Thanks for the video, I would say it's about the most interesting and useful one I've watched in a long time - it built on info I knew, added new stuff, and put it all into context. Will definitely mean i increase my maintenance/cleaner earlier in the year, which is, I think, great advice.
Great information, my pond is a natural rock construction so hard to cover in winter. It's around 2000 litres with some medium to large koi. And after watching videos of people with heated ponds I always get concerned for my fish in winter when we get very cold temperatures. Thanks for the information, just subscribed.👍
Excellent video, thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge. One question if I may? I've been advised in the past to add pond salt over the winter period (obviously too late now) but other keepers have said they don't add anything ? I've only recently subscribed to your channel and not had a chance to see if you've covered this topic in one of your videos. What would your advice be ?
Hi Steve, my very next videos is all about salt, should be ready soon. Its a massive complicated subject and one that causes so many arguments. I personally would never add salt to my pond and haven't in 26 years keeping koi. There is no benefit at all to a healthy koi from exposing it to salt.
Hi Iain, I use hikari wheatgerm which in my opinion is the best koi food you can buy. I don't believe there is anything in the so called 'medi' koi foods that does anything. Pre and pro biotics are present in most good quality koi foods. I have put chemical in my ponds just twice in 25 years and that was when I had no other option. I know the impact chemical treatments have on koi so I would never put them in unless I had to. If it isn't there you cant treat it. The only thing I advise is the best quality water you can, that's all they need in my opinion.
Another very informative video. My pond (at my garden centre) is inside a greenhouse, the greenhouse is heated to 10c over winter because of the plants in it, my pond water stays a constant 10c at this time of year, it sounds like my koi are in the danger zone constantly over the winter period.
Hi there, potentially they are , yes, but don't forget , just because the conditions are in the bad guys favour it doesn't mean they are certain to cause problems. If they are not there in the first place you have nothing to worry about. If you keep on top of cleaning your filters and flushing pipework etc you should be fine. Coupled with extra vigilance so you can spot any problem before it gets out of hand you should be just fine 👍👍
Great information. I’ve read on a few websites that it’s popular in the U.S to PP their pond beginning of every spring over a few days to reduce the aeromonas to cleanse the pond, also at the end of autumn to reduce bacteria levels going into the winter. Nearly finished my 2100 gallon pond and wasn’t planning on getting a heater, but going down the route of twice yearly maintenance with PP. what would your thoughts be on this?
Hi mate, honestly, I would never advocate subjecting your koi to harsh chemicals if you don't have a correctly diagnosed ailment. PP is extremely hard on koi and it really knocks them back. I would only subject my fish to that if I absolutely had to. Build the pond correctly and install the correct filters, maintain them regularly, and you wont have any bacteria problems. Regarding the heater, yes I would recommend a heater if you can afford it. Its expensive to heat all year but I would definitely recommend using one to just keep the pond up at 4 or 5C minimum over winter 👍🍻👍🍻👍
I think I am having trouble with aeromonas alley this spring. I had rocks, plants and decaying matter on the bottom that I got rid of last year. The bottom is now bare. Don't have a bottom drain, would a retrofit bottom drain suffice? One koi has red streaks on her belly and some on the fins. Some of my koi have been flashing and yawning excessively, scraped and scoped didn't see any parasites. Treated with prazi twice just incase but symptoms still persist. Thanks for the videos I am learning a lot.
Hi there, yes its definitely a possibility. Yes retro fit bottom drains can work really well. They are definitely a better option than a pump on the bottom as the pump tends to miss a thin layer at the bottom of the pond that can hold bacteria. This could well be your issue if your koi is red on the belly as it will have sat on or close to the bottom during the cold weather. What temperature is your water at now?
ah ok, that's quite warm then. It is more likely to be some kind of parasite but it could be a bacteria infection. Make sure all your water parameters are good and everything is consistent. pH and temperature fluctuations are a problem for koi. Stability is very important. I think a retro bottom drain would be a good upgrade 👍
@@DazzleKoi I treated with prazi 2weeks ago. Going to try proform c next. Tried scrape and scope but couldn’t find anything. Water parameters are great I use baking soda to increase KH. 0 nitrite and ammonia, ph-8.4, kh- 7or8. Thanks for the help!
What brilliant info Darren. So a question on the flip side of this, would you use an inline heater just to stop a pond freezing over but keeping it below 5 degrees water temp?
Hi Paul, in the past I would have said no but after the really prolonged period of cold which caused my filter returns etc to start freezing I am going to do just that ahead of next year just in case we get another one like this. Probably set it around 3 or 4 C just to keep it from freezing.
Yes definitely, if you can move smoothly through rather than hanging around in there and bobbing up and down its much better. And be sure to keep on top of housekeeping to, if there are no bacteria there in the first place they can't cause a problem 👍
Thanks mate, I appreciate you taking the time to say that 👍👍 We are luck I suppose in that we don't get really cold. It will go down to minus 2 or 3 C for the odd night but not often. We don't get much warm weather either though, just a lot of rain. We love to moan about weather over here, its our national pastime 😁
Not sure enough for a video but what test kit would you recommend. I have the API one but test 3 lots of water every week but be needed a new one soon. Some excellent information in all your vids. Got my brain working overtime 👍🏼
Hi Graeme, I have used a few different ones but when I used the Colombo kit I decided this was the one for me. I've stuck to Colombo since. Its funny you say that about the video though as I have plans for a back to back test kit review video, I'm just a bit skint at the moment with everything that's happened and now Christmas coming but after Christmas I hope to start buying some kits and making that video 👍
Great information as with every other video you’ve put out.I’ve been aware of the danger with that temp range but never understood the reasons to the detail you’ve provided nor the correct name for it.P.s hows the bakki shower coming on?looking forward to that one👍 Take care mate
Thanks for another informative video. Do you find there are any additives that can help the koi not just over winter but all through the year. I myself have been using envirex from Lincolnshire Fish Health and I don't honestly know if it helps but having spoke to Dr Paula Reynolds from Lincolnshire Fish Health several times I do have trust in their products. Perhaps you have knowledge of envirex or other products you can add to the pond on a continual basis to achieve a healthier environment for our koi.
Hi Keith, I have heard of envirex and I know Paula Reynolds is a very respected expert in the field. If she has recommended it to you then I would most definitely say it is beneficial. I have personally never used any kind of chemical additive by way of preventative maintenance. I hope this doesn't come across as big headed but I always want to make my pond clean and healthy without the help of chemicals and touch wood that's served me well up to now. I have no plants, I always have a bottom drain with the correct diameter pipework, I have a LOT of air going in, I clean my filter every day and I feed the best quality food I can afford. Its my belief that if I do all these things I wont have a problem and wont need to add chemicals. That said, I know its not always possible to achieve all those things and in that instance it is better to give a little leg up and as I say, if Paula Reynolds recommends envirex then I'd take that 👍
@@DazzleKoi Thanks for your reply. Envirex is not a chemical...in fact when I've spoke to Paula she is horrified about the prospect of using any kind of chemicals in a pond. She uses it all the time in her ponds down there. I'd like to think that I keep the pond as healthy as possible with bottom drain, loads of air, keeping the filters clean and top quality food but am always striving for improvement...hence my discussions with Paula. The only kind of chemicals I've ever used were fluke solve for flukes and a treatment for blanketweed. Paula since sent me a natural product for blanketweed which I now use when necessary. The info on envirex is as follows: Envirex is not chemical, it is a combination of naturally occurring substances harnessed to benefit all ponds. Based on enzymes which have been incorporated into a base of bran and yeast. Envirex is totally harmless to all pond fish and aquatic plants. Envirex encourages the reproduction of the micro-organisms in the pond filter system that are responsible for the breakdown of all water products such as ammonia and nitrite which can both be very harmful to fish. The product works quickly to lower ammonia and nitrite, this can save fish in new ponds when the filter is not fully mature, or when filtration performance has been lost in a mature pond due to a major disturbance. Envirex inhibits the growth of algae by removing the nutrients that allow it to flourish. Clearer water should result from the regular use of the product. The stability of the pond is vital to health, Koi and goldfish prefer a p.H. between 7.3 and 8.4. Envirex can balance out the fluctuations in acidity and alkalinity that some ponds experience. Sudden changes in p.H. can kill fish or the stress debilitate them.
Hi Keith, sorry yes I knew envirex wasn't a chemical , that's my former chemistry head talking. Additive is the word I should have used 👍 I'm not really sure where I stand if I'm honest. I do believe that given stability and the right conditions nature finds the balance and stability and consistency in what you do is the key. Products that contain bacteria cultures I have used to start up new filters and I keep them on hand in case of pH crash or other issue that could knock my filter back. As to adding them on a regular basis, I don't believe it necessary on an established pond/filter system. The reason being that if there is no food for the bacteria you add (ammonia/nitrite etc) then it will simply die and if my readings are under control then in theory there is no extra food left over for the new bacteria they introduce. I'm also loathe to add anything at all as it is tinkering with the balance and I feel if I did it once I would need to continue it indefinitely to maintain that consistency and equilibrium in my system. My belief is that given time and good husbandry you will reach equilibrium without adding anything extra. Good products though for the right occasion and as I said, if Dr Paula Reynolds recommends envirex I believe it will be one of the best.
Hi Andrew, you can heat without causing problems as long as you maintain the same natural temperature profile. So cool down and warm up at the right times, but just maybe maintain a temperature that is always say 5 degrees above the ambient temperature. This way you don't upset the natural body clocks of your koi. They use the seasonal triggers to know what they should be doing at any given time, be it producing eggs, storing for the winter, spawning, absorbing eggs etc etc
I run at 13 degrees throughout the winter months. I'm in Bournemouth so it hasn't been too cold yet but I've just covered the pond today due to the cold snap arriving. I've always wondered about giving them a hibernation period. I'll have to work out the cost of running 16 degrees minus the hibernation period versus 13 degrees all winter. When lowering and again when raising the temperatures in Jan/Feb would you recommend doing so by 1 degree per day? Would be great if you could reply but good video either way. Cheers, Vic 😀👍
Hi Vic, 13C is close to the edge but its on the right side 👍And don't forget that if you keep your pond free of bacteria it isn't an issue either way. They really do benefit a lot from that cold spell. They need temperature and photoperiod to know what time of year it is and trigger all their bodily actions. Things like starting to produce eggs/milt, absorbing eggs, etc etc etc Its vital they get the seasons. It also kills off bacteria etc If 16 is too much cost wise then 14 is still ok. I would do 1 Degree every two days, thats the figure I used when I was heated back in the day.
@@DazzleKoi Thanks, much appreciate your reply and advice. You have me wondering why you aren't heated now, perhaps this will come up in future videos? 😀👍
Hi Vic, sadly its mostly a matter of cost really and also my circumstances. We had a 5500 gallon pond with some high quality koi that was heated from a combi boiler. I was completely obsessed with Koi and used to spend every penny we had on them. Energy bills where £300 a month+ for the pond alone. We sold the house to free money up for a business venture and left it all behind. That was about 5 years ago and I stayed off the Koi until lockdown when I succumbed and built this pond. My business is property and we will not be staying long in any particular house so I cant go over the top. That plus the fact that I simply cant afford to heat at the moment as I don't earn what I used to. I have no issue with them not being heated, other than I lose some potential growth over the summer but the Koi I have are not expensive fish so I'm not worried about that. I just want to keep it simple and stress free. Maybe when I retire and build my final pond I'll have it on again but don't tell the wife 😁
Oh buddy, thank you for your great reply. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous koi pond again very soon. Hopefully you'll make a million on UA-cam! I started keeping my koi in a pond more suited to goldfish but I've got grand plans to extend it with Momotaro bakki shower and Profidrum combi 30. Just hope I can afford it. Anyway good luck with it and I'll keep watching you're very knowledgeable videos. Thanks a lot. 😀👍
Another very interesting video with great information. After all of these informative videos you should change you channel name from Dazzle Koi to Professor Koi!
Haha, I don't know about that mate. I've got a bit of chemistry from my career and a bit of koi from being a hobbyist for 23 years but I'm no expert. I'm still learning every day. Looking at doing a GH 👍
Hi there! My perception is that Aeromonas is mainly responsible for the disease affecting the gills when feeding failures left to their appetite despite low water temperatures are common. Don't you agree that early spring gill disease and early summer ulcer disease and the hurdles beginners need to overcome are both inappropriate for the temperature and overfeeding is the number one cause?
Hi Atsumi Are you saying that feeding Koi over the winter is the cause of gill disease and ulcers ? If so then no I don't agree at all. I've fed my Koi throughout winter for 23 years and never had gill disease or an ulcer in a single fish. Do you have any scientific study or evidence that suggests the two are linked?
@@DazzleKoi My apologies for the misunderstanding and inexperienced English. In this regard, it may be a safe measure to raise the temperature and give a little food during the winter months, because the digestive system is not resting. I've told you of the mistakes that can easily occur when feeding them when they choose to hibernate and resume feeding after stopping feeding completely for the winter period. This is because the image of badness caused by Aeromonas in Japan is so.
Ok so im very glad i watched this because for me its a gamechanger , ive never heated or covered my pond in winter and must say ive never had problems , after seeing a lot about covering ponds from other koitubers I was going to but not now , because correct me if im wrong by covering your pond you could be keeping temp up above 5 degrees and therefore in aeromonas , alley ?
Hi mate , in theory you could yes. But also you could keep it above 13 by covering and that is good. Its really just going colder and then coming up above 5 and staying below 13 that is the big danger. So between 5 and 13 is the critical range and particularly if you have been below 5 and then come up above 5,until you go above 13. I hope that makes sense
Hi Darren hope you don’t mind a message on a older video.having watched this one a couple of times I had heated through winter up to 2 weeks ago at 15/16 degrees.I then turned heater off and removed covers.currently sat at 2degrees with this horrible weather and giving them the cold spell.they seem ok but I’m just concerned this temp is too low?any advice would be appreciated mate.thank you
Hi Baden, no that temp is OK short term. Mine are sat at that and are fine. I know the forecast is for warmer weather next week, up to 10C here in the north west UK. Just keep an eye on them but they should be fine 👍
Ha Ha thanks Michael, I'm not sure to be honest, you don't really notice when you see them every day. We'll find out in March/April when I get them out for another measure. Fingers crossed 🤞
So you are not heating mate. What do you do if your koi have a bacteria issue or flukes in winter? Im heated but due to the cost i am looking at selling my ashp. Only thing is if my koi get ill in cold water i dont know what id do to treat them as most meds dont work below 10 degrees like CT
Hi mate, no I don't heat. I have in the past but I'm not in a position to afford it at the moment. The short answer I guess is I'll have to cross that bridge if I come to it. I've had koi close to 25 years now and I have never had a bacterial issue. I've had one issue when I first started keeping koi and my local dealer came out, scraped and then treated with PP. I was clueless then and I don't actually know what I had but the PP fixed it 😁 Then before Christmas I had flukes and I treated with Flukasol and that worked well. As you can see I'm not very experienced when it comes to ailments so I would just have to work it out when it happened. Have a read of this article, there is good info in here about colder temps. PP is still effective. Another option would be to warm them up just to carry out treatments. www.koicarp.org.uk/koi_treatments.htm#:~:text=Some%20chemicals%20won%27t%20work,works%20well%20at%20any%20temperatures.&text=In%20addition%20as%20the%20pond,life%20cycle%20of%20the%20parasite.
@@DazzleKoi cheers mate will look at this. I thought having a heater would keep their immune systems up but iv lost two koi just like last year so makes no difference. Iv got a nexus 220 n a shower so its not like im under filtered for 10 koi. Lucky u having no bacterial issues. Never used pp but thanks may be an option if i sell my heater 👍🐟
Have you got to the bottom of the bacteria issues mate? Main two I can think of are a bottom drain that's to big allowing settlement or aeromonas from sitting at the dangerous temp range. It does seem though that the cleanest pond in the world can still suffer so it seems a bit of a lottery sometimes. Have you got shut of it now?
@@DazzleKoi the temp is at 12 to 13 atm mate. No its still running atm as it would be too much of a shock to take the ashp off right now with the cold weather. Its a pretty clean pond. Im pump fed with a portable bottom drain so there wont be much settlement in the 1.5 inch pipe. Cheers for the advice mate 👍
No problem mate, hope you sort it, sorry I can't be more help. All I would say is that you are right in the aeromonas sweet spot at that temp. Its literally the worst temp you could be at in terms of bacteria. Your koi immune system is weak and aeromonas bacteria is very active. I would bring the temp down and give them a winter period to kill everything off if you can. I wouldn't recommend going warmer until you are sure you've killed off all the bacteria or it will just get stronger.
Found this one interesting. My opinion is you need some form of damage to the fish to start a bacterial infection leading to an ulcer - but I am not a vet. Would you agree?
Hi mate, no I was always lead to believe that bacteria such as aeromonas will actively bore through a kois slime coat and allow existing pathogenic bacteria to cause an ulcer. So no actual physical damage such as a knock or scrape is required for an ulcer to form.
@@DazzleKoi I read an article in an old koi mag about it and thought they said they are usually started by a lesion (which can be caused by parasites etc). I will need to read it again. I guess bacteria are opportunists so they will find any weakness and exploit it.
Indeed they are. Its a complicated subject and way beyond something I can comprehend fully. There are loads of articles but often you find conflicting information so its hard to know exactly what is correct. I think I like to go with the worst case and try to avoid that. That way you should be ok whichever is actually true. Let me know if you find that article and what it says 👍
Hi Richard, I think the short answer is, you don't. My previous pond was 5500 gallons and heated off the house combi boiler via a heat exchanger. Over the winter months it would cost around £250 a month to heat it. I switched to an ASHP and that was a bit cheaper but not much. You certainly don't need to heat and if it aint broke, don't fix it I say 🍻
@@DazzleKoi Thank you for reply i will just cover it over as i have done with polly sheets.it has always worked for me,ps and i stop feeding my fish from oct till march which i was told by Waddy 20 years ago.Thank you love the vids Happy Ponding
This was all new to me so really useful info, thanks.
Cheers mate, good to here 👍👍
Your videos always highlight how little I know about pond keeping!😁
Great video, thank you
Cheers George, much appreciated 😁
Good info never heard of this. Thanks. Learning a lot about fish keeping from you👍
Thanks David, much appreciated 🍻
Thanks for the information, I will be working on this.
Thanks Alan, you're very welcome 🍻🍻👍👍🍻🍻
Great information, but explained in a simple way. You’re a great teacher mate, appreciate the content 👍
Thanks very much mate, I appreciate you taking time to comment 🍻🍻👍👍🍻🍻
Thank you so much for these videos Darren🍻
Cheers John, youre welcome mate 🍻👍🍻🍻👍🍻
Enjoy these types of video you do, really interesting, cheers 👍
Thanks Richard, that's good to hear 🍻
Thanks for the video, I would say it's about the most interesting and useful one I've watched in a long time - it built on info I knew, added new stuff, and put it all into context. Will definitely mean i increase my maintenance/cleaner earlier in the year, which is, I think, great advice.
Thanks again mate, I appreciate that 🍻🍻
Same here have never heard of A ally’s interesting video look forward to more. Thank you🐟 carol🐟
Thank you Carol 👍
another interesting topic learning a lot from you regards gary
🍻🍻
Great information, my pond is a natural rock construction so hard to cover in winter. It's around 2000 litres with some medium to large koi. And after watching videos of people with heated ponds I always get concerned for my fish in winter when we get very cold temperatures. Thanks for the information, just subscribed.👍
No problem mate and welcome 👍👍🍻🍻👍👍
Thanks for the informative video, look forward to your uploads.👍
Cheers Rex, working on a little update to the Pod review I did a few months ago and then I think I'm going to get stuck in to the next shower vid 🍻
Another enjoyable video 📹 👌 thanks for sharing.
Take Care,
John
Thank you Sir 🍻🍻
Cheers mate again for putting this info out there! 😉👍
Thanks as always Col 🍻
Excellent video, thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge. One question if I may? I've been advised in the past to add pond salt over the winter period (obviously too late now) but other keepers have said they don't add anything ? I've only recently subscribed to your channel and not had a chance to see if you've covered this topic in one of your videos. What would your advice be ?
Hi Steve, my very next videos is all about salt, should be ready soon. Its a massive complicated subject and one that causes so many arguments. I personally would never add salt to my pond and haven't in 26 years keeping koi. There is no benefit at all to a healthy koi from exposing it to salt.
Brilliant!!! Thanks for the insight 👍👍👍
Thanks Andrew, you're welcome 🍻
Very good video
Cheers Wayne 👍👍
What about using something like Chloramine T in spring to be on the safe side of a medi food?
Hi Iain, I use hikari wheatgerm which in my opinion is the best koi food you can buy. I don't believe there is anything in the so called 'medi' koi foods that does anything. Pre and pro biotics are present in most good quality koi foods.
I have put chemical in my ponds just twice in 25 years and that was when I had no other option. I know the impact chemical treatments have on koi so I would never put them in unless I had to. If it isn't there you cant treat it.
The only thing I advise is the best quality water you can, that's all they need in my opinion.
Another very informative video.
My pond (at my garden centre) is inside a greenhouse, the greenhouse is heated to 10c over winter because of the plants in it, my pond water stays a constant 10c at this time of year, it sounds like my koi are in the danger zone constantly over the winter period.
Hi there, potentially they are , yes, but don't forget , just because the conditions are in the bad guys favour it doesn't mean they are certain to cause problems. If they are not there in the first place you have nothing to worry about. If you keep on top of cleaning your filters and flushing pipework etc you should be fine. Coupled with extra vigilance so you can spot any problem before it gets out of hand you should be just fine 👍👍
Great information. I’ve read on a few websites that it’s popular in the U.S to PP their pond beginning of every spring over a few days to reduce the aeromonas to cleanse the pond, also at the end of autumn to reduce bacteria levels going into the winter. Nearly finished my 2100 gallon pond and wasn’t planning on getting a heater, but going down the route of twice yearly maintenance with PP. what would your thoughts be on this?
Hi mate, honestly, I would never advocate subjecting your koi to harsh chemicals if you don't have a correctly diagnosed ailment. PP is extremely hard on koi and it really knocks them back. I would only subject my fish to that if I absolutely had to.
Build the pond correctly and install the correct filters, maintain them regularly, and you wont have any bacteria problems.
Regarding the heater, yes I would recommend a heater if you can afford it. Its expensive to heat all year but I would definitely recommend using one to just keep the pond up at 4 or 5C minimum over winter 👍🍻👍🍻👍
@@DazzleKoi thanks a lot for the info 👍 great videos and real honest advice
I think I am having trouble with aeromonas alley this spring. I had rocks, plants and decaying matter on the bottom that I got rid of last year. The bottom is now bare. Don't have a bottom drain, would a retrofit bottom drain suffice? One koi has red streaks on her belly and some on the fins. Some of my koi have been flashing and yawning excessively, scraped and scoped didn't see any parasites. Treated with prazi twice just incase but symptoms still persist. Thanks for the videos I am learning a lot.
Hi there, yes its definitely a possibility.
Yes retro fit bottom drains can work really well. They are definitely a better option than a pump on the bottom as the pump tends to miss a thin layer at the bottom of the pond that can hold bacteria. This could well be your issue if your koi is red on the belly as it will have sat on or close to the bottom during the cold weather.
What temperature is your water at now?
@@DazzleKoi ranging from 55-60F
ah ok, that's quite warm then. It is more likely to be some kind of parasite but it could be a bacteria infection. Make sure all your water parameters are good and everything is consistent. pH and temperature fluctuations are a problem for koi. Stability is very important.
I think a retro bottom drain would be a good upgrade 👍
@@DazzleKoi I treated with prazi 2weeks ago. Going to try proform c next. Tried scrape and scope but couldn’t find anything.
Water parameters are great I use baking soda to increase KH. 0 nitrite and ammonia, ph-8.4, kh- 7or8.
Thanks for the help!
No problem, good luck 👍👍
What brilliant info Darren.
So a question on the flip side of this, would you use an inline heater just to stop a pond freezing over but keeping it below 5 degrees water temp?
Hi Paul, in the past I would have said no but after the really prolonged period of cold which caused my filter returns etc to start freezing I am going to do just that ahead of next year just in case we get another one like this. Probably set it around 3 or 4 C just to keep it from freezing.
Would it be helpful to use the heater for a slightly faster escape from aeromonus coming out of the winter months too??
Yes definitely, if you can move smoothly through rather than hanging around in there and bobbing up and down its much better. And be sure to keep on top of housekeeping to, if there are no bacteria there in the first place they can't cause a problem 👍
I’d love to give them a proper winter but heating is addicting. Over here it does get really cold 🇨🇦. Enjoying all your koi topics 👍.
Thanks mate, I appreciate you taking the time to say that 👍👍
We are luck I suppose in that we don't get really cold. It will go down to minus 2 or 3 C for the odd night but not often. We don't get much warm weather either though, just a lot of rain.
We love to moan about weather over here, its our national pastime 😁
Not sure enough for a video but what test kit would you recommend. I have the API one but test 3 lots of water every week but be needed a new one soon.
Some excellent information in all your vids. Got my brain working overtime 👍🏼
Hi Graeme, I have used a few different ones but when I used the Colombo kit I decided this was the one for me. I've stuck to Colombo since.
Its funny you say that about the video though as I have plans for a back to back test kit review video, I'm just a bit skint at the moment with everything that's happened and now Christmas coming but after Christmas I hope to start buying some kits and making that video 👍
Great information as with every other video you’ve put out.I’ve been aware of the danger with that temp range but never understood the reasons to the detail you’ve provided nor the correct name for it.P.s hows the bakki shower coming on?looking forward to that one👍
Take care mate
Thanks Baden. Slowly to be honest. Its not as easy I thought but I'll get there 👍👍
Thanks for another informative video. Do you find there are any additives that can help the koi not just over winter but all through the year. I myself have been using envirex from Lincolnshire Fish Health and I don't honestly know if it helps but having spoke to Dr Paula Reynolds from Lincolnshire Fish Health several times I do have trust in their products. Perhaps you have knowledge of envirex or other products you can add to the pond on a continual basis to achieve a healthier environment for our koi.
Hi Keith, I have heard of envirex and I know Paula Reynolds is a very respected expert in the field. If she has recommended it to you then I would most definitely say it is beneficial.
I have personally never used any kind of chemical additive by way of preventative maintenance. I hope this doesn't come across as big headed but I always want to make my pond clean and healthy without the help of chemicals and touch wood that's served me well up to now.
I have no plants, I always have a bottom drain with the correct diameter pipework, I have a LOT of air going in, I clean my filter every day and I feed the best quality food I can afford. Its my belief that if I do all these things I wont have a problem and wont need to add chemicals.
That said, I know its not always possible to achieve all those things and in that instance it is better to give a little leg up and as I say, if Paula Reynolds recommends envirex then I'd take that 👍
@@DazzleKoi Thanks for your reply. Envirex is not a chemical...in fact when I've spoke to Paula she is horrified about the prospect of using any kind of chemicals in a pond. She uses it all the time in her ponds down there. I'd like to think that I keep the pond as healthy as possible with bottom drain, loads of air, keeping the filters clean and top quality food but am always striving for improvement...hence my discussions with Paula. The only kind of chemicals I've ever used were fluke solve for flukes and a treatment for blanketweed. Paula since sent me a natural product for blanketweed which I now use when necessary. The info on envirex is as follows:
Envirex is not chemical, it is a combination of naturally occurring substances harnessed to benefit all ponds. Based on enzymes which have been incorporated into a base of bran and yeast. Envirex is totally harmless to all pond fish and aquatic plants. Envirex encourages the reproduction of the micro-organisms in the pond filter system that are responsible for the breakdown of all water products such as ammonia and nitrite which can both be very harmful to fish. The product works quickly to lower ammonia and nitrite, this can save fish in new ponds when the filter is not fully mature, or when filtration performance has been lost in a mature pond due to a major disturbance. Envirex inhibits the growth of algae by removing the nutrients that allow it to flourish. Clearer water should result from the regular use of the product. The stability of the pond is vital to health, Koi and goldfish prefer a p.H. between 7.3 and 8.4. Envirex can balance out the fluctuations in acidity and alkalinity that some ponds experience. Sudden changes in p.H. can kill fish or the stress debilitate them.
Hi Keith, sorry yes I knew envirex wasn't a chemical , that's my former chemistry head talking. Additive is the word I should have used 👍
I'm not really sure where I stand if I'm honest. I do believe that given stability and the right conditions nature finds the balance and stability and consistency in what you do is the key. Products that contain bacteria cultures I have used to start up new filters and I keep them on hand in case of pH crash or other issue that could knock my filter back. As to adding them on a regular basis, I don't believe it necessary on an established pond/filter system. The reason being that if there is no food for the bacteria you add (ammonia/nitrite etc) then it will simply die and if my readings are under control then in theory there is no extra food left over for the new bacteria they introduce.
I'm also loathe to add anything at all as it is tinkering with the balance and I feel if I did it once I would need to continue it indefinitely to maintain that consistency and equilibrium in my system. My belief is that given time and good husbandry you will reach equilibrium without adding anything extra.
Good products though for the right occasion and as I said, if Dr Paula Reynolds recommends envirex I believe it will be one of the best.
@@DazzleKoi Thanks for your helpful comments...I look forward to your further videos.
Great videos as always, my question is if you were to heat through out winter what problems would the koi have, obvious one is there spawning.
Hi Andrew, you can heat without causing problems as long as you maintain the same natural temperature profile. So cool down and warm up at the right times, but just maybe maintain a temperature that is always say 5 degrees above the ambient temperature. This way you don't upset the natural body clocks of your koi. They use the seasonal triggers to know what they should be doing at any given time, be it producing eggs, storing for the winter, spawning, absorbing eggs etc etc
I run at 13 degrees throughout the winter months. I'm in Bournemouth so it hasn't been too cold yet but I've just covered the pond today due to the cold snap arriving. I've always wondered about giving them a hibernation period. I'll have to work out the cost of running 16 degrees minus the hibernation period versus 13 degrees all winter. When lowering and again when raising the temperatures in Jan/Feb would you recommend doing so by 1 degree per day? Would be great if you could reply but good video either way. Cheers, Vic 😀👍
Hi Vic, 13C is close to the edge but its on the right side 👍And don't forget that if you keep your pond free of bacteria it isn't an issue either way. They really do benefit a lot from that cold spell. They need temperature and photoperiod to know what time of year it is and trigger all their bodily actions. Things like starting to produce eggs/milt, absorbing eggs, etc etc etc Its vital they get the seasons. It also kills off bacteria etc
If 16 is too much cost wise then 14 is still ok.
I would do 1 Degree every two days, thats the figure I used when I was heated back in the day.
@@DazzleKoi Thanks, much appreciate your reply and advice. You have me wondering why you aren't heated now, perhaps this will come up in future videos? 😀👍
Hi Vic, sadly its mostly a matter of cost really and also my circumstances. We had a 5500 gallon pond with some high quality koi that was heated from a combi boiler. I was completely obsessed with Koi and used to spend every penny we had on them. Energy bills where £300 a month+ for the pond alone.
We sold the house to free money up for a business venture and left it all behind. That was about 5 years ago and I stayed off the Koi until lockdown when I succumbed and built this pond. My business is property and we will not be staying long in any particular house so I cant go over the top. That plus the fact that I simply cant afford to heat at the moment as I don't earn what I used to.
I have no issue with them not being heated, other than I lose some potential growth over the summer but the Koi I have are not expensive fish so I'm not worried about that. I just want to keep it simple and stress free.
Maybe when I retire and build my final pond I'll have it on again but don't tell the wife 😁
Oh buddy, thank you for your great reply. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous koi pond again very soon. Hopefully you'll make a million on UA-cam! I started keeping my koi in a pond more suited to goldfish but I've got grand plans to extend it with Momotaro bakki shower and Profidrum combi 30. Just hope I can afford it. Anyway good luck with it and I'll keep watching you're very knowledgeable videos. Thanks a lot. 😀👍
Thanks Vic. That's the ultimate filter combo at the moment in my opinion, top choice 👍
Another very interesting video with great information. After all of these informative videos you should change you channel name from Dazzle Koi to Professor Koi!
Haha, I don't know about that mate. I've got a bit of chemistry from my career and a bit of koi from being a hobbyist for 23 years but I'm no expert. I'm still learning every day. Looking at doing a GH 👍
Hi there! My perception is that Aeromonas is mainly responsible for the disease affecting the gills when feeding failures left to their appetite despite low water temperatures are common. Don't you agree that early spring gill disease and early summer ulcer disease and the hurdles beginners need to overcome are both inappropriate for the temperature and overfeeding is the number one cause?
Hi Atsumi
Are you saying that feeding Koi over the winter is the cause of gill disease and ulcers ? If so then no I don't agree at all. I've fed my Koi throughout winter for 23 years and never had gill disease or an ulcer in a single fish.
Do you have any scientific study or evidence that suggests the two are linked?
@@DazzleKoi My apologies for the misunderstanding and inexperienced English. In this regard, it may be a safe measure to raise the temperature and give a little food during the winter months, because the digestive system is not resting. I've told you of the mistakes that can easily occur when feeding them when they choose to hibernate and resume feeding after stopping feeding completely for the winter period. This is because the image of badness caused by Aeromonas in Japan is so.
Hi mate, no your English is amazing, much better than my Japanese that's for sure 👍😁
I understand what you are saying now and I agree with that 👍👍
@@DazzleKoi Thank you very much for your generosity. I will continue to do our best. Naoki
Ok so im very glad i watched this because for me its a gamechanger , ive never heated or covered my pond in winter and must say ive never had problems , after seeing a lot about covering ponds from other koitubers I was going to but not now , because correct me if im wrong by covering your pond you could be keeping temp up above 5 degrees and therefore in aeromonas , alley ?
Hi mate , in theory you could yes. But also you could keep it above 13 by covering and that is good. Its really just going colder and then coming up above 5 and staying below 13 that is the big danger. So between 5 and 13 is the critical range and particularly if you have been below 5 and then come up above 5,until you go above 13. I hope that makes sense
Hi Darren hope you don’t mind a message on a older video.having watched this one a couple of times I had heated through winter up to 2 weeks ago at 15/16 degrees.I then turned heater off and removed covers.currently sat at 2degrees with this horrible weather and giving them the cold spell.they seem ok but I’m just concerned this temp is too low?any advice would be appreciated mate.thank you
Hi Baden, no that temp is OK short term. Mine are sat at that and are fine. I know the forecast is for warmer weather next week, up to 10C here in the north west UK. Just keep an eye on them but they should be fine 👍
@@DazzleKoi cheers mate.I’m West Yorkshire so like you it’s gonna be tropical next week👍
either your ponds getting smaller or the koi have got a lot bigger since your measuring vid, another great vid mate
Ha Ha thanks Michael, I'm not sure to be honest, you don't really notice when you see them every day. We'll find out in March/April when I get them out for another measure. Fingers crossed 🤞
So you are not heating mate. What do you do if your koi have a bacteria issue or flukes in winter? Im heated but due to the cost i am looking at selling my ashp. Only thing is if my koi get ill in cold water i dont know what id do to treat them as most meds dont work below 10 degrees like CT
Hi mate, no I don't heat. I have in the past but I'm not in a position to afford it at the moment. The short answer I guess is I'll have to cross that bridge if I come to it. I've had koi close to 25 years now and I have never had a bacterial issue. I've had one issue when I first started keeping koi and my local dealer came out, scraped and then treated with PP. I was clueless then and I don't actually know what I had but the PP fixed it 😁
Then before Christmas I had flukes and I treated with Flukasol and that worked well.
As you can see I'm not very experienced when it comes to ailments so I would just have to work it out when it happened. Have a read of this article, there is good info in here about colder temps. PP is still effective. Another option would be to warm them up just to carry out treatments.
www.koicarp.org.uk/koi_treatments.htm#:~:text=Some%20chemicals%20won%27t%20work,works%20well%20at%20any%20temperatures.&text=In%20addition%20as%20the%20pond,life%20cycle%20of%20the%20parasite.
@@DazzleKoi cheers mate will look at this. I thought having a heater would keep their immune systems up but iv lost two koi just like last year so makes no difference. Iv got a nexus 220 n a shower so its not like im under filtered for 10 koi. Lucky u having no bacterial issues. Never used pp but thanks may be an option if i sell my heater 👍🐟
Have you got to the bottom of the bacteria issues mate? Main two I can think of are a bottom drain that's to big allowing settlement or aeromonas from sitting at the dangerous temp range.
It does seem though that the cleanest pond in the world can still suffer so it seems a bit of a lottery sometimes. Have you got shut of it now?
@@DazzleKoi the temp is at 12 to 13 atm mate. No its still running atm as it would be too much of a shock to take the ashp off right now with the cold weather. Its a pretty clean pond. Im pump fed with a portable bottom drain so there wont be much settlement in the 1.5 inch pipe. Cheers for the advice mate 👍
No problem mate, hope you sort it, sorry I can't be more help. All I would say is that you are right in the aeromonas sweet spot at that temp. Its literally the worst temp you could be at in terms of bacteria. Your koi immune system is weak and aeromonas bacteria is very active. I would bring the temp down and give them a winter period to kill everything off if you can. I wouldn't recommend going warmer until you are sure you've killed off all the bacteria or it will just get stronger.
Found this one interesting. My opinion is you need some form of damage to the fish to start a bacterial infection leading to an ulcer - but I am not a vet. Would you agree?
Hi mate, no I was always lead to believe that bacteria such as aeromonas will actively bore through a kois slime coat and allow existing pathogenic bacteria to cause an ulcer. So no actual physical damage such as a knock or scrape is required for an ulcer to form.
@@DazzleKoi I read an article in an old koi mag about it and thought they said they are usually started by a lesion (which can be caused by parasites etc). I will need to read it again. I guess bacteria are opportunists so they will find any weakness and exploit it.
Indeed they are. Its a complicated subject and way beyond something I can comprehend fully. There are loads of articles but often you find conflicting information so its hard to know exactly what is correct. I think I like to go with the worst case and try to avoid that. That way you should be ok whichever is actually true.
Let me know if you find that article and what it says 👍
NICE VID BUT HOW DO YOU HEAT 8,000 GAL'S AT LOW COST NEVER HEATED MY POND IN 20 YEARS ?
Hi Richard, I think the short answer is, you don't. My previous pond was 5500 gallons and heated off the house combi boiler via a heat exchanger. Over the winter months it would cost around £250 a month to heat it. I switched to an ASHP and that was a bit cheaper but not much.
You certainly don't need to heat and if it aint broke, don't fix it I say 🍻
@@DazzleKoi Thank you for reply i will just cover it over as i have done with polly sheets.it has always worked for me,ps and i stop feeding my fish from oct till march which i was told by Waddy 20 years ago.Thank you love the vids Happy Ponding
Thanks Richard, same to you 🍻🍻