koi pond

The place for koi pond news and koi pond information



Koi ponds are the king of fish ponds. What exactly is a koi pond and what are koi? A koi pond is a pond that is built strictly for koi, which are Japanese hybridized carp. Some people mistakenly think that koi are oversized goldfish, but that is not the case at all. Though both koi and goldfish are from the carp family, koi are identified by their whiskers, which goldfish do not have. Koi can also get much larger than goldfish.

Breeds of Koi

There are many different breeds of koi and all koi breeds come in all sorts of different colors. Some of the most common and favorite breeds of koi include the following:

1. The butterfly koi which is more popular in the United States and Europe than in Japan. The butterfly koi is actually a cross breed between the traditional Japanese koi with the Indonesian long fin carp. The common characteristics of the butterfly koi include the long trailing tail fins and side fins. Butterfly koi come in many colors ranging from yellows, oranges, and reds to blacks and different calico colors.

2. The doitsu is another unique breed of koi. Like the butterfly koi, this koi is also a cross breed, but with the German leather skinned carp. The German leather skinned carp was originally bred for eating purposes, not as an ornamental fish, but when mixed with koi, you get a koi with some blues and silvers. The doitsu is different from other koi because the doitsu does not have scales, like other koi do. The doitsu has instead the leathery skin of the German leather-skinned carp.

3. The asagi is the breed for those who like the traditional Japanese koi. The asagi koi are usually blue-grey and some have a red underbelly.

a. The tancho is a hybrid of the asagi breed of koi. The characteristic of the tancho koi is the bright head patch on a white or silver fish.

b. The kohaku is the typical koi breed. These koi can be either red or red and white.

Other koi can be of all different kinds of colors. Some of the most beautiful koi are the ones that have the metallic look to them.

Building your koi pond

Building a koi pond is just like building any other pond. The only difference is that the koi pond has to be rather large. Koi are large fish. Though the koi that you can buy at your pond supply store for $20 to $30 might be about 14 to 16 inches, you need to keep in mind that these fish will grow and they will grow fast given the right environment. Koi can get to two or three feet in length. Sometimes koi have been known to outgrow their pond.

Typically, a koi pond should be more than three feet deep and more than ten feet wide and long. The rule for a koi pond is the bigger, the better. Koi get big and need room to swim. Furthermore, many people think that koi need special attention, but that is not the case. Because koi are carps, they can coexist in the same pond with other goldfish also. What is needed, however, is good filtration.

Filtration

Filtration is very important, not only for koi, but also for other pond fish as well. What you need for a fish pond in general is a moving water feature such as a water fall or some type of fountain that is powered by a pump. The motion of the water aerates the water. This is very important, because the fish need oxygen, otherwise they will suffocate. Attached to the intake of your pump, you should have a good filtration system. The most common filtration system is in a box that is known as a skimmer. A skimmer works by having a box with a weir window being two-thirds out of the water. Behind the weir window is a basket that catches any kind of floating debris such as leaves, tree pollens, etc. Beneath the basket is the filter media. Filter media is a porous fibrous material that traps the fish's excrement.

Biological Solutions

Biological solutions can also play an integral part to keeping your koi pond healthy. When you have a koi pond or a fish pond of any kind, you are creating an echo system and you want this echo system just right for the fish to survive. The biological solutions are usually different bacteria that are found in natural ponds and bodies of water. These bacteria are harmless to the fish, other animals and humans. These bacteria have a range of functions in the pond which include dissolving the muck that accumulates in the filters, keeping the water clear and dissolving decaying matter. Bacteria also help in denitrifying the water of nitrogen that forms nitrates which are highly toxic to the fish.

Aerating Systems

Aerating systems are important as well. There are a large variety of plants that are underwater plants which help aerate the water. Furthermore, when you have koi in your pond, you will learn quickly that koi are beautiful colorful vandals that chew all the plants in the pond and therefore the need for mechanical aeration arises. All you need is a simple aerator which is an air pump that is connected to a transparent flexible pipe and attached to a porous stone that dangles under the water. The stone should be about halfway under the water and is usually suspended by a Styrofoam floater.

Winterization

Koi, like other carp, are cold, hardy and with the proper equipment your koi can survive all winter outside. Clearly, in the colder climates you probably will not have the water features running so there is no filtration. That is also no problem, because the fish are cold-blooded and as the temperature drops below 47 degrees Fahrenheit, the fish will usually stay at the bottom of the pond and move very less, therefore use less oxygen. For the winter, several things are needed to keep your fish alive.

1. A floating heater is needed to keep a small hole in the ice. It is very imperative that your pond does not freeze over. Ice can cut off the oxygen into the pond and the carbon dioxide that the fish exhale will not be able to escape out of the water.

2. A mechanical aerator keeps a steady flow of oxygen in the water and allows the fish to breath. Just because the fish are hibernating does not mean that they are not consuming oxygen. They don't consume as much as in the summer months, but if deprived of oxygen, even in the winter, they will suffocate and perish.

Feeding koi

Feeding your koi, like goldfish, is seasonal. There are special diets for koi, but many of the so-called high nutrient koi pellets should be used sparingly. If you put too much fish food in the pond, you will end up with an algae boom. This will cause your pond to become murky and sometimes even smelly. The best food for koi and goldfish is the Tetra Pond Sticks. This is a common brand found in most of your local stores and has the right amount of nutrients needed in the summer. These foods as well as the specialized koi pellets should only be fed to the fish from late spring to early fall when the water temperature is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In the early spring and late fall, when the water temperature in your pond is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and above 47 degrees Fahrenheit, you should feed your fish a special fall/spring blend. In these times of the year, the water is yet too cold for the fish to properly metabolize and will produce more excrement than necessary, poisoning the pond. In the winter, your fish do not need to be fed.

A koi pond can be a lot of work for someone who does not have the time to take care of the pond, but for those who enjoy these gorgeous fish, a koi pond can bring years of fun for the whole family.

larry holmes

Its been in the reports today so you might hear quite a lot about larry holmes in the coming daytimes.



When people talk about heavyweight boxing in the 1980's there's 2 definable periods for the division with 2 separate dominant fighters. With Mike Tyson dominating the latter half of the decade, it is Larry Holmes who took the first half and acted as king during the post-Ali pre-Tyson era.

Born in Cuthbert, Georgia, on November 3rd 1949 he made his debut in 1973 in a decade that is remembered as one of the most exciting heavyweight scenes history had ever seen, fighters like Ali, Frazier and Foreman dominated the decade whilst other top fighters were there or thereabouts. Fighters like Ken Norton, Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers were the key challengers, though in almost any other decade they could each have had a decent title run.

After making his debut in March he had racked up 7 wins by December, a rather busy year by anyone's standards though this was the way that Holmes career often seemed. Despite only 3 fights in 1974 (totalling 12 rounds) they were again all wins, leaving him 10-0 inside 24 months as a professional fighter. 1975 made up for the lack of fights the previous year with 9 fights again winning them all 8 by KO. It was also in 1975 that that Holmes fought outside of the US for the first time, appearing on the undercard of the third Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight, better known as The Thrilla in Manilla, in the Philippines. This was possibly a form of thank you for Holmes who had previously acted as a sparring partner for Ali.

1976 was a quiet year again with just 3 fights for Holmes, which went a total of 20 rounds (2 KO's going 2 rounds and 8 and a 10 round decision). 4 fights in 1977 had left Holmes highly ranked and unbeaten with 26 straight wins. The following year changed his life completely though, as Ali lost his WBC and WBA titles to Leon Spinks, and Spinks deciding to rematch Ali the WBC title was stripped away from Spinks. Ken Norton was effectively given the title due to his in in an eliminator against Jimmy Young. In Holmes' first fight of the year he fought an eliminator for the WBC title against hard hitting and experienced fight Earnie Shavers (who had a record 54-6-1 with 52 KO's). Holmes won an easy points decision by 12 points on 2 of the cards and 10 on the third to be given a shot at Norton.

The fight with Norton (40-4) was fought on July 9th in Holmes' second fight of the year, in a close 15 round contest that was given to Holmes by the narrowest of margins (the scores were 143-142 twice to Holmes and the same to Norton on the third card for a split decision). It was to be the the start of the Holmes era that would last well into the following decade and his last close fight for a long time.

The reign started with 7 straight stoppage wins (1 at the end of 1978 and 3 in 1979 and 1980) before the proverbial torch was passed as Ali came out of retirement to face his former sparring partner at the end of 1980. The fight was a sadly 1 sided affair that saw Ali, a shadow of himself toyed with by the excellent jab of Holmes that so many other opponents had had their own attacks negated by. In the end Angelo Dundee (Ali's trainer) did the good thing and saved his man from a longer beating, though this was after 10 rounds. During the fight it repeatedly seemed like Holmes was unwilling to try and finish Ali instead asking the referee to step in Richard Greene seemed unhappy to do so as despite it being one sided Ali never seemed in genuine trouble of being harmed (the problem with having a rather granite chin).

1981 saw Holmes defend his WBC title over Trevor Berbick (the first man to take Holmes the distance after he won the title) before stopping Leon Spinks and the previously unbeaten Renaldo Snipes (who put Holmes down). 1982 saw one of the richest fights of the 1980's when Holmes the unbeaten black champion (39-0) faced the Great white hope Gerry Cooney who was also unbeaten (25-0). The fight was almost solely sold on the race element and had been been a tense build up, their hadn't been a white champion since Ingenmar Johansson had held the belt in 1960, and their hadn't been a white American champion since Rocky Marciano retired in 1956. Cooney was seen as the the best chance white America had of regaining the title until Holmes stopped him in the 13th round. It wouldn't be until Tommy Morrison in 1993 that a white American would hold a heavyweight belt.

After the Cooney fight Holmes followed it with a one sided beat down of Randall Tex Cobb, a beating so bad that it's often cited as the reason that Howard Cossell gave up commentating on boxing. The fact Cobb lasted the distance was more a case of him having an impressive chin and the referee (Steve Crosson) letting it go, as it could have been stopped plenty of times.

Wins over Lucien Rodriguez and Tim Witherspoon (the first close fight of Holmes' reign with Holmes winning a split decision against the previously unbeaten Terrible Tim) started 1983, these were followed up by stoppage wins over unbeaten fighters Scott Frank and Marvis Frazier (son of Smokin' Joe).

With the foundation of the International Boxing Federation in 1983 they had been relatively obscure since the break away from the WBA and in an attempt to gain to establish itself, it offered Holmes a chance to become their inaugural champion. In return he vacated the WBC title to take up the position as the IBF's title holder. He would make the first defence of this title against James Bonecrusher Smith (who would go on to be a future WBA champion). At the time the records of the fighters were 45-0 (Holmes) and 14-1 (Smith) a rather large disparity in experience and quality as Holmes stopped him in the 12th round (of 15).

1985 Started with a TKO victory (in the 10th) over unbeaten David Bey, he followed this with a victory over another unbeaten fight in Carl Williams (unanimous decision). This left Holmes at 48-0 1 victory short of tying Rocky Marciano's record of 49-0. Holmes' third fight of 1985 was against former light Heavyweight kind Michael Spinks, who was unbeaten in 27 fights (all victory's) and a gold medallist (in the middleweight division at Montreal in 1976).

In the Ring magazine upset of the year (1985) Spinks beat Holmes by a unanimous decision to end Holmes' streak and become the first Light Heavyweight champion to become World Heavyweight champion (Bob Fitzsimmons had done it the other way around 80 years previous). Spinks with his brother (Leon) also became the first brothers to hold the World heavyweight titles (though the Klitschkos became the first to hold titles at the same time). He was also the first Olympic middleweight gold medallist since Floyd Patterson to win a heavyweight title.

A rematch the following year was again given to Spinks (though it was a split decision), this lead to Holmes' retiring for the first time with a record of 48-2. The retirement lasted less than 2 years as he came back to face Mike Tyson who had become the first man to re-unify the then three world titles (WBC, WBA and IBF). Tyson was unbeaten with 32 wins and was being spoken about himself as possibly being able to beat Marciano's record. For the first (and only) time in Holmes' career he was stopped in the 4th round.

Another retirement followed before a comeback in 1991, 3 years after the Tyson fight, a string of 6 straight wins (including one against a then unbeaten Ray Mercer) had elevated Holmes to a position to fight for the unified WBC/WBA/IBF titles then held by Evander Holyfield. Holyfield would defeat Holmes via points decision but only by 4 points (on 2 cards) and 6 points (on the third).

After running up another 7 wins in a with out a loss Holmes was given another chance to win the title. He was put up against the Atomic Bull Oliver McCall the WBC champion who managed to win a close but unanimous decision (scores of 112-115, 114-115 and 113-114 all favouring McCall). This would be his last chance at the accepted titles, though 4 more wins over rather poor opposition lead to him getting a fight with Brian Nielsen from Denmark.

Nielsen had won 38 straight and held the lowly regarded IBO title at the time, Nielsen went on to beat Holmes via split decision over a decade after Holmes had originally retired. Ironically Nielsen actually did go 49-0 before losing via 10th round TKO to Dicky Ryan.

After that loss Holmes would fight but rather infrequently, having 4 fights between 1997 and 2002. The opponents here were journeyman Maurice Harris, former champions James Bonecrusher Smith and Mike Weaver who we're also well past their best. In 2002 though Holmes had his last fight, against Eric Esch, better known as Butterbean. Holmes would twin this then retire with a record of 69(44KO's)-6. At that point he was 52 years old.

Inside the ring it was his piston like jab that had made him such a force, out side of the ring though his mouth had often put the crowd off him. Comments regarding Rocky Marciano (after failing to tie his record) were the most infamous though other comments haven't helped.

In title fights, Holmes, otherwise known as the "Easton Assassin" went 21-5 with 20 straight defences during a career that spanned from 1973-2002.

Though Holmes may never get the full respect he deserves due to the fact he he wasn't as charismatic as the man before him (Ali) or as destructive as the man after him (Tyson). His reign was one of the most dominant (only Joe Louis has more defences of the heavyweight title in history) he beat a host of great fighters and he deserves the place in every top 10 heavyweight list. One of the most under-rated heavyweight champions in history who hopefully with time will get the recognition he deserves.

rudolph valentino

If you actually need to find out info about rudolph valentino then this is the blog that has it all

soul pancake

There is a load of facts about soul pancake that you may or not find functional.

Memphis is a city that lives and breathes music. It is an important place in the development of the blues, gospel, jazz, and rock'n'roll. So if you're going to drive to Memphis, start by picking out your travel soundtrack. A few song recommendations include: Graceland, by Paul Simon; anything by Elvis, but especially Heartbreak Hotel and Memphis TN; Walking in Memphis, Mark Cohn; and It's Still Rock'n'Roll To Me, by Billy Joel.

There are tons of hotels in Memphis, and where you choose to stay will depend primarily on your budget. If you're looking for a place that is not scary, but budget-friendly, I recommend the Red Roof Inn. Rooms start at $41 per night. Book ahead either on their website, www.redroof.com, or by calling (901) 388-6111. There are stores and restaurants nearby, including Cracker Barrel for good Southern comfort food.

Set your alarm early to take advantage of the free admission walk-up time to the Meditation Garden on the grounds of Graceland. This is were Elvis and other members of his family are buried. Graceland parking is located at 3717 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN, 38116. (Consult www.mapquest.com for detailed directions there from your hotel.)

If you want to tour the mansion and grounds, you can buy a ticket beginning at 8:30 a.m. beginning at $27. On the tour, you can see Elvis's home and 14-acre estate, many of his stage costumes and awards, and personal possessions. If you don't want to spend that much, the look around as much as you can when you go to the Meditation Garden (gates open for that at 7:30 a.m.). Walk across the street to the Heartbreak Hotel. Enjoy a quick look around at the memorabilia and Elvis tributes.

After enjoying your visit with the King (note that no one is allowed upstairs in his house-many claim this is because the King lives), go to the IHOP around the corner (1277 E Shelby Dr) for a pancake breakfast.

After eating, head to historic Beale Street to visit the Memphis Rock'n'Soul Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute. They tell the story of the birth of rock'n'roll and soul music, and have exhibits with costumes, instruments, and other information (including lots of music to listen to) about important musicians in these genres. Tickets cost $10. Find out more about them on their website www.memphisrocknsoul.org.

After leaving the Rock'n'Soul Museum, take some time to walk around Beale Street.

In Marc Cohn's classic song "Walking in Memphis", he talks about walking with his "feet ten feet off of Beale." This street has been an important gathering and performing place for gospel, soul, and rock'n'roll musicians since the 1800s. When he arrived in Memphis, Riley B. King started performing on Beale Street, and was nicknamed "the Beale Street Blues Boy". He shortened it to B.B., and became one of the most successful blues musicians ever. There's now a statue of him on Beale Street.

Make sure to stop by A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store at 163 Beale. It hasn't changed much since in opened in 1876, and still sells $0.99 neckties, voodoo and blues paraphernalia, and Sunday School Badges.

Occupying #315 on Beale is the Hard Rock Café. Don't bother eating there, but stop by to see their huge collection of music memorabilia.

There are tons of restaurants and bars on Beale Street, most of which have live music. Take your pick for lunch.

Just over 2 miles away, at 824 South Dudley Street, is the Elmwood Cemetery. It was founded in 1852 and spans over 80 acres. Over 75,000 people are burdied there, including suffragettes, blues singers, outlaws, politicians, millionaires, Civil War soldiers, and religious leaders.

If you have time and are there on the right days, here are three extra stops to make:

1. If you are in town on a Tuesday, the Memphis Zoo has free admission from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

2. The Brooks Museum of Art has free admission every Wednesday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

3. All day every Wednesday, the Shelby Forest and J.D. Fuller State Parks offer free admission.

Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel. The Motel has now been preserved and converted into the National Civil Rights Museum. Although they charge admission earlier in the day, admission is always free beginning at 3:00 p.m. Look on their website (www.civilrightsmuseum.org) for more information.

This is the home of information on the Nobel P{rize winning Civil Rights leader, the Civil Rights Movement, as well as exhibits on other pacifist activists, such as Gandhi.

Make sure you leave with enough time to get to he Peabody Hotel. At 5:00 p.m., their resident ducks will walk on a red carpet from the hotel's fountain to their rooftop home to the music of Sousa. This has been a tradition since the 1930s; see their website www.peabodymemphis.com for details and pictures.

After seeing the ducks and the posh Peabody Hotel, walk or drive around the corner (it's only 1/3 of a mile away) to the Gibson Retail Store. Located next door to their factory, the Gibson store has a wide selection of Gibson instruments and features a "relaxing play area" where you can try out your favorites. They're open until 6:00 p.m. If you have any problems finding them, give them a call on (901) 544-7998 ext. 4075.

After playing the beautiful instruments, hop back into the car to drive by the Pink Palace Museum. You can go in if you want, but even if you don't, it's worth seeing from the outside. The house, named for the pink stones used to build it, was the home of Clarence Saunders, who founded Piggly Wiggly in 1916.

There are loads of other wonderful places in Memphis to discover and explore, and I hope you enjoy your trip to the city of soul.

arcata ca

I was just studying this about arcata ca and thought it may make a solid post to my blog.



The Art Academy at HSU is an establishment that offers art lesson to children and youth ages 5 - 17. Children are taught not only artistic techniques, but also the cultural value and history that art provides. Creating new ways to artistically define the boundaries and influences of our neighborhoods, county, nation and world will be the focus of this year, 2005-2006, at the Art Academy. During the Fall term, although it has been cancelled, the focus was "Defining Our Neighborhood through Art". The students were to explore the creative influences and impacts of their families, neighbors, and community members and their inspirations were to come from stories and memories of past experiences that involve these people. During the Winter term, Jan 14th through March 4th, the focus will be "Defining our Nation through Art". The students will explore how their heritage and culture has been a creative influence for them and how technology has affected their artistic abilities. During the Spring term, April 8th through June 10th, students will be focusing on "Defining our World through Art". They will be exploring how other cultures and heritages have influenced their art and incorporating the influences from other cultures into their artwork. Art appreciation and exploration will be supplemented by a combination of different art media and building techniques.

The Art Academy hosts and Open House for parents and others to come out and get information about the program and schedule of current classes that are offered. For the Winter term, the Open House will be held on January 7, 2006 and for the Spring term, it will be held on April 1, 2006. All Open House events are from 10am to noon in the Art Building, room 24.

Classes are held Saturdays throughout the academic year and a two-week session during the summer in the Art building at Humboldt State University. Classes at the Art Academy are divided by age and level: Level I is for ages 5 to 6 and are from 10am to 11:30am in room 24; level II is for ages 7 to 8 and are from 1pm to 2:30pm in room 105; level III is for ages 9 to 10 from 10am to 11:30 in room 105; level IV is for ages 11 to 13 and are from 1pm to 2:30pm in room 24; and level V is for ages 14 to 17 and are from 3pm to 5pm in room 24. There is space for 12 students in each class and registration is on a first come first serve basis.

Tuition for the Art Academy during Spring, Winter, and Fall terms are $90 for levels I through IV and $105 for level V; there is a $5 additional charge for an HSU library card or registration sticker for those who are interested. Tuition is paid upon registration or according to a previously established payment plan. Partial scholarships are available to a limited number of students. This tuition will cover art materials, rental of studio space and teachers salaries. 

The Art Academy
Art Department
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521-8299 · 707-826-3819

baltimore colts

There is a load of information about baltimore colts that you may or not find usable.



ESPN featured the Baltimore Colts band Tuesday in a film by Barry Levinson. The band stayed together for the 12 years from the departure of the Colts to the arrival of the Ravens, and even played a University of Virginia halftime in the late 1990s.
Sports Illustrated has an article on the band from the fall of 1986.