Aug. 2016 issue Beneath the Surface Find us on Facebook as: Eastern Iowa Pond Society www.eips.org In this newsletter: Aug. meeting info...1&2 Meeting minutes...3-4 Gin Rin Koi....5-6 3 Reasons to Plant..7-9 Facebook..10 Membership Form. 11 Contact Information: Find us on the web at: www.eips.org or on Facebook President: Dave Keller dakeller@southslope.net VP : Jackie Allsup 934-3665 Sec.: Linda Nolan 363-9408 Treas.:Pam Moore, 362-3375 We did it! A fat $1000.00 check went to Deafinitely Dogs! Nice job everyone! You all should be proud. Our August 27th meeting info: New Time!! 10:00 AM Kloubec Koi Farm 1375 Baxter Ave. Amana (bring a chair) If visiting the farm isn t enough we have Special Guest Speaker Eric Twigg CEO and Founder of Aquatic Sphere Construction & Design Ogden, IA
Kloubec Koi Farm is under a HUGE change. If you ve never been there, then it s a must see. And, if you have been there before, then you must go back to see what they are doing now! Its all pretty amazing. The old building has undergone some changes too. A huge new building is under construction! But high quality koi are every where! Ellen has invited guest speaker, Eric Twigg, to talk to us! Eric has recently been on the farm reworking the large display pond next to the holding buildings. Come and learn about the Helix system he uses with his pond construction. It gets hot in the houses fast so the meeting will be at 10:00 instead of later in the day. Be sure to make plans to attend. Maybe hang around and buy a new koi for your pond! Maybe, drive on to Amana for lunch? Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day!!!
JULY 23, 2016 EIPS MEETING MINUTES @ THE BEUTERS Members Present: 13 of us braved the storms! We began by checking out the Beuters pond and yard. Everything looked lovely. Next we came inside for another wonderful pot luck! Thanks to Pat & Wayne for hosting. Jackie began the meeting. Wayne told us the story about how their pond was built by EIPS members when Pat had broken her leg. EIPS members really pitch in when there is a fellow member in need! Next we discussed the Pond Tour. Jackie mentioned it would be good to send a Thank You letter to the Master Gardeners for passing out our fliers. Marlene B. will get an address to Jackie. Everyone felt the tour was a success. Approximately 243 tickets were sold. We spent $90.00 on our pizza party afterwards. There had been some pre tickets sold by the vendors and some individual donations to Deafinitely Dogs were made at some of the pond sites. Jackie deposited $1166.00. We talked about what amount to give to Deafinitely Dogs and decided on $1000.00. Linda N. made a motion to give $1000.00 and put the rest in our account. Wayne B. 2nd that and it was agreed on unanimously by the members present. Linda will ask Pam to make out a check and the Bartletts will present it. Jackie suggested getting a picture of the presentation for our Facebook site. It was mentioned that it might be nice to have a picture board posted of the ponds on the tour at the pond sites. The Nolans had some on display and people were stopping to look at them. About the only complaint from the tour was that people would like to have had a map to the pond sites. Jackie has dropped all past members from our mailing/email lists that have not paid dues. This brings us to 27 memberships + 9 new members who signed up at the tour. August meeting will be at the Kloubecs @ 10:00 AM. They have a guest speaker, Eric Twigg who is an Helix installer out of Odgen, IA. They will offer a tour of their new facilities as well. Meeting was adjourned. Notes submitted by Linda Nolan
GIN RIN KOI, A REAL EYE CATCHER! By: Mike Gannon If there is a koi that could have jazz hands, the Gin Rin koi would have to be the one. It s flashy and glitzy. Some Gin Rin have more sparkle than Michael Jackson s right hand glove (or left hand glove, I m not really sure). The Gin Rin variety is a star among the koi world. But koi cannot have jazz hands, and I don t think that anything is more sparkly than Michael Jackson s glove; so I hope you get the point I m trying to make. The Gin Rin type of koi is easily recognizable because of its characteristic sparkling scales, and it is easy to remember because of its easy name Gin Rin, which is actually pronounced geen deen. Gin Rin characteristics can happen in many varieties of koi. Have A Question For Mike? Ask the Expert This sparkling effect is strongest on young koi and will often fade away as the koi ages because of the way the scales of the fish age. Scales get thicker on older and larger koi and the sparkling effect becomes less visible. The name Gin Rin means silver scale and it is easy to understand why because of how this scale type reflects sunlight. Like many characteristics of koi and ornamental fish, the Gin Rin scale type is actually a deformity of the fish scale that has been bred into the fish. There are 4 sub-types of Gin Rin scale patterns with some more desirable than others. The Gin Rin koi was developed by Mr. Eizaburo Hoshino. Mr. Hoshino was a well known Japanese koi breeder in the early 1900 s. It s said that in 1929, Mr. Hoshino came across a fisherman who had caught a wild magoi that had many glittering scales. That fish was used as the genesis in the development of what we now know as the Gin Rin trait. Intense work by several early koi breeders in Hiroshima and Niigata Japan fixed this trait into Gin Rin koi and also developed the 4 different sub-types of scalation by around 1950.
These days just about every variety of koi has a Gin Rin type and there are even official judging standards for this trait. To be considered a Gin Rin koi, the koi must have at least 3 complete rows of Gin Rin scales. The fish which has the Gin Rin trait must first specifically qualify as its base variety. For example, a Kohaku must show all the characteristics of a show quality Kohaku before the Gin Rin trait is judged. As far as keeping a Gin Rin koi there are no special requirements. They can be treated just like any other koi type as far as feeding, temperament, and longevity. Many hobbyists report that they do not grow as large as other koi, but truly large koi size is not very common in a typical backyard koi pond so the average hobbyist will not even notice! The Gin Rin koi is a lot of fun to have as part of a koi collection and adds that sparkle that really catches the eye. They are widely available from breeders and dealers. So pick your favorite variety of koi and look around for them with that classic Gin Rin sparkle and your pond will shine! Written by Mike Gannon The LOVEYOURPOND Blog is written by Mike Gannon of Full Service Aquatics located in Summit, NJ. Mike is an award winning pond, water garden, and water feature builder. Always In The Pursuit Of All Things Aquatic Mike has been a lifelong hobbyist and providing professional services since 1995. Mike is the creator of The Pond Hunter video series seen on Youtube and has made several television appearances on Networks such as HGTV and the DIY Network. - See more at: http://fullserviceaquatics.com/koi-pond/gin-rin-koi-a-real-eye-catcher/#sthash.g7hziifn.dpuf Connie recently sent me these great pics of the lotus blooming on Lake McBride.
3 REASONS WHY YOUR POND NEEDS PLANTS From: Aquascape If you take the garden out of water garden, all you re left with is well, water. Water is beautiful in and of itself, but the garden part is what makes your pond truly special. Regardless why you got into the water garden hobby, plants in your pond are an important part of the overall water garden recipe. Here are 3 reasons why plants are so important to your pond. 1. Pond Plants Add Beauty Waterlilies, lotus, and other flowering aquatics provide pops of color to your water garden. Impressive plants like taro and horsetail provide architectural interest. Floaters, like water lettuce, add whimsy while bobbing on the pond s surface. And marginal plants like sweet flag help soften the rocky edges of the pond.
2. Aquatic Plants Provide Shelter Fish gain shade and shelter from pond plants. Consider the waterlily that spreads a multitude of leaves across the pond s surface. This natural umbrella helps keep the pond cool in warmer months and provides a cover for fish from the dreaded heron. Plants also provide an area for fish to spawn and a safe place for frogs to lay their eggs.
3. Plants Balance the Pond Ecosystem Aquatic plants play a critical role in balancing your pond s ecosystem by providing valuable biological filtration that removes nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates, and other minerals from the water that algae love to feed on! You ll find a wide variety of aquatic plants available either online or at your local garden center. The options for mixing and matching plants are almost endless. Be sure to follow planting and growing directions for the plants you choose, and you ll be on your way to creating a true jewel of a water garden. No matter how much you push the envelope, It ll still be stationary!
Our Facebook page is back up and running!!! Be sure to go find us at Eastern Iowa Pond Society. LIKE us so you get all the notices! POST your pictures of your pond! COMMENT - we want to hear from you!! SHARE EIPS with everyone you know!! Promote the club so that other s can find us!! It s Summer! Don t forget the Pond Club owns a Pond Vacuum. If you would like to use it for your cleanouts, simply make arrangements with Pam Moore to come and get it.
Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Inc. Membership Application To become a member of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Complete this form and mail along with your dues to: Eastern Iowa Pond Society % Pam Moore 2010 Spoon Creek Ct. SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 New Membership Renew Membership Name: Address: Phone Number: E-mail Address: Dues are $10.00 per calendar year per family. Make checks payable to Eastern Iowa Pond Society, Inc. ALL newsletters can now be found on line at www. EIPS.org
Eastern Iowa Pond Society Our Mission Statement: The purpose of the Association shall be to create, promote and enlarge the hobbies of ponds, aquatic gardening, and keeping, breeding, appreciating, and exhibiting the wonderful world of fish. The Association shall disseminate information about t he above to the membership to engage in educational and social activities related to our purposes; and to acquire and own such property as may be necessary for any or all of the fore going purposes. Eastern Iowa Pond Society Jackie Allsup, Editor PO Box 148 Quasqueton, IA 52326