Black Tuesday at the Koi pond.

In the last few posts I have talked about losing some fish and the challenges of fighting diseases in a pond.  This makes it a risky time in any pond, but more so when the temperature is changing.  Two fish have died (Rhu and Patty) and the disease has progressed to others in the pond (Tawney).

Summer is also a time of vacations and travel.  Traveling while treatment is progressing is also very risky.  Treatments usually occur over many days and things can change wildly over that time.  Symptoms can worsen and new symptoms may appear which may require changes in your treatment plan, all the while you are gone.  Plus putting such pressure on friends or neighbors who are feeding the fish is just not right, or productive. Unless they are familiar with Koi, they will not be in a  position to help with the treatment process.

At the Koi Garden pond we had just that happen:  a vacation was planned for a long time and I had to leave with a treatment plan partially completed.  The other thing that complicated matters is a heat wave in Seattle that raised the temperature over 90 degrees.   The higher temperature changes the water chemicals very quickly and can cause additional problems.  The treatment did not go as I had planned or wanted.   We had enlisted friends to review and feed the fish while we were gone.  But the higher temperature caused green water which obstructed any views of the fish, so health problems could progress…  Because they could not see the fish, they assumed that things were hunky dory.

Not so much.

Returning from a week long vacation to find all the fish dead is a bad way to return home.  

This is a sad time at the Koi Garden.  I will have to spend some time thinking about how to progress with the pond.

RIP Koi Garden Fish....

Calling all Cars, Missing fish

Alert!! Missing Fish! Alert!!

11-12 inch long koi.
Beautiful metallic platinum white color.
Slim stylish figure.
Thin facial structure. 
Long flowing fins.
A long time resident of the Koi Garden pond, at least for the last three years.
Patty was last seen swimming two days ago, in and around the Koi Garden pond..
Other residents of the pond were not able to give additional information.

If you have seen this fish, please contact the Koi Garden Guy, immediately.

I had been leaving the pond uncovered for the last few days.
I know.
I know.

I was risking the wrath of the local animals which spend the days, and nights scheming about how to get to my expensive little pond dwellers. I see the eagles and herons circle with hungry looks toward the Koi Garden. I have already written about the Raccoons and their relentless scheming. But the weather was so nice and I wanted to give them as much sun as possible…. So I left the pond screen off… and Patty is missing.

There are presently no clues as to the whereabouts of Patty.
I have looked around within the pond as best as I can with the green water and can see no Patty.
I have also looked around the adjoining garden for any carcass remnants (Oh No!!!), but so far I can not find anything that might indicate a Raccoon feeding fest.

I am holding out for the best.

Grave robbers in the Koi Garden

Last week I posted about the death of one of my fish in the Koi Garden; a nice Kumonru named Rhu.

After a quick burial in the garden, I thought that would be the end of it.  Apparently my nemesis thought otherwise.  Within a day the fish was dug up and removed, with nothing left but the disrupted soil.  Hmmm, not exactly the neighborly actions one would expect and hope for in the Koi Garden. 

A quick perusal of the surrounding areas yielded no remains as might be expected with say a cat or possibly a squirrel.  And while I didn’t look at any front porches around the neighborhood, I have heard of no reports of any “gifts” for their owners from any cats, either. 

No, I think that this is the work of my nemesis from the past, the Raccoon.  It might even be a family affair as it was in the past.  In the past it was the plums and pears, now it is the fish. 

For new readers, the Koi Garden has always had issues with this Raccoon and his ilk in the past.  They had wreaked havoc on the lilies and sword plants.  They also had a penchant for playing with anything floating in the pond.  They loved the glass floats we have and had a special game they played with the floating thermometer.  They must have really liked the thermometer as I am sure they stole it for their own nefarious needs.  We now use a plastic screen to keep them away from the pond fish and the plants, at least early in the spring when the Raccoons are setting up their circuit that they use for the summer. 

Nope, this is just an escalation of the ongoing war I am having with my nemesis, the Raccoon.  I am thinking that he was just cruising by seeing if we had forgotten to place the screen for the night, and smelled the deceased fish.  I bet he/they scooped up the fish and headed off, probably to their local Raccoon eatery….

A death in the Koi Garden

Spring is a risky time in the Koi Garden.  The water temperature rises and with that, so does the risks for the fish.  While rising temperatures allow internal immune systems to take hold, it also allows viruses and harmful bacteria to grow and flourish as well.  In some cases the harmful bacteria grows faster than the fish’s ability to fight them.  This can lead to diseases and even quick deaths.

This is what has happened to some favorites in the Koi Garden.  Rhu, a great looking Kumonru died very quickly this week.  One morning he was found dead in the pond. Cause unknown.  Call it Spring Fever.   A great loss. Rhu was introduced to our readers in previous posts and will he will be missed.

When dead fish are found in the pond it is very important to remove the fish very quickly to reduce the chance of any disease transferring to the other fish.  A detailed review and analysis of the dead fish must be made to get some idea of the problem.   Do not touch the fish with bare hands.  Gloves should be worn; gardening gloves work well for this task; and they should be thoroughly washed afterward.  The fins should be checked for any problems like fin rot, ich, or any other malady.  Pry open the gills; the color should be a nice reddish, pink color.  The gills should be complete and healthy looking.  If the gills are damaged in any way, it could be an indication of the disease that the fish succumbed to.   It is also very important to test the water as well.  Watch out for high levels of Ammonia and Nitrites.  They can stress the fish and extended periods of stress can cause death.

This is the time where good reference materials are a must.  In previous posts, I have talked about a favorite book of mine.  In my gift recommendations I have talked about a few good books that could be a great help.  This is the time to talk to your Koi gardens friends.  In the Koi Garden one great resource I have is Oasis Water Gardens.  Diane Torgenson is a great source of assistance to any problems I might have.

In the case of Rhu, it might be of interest that the fish did change color.  It was almost not possible to recognize Rhu.  Readers might remember that a Kumonru is a fish that can change color based on temperature, water chemicals, and other factors.  When I pulled Rhu out of the pond he had a lot larger amount of red coloring, far more than he normally had.

Rhu was placed to rest with a burial in a corner of the Koi garden.  It is the same area where I have placed other fish that have died in the past.   While I never like to lose fish, having them give nutrients and growth to a nice Hydrangea is at least something positive out of the whole thing.

Rhu the Dragon Fish

One of the most interesting fish in the Koi Garden pond is Rhu (Roo).  Rhu is a long finned Kumonryu.  The name means "Nine Crested Dragon", hence its nickname as the dragon fish.  The Kumonryu is a Doitsu koi that has a jet black pattern that emerges like billowing black clouds against a white background. The black patterns is variable and unstable, disappearing with changes in the water chemistry, temperature, diet, and even stress levels, reappearing sometimes as a completely different pattern. 

That’s right a variable pattern!  Rhu will change its black appearance based on water chemistry and temperature.  Kumonryu are also always doitsu, meaning that they either have no scales or a few small rows of scales down the middle of the back and the side lateral lines.  This scale less body seems to make the color shapes more distinct, especially as they change over time. 

The Koi Garden Kumonryu, Rhu also has long, very shiny fins adding to its distinctive look.  The amount of black Rhu has makes him hard to see unless the water is very clear.  With Rhu, the black may be moving around, but the red color he has on his head and belly does not.  The red color has been improving over the few years I have had him.  The high protein foods I feed out fish may have improved the red coloring.  The red coloring is almost as bright as Metallica’s.  Rhu’s black coloring with the red underneath is especially striking when a black colored fish breaks the surface and turns over, exposing the red coloration.  I think that the surprise of a black fish breaking the surface is one of the most appealing things about a black Koi in a pond.

Among Koi Garden aficionados, a black Kumonrhu has a reputation as a good luck fish.  Most Koi Gardeners have at least one in their pond for good luck.  While I have only the data from our one pond, I can conclusively state that Rhu has brought a lot of good luck to the Koi Garden pond over the years.  I will keep a close watch on Rhu’s black coloring to see what shape he brings to the Koi Garden as the water temperature warms up this spring.

Stay tuned!!!

Ochi big fish in a little fish's body

One of our newest fish is Ochi a, small Ochiba Shiguri.  He is a grey fish with dark red-brown sections of color.  An Ochiba Shiguri is reputedly a Soragoi  mixed with a Chagoi (a large brown koi).  I personally think that these fish look more like a Kohaku, similar to our Koko,  mixed with a Sorogoi, but I digress.

The end result of this debate of the hodgepodge of genetic history is just a nice looking fish..  This type of fish is a favorite in most Japanese ponds.  The Japanese meaning for Ochiba Shiguri is “falling leaves on water”.  Cool.

Our Ochiba Shiguri is a small fish that also has gin rin scales.  Gin rin scales are shiny, highly reflective scales.  They make this fish shimmer as the sunlight hits his body. 

It must be tough being the a little fish among a bunch of larger fish.  This little guy measures about 4 inches and has to fight for every morsel of food it gets.  He is so small that any movement by any of the larger fish almost pushes him out of the pond.  But this guy is the “Jack Russell" of our pond.  I have seen him take on the larger fish Sorgi a Soragoi , about three times his size. He gets pushed around and then just jumps back into the mix.

I can’t wait till he gets bigger…'cause when he does, watch out.  He might be the one doing the pushing around.

 

The pond of the rising sun

One of the most photogenic members of the Koi Garden pond is a fish we call Tawny.  Tawny is a Tancho Showa.  A Showa, as mentioned previously in Metallica’s bio, is a "black fish with red and white markings”.  The Tancho part of the name comes from the single red marking on the head.  These fish are prized in Japan as many of the red markings are circular and reminiscent of the red “land of the rising sun” circle on the Japanese flag. 

Tawny is also a long fin.  These long fins and tails make a beautiful fish that produces some very elegant pictures because of the way these fish move through the water.  The genes that produce the long fins and tail also produce long “whiskers” making these fish the wise old men of the pond as they grow older.  In the case of Tawny, this has also produced a smaller, daintier fish as well. I love the way the long fins photograph.  Not only do they produce nice long lines, but they also produce interesting waves in the water.

While Tawny may be dainty, it still holds it own when the food appears.  The smaller size may mean Tawny gets pushed around by the larger fish, but that doesn’t stop this guy from getting in there for the food.  Go, little man, go!

If Tawny does have any faults, they are in the red markings.  The red of the Tancho markings are a little weak.  Having the red a little darker and richer would make Tawny a better fish.  The red of the Showa markings could also be improved as well.  In fact, originally the only red on Tawny was the Tancho markings on the head.  The red on the body consists of a weak, small mark near the tail of the fish.  The red color only appeared recently as Tawny grew larger than 6 inches in length, as sometimes happens in Koi.  It might get stronger, but my hope is that it disappears altogether. 
Only time will tell!

Metallica, but without the bad music

Perhaps the most striking Koi we have here at the Koi Garden is a nice Metallic Showa. 

Showa koi are typically called "black fish with red and white markings."  This is because the Showa koi's base color (the main color of the belly, the mouth, and the base of the pectoral fins) is black.  My Koi-aphile friends say that metallic Koi have “an abundance of reflective iridocytes into their skin”.  What more normal people say is that a metallic Koi has a great looking metallic shine to their skin.  What we at the Koi Garden say is that we have a beautiful metallic Koi that we have named Metallica.

We got our Koi at one of our favorite Koi store (Oasis Water Gardens www.oasiswatergardens.com).  We bought this Japanese Koi with a few of our other ones in a group, when they were about 3 inches long.  Buying Koi at that length is always a bit of a crap shoot.  It takes a while for Koi to show their true colors, if you will.  Reds take some time to develop.  The blacks of an infant fish will change as the fish grows larger.  Plus infant fish are tough to keep alive.  Once a fish reaches 12 inches it’s chances for survival get a lot better.  

 But this Koi has always been a little different.  Even when he was a small fish, he had a dark black base with a beautiful orange/red diagonal swath on its head.  That mark and the colors have stayed or even gotten better as the fish grows larger.  Metallic is now over 12 inches.  He has a beautiful shape representative of a nice male Koi. He also has an interesting personality.  He grabs his food and shakes his head as he takes control over those pesky food pellets!  If nothing else, the other fish give him wide latitude affording him little competition for a good meal.

Meet Sorgi, Blue Gray all over

One of my favorite fish here at the Koi Garden is a very nice GinRin Soragoi called, I think aptly, “Sorgi”.  A Soragoi is a blue grey Japanese Koi with a darker grey outline to each individual fish scale. GinRin refers to the bright, very shiny scales.  The combination provides a nice shiny blue grey fish with highly visible, defined scales.

For Koi with Doitsu scales, the effect is even more striking as there are fewer scales, so the outlined scales stand out more.

There are a number of interesting things about Soragoi Koi.  For some reason they are usually very calm fish.  It might be because Soragoi are closer or more related to, the older type of Koi; in effect more muttly.  It might even be that the “calm gene” in Koi is quite close to the “grey fish with reticulated scales gene” and as they are bred for the grey, reticulated scales, the calmness comes along for the ride.  I don’t know what it is but they are a very nice fish to have in your pond.

Our Sorgi is always the first to come up to the surface and great you.  He is the first to stick his head out of the water and suck on your finger; of course it could be he thinks it is food….  And Sorgi’s calmness gets transferred to the other fish.  All of the fish become calmer when Sorgi comes up to the surface.  Hopefully this happens only for humans and not for an itinerant Raccoon, otherwise Sorgi might not grow too old….  One of the Soragoi’s relatives, the Chagoi (Brown Koi) is the other type of Koi that is reputed to be tamer and friendlier.  It’s all in the genes!!! 

Another nice thing I have seen about Sorgi, which I think applies to all Soragoi Koi that I have seen, is they all seem to have a beautiful, classic body shape.  As you can see in the photo, Sorgi has a nice symmetrical even shape.

One other distinguishing feature about Sorgi is he loves to eat.  He will eat longer and more voraciously than any of our other Koi.  He is one of our largest fish and we expect him to grow much larger still.  He also picks fights with the other Koi to get more food.  A regular eating machine!!!  In fact, in Japanese Koi competitions, Soragoi and Chagoi are usually the largest fish there.

Sorgi is one of the oldest Koi in our pond and we hope to have him breed in the future.  Genes like that need to be promoted.

Allow Me to Introduce You to KOKO

Occasionally we will be introducing some of our fish. Each one has their own personality and each is really quite funny once you get to know them. We have purchased most of our KOI from Oasis Water Gardens in Seattle, WA (www.oasiswatergardens.com/). The owner, Diane Torgeson, has wonderful fish directly from Japan and is of great assistance in choosing the right one for you.

We have also named each of our fish – partly to distinguish them from each other and partly to remember what type of fish they are.

For example, KOKO is a KOHAKU (or was…more on that later). A KOHAKU is a Japanese Koi that is white with one or two large red spots of color across the body. With KOHAKUS the color is usually on the upper half of the body and doesn’t extend below the horizontal line. And according to the Japanese koi rules, the color should not extend onto the tail or into or below the eyes. As KOHAKUS grow larger, the red spots will likely separate with more white becoming visible inbetween. With KOHAKUS, the red and the underlying white should be the only colors on the fish., But just because a koi may fail these rules, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t still beautiful fish.

Sample Japanese KOHAKU

Now back to KOKO. After having KOKO for about two years, she started developing black spots. They have grown progressively more pronounced. It is not a bad look, just introduces a problem. Those black spots mean she is not a KOHAKU, but instead a SANKE. A SANKE is a fish with the big red spots of a KOHAKU, but also has smaller, black spots. OK, Fine, she is still a beautiful fish, even if her name doesn't correspond to her class. We will not confuse her by changing her name....

KOKO is a voracious eater, which might explain why KOKO is one of our largest KOI. KOKO was about 3-4 inches when we got her 3 years ago and now she is about 13 inches. She apparently thinks that food should come to her as she sits there with her head halfway out of the water, mouth wide open during feeding time. She looks like she is screaming “Feed me” but won’t really move to the food. She wants delivery!

KOKO has a sway back that also removes her from winning any Koi modeling contests. But I think that makes her more endearing. We are not sure when she got this but we think she may have been born with the problem which just became evident as she grew up. The sway back may also be related to a seizure she had when she was a smaller fish. The pond environment and or diet may also have been factors. Who really knows?! . This is a good reminder to keep a clean pond and provide a proper diet for healthy fish!

KOKO, like our other fish, has some distinct personality and heath quicks. For example, she is very sensitive to Ammonia. She is our “canary in the coal mine.” She will show ammonia damage earlier than any of our other koi. Her lips get swollen and her fins always get Ick; You cannot miss it!!!. When she starts indicating these problems, it means we need to really focus on the water quality of the pond quick! But we never wait for KOKO to show these problems before acting. As we indicated in a previous post, timely testing of the water is manditory, especially in the spring and summer.

This year we have solved most of our filter problems and the fish are able to eat as much as they can, without introducing any undue amounts of Ammonia into the water. This has definitely helped KOKO's back problem and we are hopeful that it will only improve with time.

Safety in numbers or mass insanity?

This weekend was the annual Washington Koi and Water Garden show. It is one of the premier Koi and garden shows in the northwest. This year was the 18^th annual show and was held in conjunction with Aki Matsuri (A celebration of Japan's rich cultural heritage). Basically, this just means a bunch of cool Koi and gorgeous Japanese stuff all in one place. For someone wanting to learn about this stuff, this is about the best place in the world to do so. Just jump right in. And when in doubt, ask anyone for help. At places like this, the common element is Koi and water garden fanatics, so everyone is very helpful.

There were many ways to gain some knowledge at this show:

Koi judging

This was one of the main reasons for the Washington Koi and Water Garden show. A team of international Koi judges was assembled to judge the entries to this show. For the people who enjoy memorizing encyclopedias, here is a nice thorough description of Koi judging criteria. For the rest of the world, suffice to say that Koi are judged on shape, color pattern, the actual color itself, and overall quality. In future Koi Garden posts we will cover each Koi in the Koi Garden in detail. At that time we will get into what makes each Koi great, and how tough it is to achieve. Koi enthusiasts bring their special Koi in from all over the northwest to be part of this judging. At the show, there must have been 30 odd individual tanks. I could spend the entire post showing the beautiful Koi being judged here, but you get the idea.

Koi College

At the Washington Koi and Water Garden show there are Koi and garden classes that cover everything from the history of Koi and Koi health to Koi ponds in a Japanese garden. These sessions were great and free to the public. The people that put on these sessions were really bright and experienced. Again a heartfelt recommendation from The Koi Garden Guy as a way to become a Koi Garden fanatic!!!

Koi and Garden Pond Stuff Sales

At shows like this, it is always a great place to pick up some Koi. The show has Koi of all shapes and sizes. Not only can you buy show quality Koi at the auctions, but you can buy the littler ones about 1-2 years.

For the kids, you can also get the one inch long Koi. What a great way to get the kids involved and hooked at an early age. Kids are really ready to get into this stuff.

But be careful on what you buy. The one inch Koi that was such a hit with the kids will grow fast and could even grow into one of the three feet long show beauties that you can see at this show. The Koi Garden Guy recommends building your Koi Garden accordingly!!!!

What would a show be without the ability to buy some really neat stuff? This show is no different. In addition to the great displays and booths put on and managed by everything from pond pump, filter and linings companies, there were garden accessories companies, fountain companies, artwork, books, tiles, aprons, even Koi paperweights. Remember the goal is to fill your house will all things Koi and Japanese Garden!!!

Auction of Koi, Koi stuff and pond paraphernalia

Humans like a great deal, and Koi and Japanese Garden people are no different. One of the main parts of the Washington Koi and Water Garden show is the Koi Auction. There was an auction of live Koi fish and also donated Koi paraphernalia. You haven’t seen furious bidding until you have seen Koi enthusiast bid against each other for a Koi. Simply amazing!!!

Coy Models

You will notice that the koi never seem to want to pose, except for the mouth open one of Metallica (my metallic showa posted earlier). Why not use the movement to your advantage? This photo of a long finned, ginrin, showa was taken with the following settings (1/60 sec, F11, 400ISO). The long fins are just asking for a timed exposure!!!
Take away note: Digital film is essentially free. Take as many photos as you possibly can and then cull them. Even being ruthless, you will still have some gems!!!

Sorgy the Sorogoi

With the darker background, Sorgy, my three year old sorogoi jumps off the page! Notice how the evenly reticulated ginrin scales are highlighted in nice even rows. I have relied on Oasis Water Gardens in Seattle for my Koi needs for the last ten years! They are great! (www.oasiswatergardens.com)

Oh, there is food involved?

Koi are shy models, and just like cats, have a mind of their own. However, unlike cats, koi can be easily influenced to model for just the right shot.

Take away note: Use food to train koi to do just about anything you want. I have heard of people attaching a food dispensor to a bell and chain which the koi we re able to pull themselves. Because there was food involved, they learned quick!!

Camera meets koi

I have recently received a new camera for a birthday gift, resurrecting a long lost hobby. I have a Nikon D300 with a great Nikon 18-300mm AF lens (got a great deal at www.keepitdigital.com). With new camera in hand, I had to try my hand taking pictures of the koi. A nice metallic showa (nicknamed Metallica) shows up nicely against the darker water and liner background.

Note to take away: In some cases the new functionality available in today's cameras actually makes taking pictures of fish tougher. This shot is taken with an auto focusing lens from Nikon (18MM-300MM AF zoom). It works fine when the fish are near the surface, but not so good when deeper. Apparently the auto focus keys off the surface of the water.

Enjoy