Articles

The subject of nitrite and its effects in Koi ponds can become very technical in explanation but it is very important that as a Koi keeper you understand the implications of its presence as if the nitrite level in your pond is too high it can be detrimental to the health of yo...

Raising koi fry can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it also requires patience, knowledge, and dedication. From providing proper nutrition and water quality to managing growth and avoiding disease, there are many factors that contribute to the success of raising k...

Koi are cold blooded animals and their body temperature is approximately 1 degree C above the water temperature that they live in. They traditionally come from Japan which, because of its geographical location, suffers extremes of weather conditions – hot summers and very cold...

There is a school of thought that says that you can never have too much aeration in a Koi pond but it is not one that I adhere to as once the water is 100% saturated with oxygen there is no point adding more – any further addition of air is a waste of energy and money.

There are many good options available for filtration on the market to suit different kinds of ponds, but if you are good at making things, then you might consi...

One of the most controversial and hotly-debated topics in the koi hobby at the moment is that of ‘hard or soft water?’ – but what is water hardness, how does it affect fish, and crucially, what’s best for koi?

When people see images of mud ponds being harvested in the autumn it is invariably nisai (koi in their second year of life) and older that are being lifted from the pond. At this time of year however it is also time for the tosai, or koi in their first year of life, to be h...

This article was first written for and published by Koi Carp Magazine in 2009. Just like in Japan, we have mud ponds which we use to grow our fish in over the summer months. Some of our mud ponds are used just for fry in their first season but two of them are used for growing ...

The closest thing to breeding Koi would be breeding table or angling carp although the methods used for commercial carp breeding are not the same as those used for breeding Koi.

When Mark lived in Japan he worked on Yamazaki Koi Farm which was at the time the largest Koi Farm in the country and located in the south of the country. After many years of farming Koi in the UK, he decided that the time was right to return to Japan and to visit the north, s...