Koi Club of The Air

When I started Koi Carp blog one of my aims was to cover as much of what's going on around the world relating to koi. There are now koi clubs in every continent and with the distances and different time zones this has at times been difficult to do. Obviously being local and meeting people in person is the best way to get a feeling for the scene or hear the latest news, but when the country is on the other side of the globe forums and blogs are the next best thing.

Lately I have been checking out a relatively new podcast show from the US which has a growing number of visitors/listeners. At times it can sound like you've got a crossed line and the hosts aren't the most charismatic but stick with it and you'll find some interesting guests and interviews about koi. They have a useful calendar of events and koi shows throughout America and close ties with the koi clubs there.

The July 15th show interviewed Claudia McGowan about this weekends Inland Empire Water Garden & Koi Society show. Also interviewed was John Hillstrom who represented the Puget Sound Koi Club who had their 9th successful annual Young Koi Show last weekend. This show is a great opportunity for all koi keepers including beginners to get involved as only koi under 18 inches are allowed. The Grand Champion was a very nice Sakai Hiroshima Kohaku owned by Debbie Fitzgerald. Apparently the koi was a wedding anniversary present from her husband as she has become quite adept at selecting and growing on Tosai to become champions.

Another interesting interview was on the July 26th show with Dr Julius Tepper a vet who has a keen interest in koi and fishponds. He runs a Fish Hospital in Long Island, New York and has developed a new product to grow flowering plants in a koi pond. Called Pondtoons these plants float in the water and as well as look pretty they help improve the water quality. The interesting thing about this product is that there's no soil, often a reason plants are not included in a koi pond but also said to reduce the bad bacteria from the water that can cause disease. Bacteria such as aeromonas are kept at bay by organisms living in the plant substrate. As an alternative to UV, ozonizers and chemicals in a koi pond is a nice idea but I wait to be convinced. As a way to remove nitrates and aesthetic appeal I think Pondtoons could become very popular.

Link Koi Club of The Air