I see it... and I don't see it.

[luke frisbee]

I beleive that certain people that are koikichi would not ever have been koikichi if they had come in contact with koi if they lived in a different climate.
it is very easy to agree with me if you consider the southern states' koi keeper (i am talking about the real SOUTHERN States not you half Yankee Wannabe's...if you get snow every year..if you have to heat your pond just to keep a hole in it then you are not a Southern State.) having to be of the character to do all that is necesary to maintain koi over Winter.
But the reverse is true to a lesser extent... Some of the Yankees enjoy the adventure of bringing their koi inisde, and even more so recognizing that Spring has Sprung by getting the pond right, and then bringing the girls out for the Warm half of the year.
Down here it is the same ol same ol all year every year..it gets so boring...going out every morning to feed the fish and "once over" the pond... You yankees are more intimate with your koi...you have them up close and personal in your basements, or you coddle them the best you can if they have to stay outside... we just toos food watch em swim around ..and then go on with our day...we come home grab a coke and go sit by the pond dropping pellets in until the wife churttles that Soup is on.... Such a bland life for the Soputhern Koikeeper...you Yanakees must be ,more intimate with your koi. I'm not sure I would want to do that, or you would be happy doing what I do....

[PapaBear]

While I reject your "half yankee" definition (we get snow and ice every year, but Oklahoma will never be confused with yankee anything) I'll at least give you credit for part of your assessment.
Our Koi live outside all year. We provide very modest heat to keep things within a safe zone, but they still go very quiet in their mid 40's water. I look in on them every day to make sure all is well and spend a lot of winter time waiting impatiently for spring so "normal" can return and we can enjoy feeding time once again. We enjoy observing the changes in skin and color through the seasons as well and it adds a layer of learning to the winter timeline.

[schildkoi]

I've lived in and raised koi in three climates, true winter (heavy snow and heavy ice of Illinois and Wisconsin, moderate snow and ice of Oklahoma and Tennessee, and a "Southern Climate" of Texas. I've heated outside ponds, covered outside ponds, left ponds unheated and uncovered, and have brought the Koi inside. Each climate, even southern ones, have their own opportunities....benefits and detriments. The key is determining such (some are easier to figure out than others) and then adjusting your design and husbandry techniques accordingly.

Steve

[Lam Nguyen]

Sir Luke, I will trade you your Southern Non-Yankee lifestyle for my Pacific Northwest lifestyle anyday. Some people have it good and yet they don't realize it....rather they go looking over that fence thinking that the grass over yonder is indeed greener. I would love to see Sir Luke in snow gear out in minus weather clearing ice and snow off the filtration pit so that the pump won't freeze and you have to invest in new pumps. Or better yet, the "depression" that is involved when you look at your pond and the wet ones are nowhere in sight because they are all hovered on the bottom cuz their "buns" are frozen or the pond is frozen over. Or, or, how about this one, when spring comes along, you scramble just to make sure everything's clean so your koi won't "die". Or, one more, you decide to bring your koi inside, so you invest a lumpsome of dineros to build that state of the art (only to find it's not state of the art) QT tank inside the garage, then mold and mildew starts to grow in your once-nice garage, so the wife goes after you saying that you are an id$$ot or lun$ti# or....... And since you have that QT tank in your garage, you can't park your car inside, so it gets stolen and it takes months for the insurance company to pay you. Finally, you decide that you want to "run with the big dawgs" so you try to find ways to make your koi grow....well, in order to make your koi grow like them Southern States folks, you decide to design a pond next to the house and build a structure over it so you can be like them Southern folks. Except the structure has to be a glasshouse so your koi can get enough sunlight, so now you are looking at getting that third job just to save up enough money for this so-called passion of yours. "We Northerners have it good?" You might wanna reconsider this one, Sir Luke!

[111whalen]

No complaints from us "southern" folks. So. Cal is just fine with me. Although I do fast, I could feed all year long. However, there is another area of mixed blessings. My yard is always green and needs mowing. The northern guy...

[DomesticKoi.com]

As for us true Southerners having it easy, "say boring?" I disagree with Luke. There is nothing easy about koi keeping in the south in the months of July Aug & Sept.

There is the joy of chortling sweet nothings to our beloved stock, while Deerflies are sucking the blood and sweat off the back of your legs or that lovely sweet spot on your low back between your shorts and top don't quite meet when your bending over working on the pond and filters.
Lifting the lid on a filter drum and having flying small bugs invade your nose, mouth, eyes is just part of the joyful experience.
Finding scorpions around the edge of filters....is not boring, neither is being stung by one.

Here in the south we don't have a exclusive on hurricanes, lighting storms or tornados....there are plenty of those to go around for the whole koi community. Ok granted we don't have snow, our ponds do not freeze over for extended periods of time.
I'm no more or less intimate with my koi than a true koi keeper in any other region.

I do not do what you do or even the way you do it, but I wouldn't do what I do if I didn't love doin it!
c

[luke frisbee]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lam Nguyen Sir Luke, I will trade you your Southern Non-Yankee lifestyle for my Pacific Northwest lifestyle anyday. Some people have it good and yet they don't realize it....rather they go looking over that fence thinking that the grass over yonder is indeed greener. I would love to see Sir Luke in snow gear out in minus weather clearing ice and snow off the filtration pit so that the pump won't freeze and you have to invest in new pumps. Or better yet, the "depression" that is involved when you look at your pond and the wet ones are nowhere in sight because they are all hovered on the bottom cuz their "buns" are frozen or the pond is frozen over. Or, or, how about this one, when spring comes along, you scramble just to make sure everything's clean so your koi won't "die". Or, one more, you decide to bring your koi inside, so you invest a lumpsome of dineros to build that state of the art (only to find it's not state of the art) QT tank inside the garage, then mold and mildew starts to grow in your once-nice garage, so the wife goes after you saying that you are an id$$ot or lun$ti# or....... And since you have that QT tank in your garage, you can't park your car inside, so it gets stolen and it takes months for the insurance company to pay you. Finally, you decide that you want to "run with the big dawgs" so you try to find ways to make your koi grow....well, in order to make your koi grow like them Southern States folks, you decide to design a pond next to the house and build a structure over it so you can be like them Southern folks. Except the structure has to be a glasshouse so your koi can get enough sunlight, so now you are looking at getting that third job just to save up enough money for this so-called passion of yours. "We Northerners have it good?" You might wanna reconsider this one, Sir Luke!

Sir LAM,
Let me help you out of that beartrap. I intentionally stated what I did to get the response I got from you...
I was sitting here thinking about how you Yankees are some carzy Mofo's..and about how tough koi keeping is up there and how I wouldn't do it...but I knew I'd get the "oh it's not so bad." or the "Koi are a four season fish" responses.
SO I thought about it...and some people really do like the yankee weather and what it does to them and their relationships with their koi.

perhaps LAW, you have a Southerner's nature..I would like to have the "vacation" from the continuity of my lake.

[luke frisbee]

Quote: Originally Posted by DomesticKoi.com As for us true Southerners having it easy, "say boring?" I disagree with Luke. There is nothing easy about koi keeping in the south in the months of July Aug & Sept. There is the joy of chortling sweet nothings to our beloved stock, while Deerflies are sucking the blood and sweat off the back of your legs or that lovely sweet spot on your low back between your shorts and top don't quite meet when your bending over working on the pond and filters. Lifting the lid on a filter drum and having flying small bugs invade your nose, mouth, eyes is just part of the joyful experience. Finding scorpions around the edge of filters....is not boring, neither is being stung by one. Here in the south we don't have a exclusive on hurricanes, lighting storms or tornados....there are plenty of those to go around for the whole koi community. Ok granted we don't have snow, our ponds do not freeze over for extended periods of time. I'm no more or less intimate with my koi than a true koi keeper in any other region. I do not do what you do or even the way you do it, but I wouldn't do what I do if I didn't love doin it! c

Your last sentence is exactly what i was thinking...some people are genetcially produced to enjoy the everyday-ness of Florida koi keeping....personally I'd like a break in the regimen.

[Flounder]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lam Nguyen so the wife goes after you saying that you are an id$$ot or lun$ti# or.......

Lam, is there any chance your wife is related to mine?

[Lam Nguyen]

I wouldn't doubt it. Probably from the same village in 'Nam!