Dubuque Arboretum lost 300 koi & need more; Can your club help?

[koicluboftheair]

Disaster hit the Dubuque Arboretum during the first week of January 2006 resulting in the loss of 300 koi as their pump failed. This story appears to have hit the press today and they are looking for donations to replenish the fish. They are looking to stock only about eight koi for starters. Is that something your club can help with? I've contacted Jackie Allsup with the Eastern Iowa Pond Society that might be able to help.


Arboretum contact information is:
Location: 3800 Arboretum Drive, Dubuque, IA 52001
Phone: (563) 556 2100
Fax: (563) 556 2443
Email form @ http://www.dubuquearboretum.com//mailform.html


If your group could make a fish donation it could be a good deed followed with positive media coverage of the clubs efforts as this story has been widely covered in the media around Dubuque.

http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4326201&nav=1LFX

http://www.kcci.com/news/5887191/detail.html

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS08/60106004/1001/NEWS08

[dinh]

Already emailed Dubuque Arboretum to let them know that we are more than willing to help them out by donating some koi for them to replenish the fish as request.

It seems like we would like to know a little bit more in details to understand the cause that killed them. For 300 koi, assuming they must have a large pond or a mud pond. But they posted that:

"Officials say a water pump had been broken for several days, causing the pond to freeze and cut off surface air and sunlight to the fish".


With a large pond frozen over surface without water pump for just several days, it's difficult to understand the oxygen is the guilty party to the loss of 300 koi? would love to hear other comments?

--Dinh

Quote: Originally Posted by koicluboftheair Disaster hit the Dubuque Arboretum during the first week of January 2006 resulting in the loss of 300 koi as their pump failed. This story appears to have hit the press today and they are looking for donations to replenish the fish. They are looking to stock only about eight koi for starters. Is that something your club can help with? I've contacted Jackie Allsup with the Eastern Iowa Pond Society that might be able to help. Arboretum contact information is: Location: 3800 Arboretum Drive, Dubuque, IA 52001 Phone: (563) 556 2100 Fax: (563) 556 2443 Email form @ http://www.dubuquearboretum.com//mailform.html If your group could make a fish donation it could be a good deed followed with positive media coverage of the clubs efforts as this story has been widely covered in the media around Dubuque. http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4326201&nav=1LFX http://www.kcci.com/news/5887191/detail.html http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS08/60106004/1001/NEWS08

[MikeM]

Good point, Dinh. This may have been a well-managed pond that simply suffered an unfortunate event. Many ponds in parks, however, are simply large holes filled with water. Without knowledgeable staff to maintain them, this type of thing occurs. If I was closer, I'd be happy to send a couple of mine; but not at this time of year. Iowa has long, harsh winters. I think they would do better to wait until May or June to re-stock.

[koicluboftheair]

Quote: Originally Posted by dinh Already emailed Dubuque Arboretum to let them know that we are more than willing to help them out by donating some koi for them to replenish the fish as request. It seems like we would like to know a little bit more in details to understand the cause that killed them. For 300 koi, assuming they must have a large pond or a mud pond. But they posted that: "Officials say a water pump had been broken for several days, causing the pond to freeze and cut off surface air and sunlight to the fish". With a large pond frozen over surface without water pump for just several days, it's difficult to understand the oxygen is the guilty party to the loss of 300 koi? would love to hear other comments? --Dinh

As one report described the circumstances of the event the koi-keeper died last year and the equipment failure was the straw that broke the camel's back. I'd assume they could also use assistance in training a new koi-keeper or otherwise maybe a Koi Health Advisor assessment of the pond conditions.

[dinh]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM Good point, Dinh. This may have been a well-managed pond that simply suffered an unfortunate event. Many ponds in parks, however, are simply large holes filled with water. Without knowledgeable staff to maintain them, this type of thing occurs. If I was closer, I'd be happy to send a couple of mine; but not at this time of year. Iowa has long, harsh winters. I think they would do better to wait until May or June to re-stock.

Yes Mike, we just don't want to send them koi that will end up the same way....
that why I wonder the cause.... you see, if the cause due to broken pump for just serveral days, then atleast one or few can survive, but seems like all of them were gone. No survival at all.....

[koicluboftheair]

Quote: Originally Posted by dinh Yes Mike, we just don't want to send them koi that will end up the same way.... that why I wonder the cause.... you see, if the cause due to broken pump for just serveral days, then atleast one or few can survive, but seems like all of them were gone. No survival at all.....

I've contacted Spike Cover, director of the AKCA Koi Health Advisor program to see if he can quickly identify someone in that area that could offer to assess pond conditions prior to inclusion of more koi.

thanks!

[dinh]

Quote: Originally Posted by koicluboftheair I've contacted Spike Cover, director of the AKCA Koi Health Advisor program to see if he can quickly identify someone in that area that could offer to assess pond conditions prior to inclusion of more koi. thanks!

Yes, Spike can help to identify.

There is a koi club in Iowa, Eastern Iowa Pond Society.
Please contact Carol & Dennis Sindelar
at the following email and number:
fishlounge1@cs.com
(319) 365-1839

I am sure the EIPS club can help out.

--Dinh

[koifishgirl]

Could it have been that the ponds were stocked heavy because it was winter? Then when power was lost to many large koi in the pond depleted the water of o2? Even with low oxygen taken in this time of year I would think that if heavy stocked a problem like this can happen.

I can remember here when we had a very large rain and the catfish pond was stocked heavy, durining the rain we lost 98 very large catfish due to o2 levals droping to low. Smaller fish made it but all the large ones died.

[koicluboftheair]

Quote: Originally Posted by dinh Yes, Spike can help to identify. There is a koi club in Iowa, Eastern Iowa Pond Society. Please contact Carol & Dennis Sindelar at the following email and number: fishlounge1@cs.com (319) 365-1839 I am sure the EIPS club can help out. --Dinh

I did indeed contact them moments ago.

thanks!

[aquitori]

I Emailed the Arboretum last nite so I dont think they are goin to be reponding anyways.....plus, I would think the local club would be seeking to help since they live in that neck of the woods....Anyways, if these guys need fish they need to setup a QT process for the fish the are goin to get, they need to winter these fish indoors then release the fish in spring....