Koi Rescue And Placement
(K.R.A.P:)
By Charles Lewis

     Dr. John Beldekas has been keeping koi for 25 years. His knowledge, experience, and dedication produced a pond full of healthy mature koi. John loves his fish and they needed a new home. When his health started to fail he was forced to sell his home and could no longer keep his fish. John did not want to leave them behind to an inexperienced new homeowner. They were his children. He turned to the Tropical Koi Club for help. One of the Rescued butterfly koi "Buttercup"

     He had 40 large koi in a 2500-gallon pond with one large up flow filter. Some like the 17-year-old Assagi drove down with him from Boston.  The Assagi is now huge and a grandmother. The last fish he purchased was 15-years ago. The rest were breed in his pond. I have never seen fish that were healthier then these fish.

     Although the fish had good size and perfect body confirmation they were not show quality fish. The large Assagi were clean with good matsuba but the orange was too much or too little. Most of the rest were almost Bekko or Utsuri or Aka Matsuba. The only fish with perfect markings were the Chagoi and Butterfly koi. It is interesting how fashion affects perception of a fish. A Ki Ogon with some orange or a Kohaku with shimmy are called average pond fish. Some people do not like butterfly koi and every one already has a Chagoi.

      The nice thing about the club is we have lots of members who want fish, especially free ones. Some who wanted a free fish did not need a show quality Nishikigoi. I am not sure if they already had a show koi or just did not need one or they were just happy they were free. Every one was happy with the fish they received. The choosing, catching, and bagging took five days over two weeks. John would tell each person the history of that fish.  Apologized for sending them off to a new home and made them promise to write.  The fish all promised to have John over to visit once he gets settled.

     It is interesting to see which fish people like. Alfredo who cannot resist any fish would have nothing to do with the butterfly. Miguel could not be persuaded into the fish I was holding for him so I ended up with two more. Mary loves her new Ki Ogon. I am not sure which fish Chris got because he beat the crowds and came a day early. I did hear it was so big it swam right through the net. I like that intense desire. The German family promised to join the club and build a pond then took three large fish.  Alexis ended up with three Kawarigoi. I slipped an extra one in when she was not looking.

     At the end we had 14 un- adopted fish left.  Alexis saved the day by introducing us to Nick and Dianne. They have a pond that is half of an acre lot. It is huge and had lost its koi from a tropical storm two years ago. All we had to do was deliver. The Chagoi and rest of the unwanted hit the jackpot. Some like the butterfly were not that bad. I can still hear them laughing. Lucky koi.

     John saved five fingerlings from the last culling. He may build a small pond for them. The rest are all in new homes hopefully for another 17 years and with a little luck one of them could win at our next show.