Well, I am back from a very exciting and unpredictable trip to Japan. I didn't think the earth was ever going to stop shaking that night in Nagaoka. After two cancelled plane trips and over 100 earthquakes, I actully made it home. At times I wasn't sure if I would or not. Sometimes I still think I feel the house shaking here at home. I was one of the lucky ones as I got most of the Koi I ordered.

I think at this time of year many people are taking a break from the Koi season. Some are entering a state of depression that only deepens with each winter month that comes. We see the days getting shorter and colder and darker. Rain, snow, sleet, and whatever else Mother nature decides to thow at us. It is sad to think the days are still getting shorter, but only for another month. Then around the middle of February we will notice the days getting longer and soon spring will be here before we know it. Soon we will be getting the pond and Koi ready for spring and we will be feeding them pretty quick. Sure keep saying that and maybe I will begin to believe it.

If you are one of those that goes way deep into depression from no pond action you might think of putting a small pond in your house somewhere or you could even build a small greenhouse. This way you could move a couple of your favorites inside and play with them during the winter. It could double as a quarantine or hospital tank in the summer. If you are one of those people that like to buy Koi in the fall harvest then you could bring the new Koi home and put them in there instead of leaving them at the dealers for the winter or risking putting them outside in the cold pond. If you put a pond in your house you need to be careful about the moisture it will cause a lot of damage if you don't get a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers do not work if the temperature is below around 60 degrees so if you put it in the garage and don't heat it up some it may not work there.

The Koi are laying on the bottom of the pond and leaves have all fallen out of the trees by now. Make sure the leaves aren't laying on the bottom of your pond. You need to keep the pond clear of debris. Check your settling chambers and leaf baskets and skimmers. Might want to flush your bottom drains too. Crud can still build up and you want to keep it cleaned out as much as possible. You shouldn't need your UV Light at this time of year so unplug it and you will get two seasons of use out of the bulbs. Make sure if you loose power and it is freezing that the light and pump and other components won't freeze and be damaged. Adding salt to your pond at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 gallons of pond water would be a good thing to do at this time of year if you didn't do it last month, it still isn't too late, but it is not absolutely necessary if you haven't had any problems.

Watch your Koi closely during the winter if they develop sores they will need to be moved to a heated hospital pond for treatment and healing. There are many treatments you can use to heal sores but the best that I have found it the Tricide Neo. If you don't have it I would recommend you get some, you can share with a friend and help to keep the cost of the medication down. If you notice the Koi flashing a lot you need to treat for parasites. Don't treat with a medication that has formalin in it if you have salt in your pond. Potassium Permanganate would work good here which I think would be a better choice at this time of year anyway. You can relax some during the winter but you need to still watch your Koi to make sure they stay healthy and if they do develop a sore or other problem then you need to tend to it right away. Problems will not go away by themselves this time of year they will only get worse, so take care of them as soon as you see a problem. Get help if you need it, do not delay.

Look up don't be so sad, Spring will be here before you know it. Help your Koi to be as healthy as possible when it gets here.

Merry Christmas
Rod
www.bluewaterkoi.com