We sometimes get the question - Are your fish clean? If I am face to face with the customer, I smile and say No. Our fish are grown in large natural and lined ponds exposed to the natural environments around it. In a pond environment the fish live with all sorts of organisms in the pond and on the fish. These "bugs" such as trichodina, Costia, Flukes, and others live in symbiosis with the fish. This is similar to having a dog outside, it will have a few fleas on it typically.
This is true for ALL fish farms. The parasites rarely cause a problem for the fish while they are in an un-crowded pond. If these fish are brought into a tank or small pond situation where they are in close proximity to each other, these "bugs" can multiply and cause problems (similar to the dog with a few fleas being put into a crowded kennel). To stop this problem, we treat the fish when brought into the shipping facility to remove these bugs. The fish are then quarantined by the retail shop for a period of at least 10 days to two weeks to be sure they are rested and not needing any additional treatment.
If anyone tells you their fish are squeaky clean, they are not being honest. A few bugs are normal and will not typically affect the fish unless stressful conditions exist (over crowding, poor water quality, etc). We recommend all buyers (retail and wholesale) quarantine their new fish for 2 weeks in a separate (isolated) tank. Have treatments such as rock salt, fluke tabs, and a heater on hand BEFORE you get the fish. Keep the tank heated to 74 degrees and salted to 5 ppt (apx 5 lbs of non iodized salt per 100 gallons of water). Watch the behavior and after 2 weeks release the fish to their new home.
November 2002 brought about the acquisition of location number four. This farm will focus on the production of Gosanke (Kohaku, Sanke, Showa) varieties as well as major production of Butterfly Koi. The farm is made up of almost 30 ponds ranging in size from fractions of an acre to 1.25 acres. A complete shipping facility with offices, hatchery and laboratory will allow for a quick start up. The possibility of hand picking of individual fish by our wholesale customers will help ensure that you find what you've been looking for the next time you visit your local pond store.
A long-standing relationship between many Japanese koi farms and Blackwater Creek has proven fruitful. In October 2002 Blackwater Creek Koi Farms Inc. sold an undisclosed amount of stock to one of the larger Farms in Niigata. Joe Pawlak said, "This union between our two companies will allow us to produce Japan quality koi here in the United States". The technology of producing excellent koi generally can only be gained by years upon years and generations of experience.
The Japanese are dedicated to improving the quality of koi produced here in the United States. They did not see this as competition but yet another chance to fulfill their dreams of koi. Expect to see Japan quality koi available at highly competitive prices by July of 2003. We're very excited about these opportunities.
The 2400 square foot two story building will allow even more efficient packing and shipping of its goods. We're always looking for better, faster and smarter ways to serve our customers and we feel this addition will greatly help. Many thanks to friends, family (and even customers!) for their help in getting this project started.
UPDATE - Its finished and has made us even more effective in getting the best koi to you fast and in great shape!
The years 2001 and 2002 have been very busy years for us here at Blackwater Creek Koi Farms Inc. We have undergone major expansions throughout these two years. In order to fulfill the needs of our existing and future customers we have invested significant time and money into developing our farms to produce the highest quality fish at the best prices. Winter of 2001 brought the expansion of our 20 acre farm to incorporate many new mud ponds designed to produce tosai or 1-year-old fish. This farm is primarily made up of lined ponds ranging from 20,000 gallons to over one million gallons each. After culling for color and pattern, these ponds are stocked with two inch fingerling koi and grown to 4-10 inches in their first year. These ponds allow us to closely monitor health and control any problems that may come up.
2001 also brought the addition of a third farm totaling six acres this farm incorporates one-half to one acre plots constructed completely of red clay. These ponds are used for the grow out of high-quality fish as well as some fingerling production when needed. We have found that certain varieties of koi grow better in the mud ponds and us we take advantage of these conditions to aid in producing koi that can rival those from Japan.
2002 began with continuous expansion of our twenty acre farm to include many large mud ponds. Over 60,000 cubic yards of sand were removed to allow us to reach the natural water table needed to maintain water levels in the ponds.
2002 began with continuous expansion of our twenty acre farm to include many large mud ponds. Over 60,000 cubic yards of sand were removed to allow us to reach the natural water table needed to maintain water levels in the ponds.
Quality of fish and health are of utmost importance at Blackwater Creek fish farms. Our low prices and quality of fish have sometimes left us sold out of certain sizes or varieties of koi and goldfish. Very seldom in the past we would purchase fish and quarantine them for at least ten days and then resell these fish to our customers (mainly goldfish). The influx of foreign fish (fish from other farms) gave a vector for possible transmission of disease into Blackwater Creek Fish Farm. We have never like to make excuses, and there's nothing worse than telling your customers you are sorry for their fish losses and using the excuse that they were not our fish. We have never had the dreaded virus problem and therefore Blackwater Creek has adopted a policy of not buying and reselling fish from other growers in the USA. This policy may limit availability of certain fish at certain times but will eliminate the possibility of disease transmission into or out of our farms. When were out of a certain fish, we are out of a certain fish until we have a chance to grow more. We feel this is a very important step in achieving customer satisfaction and long-term relationships. UPDATE - As of Oct 2002 We do not bring in fish from any outside source.
Koi farming is as much art as it is science. Things that may work one year may not work for the next three years. These fish although close relatives to the common carp, impose many hurdles that must be overcome each year to ensure quality fish for our customers. A state of continuous education of farming practices, culling techniques, health issues and selection of quality fish for our customers, happens every day at Blackwater Creek koi farms inc. All employees from the farm manager to the boy who mows the lawns is Cross trained to recognize potential problems, quality fish, and dozens of other things needed to produce quality and healthy fish for our customers. in addition to frequent trips to Japan in which Joe lives with some of the larger koi farms. He works hand-in-hand in the production of koi allows unequaled access to the techniques needed to succeed in producing quality fish. Joe's comprehension of the Japanese language however minimal continues to improve with (sometimes) rigorous study (at least when I'm hungry or have to use the restroom!-joe). Joe says he hopes one day to speak fluently however realizes that this will take some time.