THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. LOUIS WATER GARDENING SOCIETY

WWW.SLWGS.ORG August 2016

Annual Awards Banquet Guest Speaker Devin Swanson

1 Water Word, August 2016

The speaker for this year’s banquet is Devin Swanson, the owner of Koi Acres in Scandia, Minnesota. Koi Acres is a direct importer of high quality Japanese Nishikigoi from the Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Devin’s first interest in Nishikigoi started when he was 12 years old. When he was 14 his family started a Nishikigoi business in Minnesota called Koi

Acres. His first of many visits to Japan started at the age of 15. At 17 years old he began voluntarily working for and learning from Marudo Koi Farm, with a dream of one day importing high class Nishikigoi to the US. Devin’s time at Marudo Koi Farm was spent as a “tourist” for whom the maximum stay was 3

months. After each 3 month stay he would return home, or visit elsewhere besides Japan for a while before returning to Japan. Unfortunately for Devin the Japan immigration authority stopped him in 2008 and enquired as to why he was visiting so frequently. He was allowed to enter on this visit, but was also told that he would then have to leave Japan for 6 months before returning again. Devin was too young to apply for a working visa and the only option available was to apply for a cultural exchange visa. These are granted to people who are visiting Japan to study part of Japanese culture. While origami, bonsai and ikebana were all

considered parts of the Japanese culture Nishikigoi were not and Devin’s application was denied leaving him with no option other than to return to America. Eventually with much work Devin became the first person to be granted a cultural exchange visa for the purpose of studying Nishikigoi. Devin spent three years in Japan apprenticing under Hisashi Hirasawa of Marudo Koi Farm. Devin has continued his passion with Koi and has earned respect by being asked to be a judge at the All-Japan Shinkokai Show in 2013, along with many other Koi Shows around the world. This year he was invited to judge the 33rd All-Japan Young Koi Show in Wakagoi Koi Show for the first time. Each year, since the fall of 2003 he has traveled to Japan to buy Koi and bring them back to the United States.

Don’t Miss This!

What: SLWGS Annual Banquet

Where: Jewel Box At Forest Park When: Tuesday, August 23th, at 7 p.m. Who: Devin Swanson of Koi Acres

Devin Swanson

2 Water Word, August 2016

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13 Nominated for Alford and Ganim Service Awards

Thirteen members of the St Louis Water Gardening Society have been nominated by fellow members for service awards to recognize their hard work as volunteers for the Society. The winners will be selected by past award winners and the two awards will be presented at the annual banquet on August 23 at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. The Bonnie Alford Service Award is given in honor of the founder of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society. It is awarded annually to a person who has been a member of the society for at least three years and who has made a measurable and significant contribution to SLWGS. The Ganim Service Award honors Don and Lizanne Ganim. The award is given annually to a member who, during the past year, has gone beyond the call of duty for SLWGS. Candidates need to be a member of the society for no less than 60 days.

Those nominated: Jim Bear for his work at the Jewel Box, Deb & Kurt Bokamper for offering their condo for the raffle the past 6 years, Cindy Hagen,for representing the society in Belleville News Democrat article, Carolyn Haus, for her work with Pond-O-Rama and Fort Zumwalt event, Steve Harris for work as treasurer , Pam Jokerst, for her work on Special Events, Rick Jokerst for his work with the Koi Auction, Steve Metzler for his work with the Koi Auction, Carol Ann Miller for her help with publicity for Pond-O-Rama, Dee O’Neil for her work with Pond-O-Rama and help at the Jewel Box, Dave Poos for his help with the audits, Joe Summers for providing door prizes for meetings, and his help with various things to do with Pond-O-Rama, Kenny Wamhoff for his work at the Jewel Box and his help with Pond-O-Rama.

St. Louis Water Gardening would like you to think about running for office……

Elections are just around the corner. Please think about running for President. The duties are running the general meeting and board meetings and getting speakers for meetings. There are people in the society who will help out with that so do not let that scare you off from throwing your hat in the ring. Also this year the recording Secretary position is open. That position’s duties are to take minutes of the board meetings and sending them out to the board in a timely fashion before the next meeting. Come on down and throw your telent into the ring and shine for the two year stint of the office. We all have hidden talents that are waiting to come out.

3 Water Word, August 2016

Greetings folks! Well, summer is almost over! Wow, it’s been a hot one! The water in our pond has approached 90 degrees, the hottest I’ve ever seen! It seems like my

fish eat more food, the warmer the water. With the current water temperatures, we’ve been going through an impressive quantity of fish food, and when we throw the food in the water the feeding frenzy that results is almost scary. “Lucy” one of my kohakus has started imitating the South African Great White sharks that go after seals. She lurks on the bottom of the pond, then shoots up and completely clears the surface! Others are doing back flips and just about every other aquatic trick you can imagine! We’ll be discussing and voting on the bylaw change concerning the budget in September. For years we’ve maintained a large reserve fund and there has been an ongoing debate about what to do with it. The bylaw change is designed to give the club a strategy on how to manage the reserve as well as promote activities that benefit the community. We’ll be looking at a budget for next year soon as well as elections for president and secretary. We also would like to see more folks get involved in running the group. We’ve had the same folks in key positions for several years. While most don’t mind and enjoy serving the group, it might be time to inject some new blood into things. If you’re interested, let me know! This month we have the annual banquet coming up. Devin Swanson from Koi Acres will be the guest speaker. In addition to running a koi-selling business, Devin speaks Japanese and has helped judge koi shows in Japan! Devin will be giving a presentation on the history of raising koi. It promises to be interesting and informative. I’ve decided this month to continue deviating from my pond building narrative to talk about this summer.

It has certainly been an unusual one! Our plants got off to a very slow start this year and we had a serious problem with green water. Finally got on top of it with a massive water change (75%) and a thorough cleaning of our filter pads. If you’ve followed my column in the past you

might remember Stewart, the squirrel, who got into a confrontation with “Big Boy” my 60 lb. part-terrier some time ago. Well, Stewart has disappeared along

with all the other squirrels in the vicinity! I believe it’s the result of a new neighbor, “Harry” the hawk! Harry moved in a couple of months ago and has been

hanging around the area ever since. At first I was concerned that Harry had his eye on a fish dinner but after some time went by and Harry didn’t show any

interest in the pond, I assumed that he was getting his dinner elsewhere. Within the last month, however, Harry started hanging out on top of the utility pole

next to our yard. This drove Big Boy crazy and he let Harry know that he didn’t like it. Harry, apparently taking the hint, moved to the pole at the other side of

our neighbor’s yard. We’d see him there at least every other day and then Sherry noted that the local squirrels, including Stewart, have been nowhere to be

seen! Whether Harry scared them off, or perhaps something more sinister, I don’t know but it’s nice that Big Boy isn’t constantly conducting fruitless

squirrel chases anymore!

Dave Stahre

Presidential Ponderings

4 Water Word, August 2016

St. Louis Water Gardening Society Calendar of Events

Membership meetings in 2016 will be held on the dates and at the locations listed below between 7 and 9 p.m. Meetings will be held at the Missouri Botanical Garden Ridgway Center, Beaumont Room, unless otherwise noted. They are the last Tuesday of the month unless otherwise noted. August 23— Annual Banquet at the Jewel Box. This is the fourth Tuesday.

September 10 & 11 Bus Trip to Kloubec Koi Farm in Amana, Iowa September 20— TBD This is the third Tuesday. September 24— TIKI TOUR October 25— TBD November 22— Annual Potluck & Elections This is the week of Thanksgiving, fourth Tuesday

Looking for more

information about pond

building, plants or fish care?

Visit our website,

www.slwgs.org Check out our

“Articles of Interest”

section and “Links We Like”

for help.

5 Water Word , August 2016

Out on a Limb and need some help? Find resources at

www.slwgs.org!

Pond Health……..

Summer is in full swing and our attention should turn to Ph, Kh and oxygen monitoring in our ponds. In spring, we wait for the beneficial bacteria to wake up to handle the nitrogen cycle, converting ammonia to nitrites, then to nitrates. During the summer, bacteria is running at full speed, converting ammonia to nitrate consuming oxygen at the rate of 5:1 and releasing 3.5 hydrogen. Warm water does not hold oxygen as well as cooler water, so we need to increase the oxygen levels in our ponds by aerating properly and running our waterfalls at maximum output. Additionally, shading the pond with floating plants such as water lilies or using umbrellas or overhead shade sails can help keep the water temperatures lower. What is Ph & Kh you ask? Ph is the measurement of acidity or alkalinity in the water. A Ph reading of 7 is neutral. Below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. A healthy pond depends on proper Ph balance. A Ph reading between 7.5 and 8.5 is ideal

for koi. Many factors can alter the Ph in our ponds, including decaying organic matter, fish waste, overstocking, acid rain and low Kh. Now for Kh. It is a measure of carbonate hardness, a buffering agent, for Ph. Ideally it should be in the range of 80-150 ppm (parts per million). A low Kh can cause wide Ph swings, resulting in health problems for our koi. I have found my water source has low Kh, and has to be supported by adding baking soda to bring it up. One pound (16 oz.) of baking soda per 1000 gallons will increase the Kh 70 ppm. In summary, during our hot summer days and nights, monitoring the Ph, Kh and oxygen levels are critical to our pond and fish health.

Rick Jokerst AKCA / Koi USA Reprensentive

Cell: 314-368-2652

Email: rickjokerst@gmail.com

6 Water Word, August 2016

Water Word is published by the St. Louis Water Gardening Society 10 times annually, and is distributed to all members. The newsletter contains information about water gardening and fish-keeping, as well as information about SLWGS meetings and activities. Contributions of articles and photos are welcome and should be sent to the Water Word editor listed below. Documents should be in common text formats, and photos should be in high resolution (300 dpi or higher) jpeg format. The deadline for submissions is the first of each month. SLWGS membership dues are $20 annually per household. Information about the Society, including how to join, can be found at our website, www.slwgs.org or from any of the officers and board members listed:

2016 SLWGS Officers and Board Members

President Dave Stahre (618) 623-9341 dstahre@hotmail.com Vice President Steve Metzler (314) 845-3902 stevenmetzler@att.net Treasurer Steve Harris (314) 968-8432 stevelitzsinger@gmail.com Recording Secretary Sherry Nelms (618) 365-1057 sher200856@yahoo.com Publicity Chairman Ginny Mueller (314) 831-3063 vcmueller16@hotmail.com Special Events Chairman Pam Jokerst (314) 276-9461 pamjokerst@gmail.com Society Shirt Sales Chairman Ruth Mosley (314) 878-7281 rgbmosley@aol.com Librarian Katie Williams (314) 210-2919 beezey696@hotmail.com Membership/E-mail Chairman Gail Abernathy (314) 428-3037 abernat@swbell.net Jewel Box Chairman Kay Miskell (618) 344-6216 km99@att.net Water Word Editor Gail Abernathy (314) 428-3037 abernat@swbell.net Website Chairman Mary Nies (636) 458-2149 marycnies@gmail.com AKCA/ Koi USA Representative Rick Jokerst (314) 368-2652 rickjokerst@gmail.com Pond-O-Rama Chairman To be announced Parliamentarian Jeanne Lehr (314) 432-2842 jeannelehr@yahoo.com Historian Joe Summers (636) 527-2001 chalilypond@aol.com Hospitality Chairman Cindy Williams (636) 394-9214 happyclub@hotmail.com Past President Joe Summers (636) 527-2001 chalilypond@aol.com Members-at-Large Carolyn Haus (314) 993-0985 carolynhaus@sbcglobal.net John Nies (636) 458-2149 jtnies@gmail.com Alice Gibson (618) 876-1628 alice1628@att.net

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society is

a member of the Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA).

Visit the association’s website at

www.akca.org.

Two Ways to Get Water Word

Your issue of Water Word will arrive in your mail box each month, prior to the monthly meeting,

unless you prefer to have it delivered via email. To sign up for email delivery only,

contact membership chairman

Gail Abernathy at abernat@swbell.net

7 Water Word, August 2016

Upcoming Koi Shows...

Library and Learning Center The Library and Learning center would like to remind anybody that may have interesting photos or articles about Koi, pond care or pond construction to please bring them to the next meeting. Photos can be reclaimed at the end of the meeting or donated to the library. As mentioned at the October meeting,

the library has bought a digital photo frame. So if you have a favorite photo of your fish or pond bring it in on a jump drive and it can be added to the photo frame. You can also email them to Katie at beezey696@hotmail.com and she can upload them that way.

Out on a Limb and need some help? Find resources at

www.slwgs.org!

If you are traveling this summer to any of the cities listed, why not add their koi show to your schedule? Or better yet, make a koi show your vacation destination. These are just a few of the many shows held around the country. We have attended or plan to attend these shows. Contact Pam Jokerst with any questions at pamjokerst@gmail.com or 314-276-9461.

August 26-28 5th Michigan Koi & Pond Club--Detroit, MI--mkpc-se.com Sept. 9-11 22nd ZNA Potomac--Vienna, VA (Washington, D.C. area)--znapotomac.org Sept. 17-18 15th Northern Midwest ZNA--Carmel, IN (Indianapolis area)--nmzna.net

Bus Trip--Saturday & Sunday, September 10 & 11, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Make your reservations for this fun weekend trip to Kloubec Koi Farm in Amana, Iowa. Details are still being arranged along with finalizing the tour cost. Dining and shopping in Amana and a winery visit will be additional highlights of this trip. See the amazing expansion at Kloubec's along with a koi talk and fish viewing and purchasing. A hay wagon tour of the property is dependent on the weather. A $50 per person trip deposit deadline is August 1. Full payment is due September 1. More details will be available by the July 26 auction event.

Tiki Tour--Saturday, September 24, 6:30 p.m. This year will be an outstanding tour since YOU

could be a host! Pam is looking for ponds to showcase on this evening progressive tour. The only requirement is that you have some form of lighting

to enhance the viewing of your pond and gardens at night and for the safety of guests. Route is dependent upon the geographic locations of the hosts signing

up. Beverages and snacks will be enjoyed at the first and last stops on the tour. This is a free event. Contact Pam to register your pond by August 1.

Tour ticket with directions will be in the September Water Word.

SLWGS Special Events Update

8 Water Word, August 2016

In August, Pam and I attended the UMKC Koi Show in Minneapolis, MN. It was our first time showing there. Since this was a nine-hour drive, we decided not to risk bringing our larger koi. We selected koi in the size ranges of 2, 3 and 4. A size 4 koi is 16-20 inches, a size 3 is 12-16 inches and a size 2 is 8-12 inches. This was a nice show, consisting of approximately 30 tanks and over 100 koi. Representing SLWGS, we had three koi that each won a Best in Variety, which means they were the best representation of that particular breed of koi from all the koi entered. Our size 4 Kujaku in the Hikari Moyo class, our size 4 Kohaku in the Doitsu class and our size 2 Showa in the Gin Rin A class took the honors. The awards were beautiful banners to display in the garden. (Continued on page 9)

Koi News…….

The Doitsu class is a fish without scales.

The Hikari Moyo class consists of metallic pat-terned koi such as Kujaku, Yamato Nishiki and Kikusui.

9 Water Word, August 2016

At every show we attend, we bring a gift to be presented as a Friendship Award from SLWGS. This is a custom at the shows and is considered just as important as a judging award in the eyes of the recipient. For this show, we presented an oriental koi vase to Vince Blaede of MN, for his size 2 Gin Rin Goromo. It shows great promise for the future and was cute as a button. Last month, Devin Swanson of Koi Acres gave a

presentation at Chalily's. One question from the talk

merits repeating. Why are my koi not as big as other koi I see? First, koi size is determined partly by

genetics, with quality parent stock. I am never going to be 6' 3" no matter how much I eat. Also, certain breeds of koi tend to run larger than others. Next is

environment, the water they live in. You need great water quality to grow large koi. This includes good water parameters, frequent water changes, stocking

load and filtration. Finally, the kois nutritional needs have to be met by feeding a very high quality food with protein percentages matched with the seasons of

the year (water temperature) and fed in smaller, more frequent quantities. If these steps are practiced, your koi will grow to their maximum potential. It's not

unusual for Japanese tosai (koi in the first year of life) to grow 1" to 2" per month during the growing season. As koi age, their growth slows and their bulk or mass increases, particularly females. Devin

will have lots of information on koi during his presentation at this year's banquet at the Jewel Box. I hope to see you there and ...

Happy Pondering! Rick Jokerst,

AKCA/Koi USA Representative

rickjokerst@gmail.com

Cell/314-368-265

The Gin Rin class is a fish with shiny or sparkly scales.

Start thinking about putting your pond on tour for the 2017 tour. We already have a couple of people who have asked if they could be put on the list for next year’s tour. It is never to early to do this. Planning is everything. If you commit now you know you have a deadline for your pond and yard next year and you can plan during the winter months exactly how you want to show off your oasis of a yard to the general public.

Pond-O-Rama 2017……..

Continued from page 8

10 Water Word, August 2016

SLWGS Water Word 10922 Killdare Court St. Ann, MO 63074 www.slwgs.org

Photo of the Month

Inside this edition: Annual Awards Banquet Guest Speaker Devin Swanson……...…………..Page 1 SLWGS T-Shirt sales online…...Page 1

Also Inside: 13 Nominated for Alford and Ganim Service Awards……………………………..……... Page 2

Presidential Ponderings ........................... Page 3

SLWGS Calendar of Events ................... Page 4

Pond Health………………….………... ..….Page 5

2016 SLWGS Officers and Board Members ................................. Page 6 Up coming Koi Shows …………………....Page 7 SLWGS Special Events Update………….Page 7

Koi News………………………...…………Page 8

Here is one of the beautiful lilies you will see when you come to the Banquet at the Jewel Box this year. Picture by Dave Schiele