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Janurary 2000

Newsletter

President Corner

I do hope Sanke Santa was good to all of you this Christmas. As predicted he was right on time for the SAKA annual Christmas party. What a great time. Thanks to everyone for making it a great success. A big thanks to Sanke Santa for dropping by. Maybe he will stop at other parties next year.

The New Year has come and gone. The Pond filter didn't quit. The water still flows and the plants still growing along with our awesome KOI. Wishing all of you the Happiest of New Years. By the way, what ever happened to the Y2K bug anyway?

Remember your pond water is still cold. Koi should not eat when the water temperature is below 48 degrees. They have no stomach. All their food is malabolize and this process stops in cold weather. Keep a good eye on your fish they are so beautiful.

Pond 2000 is again making some headway. Three out of four cells are finished in the filter and the last one will be finished by the time you get this. When will it be done??? After the filter, the primary sump will be installed and the two bottom drains. The bottom drains attach to the primary sump. Once this is complete, the liner will be installed. Then guess what. That's right. WATER O! I can't wait.

Next month is election time. Keep that in mind and caucuses and nominate the new leaders of the club. Also start thinking about renewing your SAKA Club membership. Dues are due the first of March.

It's also time to start thinking about POND TOUR 2000. "Stars in the Starlight" Pond owners and non-pond owners, a like will like this tour. Stay tuned for more next month.

Bob Panter

19th Annual AKCA Seminar

Springfield, Missouri

June 28 - July 2 2000

University Plaza Hotel and Trade Center

Contact:

Cheryl Briggs (417) 862-0176 or Linda Siler (417) 883-2399

Thursday Tours

A) Ozark Fisheries in Stoutland Missouri. 300 acres devoted to the production of Koi, Fancy Goldfish and Common Goldfish.

B) Site-seeing tour. Precious Moments Chapel and Art Gallery.

C)Vendors Booths open at 1:00 PM

Friday & Saturday

Speakers Line Up

Helen Nash - How to Construct a Pond to Keep Water Plants

Paula Biles - Water Plants, repotting and dividing

Granville Watson - Manufactured Bacteria - do they really work

Ben Chu - Designing a Japanese Garden

Dr Erik Johnson - Medications and their Treatments

Jeff Spillars - How to maintain Water Quality and Correct if necessary

Ray Abel - How to select Koi from Infancy to Maturity

Bob Bon Girorno - Biological Filtration

Dr Conrad Kleinholtz - Which System is Best for You.

Joe Cuny - How to Properly Set up a Koi Pond ad Establish Water Quality

Rob Hildreth - Working with a Microscope in Treating Parasites

Dr Bill Sadler - Koi Nutrition: How to read the labels.

Dr Eric Johnson - How to set up a Quarantine Tank and Maintain it.

Sunday

Pond Tour - 6 special ponds. Buses will leave the hotel at 8AM and return by 2PM.

Take some extra time to tour beautiful Springfiel

Have you Paid your 00/01 SAKA Dues???

If you haven't send your check to:

Mike Siemens

2126 East 7th Street

Tucson, AZ 85719

Winter Party

Valley of the Sun Koi Show

The Valley of the Sun Koi Club is proud to be holding its 3rd annual Koi Show in conjunction with the City of Phoenix's Matsuri, A Celebration of Japan on February 26 and 27, 2000 at Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix.

This year we are moving the show venue back to Heritage Square to be held on the same weekend as the Matsuri event, positioning our show to be the centerpiece of the weekend's events.

We are also honored to have both AKCA and Shinkokai Judges from Japan this year, which should make for a great learning experience for all participants.

Lastly, the club received a 20" show quality Kohaku by donation that will be raffled off at the awards banquet. All entrants will receive 1 raffle ticket for this fish as part of their entry fee, regardless of how many fish are entered.

We hope you will be able to participate in this show and help us make this yet another successful event for the Koi keeping hobby.

Following are some details you will need along with contact information.

Prior to the Show

For the protection of your Koi feeding should be discontinued for a minimum of 5 days prior to the show.

Be sure that your Koi are in good health. Koi with any signs of sickness or parasites will be disqualified. The decision of the Show Chairman will be final in this matter. Look your fish over carefully top to bottom before you bring them. This includes fish you plan on donating to the auction as well as those entered in competition.

Delivery & Registration of Fish

Friday, Feb. 25 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.All fish will be examined and verified by the Show Committee to be free of disease and parasites. An owner or agent must be present for measuring and classifying. This show is open to all amateurs. No Dealer's personal fish may be entered. A registration fee to be paid prior to the start of judging (Noon) must accompany all entries. Checks payable to VSKC.

Entry Fees & Registration

Pre Registered: All of owner's fish and one tank = $25.00 (Post marked prior to Feb. 15th)

Day of Show: All of owner's fish and one tank = $45.00

Extra Tanks: $10.00

Judging Team

Shunichi Yoshida ­ Director Zen Nippon Nishikigoi Shinkokai, Yoshida Fish Farms, Hachioji Japan (Head Judge)

Kentaro Sakai ­ Sakai Fish Farms, Hiroshima Japan

Grant Fujita ­ Zen Nippon Nishikigoi Shinkokai U.S. Chapter President, Hayward, CA

Dr. Galen Hansen, M.D. ­ AKCA Judging Committee Member, San Diego, CA

TBD ­ AKCA candidate judge

This English Style show will be judged by 2 teams, each judging a size, and all judges participating for Best in Size and champion awards. There will be no "move ups", and although the AKCA candidate judge will provide input, he/she will not have a vote in the final judging decisions.

Judging begins at Noon on Saturday. All decisions of the Judges are final. Any contingencies not covered by these rules will be subject to the decision of the Show Chairmen.

Awards Banquet

The awards banquet will be held at Beef Eaters Restaurant, 300 W. Camelback Rd. at 7:00 p.m. The price will be $25 per person. Please contact Sue Lansing (602) 866-1571 by Feb. 15 if you plan on attending the banquet.

There will be a no host bar available as well as a club raffle. Please contact Greg Millay (480) 962-7267 if you have items you would like to donate for the club raffle.

Koi Auction

The Koi auction will be held on Sunday at noon. Please contact Corey Garrett (480) 837-8078 by Feb. 15 if you are interested in donating a fish for the auction, so that we have enough tanks set up for the auction.

Sunday Super Raffle

The Super Raffle will be held on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Winners do not need to be present. Contact Greg Millay (480) 962-7267 for tickets, or if you have items you would like to donate for the raffle.

Fish Removal

All fish entered in the show competition will be kept on exhibit for the duration of the show. In the event that it is necessary to remove a fish from the competition, permission must be secured from the Show Chairman. Since the show is an integral component of Matsuri, exhibited fish should not be removed before 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Any unclaimed fish will become the property of VSKC and will be sold.

The club will have bags, rubber bands and oxygen available for the participants.

Information and Restrictions

This will be a strict English Style show. Entrants MUST provide a net and panning tub for their entries. Only Official Fish handlers will be allowed to handle fish during the show. All necessary and reasonable precautions will be taken by the Club to safeguard all entered Koi. Security will be provided by VSKC for the entire duration of the show. All participants in the show will agree that VSKC, it's Officers, Directors and Members are not responsible for any losses or injuries to the fish. Once Judging begins, there will be no changing of classifications, except by the recommendation of the Judges.

Number of entrants allowed

Participants may enter as many fish as they want, however, in order to ensure good environmental conditions, and the health of the fish, we will limit the number of fish permitted in each tank through "fish points" (see instructions for calculating fish points).

Show Chairman

Andy Burkard

1233 E. Azure Sea Ln, Gilbert, AZ 85234 (480) 892-9184

email: Andrew.J.Burkard@intel.com

Corey Garrett

16717 E. Yaqui Ct. Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 (480) 837-8078

Things to See:

No trip to Arizona is complete without a visit to the Grand Canyon. However, the park is about a 4 to 5 hour drive away from downtown Phoenix, so if you do plan on doing a day trip up, plan on taking the entire day. If you can spare the time, it's well worth the drive. Many of the hotels have information on bus or van tours that run daily. Details of these tours can be obtained in hotel lobbies.

Downtown Phoenix has restaurants, museums, theatres and art exhibits as well as major sports arenas with activities throughout the year. Many of these venues are within walking distance from Heritage Square.

Weather:

The weather in late February should be comfortable in the low to mid 70's and the nights will get down into the low 50's so plan on bringing at least a light jacket if you intend on being out in the evening.

Where to Stay:

There are many hotels in the Downtown and surrounding area. Prices tend to be high during the "winter" months, so it's best to call around. Below are some of the hotels in the immediate vicinity of the show venue.

Ramada Inn Downtown

(602) 258-3411

Hyatt Regency

(602) 252-1234

Hotel San Carlos (602) 253-4121

Crowne Plaza Phoenix-Downtown

(602) 333-5183

Online Information:

For more information on activities and general information in the area, please visit some of the following online sites

Arizona Guide http://www.arizonaguide.com

Phoenix Metro Restaurant Guide http://www.azmetro.com/phxmetro.html

Phoenix hotel guide http://www.arizonaguide.com/cities/phoenix/accommodations.html

Arizona Republic Newspaper http://www.azcentral.com/

Calculating Fish Load in a 6' diameter Show Tank

"Fish Points" is a method used to evaluate the fish biomass in show tanks. Fish points are used to relate various sizes of fish to a common basis of comparison. Through experience, we have determined that a six-foot diameter tank should not hold more than 25 fish points (where a twelve-inch fish is equal to 1 fish point). To help you determine how many tanks you will need at the show to accommodate your fish entries, use the form below to calculate your total fish points.

Note that this table has been placed in our show database and during the Koi show, we will run the program to determine the potential for poor water quality in your show tanks. For your fish's safety, if your total points are over the maximum, we will ask you to move some fish to an extra tank.

Size Size Category # of Entries Fish Points My Total

Under 6" Size 1 0.1

6"-8" Size 1 0.3

8"-10" Size 1 0.5

10"-12" Size 2 1.0

12"-14" Size 2 1.5

14"-15" Size 3 1.8

15"-17" Size 3 2.0

17"-18" Size 3 5.0

18"-20" Size 4 8.0

20"-22" Size 4 9.0

22"-24" Size 5 10.0

Over 24" Size 5 12.0

Total Fish points: ______________

# of Tanks needed: ______________

(Total divided by 25)

Classification Size Categories

Under 10" 10"-14" 14-18" 18-22" Over 22"

Kohaku					
Sanke					
Showa					
Utsuri					
Tancho					
Koromo					
A-Gin Rin					
B-Gin Rin					
Hikarimuji					
Hikarimoyo					
Doitsu					
Kawarimono					
Long fin					

Total entered

A-Gin Rin = Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa Gin Rin
B-Gin Rin = all other Gin Rin
Kawarimono includes Bekko, Asagi & Shusui in addition to traditional Kawarimono

I agree to abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the Valley of the Sun Koi Club Show Committee and I will accept the Judges decisions as final. I further agree to hold the Valley of the Sun Koi Club, its officers and members free from liability in the unlikely event of damage, injury or loss of my Koi.

Participants Signature

Participants Information:

Name:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City:__________________ State:_______ Zip:___________

Phone:___________________________________________

Subject: Pending legislation alert

Dear Fellow Koi Hobbyist,

The following advisory was posted by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC).

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has issued a special PetAlert for legislation which places expensive restrictions on commercial airlines carrying live animals. The bill, if adopted, may put an end to the commercial air transportation of animals (including fish) in the United States.

I contacted the PIJAC National Office at 800-553-7387 to ascertain if this legislation could possibly have an adverse impact on the import of our beloved KOI. I was told that this indeed could keep koi from coming into this country even on foreign air carriers, unless the air carrier made the necessary modifications and policy changes regarding the transportation of live animals required in this legislation. I then inquired into who was pushing heaviest for approval of this legislation. According to the PIJAC representative I spoke to, this is being pushed by the animal rights folks and they would like to see the FISH Industry as a whole shut down!

Senator Frank Lautenberg submitted an amendment (1921 Title XX ­ Transportation of Animals), which is the main concern of the PIJAC Alert. A copy of the amendment can be found by going to either the Senate web-page at http://www.senate.gov/ or the Thomas Legislation on the Internet at

http://thomas.loc.gov/ in either case enter Senate bill number 82 (SB82). Then go to Bill Summary, then to Amendments to find a copy of this amendment. The other bills referenced in the alert Senate Bill (SB1193 ) and House Bill (HB2776) can also be found by going to these web-sites.

Below is a copy of this alert or you go to

http://petsforum.com/pijac/100799pa.htm

October 7, 1999 SENATE ADOPTS BILL RESTRICTING AIR TRAVEL FOR PETS

The Issue.

While the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act (SB 1193) remains pending in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, its provisions have now been appended in their entirety without a hearing or debate to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. That bill (SB82) addresses myriad air transport issues, and authorizes funding to maintain the nation's air transportation system. In a last-minute move on the Senate floor, Senator Lautenberg successfully amended Senate Bill 82 to insert the provisions of his bill, which places expensive restrictions on commercial airlines carrying live animals. That bill has been adopted by the Senate and, if the Lautenberg provisions survive a conference committee, may put an end to the commercial air transport of animals in the United States.

The Impact.

As reported in a PetAlert distributed to the industry in early August, Senate Bill 1193 would require airlines to institute several modifications to their aircraft and policies governing transport of live animals. Air carriers of live animals would be required to:

Submit information about each flight to USDA at least 24 hours in advance of the flight.

Submit detailed reports about each incident involving the loss, injury, death or mishandling of an animal, and produce annual reports about all incidents as well as any consumer complaints.

Ensure crew members are alerted that the aircraft is carrying animals, and institute a training program. Publish information on risks associated with air travel for animals, conditions under which animals are transported, the carrier's safety record, and plans for handling animals before and after the actual flight and during flight delays. Make structural modifications to aircraft which include installation of positive airflow and heating/cooling systems.

Under the bill, any air transport of animals in a cargo or baggage compartment would be prohibited after December 31, 2000, except in aircraft complying with new structural mandates, flown by airlines conforming to the new reporting requirements.

SB 1193 (and now provisions of SB 82) amends both Title 7 of the U.S. Code (Animal Welfare Act) and Title 49 (regulation of air carriers). "Animals" in the context of the AWA include only warm-blooded animals. However, this term is not defined for purposes of Title 49, Chapter 417. Therefor, all animals would presumably be subject to these provisions, including birds, reptiles, amphibians and other aquatic animals. Indications are that airlines will simply cease acting as carriers for live animals rather than conform to these expensive restrictions. Thus, this measure could all but shut down trade in numerous species of pet animals in this country.

Recommended Action.

PIJAC is in contact with conferees already named to the committee considering SB 82. As of this writing, Senate Democrats have not named conferees, nor have Democrats or Republicans from the House of Representatives. Animal rights organizations also continue to be very active on this bill with members of the House and Senate committees reporting the measure. They are lobbying hard to keep the amendment in this bill. It is important to immediately contact members of the conference committee on SB 82.

Conferees need to be told that provisions of SB 1193 should not be adopted in this summary fashion because: These provisions appear to be based on erroneous information and may not be necessary. These provisions would be more properly discussed in the respective House and Senate committees considering HB 2776 and SB 1193, where they may receive a fair hearing on the merits. This amendment would result in substantial costs, the extent of which is not yet known. It is wrong to adopt an amendment at the last minute without any hearings or debate! Whom to Contact Telephone, fax and email the Senate members serving on the conference committee.

Also, contact Senator Ernest Hollings (the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee) to find out who will be appointed to the conference committee for the democrats, and contact the House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair and ranking Democrat to determine who the appointees will be for the House side. The contact numbers for all of these members are listed below. Emphasize (in a polite and respectful fashion) your strong opposition to the amendments attaching SB 1193's provisions to the reauthorization bill. House conferees should reject this amendment (which is not in their version of the bill). Senate conferees should exclude these provisions from their version and allow them to be properly debated in the respective Senate and House committees considering SB 1193 and HB 2776.

Should you have questions about this action, or how best to follow up, contact PIJAC's Marshall Meyers or Michael Maddox at 1-800-553-PETS (7387).

SENATOR PHONE FAX EMAIL

Conrad R. Burns (R-MT)* 202-224-2644 202-224-8594 conrad_burns@burns.senate.gov

Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) 202-224-6621 senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov

Slade Gorton (R-WA)* 202-224-3441 202-224-9393 senator@gorton.senate.gov

Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) 202-224-3744 202-224-6020 chuck_grassley@grassley.senate.gov

Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)* 202-224-6121 202-224-4293 senator@hollings.senate.gov

John McCain (R-AZ)* 202-224-2235 202-224-2862 senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov

Don Nickles (R-OK) 202-224-5754 202-224-6008 senator@nickles.senate.gov

Trent Lott (R-MS)* 202-224-6253 202-224-2262 senatorlott@lott.senate.gov

Ted Stevens (R-AK)* 202-224-3004 202-224-2354 senator_stevens@stevens.senate.gov

*Also on Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation REPRESENTATIVE PHONE FAX EMAIL

Bud Shuster (R-PA)** 202-224-2431 202-224-2486 shuster@mail.house.gov

James L. Oberstar (DFL-MN)***202-224-6211 202-224-0699 oberstar@mail.house.gov

**Chairman - House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. ***Ranking Minority Member - House Committee on Transportation Infrastructure

Contact PIJAC if you wish a complete list of all House and Senate Committee Members.

We should all let our voices be heard if we have any interest in seeing our koi hobby continuing as it is known today.

From Mystic Koi website

http://www.mystickoi.com/index.html

Winter Koi Care

The growth rate, coloration, and overall health of your koi are primarily

dependent on four factors, each of which could easily be single topic. WeÕve put together some of the basic requirements here in an effort to give you the highlights. As you will see, these factors are actually interrelated.

Koi Density - The amount of fish that your pond can reasonably be expected to handle.

The volume of water in your pond is important so that your koi may have room to swim freely. Proper exercise will keep your koi from becoming fat, while building muscle tone. In koi shows, the first and most important attribute is not "color and pattern", but instead it is the shape. Koi folk call this "conformation", which refers to the overall shape of your koi, including the body, head, fins, eyes, etc. It is not possible for a koi to reach full potential in a pond that is too small. I know many koi keepers are not interested in show standards, however it is important to provide a good environment for your treasures. A proper koi pond includes both depth and surface volume. Most koi keepers recommend 1,000 gallons as a minimum. There are, of course, people who have built smaller ponds with the intent to purchase only a couple of koi. The problem soon becomes apparent; nobody can have just 2 koi. The addiction to collect different varieties soon leads to four, then six, then disaster.

Water Quality -The efficiency by which your filtration system can treat the waste products in your pond. A pond filtration system not only scrubs the water of debris, it also converts the waste products, which would otherwise poison your fish. Clear water is not necessarily healthy water. Ammonia, which is the basic waste products from koi digestion, is colorless. Other toxins, such as hydrogen sulfide and methane gas, are the result of solid wastes decomposing in the water. A properly installed biological filter will convert these waste products through the nitrogen cycle. The bacteria necessary to convert these waste products take time to establish, and it is therefore necessary to monitor the water quality carefully in a new pond. Check ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels to verify the water quality during start up. With a new bio-filter, your water will go through three stages of activity. First, ammonia levels will rise. Nitrosomas bacteria will begin to colonize, and convert the ammonia to nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic to fish, even at low levels, however a second bacterium, nitrobacter will appear which consume the nitrite and convert it into nitrate. This bacterium is somewhat slower to establish, and so careful water testing is necessary until the filter is functional. Once you filter is functioning a full speed, then periodic checks are all that are necessary.

Oxygen Level - The amount of dissolved oxygen in your pond.

Dissolved oxygen is important not only for your koi, but also to the proper operation of your bio-filter. In fact, it has been estimated that your bio-filter requires twice the oxygen than that of your koi. A waterfall is the most efficient mean of supplying oxygen to your pond. It is also necessary to run you pump 24 hour a day to maintain the oxygen level. This fact is even more important in a pond with plants. Plants produce oxygen during the light of day. At night, however, they instead consume oxygen. Warm water hold less oxygen than cool water, and on a warm summer night, dissolved oxygen levels can drop to dangerously low levels.

Nutrition Ð Vary the food and the frequency by which you feed based on the season. Certainly, the type of food and the frequency by which your koi are feed are of paramount importance for good health, steady growth and beautiful coloration. Koi, being cold blooded, have nutritional needs appropriate to the temperature of the water. In the cold of winter, they need very little, if any feeding. During the warmer months, food high in nutritional value, fed at regular intervals, is required to keep your koi healthy and happy. Like people, the basic nutritional needs of a koi include the following items:

* Proteins and amino acids for growth

* Lipids and fatty acids for stored energy and absorption of essential vitamins

* Carbohydrates for quick energy

* Vitamins and minerals for metabolism and growth

To enhance the color of your koi, premium foods often contain spirulina, which is a rich source of pigments, proteins, essential fatty acids,vitamins and chelated minerals. In fact, spirulina is 60 to 70% proteins Spirulina can enhance red, orange and yellow colors, improve shininess, and increase growth. Proper feeding is the key to quick growth, and healthy koi.

Gradually decrease the amount of food given as the pond water becomes colder. Use food pellets, which are lower in protein, such as one of the many fine wheatgerm-based products. You can supplement their diet by slicing citrus fruits and floating them in your pond. Koi especially enjoy grapefruit, and will provide an interesting show for their owners as they nudge the slices around the pond.

Most pond owners recommend feeding only a couple times a week when the water is between 50¡ and 55¡ F. Feed only as much as the fish will consume in five minutes. At between 55¡ and 60¡ F, the feeding rates can be increased to 4 or 5 times a week. Koi and goldfish have a difficult time digesting foods at temperatures below 50¡ F, so it is best not to feed them at all if your water temperature drops below this value.

Kawarigoi Kornor

Officers Election Coming Next Month

AKCA Person of the YEAR & Nomination for Committee chairs

Special Events Coming UP

KOI CLUB OF SAN DIEGO

FEBURARY SAKA MEETING

VALLEY OF THE SUN KOI SHOW

MARCH SAKA MEETING

19th Annual AKCA Seminar
Springfield, MO
June 28 - July 2, 2000

Have you Paid your 00/01 SAKA Dues???

If you haven't send your check to:

10% Discount

with your SAKA Membership Card