We attended the 23rd annual koi and water garden show in Bothell, WA Sept. 5- Sept. 7th to learn more about the society’s involvement in the community as well as to inform the group of how Nualgi Ponds can improve the quality of their Koi Fish. All in all, it was a fun and educational time, even for the kids at the show!
Brief Show History: In 1990, twelve koi keepers gathered to discuss the possibilities of forming a Koi club in the North End of Seattle. Encouraged by this years’s show sponsor, Pan Intercorp they held their first meeting with 60 new attendees and 35 immediate new members. The first Koi show was held in 1992 and twenty four years later is once again held at the original location, Country Village, Bothell, WA.
This country market was a terrific area to host the show since it was in an open country market arena with petting zoos and chickens with lots for the kids to do. Getting the children interested in Koi fish was a strong presence at the show and large part of why this community continues to grow.
Attendees stated this event was better than last year and most had never heard of our new product Nualgi Ponds for koi and water garden algae control. As part of the event we met many new friends and would like to shout out to Daren Beck of Beckoi, Wes Parker of Cotskoi, and Zach from Pan Intercorp.
This year’s Grand Champion is Bill Tullis. Last year he placed with the Junior, Young, Baby, and Mature Grand Champion so it would only make sense that this year his Koi have taken the top spot in the competition. (Last year’s winners were Rinda Lowell & Brian Liljas) The judges hailed from all over the world but this rounds the judges all resided in the US. Judges on location were Pat Christensen, Larry Christensen, Larry Gill, and David Young.
The Washington Koi & Water Garden Society holds monthly meetings except in December, publishes a newsletter, puts on pond tours for memebers, holds an annual barbeque and continues with complex shows. They raise money for research on koi diseases, have Koi Health Advisros/Certified Koi Keepers who help with pond trouble shooting and educated club members on koi health and water quality in advanced wet labs.
One lesson we learned from the society is that city water in the Northwest lacks carbonates, calcium, and magnesium. It was instructed that everyone in the area should be using Carbonate Hardness (KH) test kits for water samples to make sure the levels are safe for fish health.
Checking carbonate levels in the winter is also important because the long hours of darkness and grey cloudy skies in the Northwest impact oxygen, carbon dioxide and the diurnal cycle (temperature changes during the day) of the pond. Every time the water is changed with carbonae deficient city water the carbonate is therefore also lowered.
Moral of the story: Buy a Carbonate Hardness Test Kit!
We are responsible for raising the carbonate hardness level and it can be done artificially by adding Arm & Hammer baking soda. A method that takes longer would be to fill a stocking with oyster shells by the filter or where water is flowing. This takes longer because the shell has to chemically break down. The filter bacteria and fish use the carbonates so adding baking soda is not a one item deal.
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