Perhaps not so good news but it is news. A local nursery unfortunately advertised a koi auction at their nursery three weeks before the auction and as we expected people forgot or what ever. We had 42 kwarimono koi which was donated by one koi keeper. Our idea was to donate the profit to Hospice and we only made R1800.00. But besides that we met other koi keepersand had a good time.
Our attempt to have a koi safari in Port Elizabeth was postponed. I think that the timing was not good. But we will try to organise the Safari at a later date. Thanks to Chris Maritz for his willingness to help organise it.
It hurts me when I hear of some one closing their koi ponds due to finances or loss of interest.
That is why I believe for the future of a healthy koi hobby we all have to encourge koi keepers today in this difficult times not to give the hobby up.
But besides the bad news there are a few people digging ponds today in East London and we are there for them.

Roy

Yes, Roy it is sad when hobbyist close ponds due to normally in my experience daily running cost and the forecast of increased electrical tariffs.
I pains me when members on this forum believe in one option, and do not open themselves and allow others to experience more modern alternatives and long term cost saving options. I suppose one will always have old school thinkers in every aspect of life. New hobbyist should be made aware of the alternatives to allow them to make informed decisions, depending on there budget. circumstances and the level of Koi involvement.
It is a fact of live, everything that is cheaper now has a future price and school fees to be paid. Its our responsibility to find sustainable cost effective long term solutions to ensure a Koi hobby for the future.

Yes Bobby.
Yes

Na amper twee jaar in die koi ding in is ek meer oortuig as ooit dat ons te maklik die duur opsies kies of aan beveel. Ek persoonlik dink dat enige koi dam se grootste vyand is stock levels.

As mens dit kan beheer dan word jou biologiese aanvraag dadelik minder. 4 of 6 mooi visse kan baie happy wees in a 10,000l pond met a eenvoudige biofilter trog stelsel en a ligte pomp. Geen rede om die water elke 30 minute te draai nie maar as jy 20 visse daar in gooi dan is jy vas. Ek glo ook dat lae vis digtheid baie minder risikos vir siektes saambring.

Ek sien baie damme en ek sien baie min wat te laag gestock is maar die teendeel is waar ... mense gooi in en gooi in en dink nie dat die visse groei en stelselmatig jou filtrerings kapasiteit oorrompel nie.

Hi,

Colyn - your thoughts on stocking densities are absolutely correct.

In the finished Koi Health Guide I did for SAKKS great emphasis was placed on stocking densities and the effects on the pond environment.

For example:-

If you place 10 x 10cm koi in a pond it looks fine in the beginning.

When a koi double in size their body mass increases by about 8 times. A koi can grow from 10cm to 20cm in a year.

So when 10 x 10cm koi become 10 x 20cm koi you do not have double everything you have 8 times as much ammonia to contend with in the pond water and those same koi now use 8 times as much oxygen.

Taking this one step further:

These same 10 x 20cm koi now grow and double in size to 40cm. You now have 8 times more ammonia in the water and 8 times the oxygen extracted when compared to the 10 x 20cm koi.

Koi can grow for 20cm to 40 in about a year as well.

Now the scary part:

Back to the original 10 x 10cm koi you had in the original pond and filter system – that’s fine but when these same 10 x 10cm koi have grown to 40cm in two or three years the actual body mass in the same original pond is equivalent to 640 x 10cm koi.

Question is: would you have placed 640 x 10cm in your pond when you first started.

Chris

Hi Roy,

With regards the safari to PE.

About 15 - 18years ago the PE chapter of SAKKS had about 35 members. I wonder what happen to them?

SAKKS needs someone in the area to drive the recruitment.

Perhaps we should organise a Koi Indaba there at a nursery or koi outlet and get everyone who is interested to attend.

I wonder if there is not an nursery in PE which does a garden expo or a spring garden show that could be used as a base.


Chris

Colyn wrote:

Ek sien baie damme en ek sien baie min wat te laag gestock is maar die teendeel is waar ... mense gooi in en gooi in en dink nie dat die visse groei en stelselmatig jou filtrerings kapasiteit oorrompel nie.

Daar is die antwoord Colyn, maar ons almal weet in die praktyd neem die emosies oor, aldus beter beplanning van die begin af is noodsaaklik.
Ek het dan nou 'n dam en die verkoopsman is dan nou so vriendelik, natuurlik kan ek nog vissies by sit.

Ek is vandag weer geskakel van 'n dame met ongeveer 30 visse in 'n 15000l dam. Ek sal jou wed dat 80% van die kenners op hierdie forum is overstocked of baie na aan overstock. My nuwe dam is nog 2600lt per Koi met tussen 2000 en 2200 my max indien ek my emosies kan beheer.

Hello Chris and all

Most of our cancellations of SAKKS membership was from P.E. and the reason is a lack of personal contact with one another. All that they receive is the KOISA magazine to education them to a certain extent. But it is like 'vrying" over the post. Man you want feel, look and have fellowship. I started our chapter as a koi club and brought it to what it is today with two koi shows behind us. All stands and falls by leadership. We need some one like Chris Maritz to take the reigns and say "vorentoe paspatoe to bring the joy of koi and fellowship into the lives of "die baaienaars". Yesterday two koi friends picked me up and took me with them to Port Alfred as they wanted to purchase koi at Emile Viloens Karni Koi farm. We had a bumper of a time and that is because we share to same interest.
On the way out I want to mention the the Eastern Cape Supreme champion is in P.E.

Long lve koi friendships Viva


Roy