16th Annual
Midwest Pond and Koi Society
Koi Show 2008

Main || Awards || Rules || Entry form || Sponsorship || Show Schedule || Seminars || Location

Come show your Koi! Preparing your fish for a show English style show Accomodations Koi Registration & Identification

Mandatory Show Vat Reservations Fish Transport and Exhibition Point System for Determining Vat Requirements Show Schedule Sizes and Awards

If you plan to show your koi at the sixteenth annual MPKS Show, August 22 is right around the corner! It's time to start selecting the fish you might like to take, and also to start planning your "pre-show prep" activities (more on that later). If you DON"T plan to show your fish, we wish you would give it some serious thought.

We wrote a couple of articles recently for the MPKS newsletter, on the topic of "Do I have a Show Koi in my pond?" What better way to get an answer to that question than to have your koi evaluated by real live certified Koi judges!

Bryan Bateman and Kevin Karstens
Koi Show Co-Chairs

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PRE-SHOW PREPARATION OF YOUR KOI

We promised earlier to touch on "pre-show prep". Many serious hobbyists take this to an extreme - sometimes beginning to prep their koi two or three months prior to a show. There are three things to consider. First is water quality. During the month prior to the show, I would recommend doubling your water changes. If you have been doing 15 to 20 percent per week (which is generally recommended), you should now do 30 to 40 percent per week (or twice per week instead of once). Even though your nitrites and ammonia are consistently near zero, this will remove nitrates and dissolved organics that tend to affect skin quality.

Second is diet. Food affects color as well as body shape, so you want to do all you can to maximize its positive effects.
Cut feeding in half during the month prior to the show. This food would ideally consist of silkworm (available in several types of food) or any source of chitin, which will improve the whites. Color enhancers, mainly carotene or xanthin, can improve the reds, but exercise caution, as they may also turn the white a pinkish shade. The rest of the food should be mostly wheatgerm-based. Food high in protein produces more waste (thus affecting water quality) and is used primarily for growth, which is not what we are trying to do at this point. Don't forget to stop all feeding one week prior to the show.

Finally, consider adding clay to your water. Many hobbyists add clay (Refresh, or other brands containing montmorillonite clay) at a rate of about one cup per 10,000 gallons per week throughout the season. Clay is generally considered to improve overall skin quality. In the month prior to a show, clay additions can be doubled or even tripled. We will add one cup every three days in the four weeks leading up to the show.

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GENERAL INFORMATION

ENGLISH STYLE SHOW

This show will be an English style show for all varieties of koi. This means that each exhibitors' koi will be assigned a vat(s) at registration time, and his/her fish shall remain in that vat for the entire show. The purpose of this type of show is to minimize the risk of spreading communicable disease from one owners' fish to another. We are also spacing vats approx. 24" apart to avoid cross-contamination from splashing.

KOI REGISTRATION AND IDENTIFICATION

The entry fee may be paid with the reservation or may be paid when the fish are brought to registration. We will be taking digital photos of your fish, so there is no need to bring photographs with you.

ACCOMODATIONS

The Koi and Goldfish show and trade show will be held at the Darien Sportsplex, 451 Plainfield Rd., Darien, Il, 60561. Phone # 630-789-6666. Located roughly 1 mile west of Rt. 83 and 1 mile north of I55.

MANDATORY SHOW VAT RESERVATIONS

In order to assure that you will have a vat, please send your reservation form in by August 15, 2008. You do not have to provide detailed fish information at this time, but please see the following section to determine the number and size vats you will need.

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POINT SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING VAT REQUIREMENTS

Please use the following system as a guide to determine how many fish can be placed in each vat:

1. Multiply the size (1 thru 7) of your fish by the number of fish you are showing in that size.
Size 1 - up to 8 inches
Size 2 - 8 to 12 inches
Size 3 - 12 to 16 inches
Size 4 - 16 to 20 inches
Size 5 - 20 to 23 inches
Size 6 - 23 to 26 inches
Size 7 - over 26 inches

2. Do this calculation for all your koi. For example if you bring one size 5 = 5 pts., and two size 4 = 8 pts., and three size 3 = 9 pts. These six fish would total 5 + 8 + 9 = 22 points.

3. The show guidelines for tank capacity are 25 points for a six-foot vat and 40 points for an eight-foot vat.

CONDITION OF FISH DURING TRANSPORT AND EXHIBIT

For the safety and health of your fish, DO NOT FEED THEM FOR 5 DAYS PRIOR TO THE SHOW. Fish with undigested food require more oxygen, excrete contaminants into the water, and are more easily stressed. Only members of the fish handling committee will handle fish during the show. Anyone wishing to inspect their fish must receive permission from the show Chairperson. All exhibitors are expected to provide one bowl and one net for each vat reserved. A limited number of bowls and nets are available for rental ($5.00 each) on a first-come basis.

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Wednesday and Thursday, August 20 and 21
Set up show vats and trade show booths.

Friday, August 22
1:00 pm until 8:00 pm - Koi and Goldfish registration
6:00 pm until 9:00 pm - Trade Show open to the public

Saturday, August 23
9:00 am until 5:00 pm - Trade Show open to the public
Throughout the day (TBA) - Seminar talks
10:00 am until completion - Judging of Koi and Goldfish
7:00 pm - Awards Banquet at the Triple Crown Restaurant (across the street from the hotel) at 7:00 PM. There will be a cash bar. Tickets will be $30.

Sunday, August 24
10:00 am until 3:00 pm - Trade Show open to the public
Throughout the day - Seminar talks and judges' "walkaround"
1:00 pm - Koi may be taken home
2:00 pm until completion - Teardown

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