Transporting Koi to the Show

[johnsmith]

I guess I'm not following the gossip here, but you can get a reaction from a koi by touching/pinching the tail/tail tube area- it is an involuntary flight reaction and can increase adreline and circulation. Is that what this judge was saying? Was the fish groggy from carbon dioxide in the bag? JR

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnsmith Is that what this judge was saying?

How would one Know JR? When he just walked away chuckling... Anyhow needless to say the koi are fine. No pinching was done and a lesson was learned..

Joe

[johnsmith]

I'm sorry Joe, I'm not following? JR

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnsmith I'm sorry Joe, I'm not following? JR

How would one know when the only statement was "pinch the tail" laugh and walk away.. No explanation.. Sounded more of like a Joke as one walked away..

Anyhow like I said.. a lesson was learned and the koi woke up after a more than a few acrobat's

Maybe we should move this into the koi CPR section. As this is about koi transport..

Joe

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sangreaal ...But what about a koi's disposition? If the fight or flight mechanism is a fine hair trigger in the specimen you want to show, wouldn't transport and showing do some traumatizing? Would transport with a laid-back buddy that takes everything as it comes help at all? How soon do they bounce back from the ordeal after getting home? And what about QT? How long? Marie the Inquirer

As far as QT goes, to be on the safe side I would think the same procedures as a new acquisition would apply. Exposure to "foreign" fish is no different than a new purchase as far as I'm concerned.
Koi disposition would be a go/no go decision maker for me in showing. A fish with a bad reaction to handling is likely to fall apart (bloody gills, fading color, etc...) and not be in show condition anyway, but moving it from the pond to quarantine/purge tank before the show will tell you how it reacts. If it can't handle that, don't take it to the show. I suppose that part really comes down to what kind of "relationship" you are able to establish with the ones you plan to show. If they aren't comfortable being handled by you at home chances are slim they'll fare well under show conditions.
Bear in mind, this advice is coming from a guy who has only transported Koi a few times, and never to a show...yet

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by PapaBear As far as QT goes, to be on the safe side I would think the same procedures as a new acquisition would apply. Exposure to "foreign" fish is no different than a new purchase as far as I'm concerned. Koi disposition would be a go/no go decision maker for me in showing. A fish with a bad reaction to handling is likely to fall apart (bloody gills, fading color, etc...) and not be in show condition anyway, but moving it from the pond to quarantine/purge tank before the show will tell you how it reacts. If it can't handle that, don't take it to the show. I suppose that part really comes down to what kind of "relationship" you are able to establish with the ones you plan to show. If they aren't comfortable being handled by you at home chances are slim they'll fare well under show conditions. Bear in mind, this advice is coming from a guy who has only transported Koi a few times, and never to a show...yet

All very good points, Larry, because when any animal, especially a fish, moves into the feral/fear mindset, they can really hurt themselves in more ways than one. Fear can drop the immune threshold into the dirt while the adrenaline is rushing, and I don't know about koi (though I suspect it could be true in some cases), but some animals actually fade their colors, sometimes to an ashen white like in Macaws and humans--their faces lose all color at the moment of a fear adrenaline rush. So does an octopus. So it would seem like it would behoove the koi keeper that plans to show to either work on socializing and desensitizing their flighty charges, or when picking out koi for possible show, take note of that koi's disposition.

I have work, then, to do with Shiia the GR Showa and Blurt the GR Hi Utsuri. They are both high voltage koi, Shiia because of fear (we're working on it and she's doing good, but she's not all the way to confidence yet), and Blurt....well Blurt is just a lightning quick thinking koi. Everything she does is fast, in a Blurt (hence the name), even if it's right into my hand. She blurts and barges, and I don't think she's going to slow herself down anytime soon. Would probably even be a jumper in the bowl...not a good thing at a show, I would imagine. How often does that happen?

And just a stray question that just popped into my mind:
Are there any tranquilizers used to calm koi in transit? Whether it be to a show or shipping through the mail, is this ever done, and if so, what are the pros and cons of the agents used and the practice itself?

Marie

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sangreaal ...just a stray question that just popped into my mind: Are there any tranquilizers used to calm koi in transit? Whether it be to a show or shipping through the mail, is this ever done, and if so, what are the pros and cons of the agents used and the practice itself? Marie

I'm gonna leave that one to someone else because I know nothing about proper dosing for tranqs (other than clove oil drops for medicating, etc...) , but I bet somebody does .

[RayJordan]

I really like a product made by jungle labs called bag buddies. They are small blue tablets you place in the bag with the koi. They work great. Koi stay calmer and there is much fresher smelling water than when I forget to use them.

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by RayJordan I really like a product made by jungle labs called bag buddies. They are small blue tablets you place in the bag with the koi. They work great. Koi stay calmer and there is much fresher smelling water than when I forget to use them.

Would you happen to know what the active and inactive ingredients are in "Bag Buddies?" Just curious as to what substances are used...

Marie

[koiczar]

Quote: Originally Posted by carolyn swanson I always wondered about hydrogen peroxide as an emergency quick fix in times of low oxygen. Someone once suggested that a spray bottle of it be carried when fish were being transported.

Carolyn

Excelllent point!! YES, Hydrogen Peroxide is something that should be carried. Especially for long haul trips using bags/boxes. I chaired a show a few years ago and one entrants fish came in in very bad shape (to the point where two were almost dead). One of the other hobbiests ran out to his car and came back with a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide. At that time I hadn't realized what it would do. Within 5 minutes the fish were starting to behave normally though showed signs of stress. After being released in the show vat, after about 30 minutes the fish showed no signs of any ill effects. I was really impressed and have always remembered what I saw that day.

Thanks for bringing it up

Mike