thanks to Larry Thompson for the info.

Now here comes the first test (ice) we got 1 inch or so. The frame and cover did great. As the ice formed it ran down to the bottom edge, where it formed into a thickness of 3- 4 inches. As it built up. The ice began to hang over the edge of the fabric and frame. As I lifted up the ice and it broke, the remaining came down right at me. Here I thought I was going to end up in the middle of the yard. The next 4 foot was a little better. Snow is not a problem, only that I need to get rid of it, snow blower did a good job as you see in the picture, except where the thick ice formed. (A) Sometimes on the inside of the cover, it rains as it did on the 8th of January. It’s fun to watch the little droplets splash into the water, our own fishy rain forest.. The pond has a floating heater and aerator and we do pump a lot of air in one end of the pond. (B) We receive a north wind of an av-erage of 8 -10 miles per hr and this is where this type of cover comes into play. Still running the waterfall. Since the two pumps are in the ground 3 feet, the feed lines are doing great. The seventeen fish are doing great, we plan to add salt in the spring. Thanks Dr. Jackie Allsup. Isn’t it great standing out in the cold watching our CHILDREN swim by.

Have questions contact Dick & Lavonne at [email protected]

A

B

Dick & Lavonne Isard

Winterizing the Isard Pond Article submitted by Dick Isard

What to Look for When Purchasing New Fish

10 Tips for Buying Healthy Fish By Tommy "The Koi Guy" Hill

When purchasing new fish from a pet or pond store, there are certain things that you should look for and ask about to make

sure that you are receiving healthy fish. Here is a list of things to

ask and to look for. Cleanliness – Look at the cleanliness of the store. If the store

is not clean and well cared for, more than likely, the retailer does not care about their fish either.

Dead Fish – If you see any dead fish floating in the tanks –

even just one – stay away. This can be an indication of a poorly maintained, diseased tank.

Quarantine – Does the retailer quarantine their fish and for how long? It is very important that all fish are quarantined

for at least 14 to 21 days for salt treatments to ensure the

fish are not carriers of disease or parasites. Water Testing and Changes– Find out how often the water

is tested and changed. Testing the water monitors ammonia and pH levels, as well as nitrites and nitrates indicating

when the water should be changed.

Sick Fish – Look to see if any of the fish are hanging out alone, with clamped fins. This is a good sign that the fish is

sick.

Parasites – Ask if new fish are tested for the presence of parasites with a microscope. Doing so indicates whether the

fish are carriers of parasites and can be treated accordingly before they are sold.

Net Sharing – Make sure the clerk uses a different net for

each tank. Using the same net for all tanks can spread dis-ease from one tank to another.

Clear Skin – Look for fish with no marks, missing scales, sores, or broken or missing fins. Any of these are signs of a

bacterial infection or parasite.

Sizes – You need to take the size of the fish into consideration so you don't overstock your pond. Remember, 1" for every

square foot of surface water or five gallons. Knowledgeable Staff – You want to purchase fish from a

knowledgeable and honest merchant that can help educate

you about your pond

Fishkeepers will all be getting itchy fin-gers, desperate to

feed their beloved pets. The tough old goldfish can take anything you throw

at them, but the Golden Orfe and espe-cially the Koi Carp just cannot be fed until the tempera-

ture of the water is get-ting permanently above 7C (45F). Then between 7C and 10C(50F) only feed low pro-tein food or wheat germ. It is only above 10C that things really get swinging underwa-ter: oxygenators start seriously oxy-genating; bacteria really get down to digesting or-ganic matter and the fish metabo-lism really kicks into gear.

Reprinted by kind per-mission of Peter J May

Welcome New Members

Sylvia and Jim Blood

Marion IA

Shopping on the internet for pond supplies?

Check out

123ponds.com Great prices and

reasonable shipping rates

What Type Of Food Is Best For My Fish ? The best foods are those with ash levels of about 5% and moisture levels of about 5-8%. Never buy food which does not give this type of infor-mation on the packet. Ash and mois-ture are a total waste of money. Some foods have a total of ash and moisture = 25%. This means you are only getting 3/4 of a bag of food the rest is rubbish. The type of raw materials used is also very impor-tant. Look for herring meal or whole fish meal as the best ingredient and pro-tein levels of 35% or more. By Tony Roocroft

QUARANTINING NEW FISH Continued in next months newsletter

If you know you are going to be purchasing fish ahead of time, set up the quarantine tank before hand and have the

pump, filter and air stone running. Check the pH of the water in the tank. Add regular Arm and Hammer baking soda to bring the pH up to about 7 to

7.5. Many have higher pH readings and that is OK. Your fish will adjust to your pH

The temperature in the quarantine tank should be around 78*. If it is not, add an aquarium heater. When you get the new fish home float them in the bag of wa-

ter. If your dealer cares about his customers he will have filled the bag with oxygen at the time the fish were put in the

bag for you. You will want to float the fish in the bag (Do NOT open the bag at this time) of water for 20 to 30 minutes. IF the fish has been in the bag for a long period of time or

shows signs of stress AND if the water in the tank is only a couple of degrees difference, it might be best to skip floating the bag and just put the fish right into the tank.

The water in the shipping bag will have a low pH. The low pH actually protects the fish because the lower the pH the less

toxic the ammonia is. We do add a generous amount of am-monia binder to the shipping bags. When the floating time is over, remove the fish from the bag

and add to the pond/tank. Do not add the shipping wa-ter. Use your hand or a net to remove the fish from the bag.

That water can possibly contain a lot of bad bacteria and perhaps fish feces. Just like you would not drink from a glass that another had drank from, you do not want to put ANYONE

else's water in your pond or quarantine tank. About 12 hours after you have had the fish in the new tank

start add salt. You will need a total of 1 pound of salt for every 100 gallons of tank water. I suggest that you test the water with the salt test kit after

the first batch has had time to dissolve and circulate through the water. It should read about 0.10%. If it does not you may have to adjust the salt level. But keep in mind that salt is

very forgiving and you have a lot of room to play. About 24 hours after you have added the fish, test the am-

monia and nitrite. REMEMBER while in quarantine no amount of ammonia or nitrite is acceptable. Read this mean NONE. If ammonia is detected, add Amquel or Prime. While these

products will not remove the ammonia they will bind them up so that they are not harmful to fish.

Think of ammonia in a tank like you would a baby that sits for a long period of time in a wet diaper. Ammonia in the tank will burn the fish's gills and skin, just like a baby in a wet diaper. High levels

of ammonia will kill fish very quickly. Permission by www.bonniesplants.com

Eastern Iowa Pond Society—Membership Application 2008

To become a member of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society, complete this form and mail it along with your dues to :

Eastern Iowa Pond Society 206 N 3rd ST

PO BOX 148 QUASQUETON, IA 52326

Dues are $10.00 per calendar year. Make checks payable to: Eastern Iowa Pond Society ________ New membership _________ Renewal Name: Address: Phone Number: E-mail address: Newsletters will be mailed to all members. Dues will be $10.00 per family, payable November of previous year and delinquent April 1st of each year. These dues entitle a mem-ber to participation in all activities and receive a monthly newsletter.

The five most common parasites that affect koi fish are: flukes, costia, chilodinella, trichodina and ich. All of these parasites are microscopic which means you cannot see them without the aid of a microscope. The most common signs that you may have parasites are: • Fish are flashing. Flashing is when a fish swims slowly near the side or bottom of the pond and then quickly swims off by first rubbing it’s side against the pond wall.

• A fish is isolating itself from the other fish.

• One or more fish have stopped eating.

• A fish spends much of the time near the water fall gasping for air. • Fish are sitting on the bottom of the pond with their fins clamped close to their body or are drifting in the pond with their head pointed upward or downward for several minutes at a time.

• Sores developing on the fishes body or fins. Fish are dying. Proper treatment for parasites depends on which parasite the koi have. If you have access to a microscope, by simply taking a scraping from the fish and examining it under the microscope, you can usually tell exactly which parasites are present and then treat for them accordingly. If you do not have a microscope and are looking for one, there is a very good microscope for the price at www.unico1.com The model M-250 sells for about $500.00.

Our Mission Statement We are committed to providing a social atmosphere for members dedicated to sharing and learning the pleasure of water gardening. We are a non-profit organization. Membership of this association shall be open to any individual without regard to race, creed, national origin or Sex, who shall render membership dues as specified in the governing documents. History The Eastern Iowa Pond Society was established by Sharon Weiss in 1996 to encourage and promote water gardening and ponds. Meetings Meetings are held at different members homes the second Thursday at 7:00PM and the fourth Saturday in April, May. June. July, August and September. During Feb., March, October and Nov.

WWW.EIPS.ORG

Visions

Eastern Iowa Pond

Society Inc.

meetings are held once a month on a Saturday. No meetings are held in Dec & Jan. No meetings are held in December or January. Yearly Planning A plan-the-year meeting is held on a February afternoon at a central location to ham-mer out strategies on how the club will conduct business and to plan activities for the upcoming year. Activities A yearly Pond Tour event involves se-lected members opening their ponds to the public. Speakers, demonstrations, field trips, plant and fish swap, pot luck, and club projects are all activities that happen during the year. Dues Dues will be $10.00 per family, payable November of previous year and delinquent April 1st of each year. These dues entitle a member to participation in all activities and receive a monthly newsletter.

Eastern Iowa Pond Society Inc.

Box 148 206 N 3rd St

Quasqueton, IA 52326 Non profit organization

pond society, inc beneath the surfacebeneath the ...pictures from the koi class held on january 27th...

Documents