Momotaro website update - 10/31

[dcny]

just in case anyone's missed it. http://www.momotaro-koi.org/english/

Momotaro Koi Farm and Ministry of Fisheries Cooperation Plan
This is the current plan agreed upon in a series of meetings between Momotaro Koi Farm and the people at the Okayama Prefecture Ministry of Fisheries.

280 KHV-free fish, purchased from Kagoshima prefecture, are being tested 3 times using the PCR KHV test. Each testing group will consist of 10 fish, leaving 250 pieces. After the final negative test and a 3 week holding period in 23 C water, these 250 fish are to be introduced to all indoor ponds at Okayama Momotaro Koi Farm to see if they contract KHV from potential KHV carrier fish. These fish will be used in previously infected as well as uninfected greenhouses*. The final PCR test results will be known by November 2 and the test fish will be added after.

Once introduced, all ponds will be kept in the 18-25 C range. If any problems arise, the fish will be tested immediately. A positive test will result in that pond being destroyed immediately. If after 3 weeks, a pond shows no problems, the test fish will still be tested for KHV.

Mud Pond Nissai, Sansai, and Older
It is at the discretion of Momotaro Koi Farm to harvest the Nisai, Sansai, and older koi mud ponds. Okayama Momotaro Koi Farm has decided that these fish will be over-wintered in the mud ponds. Once the water temperatures reach 18-23 C, test koi will be added and observed for 3 weeks. Afterwards the KHV test fish will be tested using the PCR method. After all tests come back negative, the mudpond koi will be harvested and placed in an empty disinfected greenhouse most likely April or May when the water temperatures consistently reach 18 C**. Since these fish will be in a separate greenhouse, any later positive KHV tests will not suspend the 2006 breeding season.

Mud Pond Tosai
The two parties came to an agreement that it would be best to harvest all Tosai this fall to test for KHV and possibly destroy infected fish rather than wait until spring and risk setbacks to next year’s breeding season. All of the Tosai remaining in mudponds were harvested in the week of October 23-29. All of these fish were placed in the same greenhouse, the Auction House, in disinfected ponds. All of the 14 ponds harvested were tested using the PCR method. These ponds tested negative but we will still test with KHV-free koi.
The harvested tosai koi will be kept at temperatures between 18-25 C and will have the KHV-free test fish added in early November. Again, any positive tests will result in euthanasia of that pond. Even ponds that return negative test results will be retested throughout the winter and spring.

* All ponds that have tested positive for KHV have already been euthanized. Ponds that have tested negative for KHV using the PCR test will undergo more testing.
** If a mud pond tests positive for KHV, all koi within that mudpond will be euthanized in the mudpond, not moved to another location.

[Regenmeneer]

Sorry, maybe I'm misunderstanding this update from Momotaro, but how can the final results from the KHV testing procedure be known by the 2 nd November?

Regenmeneer

[Charlie_23456]

I believe the original update on the web site was posted on 31 Oct.

[Regenmeneer]

Hi Charlie, welcome to KB. Nice Tancho penguin you got there

But back to the up-date. If you start from the 31st of October, then 3 weeks keeping the control fish before checking 30 for KHV, then introducing them to the ponds and leaving them there to give them time to possibly attract KHV from carrierfish (which I guess would take some 3 weeks at least, but correct me if I'm wrong). By that time, thats at least six weeks, so 2nd of November sounds wrong to me?!

Anyone, Brian, Mike???????????

Regenmeneer

[Charlie_23456]

Thank you Regenmeneer!

The way I read it, the final testing results from the initial testing of all the ponds will be back on 02 Nov before the test fish being put in phase of the operation starts.

[MikeM]

Excellent news. By Spring people should be comfortable with Momotaro koi again.

[aquitori]

By Spring the Nisai I left should be alittle bit bigger when they harvest in April...I am cool with it...

[koinut]

Originally Posted by Regenmeneer

Hi Charlie, welcome to KB. Nice Tancho penguin you got there

But back to the up-date. If you start from the 31st of October, then 3 weeks keeping the control fish before checking 30 for KHV, then introducing them to the ponds and leaving them there to give them time to possibly attract KHV from carrierfish (which I guess would take some 3 weeks at least, but correct me if I'm wrong). By that time, thats at least six weeks, so 2nd of November sounds wrong to me?!

Anyone, Brian, Mike???????????

Regenmeneer

Hi Ray,

I believe what they are saying is that the last testing that was started in October will be finishing in November 2, and from that point, the test fish will be introduced into the ponds for another 3 weeks.

Daisuke told me that they started the original testing in October 5th, so the three week result landed on November 2.

Hope this clarifies things a little.
Rob

[Regenmeneer]

Thanx Rob! Re-reading it it makes sense. So the 250 fish should be in with the Momotaro koi since this week.

Regenmeneer

[dcny]

http://www.momotaro-koi.org/english/index.htm

KHV Testing Update
On October 31st we sent the 10 more KHV-free, test koi to be tested for KHV. This was the 3rd and final PCR test for our test koi to ensure that they were safe to use in our ponds. On November 1st the test results came back showing they were all negative and on November 3rd and 4th these test fish were added to the 1500 ton pond, both 500 ton ponds, and most of our Tosai ponds. We added to a total of 25 ponds.

These fish will be observed and tested in 3 weeks. We do not have enough test koi from our initial source so we will use some of our own Tosai that have been tested and observed over the past 4 weeks. As stated in earlier updates, these test koi will be added to all of our ponds to check if we have carrier fish present.

Also, on November 1st we sent 3 large koi from one of our 500 ton ponds for PCR testing. These all tested negative for KHV. This was just a precautionary check as all the koi in the 1500 ton and 500 ton ponds have been in good health this summer and fall.

Please continue to check back often for more news updates.