PURCHASING KOI, POND FISH & PLANTS

Aquatic plants like Hyacinth, Lettuce and many others commonly sold in the Water Gardening trade are tropical. They simply CANNOT survive the nighttime temperatures we could still experience in southeastern Wisconsin through the end of May. Stores that offer these plants for sale this early in the year either don't know what they're doing, or they don't care about YOU, their customers. Make no mistake, you WILL end up replacing these plants before June 1st if you put them outside now. Hoffer's Tropic Life offers some of the healthiest pond plants anywhere in the city... when it's time. Watch our outdoor pond garden as spring unfolds. When the temperature is right, our plants will be for sale.

The same thing applies to putting Koi and Ornamental Goldfish outside right now, but for different reasons. WAIT! Unless you are purchasing fish that have been housed outdoors all winter, the water in your outdoor pond is FAR TOO COLD to be stocking it with fish that were housed indoors. Even if you acclimate fish gradually, it would take several days to safely drop the temperature from a typical indoor range to where the outdoor water temperature is right now. It is not advisable to put fish outdoors until the water temperature in the outdoor pond is within 5 degrees Fahrenheit of the indoor water temperature. This means that if the indoor temperature is in the mid to upper 60's, the outdoor water temperature MUST be AT LEAST 60 degrees to safely put fish outside. Always measure the deepest water in the pond as early in the morning as you possibly can. This is when the water is at it's coolest. NEVER move fish when the temperature is between 54 - 60 degrees. At this temperature, pond fish are at their most vulnerable. Their bodies are burning calories, but they may not be interested in eating yet, so they're not replacing that energy. Their immune systems are at their weakest, and moving them may cause enough stress to put them in serious trouble. It's always best to wait until the morning temperature in the outdoor pond is consistently above 63 degrees or so before putting out fish that have been housed inside.

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We at Hoffer's Tropic Life Pets would like to take this opportunity to make all of our customers aware of a new threat to pond keepers. Actually, it's not that new, but it is becoming more and more of a concern with each passing season. Two deadly viruses have established themselves in the Koi and Pond Fish industry. The first, Spring Viremia of Carp, attacks only Koi, which are carp. The other, a strain of Herpes virus, attacks all fish. There are numerous symptoms, however, they can often look the same as less dangerous diseases. Typical signs of trouble include clamped fins, fish laying on the bottom, red spots or hemorraging on the body, sunken eyes, refusing food, etc. Because these diseases are viral, there is NO KNOWN CURE! Also, they are HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, and can wipe out an entire population of healthy fish in a matter of days. Both viruses are airborne, and can be brought home on clothing if you are in close contact with infected fish. Fortunately, these diseases are not widespread, and conscientious pond fish dealers should not experience problems. The good news is that fish tat become infected and survive seem to have a fairly strong immunity after that. In the 2004 season at least 6 of our customers had first hand experiences with these 2 viruses. In all cases the results were disasterous. Here are some suggestions for avoiding these 2 nasties:

*NEVER put newly purchased Koi, Shebunkins or Comet Goldfish directly into a pond containing existing healthy fish

*ALWAYS quarantine new purchases in a completely different area, as far away from your existing fish as possible. Keep new fish in quarantine for a minimum of 30 days before mixing with existing fish.

*NEVER use buckets, hoses, nets, food containers, plant pots, or any other equipment from your quarantine setup in your display pond, or vice versa.

*ALWAYS wash your hands and arms thoroughly with soap and water after working in your quarantine area. Change clothes as well, if going to work in your display pond immediately after working in your quarantine area. (A shower would not be a bad idea, either)

*Look Koi and other Pond Fish over carefully before purchasing them. DO NOT buy fish that look questionable. Ask how long the vendor has had their fish. Avoid new arrivals. If a salesperson seems vague or does not know the history of the fish you are looking at, either find someone who knows, or walk away.

It is not our intention to discourage anyone from Water Gardening. Rather, we would like to offer as much helpful information as possible to new hobbyists, as well as veterans who may not be aware of these problems. In the 2004 season we became aware that many stores that sell pond fish and supplies in our area were either completely oblivious to these issues or were outright denying any problems with their fish, or their responsibility to their customers. This troubles us here at Hoffer's, and we WANT you to know. We buy our pond fish from breeders and importers that we have been doing business with for decades. Since the viral infections are known primarily from domestic (raised in the U.S.) fish, we only buy from one supplier, whom we've known and trusted for years. Our imported Koi come from Malaysia and Vietnam, countries that, as of the first of this year, and not experienced Spring Viremia of Koi like Japan and so many other Koi producing countries around the world.

If you have any questions about these issues, or pond keeping in general, we hope you will let our staff know.

THE AQUATIC STAFF AT HOFFER'S TROPIC LIFE PETS