Articles from North Wales Koi Club

NWKC 2010-2011 Grow and Show Competition

dave — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:46:20 +0000

At the last club meeting a slide show was presented with the results of the 2010 -2011 Grow and Show competition, also on the night the club members voted for the 2011 Club Champion from these Grow and Show koi.

The Nagoshi Sanke’s have been judged by Richard at Richdon Koi. His comment’s are below:

1st Place,
“I love the near perfect subo-sumi (black on white) of Koi No 15, the positioning of the sumi to my eye is ideal, and this Koi in the future will grow to the pattern. Good body shape too”

Grow and Show Koi No 15. May 2010 18cm - September 2011 43cm

Owned by Dave Wilson, a lovely Sanke with a great future.

2nd Place.
“It was harder to select second place. This one just took it as again the Sanke pattern to me is near perfect,OK the beni is a little short on the head, but today a great Koi. Body shape is good for growth.”

Grow and Show Koi no 19. May 2010 19cm - September 2011 42cm

Owned by Mitch Roberts, another nice Sanke with a good future.

2011 Club Champion.
Also at the meeting the members voted for the Club Champion Koi for 2011.
the vote was conducted like the All Japan Show where a clear majority of votes are needed to pronounce the Champion.
After several rounds of voting it came down to just 2 Koi No 15 and No 20, No 20 got the nod and was pronounced Champion for 2011.

NWKC Club Champion Koi No 20

Owned by Ian Mooney, another great Koi with a good future.

A big thank you must go to Richard and Donna Jones of Richdon Koi for supplying the Sankes, also to Ian Mooney and Colin Jones for taking the time to travel around to members ponds to photograph the Koi.

Dave Wilson
NWKC.

Koi Auction Australia Style

dave — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 15:18:06 +0000

KSA. Koi, Sunshine & Auctions

The other day I was invited along to one of the Koi auctions run by the Koi Society of Australia (KSA). The Sun shone, and the Koi looked terrific!

In NSW and WA many of the Koi Hobbyist breed their own Koi, and very successfully I might add, in terms of numbers and quality of Koi.

Like all Koi keepers, they have limited pond space. So the KSA holds abut 8 Koi auctions a year in NSW so that members can sell off their spare Koi and continually strive to improve their collections. Koi from 7.5cm upwards are brought along on the day by members. They are inspected by Committee members and then auctioned off in Lots of either single larger Koi or bowls full of smaller Koi. The whole process is well executed and ran like well oiled machine. Gerard McDonald sat up on his auctioneers’ high-chair like a Tennis Umpire whilst Kate, Ian and the other KSA members moved the Vats around, bagged the Koi up and collected the money.

These Auction serve as a great opportunity for members of the general public to purchase good quality, healthy Koi too. I suspect many of the people that I saw bidding for Koi will soon be members of one of the branches of the KSA as the Koi bug bites them!
It was great to see many youngsters there asking Mum and Dad for a few Dollars to buy some small Koi. I suspect they’ll get as much pleasure from raising their fish as they would have done from a Computer Game or iPod down load for the same money.

The KSA raised a few Thousand Dollars to help fund the Club, and even though the average price per Vat was down from the auction held back in Dec 2010, I think all the sellers were happy too. I managed t resist purchasing any koi, but I did succumb to the urge to buy a Steak sandwich being sold by the committee ‘chefs’ over on the BBQ.

Happy Koi keeping

Martin Rocliffe

Koi News from Down Under

dave — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:09:38 +0000

Dear NWKS
Anywhere in the World…..”Koi People are Nice People”

My wife Mags and I arrived in Sydney on Dec12th ready to start a new Life “Down Under”. Moving anywhere new can be stressful and quite daunting as you have to start making new acquaintances and friends. Let me tell you that moving to the other side of the World is an even bigger challenge!

However, within a week of touching down, we were invited to a BBQ by Kate McGill. Kate is a Internationally acclaimed ZNA Koi judge and author of several Koi books and magazine articles. She and her partner Ian Andrews have a fabulous 6,000 gallon pond and growing on tank, in a beautifully kept garden and House to the West of Sydney.

Also at the BBQ was Gerard McDonald and his partner Kazuyo. They both play a major role in the running of the Northern NSW branch of the KSA, as well as visiting and judging in Japan, China and S Africa.

I soon got to hear about the Koi breeding and auctions that take place here in NSW, as well as the KSA Branch set up. I cannot wait to buy my own House and build ‘Rocliffe Koi Pond Mk II’, so that I can enjoy these new facets of the Hobby and get stuck into the Aussie Koi World.

Kate and Ian’s Koi collection was impressive! Anyone that tells you that Aussie Koi are inferior to those in UK ponds should watch out! I would be proud to own any of the Koi I saw. The non-Go Sankes particularly were as good as any I’ve seen. And with plenty of my personal favourites (Hi Utsuri) on display, my day was made for sure.

The food at the BBQ was spectacular with Ian rustling up some of the best Steaks I’ve ever eaten, and the Kangaroo fillet was fabulous too. Not to be outdone, Kate produced an absolutely wicked Pavlova ! To say we were made to feel very welcome would be an understatement, and just goes to prove that where ever you are in the World,
“Koi People are Nice people”.

Happy Koi Keeping

Martin Rocliffe

NWKC 2009-2010 Grow and Show Competition

dave — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 12:13:58 +0000

At the last club meeting a slide show was presented with the results of the 2009 -2010 Grow and Show competition, also on the night the club members voted for the 2010 Club Champion from these Grow and Show koi.

The Marudo Chagoi have been judged by Richard at Richdon Koi. His comment’s are below:

“I think Koi Number 1 is the cleanest and best koi for the future,and would also be my choice to grow on, and I would predict to be a big koi in time due to the body shape.”

Grow and Show Koi No 1. May 2009 18cm - October 2010 45cm

Owned by Nigel and Maureen Sambrook.
A Quality koi with superb very clean reticulation,one for the future.
Well done.
Nigel and Maureen

“Koi Number 12 for the best development from heated ponds.
Although there were a couple of Koi with better growth, this wins this section because of its body shape.

Grow and Show Koi No 12. May 2009 19cm - October 2010 51cm

Owned by Ian Mooney and Sue Roberts this was the best development from the heated ponds.
A Koi with great body shape and excellent reticulation,this will also be a big Koi.
This Koi was also selected by members as the Club Champion for 2010.
Well done Ian and Sue.

A big thank you to Richard Jones of Richdon Koi for supplying the Koi and also judging them,
to Dave Wilson for taking the time to photograph the Koi, and not least to the Members who took part.

NWKC 2010.

Koi Thefts a Problem in 2010?

dave — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:40:39 +0000

With the ever increasing problem of Koi thefts, with thieves using more devious ways of finding potential targets, Google Earth and Google Street View. Koi keepers should be looking at ways of protecting their Koi not only with better security around their Home and pond, but with identification of the Koi if they happen to be stolen.

Micro chipping has been around for a while, which is an effective way of identifying Koi but this can be invasive to the Koi having a microchip inserted beneath the skin with the possibility of infection.
Now a new technique has been developed, were Koi can be fingerprinted using their unique DNA, as has been done for dogs and cats.
A similar price to that of getting a pet micro chipped, but is less invasive, less stressful and provides irrefutable evidence that cannot be tampered with, as to the ownership of the pet.
The DNA samples can be securely stored and will always remain the property of the Koi owner. Details will be stored onto a database and the owner will be provided with a unique sample ID number. Therefore if the fish should ever get stolen, they can provide the police with this number and should DNA evidence ever be required to prove ownership, this will provide irrefutable evidence in identifying their Koi should it be stolen and later found and especially in cases where there is dispute over ownership the sample will be sent to the appropriate authority on the owners behalf. The sample will be securely stored and will be available to the police or investigating authority upon demand.
A DNA sample, in the form of a non-invasive mouth swab or scale, which will be purified and treated for storage for up to 30 years, and entered onto a database.

Watch this Space for more details.

NWKC 2010 - 2011 Grow and Show Competition

dave — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:52:10 +0000

This years G&S Competition will be Nagoshi Sankes from Richdon Koi, the koi are now in quarantine at Richdon Koi, and by all accounts are very good quality. The club have secured 24 Koi and at the present time 21 have been sold, the spare 3 if not sold by selection day will be used for Club raffle Koi, or if any other members would like to view and purchase 1 of the remaining Koi they can still enter the Competition.

Update - 18th April -The selection has taken place.

Here are photo’s of the Koi that were available for selection, the quality was Excellent even for the Members that were last to choose.
The Koi were then taken away by their new owners to Grown and Nurtured for the next 12 months, when they will then be re-photographed and judged by Richard Jones of Richdon Koi.

And some close ups of Koi that were selected

Dave Wilson
NWKC Secretary.

NWKC 2009 - 2010 Grow and Show Competition

dave — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:43:40 +0000

The koi last year were Richdon Koi supplied Chagoi from Marudo, good luck to those who have taken part.
I hope everyone has been growing their Chagoi’s over the last Winter, these Koi will be photographed and judged later on this year.
By all accounts there are some quite nice Chagoi’s, so it will interesting to compare them to the ones from the same shipment that have been grown on at Richdon Koi.

Spring Health Care

dave — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:38:10 +0000

Spring care for your Koi
After the long cold winter for your Koi, getting your pond up and running in the spring can help your Koi come out of their dormant state successfully. Spring can be one of the worst times of the year for Koi, there are so many things to deal with. There are the water temperatures that have more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. Every pond will cool down and warm up at a different rate. The size of the pond, the surface area of the pond, the amount of shading around the pond is a few factors affect the ponds temperature fluctuations. I tend to keep my pond covers on till the night time temperatures have stabilised. An important tool for your pond is a thermometer, to monitor the water temperature.
If you are lucky enough to have a pond heating system, you can also use it to keep those temperature fluctuations in check.
Health Problems.
Check all Koi for health problems that may have occurred during the long hard winter (sores on the body, ulcers, wounds and damage etc). Look for any signs of distress, like an ulcer or if your Koi isn’t swimming right. A simple knock or cut can easily flare up into an ulcer, if not treated soon enough.
After the long cold Winter
As the water warms up you will need to keep an eye out for Parasites especially if temps are not stable. I will usually scrape my koi once my pond hits 13º C, as I will be able to safely treat at this temp should I find any Parasites.
Although the Koi may have seemed healthy going into winter, there is always a chance that they were carrying a low number of parasites. When the koi is dormant their immune system is at its lowest, also is the parasite activity. As the temperature starts to rise the parasites will become active before the Koi’s immune system is fully functional. If parasites are present it’s important to diagnose and treat as soon as possible. Many treatments for parasites have to be added when the water temp has reached 10º C. Knowing what you need to treat for, allow you to be ready to treat as soon as the water reaches temperature. By taking care of any problems early on, the parasite numbers will be at their lowest and there is minimum stress on the koi.
Koi Microscopy.
Having a microscope and learning how to identify parasites is very useful tool for every Koi-keeper. Having this knowledge allows the Koi-keeper to react quickly when a problem develops. When parasites are dealt with in a timely manner, the resulting effect the parasite has on the koi can be minimal.
When to start feeding the Koi in spring.
A good rule of thumb is: If the Koi are begging for food at the surface of the water, they are probably hungry and have decided for themselves that it is time to start eating. It is a good idea to use a Koi food that is high in wheat germ, as it is easy to digest.
The feeding rate of the koi should correspond with the growth of the bacteria in the filtration system. The way to track this progress is by doing water testing. Testing for Ammonia, Nitrite and pH will tell you if the filter is able to handle the waste load of the koi. If the testing is showing Ammonia, or Nitrite in the results, less feeding should be done until the bacteria count increases. By the end of spring the filter should be fully running and the koi will be ready for a more digestible diet of a high protein food. The best thing that you can do for your Koi is supplying them with adequate Oxygen and making sure they have as little stress as possible.
Filter Maintenance.
Help keep the waste load at a minimum for the filter as it starting to mature, you will want to manually remove (Hoover) any debris that may have collected in the pond over winter.
Do not neglect your weekly filter maintenance and water changes.
When the pond has reached a temperature in the range 15°C -16°C a liquid filter start would be a good idea to boost the biological bacteria in the filters.
Being patient and by allowing your pond to slowly start up in spring and being aware of any potential problems the pond might have as it comes out of winter, will help your koi successfully get ready for the summer season ahead.

NWKC 2009 Pond of the Year Competition

dave — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:25:48 +0000

During this last Summer, Dave Wilson has been visiting members ponds, Photographing the ponds and gardens for this competition.
At the last monthly meeting, the members voted on what they deemed to be the NWKC 2009 Pond of the Year.
A slide show was presented first, and then printed photographs were available for closer examination. Each member was given a slip of paper to vote their First, Second and Third Choice. The results were compiled and adjudicated by Colin Jones.
The results are as follows:

In First Place - 2009 Pond of the Year Competition: Martin and Mags Rocliffe.
With their superb Garden and Pond. Well done Martin and Mags.

In Second Place - 2009 Pond of the year Competition: Dave and Sue Wilson.
A new pond build in an superb setting. Well done Dave and Sue.

In Third Place -2009 Pond of the Year Competition: Phil and Cynthia Lunt.
A nice pond in a lovely garden, well done Phil and Cynthia.

Thanks to everyone who took part, the photographs that are featured here and also all the others that were taken throughout the Summer will be used in compiling the NWKC 2010 Calendar, if you require a Calendar for next year get in touch with the Club Secretary who is taking orders now, get your orders in soon and you will not be dissapointed.

Hope you have enjoyed the Ponds and Gardens.

Dave Wilson
NWKC Membership Sec.

NWKC 2008 -2009 Grow and Show Competition Results.

dave — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:13:17 +0000

At the last club meeting a slide show was presented with the results of the 2008-2009 Grow and Show competition, also on the night the club members voted for the 2009 Club Champion from these Grow and Show koi.
The Koi had been previously judged by Richard Jones of Richdon Koi, who had supplied the Exclusive Kohaku in the Spring of 2008.

The prize for the Koi with the best Body Shape and Quality, was awarded to Koi No 12 owned by Ken and Jean Williams, although the Koi had not put on a massive amount of growth, the quality of the skin was quite amazing.
Well done to Ken and Jean.

Grow and Show Koi No 12. June 2008 Size 18cm - September 2009 Size 35cm

The prize for the Koi with the best Growth and Development Achievement was awarded to Koi No 11 owned by Ian Mooney and Sue Roberts, this Koi had put on significant growth and Body Shape and will be a real presence in the pond.
Well done to Ian and Sue.

Grow and Show Koi No 11. June 2008 Size 19cm - September 2009 Size 51cm

The next award was for Club Champion which was voted for on the night by the club members, this was quite a close run thing and the eventual winner was Koi No 9 owned by Graham and Trish Giles, this koi has grown nicely over the previous 12 months with quite an unique pattern was the favourite of the club members.
Well done to Graham and Trish.

Grow and Show Koi 9. June 2008 Size 19cm - September 2009 Size 47cm

A big thank you to Richard Jones of Richdon Koi for supplying the Koi and also judging them,
to Dave Wilson for taking the time to photograph the Koi, and not least to the Members who took part.

NWKC 2009