Mike Snaden.pub - North Idaho Koi Keepers

OSMOSIS
Some of the things you never wanted to know about Reverse Osmosis
I have put together several articles on Reverse Osmosis that were written by Mike Snaden of Yumi Koi
in England.
Yumi Koi has a reputation of being able to grow
their koi to 80cm and larger and to help their customers do the same. Mike has taken his meters and other
parameter checking tools to Japan and actually
checked the water at many premier “mud ponds” to
see if he could learn what makes them better than our
ponds. He believes that he has figured it out, and his
results have shown it.
Some of these articles are quite a few years old, and
some of the equipment he shows is outdated as technology keeps improving.
If you purchased an under-sink Reverse Osmosis
unit for drinking water in your home, without knowing it you would be sending 5-8 gallons of water
down the drain for every one gallon of pure water that
you would get to drink. That’s not good, but we can
do better now.
I believe that everyone could benefit their koi by
making their water more pure. Now all of you know
that I am pretty darned anal about researching things
before I jump into something, and I did about 50
hours of research two years ago on RO and determined that it would be a great thing to add to my
pond, but that it was much too expensive for my
budget and wasted way too much water. So I just
gave up.
Then last year Michael Cox went to the 2009 BKKS
National Koi Show in England and spent some time
with Mike Snaden. So then Michael got the RO bug,
with the same concerns that I had. The difference was
that Mike Snaden pointed Michael in the right direction to alleviate the problems (cost & waste).
Now why should we jump on this bandwagon because some “koi guy” in England says it’s the way to
go? Well here is a quote from someone that we know
and respect,
Dick Benbow:
I've played with RO for two years now. I got
into it as a method to bring down by PH which
was way too high (8.2-8.5 ) My initial unit
barely did 100 gallons a day but eventually
caught up with my inside pond of 2,000 gallons.
The following year I went to 200 gallons a day
which amounted to a 10% water change daily. I
now am putting together a 400 gallon a day unit
for my outside pond to achieve another 10%
daily water change.
My inside unit puts my water parameters at
7.8 PH, 60 KH and GH with a TDS of just over
100. My Koi of grown tremendously despite
having small pond to grow them in.
I have noticed that sumi takes forever on some
individuals to finally show as the hardness is so
meager. I have not experienced it but have heard
that some beni tends to respond with RO water
to a condition that appears to look like secondary Hi. I hope to have the outside pond up and
running end of this month to accept my shipment of Purdin Koi that I have hand selected
over the past two years.
It has been my observation that both the look
of the water and the fish have benefited.
And Michael Cox has said that he is very happy with
the results that he has had over the last many months.
OSMOSIS
Some of the things you never wanted to know about Reverse Osmosis
My intent on giving out this information is to let you
read and then make up your own mind as to the benefits of Reverse Osmosis. Then if you are interested, I
can show you how to put together a system that will
do the job for your particular needs at a cost that is
affordable.
The main thing to know to start with is what are the
Total Dissolved Solids in your source water and your
pond. I would be happy to come to your pond and
check them for you as I am probably the only one
who actually has a TDS meter.
Enjoy reading the handout, and I look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
Reprinted from the April 2003 issue of Koi Carp magazine.
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
magic water
The Japanese are the true masters in growing koi, but what
are their secrets? Mike Snaden snubs conventional wisdom
and offers up the secret in the form of soft water...
J
Momotaro Koi Farm's famous pond, the biggest filtered concrete pond in Japan, containing a massive 330,000 gallons.
The filters in the left corner are for removing Nitrates, and also lowering water hardness.
apanese breeders and universities are
constantly striving to perfect production,
growth, and health aspects of koi; it is
accepted that the Japanese are the true
masters and have made important discoveries that link good koi health, excellent growth and superior hi development
to many aspects of koi keeping, including
the subject of water hardness, and TDS
levels. This wonderful hobby would benefit greatly from attempting to learn from
the Japanese professional Nishikigoi industry.
It's all too common to hear people say
that mains water in certain areas is too
soft, and should be hardened. It's understandable that Carbonate Hardness (KH)
should be elevated, but the same cannot
be said for General Hardness.
accepted wisdom
It is generally accepted in Japan by the
koi industry/breeders, that koi growth is
enhanced in soft, and pure water. Hi will
become thicker, the shine of the skin
(Tsuya) will improve, and last but not
least, the health of the koi will be stimulated and greatly enhanced, hence less
problems.
One point worth noting is that the
Japanese feel that hard water will cause
The Japanese are the true masters and have made
important discoveries that link good koi health, excellent
growth and superior hi development to many aspects of
koi keeping.
Momotaro Koi Farm use ‘Bacteria House’ media in these
shower filters, partly to lower the total hardness of the
water
pigment cells on the koi's skin to lie flat to
protect itself from hard water, hence, koi
in hard water will often look a very vivid,
and hard red. But, in soft water, the pigment cells will stand up rather like velvet,
giving a softer colour, but much better
luster and colour quality.
Generally, people in the UK tend to
believe that koi are put into Japanese
mud ponds because the high mineral
content and low stocking levels will make
the koi potentially grow larger and at a
faster rate than would otherwise be the
case. Whilst there is an element of truth
in this statement, it does not show the full
picture, and can be easily misinterpreted.
The fact is that many of Niigata's mud
ponds have soil that is so dead from lack
of minerals, that only rice (or koi) can be
grown there. However, mud ponds do
offer benefits such as live insects, and
plankton, which cannot easily be recreated within a closed pond system.
KH Carbonate Hardness or Alkalinity.
Carbonate hardness is essential for the
buffering effect it has on the pH of water
within a pond. If a recorded pH of a given
volume of water is 7.5 and an amount of
acid is added, it is commonly expected
that the pH value should drop by the corresponding amount of acid added. If
there were little or no KH value to the
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
‘Bacteria House’ filter media being used in a submerged
filter
Koi 4(a)
Momotaro Kohaku, 33cm in April 2002 now 49cm (see
Koi 4(b) top right)
and the pH will fall. At first this isn't a
problem, as koi are best suited to a pH of
7.0. But, if left unattended, the pH will fall
to dangerous levels, and quickly crash
the system, resulting in acidic water, and
a pond full of either very unhappy or
dead koi.
A good KH level should be somewhere
in the region of 2 to 6dH, with my preference being 3dH. There is no point in running a higher level than six, as this will
often result in a rise of the pH. The Japanese consider a pH of between 6.8 and
7.4 to be ideal.
GH General Hardness
This is a measure of the amount of dissolved solids (mineral content), for example, calcium and magnesium. GH has
nothing directly to do with the KH buffering effects of water. A GH measurement
is no indication of the KH value as the
two are totally separate independent
readings. Japanese Nishikigoi professionals desire low GH values. GH can be
measured as ppm or dH, (German Degrees of Hardness). A typical tap water
reading in the Bristol area is around
President Maeda says that low water hardness and
low Nitrates are of the utmost importance in the
quest for maximum growth, and good development
in koi.
water, this would be the case, but
the purpose of KH is to act as a buffer,
so rather than the acid directly
influencing the pH value, the acid is
spent on the carbonate ions in the KH
value, and only when the carbonate reserves of the KH value are used up
will the acid directly influence and lower
the pH. Hence, if the KH value falls too
low, the pond water pH will be influenced
too easily by everyday occurrences such
as fish respiration, fish urine, waste byproducts from filtration system bacteria,
plant life and even acid rain – in short,
just about everything that is considered
normal in a pond environment that is
capable of introducing an acid base. So
by these examples it is easy to see why
KH is so important.
If a pond has a low KH, and regular
pond maintenance isn't carried out, the
water will lose it's buffering capability,
14dH (250ppm, or parts per million). In
Japan this would be considered extremely high! The general guide as an
optimum GH in Japan is about 50ppm
(2.9 dH), with many people feeling that if
a reading is at or above 2 dH (34ppm), it
should be lowered.
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
A TDS reading represents anything that
is dissolved in the water being tested.
This includes GH, KH, fish waste, uneaten food and chemicals. It is often said
that koi will only grow to the size of the
pond, but in truth, the koi will grow according to the TDS level in the pond. A
heavily stocked pond, with lack of water
maintenance will result in a TDS level
that will continuously escalate, hence
slowing koi growth as they get older,
(consuming more food, and creating
more waste).
pond water statistics
The following are pond water statistics
compiled over the past three years
Bristol,
Mains water pH 7.5
Pond pH 7.4,
TDS (pond 7800 gallons) 315ppm,
KH- 5dH
(89ppm), GH- 13dH (232ppm)
Pond number two, 4400-gallon, TDS
310ppm.
Rain water 30ppm (TDS).
Swansea,
Mains water pH 7.1,
Pond pH 6.9,
Mains water 51ppm (TDS),
Rainwater 25ppm (TDS),
Current pond TDS 111ppm.
Japan,
Mains water 75ppm,
Rainwater 3ppm,
Pond water (mud ponds) 35 to
108ppm (TDS)
Pond water (hobbyists ponds) 108 to
220ppm (TDS)
Case studies
swansea pond
The pond case study in Swansea contained
only 2,500 gallons of water, which was
heavily stocked. This pond was rebuilt in
Summer 2002 (two months during which
the koi were in another pond, and not growing). The new pond contains 7,530 gallons.
Wakabayashi male Kohaku 39cm (two
years old in 2000), is now 64cm and
approaching five years old
Koi 1(a)
Koi 1(b)
Sakai (Hiroshima Showa) Tosai in June 2000 at 26cm
(left), now 61 cm in Feb 2003 (right)
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
A typical Japanese mudpond, where koi are renowned for ultimate growth during the summer months
Koi 4(b)
It is generally accepted in Japan by the koi
industry, that koi growth is enhanced in soft,
and pure water even soft water won’t make
inferior koi become big
Wakabayashi male Kohaku 47cm
(three years old in May 2001) grew to
68.5cm (Feb 2003) (now approaching
five years old).
Koi One: Sakai (Hiroshima Showa),
Tosai (one year old) in June 2000 at
26cm, now 61cm Feb 2003 (now coming
up for four years old).
Koi Two: Momotaro Tosai Kohaku (one
year old), 34cm in March 2002, now
52cm, and not two years old until 17th
May 2003!
Koi Three: Momotaro Tosai Kohaku,
34cm in May 2002, now 49cm. Momotaro
Kohaku 22cm Tosai in Feb 2002. In the
summer of last year, this koi suffered
from wasting disease and lost weight to
the point of becoming a skeleton. It then
recovered, regained its weight, and still
managed to grow to 41.5cm! (Feb 2003).
Koi Four: Momotaro Kohaku, 33cm in
April 2002, now 49cm.
Koi 3(a)
Koi 3(b)
Momotaro Tosai Kohaku, 34cm in May 2002 (left), now
49cm (right)
Koi 2(a)
Koi 2(b)
Momotaro Tosai Kohaku, 34cm in March 2002 (left),
now 42cm (right)
be disappointing when compared to what Takigawa 105 to 108ppm,
can be achieved in the areas where waImai 35 to 48ppm, Inoue 35 to 48ppm,
bristol pond
ter of a lower GH and TDS is prevalent.
Momotaro 75 to 85ppm.
The Bristol pond case study is our own
There is no doubt that ponds in Bristol
pond of 7,800 imperial gallons. Despite
area with a lower GH have growth rates
Naturally, all of these ponds have
being run at similar temperatures, and
better than those with a higher GH.
growth rates equal to but mainly greater
similar feeding rates to the Swansea
than the pond in Swansea! But, temperacase study, the Bristol pond cannot
japan
ture in Japan also plays a large part, as
achieve the same growth rates. The only
Typical Japanese case studies are as do the many additional insects etc, that
major difference that is apparent, befollows; these figures are for various
breed in the clay base to the ponds.
tween the two ponds, is water hardness,
Japanese breeders mud ponds in the
and a vastly different TDS level. The
Hiroshima area. All of the readings are
Other points to remember:
average growth in this pond has been
TDS readings, and hence represent a
• Feeding raises TDS,
perhaps three to five centimetres. The
total of GH and KH levels combined. A
• Chemicals raise TDS,
normal growth rates for our pond and
'PPM' figure should be divided by 17.9 to • Fish waste raises TDS,
others in the area are similar, but generobtain a dH reading.
• Iron, salt, and calcium raise GH, and
ally typical growth rates for the higher
Wakabayashi 65 to 78ppm,
hence also raise TDS,
TDS readings in the Bristol area would
Takumi 76 to 85ppm,
• High Nitrates raise TDS.
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
momotaro koi farm
Momotaro is probably one of the top
three breeders in Japan. President
Maeda is much happier growing koi in
concrete ponds, as the koi can be carefully watched, and their growth and development can be carefully controlled.
This is an area where Momotaro Koi
Farm excels! President Maeda has developed a new filtration media called
'Bacteria House'. This media has an appearance of coral, but is a man made
material, which is baked at high temperature (1,300ºC). This media is used in his
filter systems, and also in multi-level
shower filters. These trickle filters obviously remove Nitrates, but Mr Maeda
says that this media also helps lower water hardness. President Maeda says that
low water hardness and low Nitrates are
of the utmost importance in the quest for
maximum growth, and good development
in koi.
Using such methods, President
Maeda has achieved the following:
– Around 1997, Momotaro managed to
produce a Tosai Kohaku of 51cm! Despite such fast growth, the koi maintained
wonderful quality.
– He has also grown the first one metre
Go-Sanke! Please note that Momotaro
bought this Sanke at eight years old and
80cm, from Yamamatsu (originally bred
by Sakai of Isawa). This koi was purchased as a hopeful parent, and Mr
Maeda managed to grow it by 21cm in
just three years. This growth is more than
A RO plant. The stainless steel cylinders contain the semipermeable membranes that strip the water of all substances other than pure H2O
at any other stage in its life.
japanese opinions
Mr Izeki of Izeki Products is quoted as
saying that, he considers a water GH
value should be as low as possible, also
if GH measures 2dH (34 ppm) or over, it
should be lowered. Mr Izeki achieves
excellent, growths rates equal to mud
pond growth rates in his concrete ponds
partly by maintaining low GH and TDS
values.
Dr Takeo Kuroki (Honorary Chairman
of the ZNA), Mr Nobuo Takigawa, and
Professor Ken Sasaki (of Hiroshima
Kokusai Gakuin University), have written
that: "Hardness is an indication of the
amount of calcium or magnesium; the
lower this is the better suited the water is
to the raising of Nishikigoi. A reading
below 50ppm (2.92dh) is considered
desirable. This degree of hardness is
also said to control the appearance of
the hi and the sumi".
the high and the low roads
There are two routes to take with hardness levels in your pond.
– HIGH GH LEVELS/high TDS.
Good sharp white ground and sumi
development, but poor growth rates.
(Ideal for those that are hoping to show
their koi, or those that have less time to
devote to pond maintenance). High GH
levels can also cause hi (red) to break
up.
– LOW GH LEVELS/low TDS.
High growth rates, deep and even hi,
but softer white skin, and slower sumi
development. Bear in mind however, that
just a few weeks in hard water will improve the white skin ready for a koi
show. It would be preferable to definitely
go for the latter approach, it could be
viewed as a waste of time and money to
invest in buying an expensive koi, and
then restrict it's growth and development.
Please bear in mind that if a koi is destined to develop sumi, it will still develop
in soft water, but will just take longer.
The Japanese approach is to enjoy
a koi as a 'project'. When the 'project' is
completed, they will look for a new Tategoi to work with.
maximizing potential
Compare your mains water TDS to your
pond TDS. If your pond TDS is signifi-
‘Bacteria House’ shower filter used on a hobbyst's pond
in Japan. The plants are more decorative, than functional.
These shower filters remove Nitrates, but also soften water, and hence offer unparralleled growth.
A ‘Bacteria House’ shower filter, which quite simply sits on
top of the filter system. This is made from a plastic drum,
which has a perforated base, thus allowing water to fall
freely back into the main filter system. A pump pushes
water up the grey pipe, and through the 'shower' holes,
which then pours down over the filter media, and back into
the main filter
cantly higher than the mains water, then
it is because your pond is probably overstocked, overfed, or perhaps just badly
maintained. Weekly monitoring of the
TDS levels can enable you to adjust your
pond water, and hence, maximise your
koi keeping pleasure! You too can grow
koi like as though they were in Japan!
Also, bear in mind that Japanese water
usually contains virtually no minerals,
hence the benefit of adding clays. Ask
your local water board for a report, and
see for yourself what kind of mineral content is present. But, bear in mind that an
abundance of minerals means a high
GH, and hence, a high TDS. Don't waste
the growth potential of your koi, and don't
forget that if you want to make your koi
grow big, make sure the parents are
BIG!...even soft water won't make inferior
koi become big.
Mike Snaden has spent the last four years fervently trying to research the exact reasons behind the mystique of
the wonderful growth rates in Japan, and is actively experimenting with the fruits of his research for the benefit of
other koi keepers outside of Japan. Mike has been a hobbyist for over nine years, and a dealer for the last three.
Reprinted from the August 2003 issue of Koi Carp magazine.
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
With my 'home made' soft water (and of course other factors), I have managed to grow these tosai at one cm per week. This pond contains over 110
koi, with many now up to 40cm. All of this has been possible without making the koi overweight.
softly does it
Back in the April issue we looked at the benefits that could
be gained from nurturing soft water. In the second part of
this article we expand on some issues raised in the first
part, and also help you realise that living in a hard water
area needn't be the end of the world.
The vast majority of areas in England
are unfortunate insofar as they have hard
water. In Japan, it's a different story. WaA TDS reading doesn't directly dictate
oft water offers great benefits in
ter in Japan is extremely soft throughout
whether water is hard or soft, as it should
terms of growth, health, and developthe country to the point that even Japan's
really be viewed as a 'grand total' when
ment, but isn't the 'be all and end all'.
looking at water makeup. A TDS meter will hardest water is still softer than most of
More to the point, hard water should be
measure anything that is dissolved into water, England's soft water areas. People think
looked upon as a bottleneck, or limiting
that clays and oyster shells are put into
such as calcium, magnesium,
factor.
sodium, iron, organics such as uneaten food, mud ponds as minerals to benefit the koi,
At this point, let's try and change the
but in reality, mud ponds are filled preor dissolved fish waste. This is the reason
angle from which this whole topic should that it is often referred to in Japan as a 'water dominantly with rain water.
be looked upon. 'TDS' (Total Dissolved
Acid rain in Japan is a common probquality meter'. You will no doubt notice that
Solids) is the more important factor in all there is no reference to GH levels in this arti- lem, and apart from shells serving to help
of this because although it will give an
the growth of insects and other organcle, as they are reflected in the TDS level,
indication of water hardness, it more
isms, they also serve to help prevent pH
and are generally considered in Japan to be
importantly helps us to understand water kept ideally below 50ppm, or 2.75dH.
crashes in times of heavy downpours.
condition. (Note that sometimes, TDS is
Heavy rain is a big threat to koi that are
also referred to as 'Total hardness').
Japanese water
S
tds explained
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
This Momotaro Kohaku measured 22cm in March 2002. In
the summer of 2002, it suffered from wasting disease and
came close to death. I would estimate that it lost two to
three months of growth because of this, and consequently,
the koi had to regain its lost weight before growing
mud ponds, as
it can quickly turn the water acidic,
hence breeders will often rush out to
mud ponds when heavy rain is
expected, and will throw in literally
tonnes of shells to try to combat the
effect.
man-made water
Koi kept in man-made filtered koi ponds
require very different methods of water
management. For a start, such ponds
are heavily stocked, so rain-water isn't
an option for filling our ponds, since this
will quickly lead to pH crashes. Rain
water in Japan generally has a TDS of
about 3ppm, and hence absolutely no
KH value. But, since the stocking rate is
so very low, the soil and shells help
create an eco system in which the koi
thrive. But, push things too hard by
overstocking, and the mud pond's ecosystem is very quickly destroyed.
The water coming from the hose on the left is from an
R/O plant and has a TDS of 5ppm, and KH of zero.
The water from the hose on the right is mains water
and has a TDS of about 300ppm, and a KH of about
11dH. But, the result of these mixing is a TDS of 75
ppm, and KH of 2.75dH... that's more like it
so that I could compile notes. Momotaro's water is pumped from a bore-hole
(water well), and naturally has a TDS
level of 73ppm. Bearing in mind that that
reading represents a total of KH, GH, and
any other dissolved solids, and that 1KH
or 1GH equates to about 17ppm, and the
figures start to speak for themselves.
With a figure of 73ppm, the absolute
back to our koi ponds
maximum level of KH and GH combined
In a filtered pond, the biological activity would be a total of 4dH, which for arguand production of Carbon Dioxide both
ments sake is a theoretical 2dH of each
turn the water acidic, hence the need for parameter, a far cry from those levels
Carbonate Hardness (KH). It is important recommended back here in England, and
to remember that because we are trying that's on the new water, not the pond
to keep our ponds clean for viewing
water, which will always become lower!
purposes, it is impractical to line the
bottom with shells or clays, since our koi reducing tds levels
create so much waste that bottom drains
Now on to the ponds... Most of
become of paramount importance.
Momotaro's ponds had a TDS level of
This is the primary reason that rain
around 80ppm, but their best performing
(with no KH value) is unsuitable for filling tosai growing pond had a TDS level of
our ponds. Those of you who have
just 53ppm, and KH level of just 1dH
visited Japan will probably have noticed (17ppm), and that's in an indoor filtered
that the majority of hobbyists ponds are pond! It seems odd that the pond TDS
covered to avoid acid rain from entering level is lower than that of the new water,
the pond. When running such soft water, but Mr Maeda says that their 'Bacteria
acid rain will very quickly deplete the KH House' filter media actually reduces
value, and then turn the water acidic.
TDS levels. Between Daisuke Maeda,
On a trip to Momotaro's Tosai Auction and Toyota-san (who is responsible for
in April, I once again took my TDS meter, water testing at Momotaro Koi Farm),
A TDS reading doesn’t directly
dictate whether water is hard or soft, as it
should really be viewed as a ‘grand
total’ when looking at water makeup
This is the same koi as the 22cm Kohaku, but as of April
2003, it now measures 48.5cm. When Daisuke Maeda
saw this koi in March of this year, he declared the koi
female, and confidently said that Colin would be able to
grow the koi beyond 85cm in his 7,500 gallon pond
our water
In
It has long been said that it is necessary to maintain high KH values and even GH values in our
ponds in England. I personally can't understand this, as there is a vast difference between
'enough' and an 'excess', whereby the extra levels serve no practical or explainable purpose.
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
we managed to talk about water hardness, and Mr Toyota was fully in agreement that soft water was better for
growth, and that a KH level was only
needed to be high enough to give a stable pH, if monitored daily.
'money for old rope'
Let's take a look at a typical pond
scenario whereby a fictional pond is
situated in a soft water area, and the
water is buffered with Sodium Bicarbonate to a level that is somewhat exaggerated above those levels that many people would recommend, to see the cost
involved. Let’s assume that your mains
water runs a KH of 1dh, and that you
have been advised by someone that sells
Bicarb, to keep your pond KH at 10dh.
If your pond had zero KH value, it might
take 100kg of Bicarb to get your KH up to
10dh. Then, you flush your bottom drains
on a daily basis, wasting 10% of your
water, and hence top up with your mains
water (of 1dh value). This top up drops
your KH level to about 9dh, so you add
10kgs of Bicarb to get back up to 10dh.
Assuming that your 10kg of Bicarb costs
£10, it would cost you £70 per week to
maintain the target KH level.
So, let’s assume that you are in the
This Kohaku also measured 22cm last year as tosai,
and is now 47cm. In my eyes, this will become an
outstanding koi, and is also female, so will become
very big. We will photograph this koi for the next part
of this article
same position, but are only aiming to
maintain a KH of 3dh. The same 10%
water change would lower your KH to
perhaps 2.7dh, so you might need 3kg to
get back to the target 3dh. Doing this
every day would only cost you £21, a
great saving of £49 for you, and a great
loss of income from your Bicarb source!
so, what do you do?
Do you buy a KH test kit and keep track
of the levels, or do you throw in loads of
Bicarb to raise the KH value to excessively high levels? Chances are that if
you carry on with regular water changes
with new water with a KH value of 4dh,
your KH would always run at perhaps
3dH – the result? No expense
wasted on Bicarb!
why run a high kh?
In a pond with a KH of just 1dH, the pH
Even in a reasonably heavily stocked pond, a
KH level of 3dH is almost impossible to de- would probably run at around 7, and seldom drop at all, whereas at a KH of 2dH
plete in a week, and let's face it, you would
the pH would tend to run at 7.5, but push
be guilty of bad koi keeping if you didn't
flush your bottom drains at least three times a the KH higher than 6, and the pH will
have a tendency to run higher...
week during the summer months anyway.
perhaps up to 8.0. Why bother? The
Japanese generally feel that a pH is better below 7.5 rather than higher.
If you live in a hard water area, it is
possible to make water soft, if you use
the right equipment. You would be forgiven for thinking that you could use an
'ionexchange' water softener to make
your pond water soft, but in reality this
would prove to offer no significant benefits, because as the technique suggests,
you would be quite simply 'ion-swapping'.
Koi kept in man-made
filtered koi ponds require
very different methods
of water management
Mr Mori of Okayama, Japan, has koi that he has grown
from tosai of around 22cm, in this pond which is about
24,000 gallons. One Sanke that resides here will be
three-years-old in August, and is already in excess of
70cm. Who says that koi can't be grown big in a filtered
pond? We should all learn from this, and strive to
achieve more from our koi
what is ion exchange?
Ion exchange is where the water softener swaps Calcium and Magnesium
ions for Sodium ions. A popular miscon-
Advanced GH
MIKE SNADEN
This Sanke arrived in December 2002 at just six months
old, and 23cm
This particular R/O plant wastes very little water. But, RO water alone is dangerous, and
must be mixed with mains water in order to obtain the kind of water you desire
ception with water softeners is that they
put salt into the water, which simply isn't
true. The salt (Sodium Chloride) is used
to regenerate the ion-exchange resins
during a flushing process, once their capabilities are exhausted.
The problem with water softeners is the
fact that they ion swap, rather than simply removing them. This means that by
swapping ions on a one for one basis,
the TDS level remains exactly the same,
when the aim of the game is to lower the
TDS. But, by using a 'Reverse-Osmosis'
(R/O) plant, the water can be completely
stripped of all minerals and contaminants, essentially producing pure H2O, or
distilled water.
This water will usually have a TDS of
perhaps 5ppm, depending on the efficiency of the R/O plant used. Most of that
5ppm figure would actually be Carbon
Dioxide, which makes the water acidic,
but will quickly gas off, leaving you with a
pH of around 7. R/O plant water on its
own is very dangerous for aquatic life, as
it has absolutely no pH stability, and no
mineral content. But, when mixed back in
with untreated mains water, you can
make wonderful water, which can give
you wonderful results!
with untreated mains water at a ratio of
75% R/O water, and 25% mains water,
which results in a TDS of just 84ppm,
and a KH of 2.75dH, which I feel is ideal.
This may sound complicated, but provided that you know the KH value and
TDS of your mains water before you mix
it with R/O water, you can use the TDS
If you live in a hard water area, it is possible to make water soft, if you use the right equipment
meter to determine the KH value of your
mixed water. In this case, if my mixed
water TDS level rises above 84ppm, I
just reduce the flow of mains water a little, and if it's too low, then the flow is increased. Running the above KH reading
is perfectly safe if you carefully watch
and make regular notes of your pond KH
level. Obviously, if the KH depletes below the desired level, I have to either
change more water, or add a 'harder' mix
of water.
The next part in this series will focus on
how to safely run soft water, and how to
do it in a 'Water board friendly' manner.
As you can see, this Sanke has grown from 23 to 33cm
in four months (up until April), with most of the growth
having been achieved in the latter six weeks despite being
one of over 110 koi in the 4,400 gallon pond
how I can achieve my
'ideal' water
My Bristol mains water currently has a
TDS level of 335ppm. Contained within
that reading is the KH, which runs at
11dH (190ppm). As far as growth and koi
development (and shimmies) are
concerned, our local water is terrible! But,
since my R/O plant produces water with
a near zero TDS, I can mix this water
Looking back to the original Water Hardness article in April's Koi Carp magazine, if you wish to see
some of the koi that were featured and grown in soft water... see us at the BKKS National Koi Show
at Newark!
Reprinted from the September 2003 issue of Koi Carp magazine.
water – reverse osmosis
MIKE SNADEN
reversing
a trend
In this final part of the gH series,
Mike Snaden extols the virtues of
reverse osmosis.
This is the third part in the series that
focuses on water for growing koi, and the
aim
of this is to explain how I have managed
to create my own soft water. This can be
a costly exercise, but one that I feel to be
are very environmentally unfriendly, simply because of the quantities of water
wasted. This is where mine differs
greatly, as I will explain.
re-cycled water
Conventional R/O plants waste about
85% of the water that is put into them,
Please note that Reverse Osmosis water contains
and hence only give about 15% of good
no minerals, and hence is very unstable. It is
water. There are three problems with
dangerous to use R/O water without mixing it
this. Firstly, it isn’t feasible to obtain a
with mains water.
large quantity of good water. Secondly,
they waste large amounts of water,
well worth pursuing.
which is simply put down the drain. Fiwater wastage
A R/O plant is a unit containing a semi- nally, even in the event of an R/O plant
permeable membrane, which effectively being able to produce a reasonable
rejects minerals and metals, leaving distilled (virtually pure H2O) water as the
end product. The rejected minerals are
disposed of as
‘effluent’ through a waste pipe. I consider
my R/O plant to be an invaluable asset
nowadays, but in their usual guise, they
This Kohaku measured 33cm in May at the time of
taking this pic. It is now 41.5cm, as of July 11th
I consider hard
water to be the
‘bottleneck’ of
koi growth, or
limiting factor
Standard R/O plants waste about 85% of the water put
into them
ter by passing it through a second membrane, and then by also re-circulating a
proportion of it all over again.
high running costs
The result is an R/O plant that gives 70%
good water, with only 30% rejected - far
more environmentally friendly! The only
downside is the booster pump, which
amount of good water,
consumes around 750W of electricity.
It will require so much import water, that Despite such running costs, I feel that
most domestic water supplies simply
this is all more than justified, even given
won’t supply water fast enough.
the original £2,500 outlay for the plant,
This is to my mind unacceptable ecol- and softener. This plant is intended to
ogically, and not cost effective. So, after give 600 gallons per day, but in reality,
months of research, and negotiating with gives 800 gallons. When mixed with my
a local water softener supplier, we man- desired quantity of mains water, a total of
aged to come up
about 1,100 gallons of water is available
with a solution in the form of a unique
if needed.
plant that actually recycled its wastewa-
water – reverse osmosis
MIKE SNADEN
Soft water is one of the contributing factors in this
Kohaku growing to 79cm at just four years of age at
Momotaro Koi Farm
In my mind, it is
possible to win
Baby Champion,
Young Champion,
Adult Champion,
and perhaps even
Grand Champion
with the same koi
over a number of
years!
which is relatively low by single membrane standards, but still much higher
than mine. On the positive side, this unit
doesn’t need feeding with softened water, and doesn’t use a pump, hence no
high running costs.
of the above koi, but the only downside of
running such soft water is that one or two
Let’s take a look at my 4,400 gallon
koi have developed secondary hi. Since
pond, and the results I have had with it
April this year and the addition of showup until the end of May 2003. Water TDS ered filtration, the koi have generally
is approx 100ppm, KH is just over 2dH,
grown at a rate of one centimetre per
temperature is 23.7°C. In late December week.
2002, 110 koi arrived at sizes of 15cm to
27cm. They are fed six times daily with
an auto feeder, and bottom drains are
flushed daily. The koi of 15cm averaged
Soft water isn’t the answer to everya growth to 25cm, and the koi of 26 to
thing, so here is a brief summary of
27cm, generally grew to around 40cm.
factors that I feel play an important role
I am very happy with the growth rates
(in addition to basic koi keeping pracgrowth spurt
cheaper alternative
Don’t despair however, as there is now
a cheaper way, in the form of the Kent
RO650 plant. This unit is designed to
give 650US gallons per day. In reality
(given varied mains
water pressures, and temperatures), this
unit would probably give somewhere in
the region of 300 to 400UK gallons per
day, but for a mere £1,000. The downside of this unit is it’s waste water level,
tice) in growing koi to Jumbo sizes,
with optimum improvement in beauty.
Temperature
Soft water with as low as possible TDS
levels
Many small feeds as opposed to a few
big feeds
Koi from big parent stock and with
good
history of growth
Plenty of aeration, and high oxygen
levels,
Low nitrates
Good water circulation to keep the koi
active
Good pond depth
Everyone dreams of growing koi like they do in Japan, yet for some reason, people resign themselves to thinking that
such growth can never be achieved in the UK. Make your dreams become reality!
MIKE SNADEN
water – reverse osmosis
Despite very heavy stocking, Ian’s 6,500 gallon pond in
Bristol is running a TDS level of just 80ppm. The growth
rates are staggering, and this is without any weakening of
the colour quality.
convincing argument
I have a customer who came here a
month ago and announced that last
summer he had bought an R/O plant. The
interesting thing is, he has two ponds.
Both are heated and maintained in the
same manner. The ponds have been run
in the same way with the exception of
one factor - the R/O plant has been used
on only one of the ponds. When he came
here, here said that he had noticed the
following:i) The koi in the R/O pond became more
energetic.
ii) They started to grow noticeably after
about a month.
He also said that he has now been
running the system for about eight
months, and the koi in the R/O pond have
grown significantly, whereas the koi in
the other pond do not appear to have
grown at all. His final verdict was: “I am
absolutely convinced!”
Since April this year and the
addition of showered filtration, the koi have
generally grown at a rate of one
centimeter per week.
I consider most of the above factors to
have an effect a bit like credit scoring.
Each will give a percentage of the maximum benefit in relation to growth and
development. But, with hard water, each
of the others listed above will have a
much lower effect. I consider hard water
to be the ‘bottleneck’ of koi growth, or
limiting factor.
obtaining incredible growth rates. It has
been just seven weeks since Ian added
four new tosai to his pond. In these
seven weeks, his Momotaro Kohaku has
grown from 33 to 41.5 cm, his Momotaro
Showa (arrived here in December 2002
at 18cm), has grown from 26cm to 37cm,
and his two Takeda Sanke have grown
from 29 and 31cm, to 37 and 40 cm respectively. That’s a growth rate of over
case study
one centimeter per week, whilst retaining
Ian Graham of Bristol, has a Bakki Show- superb colour quality!
ered pond, and now runs the same kind
Ian found the whole R/O idea exof R/O as I do. His pond is 6,500 gallons, tremely daunting at first, but now says:
and runs a TDS of 80ppm, and KH of just “It’s much easier than I thought it would
over 2dH. The pH runs at just over 7.4,
be.” I must also add, that these koi have
with a temperature of between 24 and
grown at this incredible rate without be25°C. Ian’s pond is extremely heavily
coming a single ounce overweight!
stocked, and yet despite this, he is
low TDS means leaner koi
One interesting observation I have made
with this whole ‘water hardness’ practice,
is that in two identical ponds, run in exactly the same manner, except for different TDS readings, in a pond with high
TDS readings, the koi become obese
very quickly, whereas koi in a low TDS
pond grow much faster, without
becoming obese. It is also interesting to
note that if you place an ‘overweight’ koi
that has been kept in a high TDS pond,
into a low TDS pond, it will very quickly
shed some weight, and stretch out in
length. Hence, by carefully controlling the
water in your pond, you can control every
aspect of your koi’s growth, body shape,
and colour development. This basically
means that with an R/O plant, you can
condition your koi for a show, and once
the show is out of the way, you can then
lower your TDS and grow your koi bigger
and then compete with the same koi, but
in the larger size groups next year! In my
mind, it is possible to win Baby Champion, Young Champion, Adult Champion,
MIKE SNADEN
water – reverse osmosis
I purchased this Kohaku in November 2002, and it
arrived in December at 27cm. By the end of April, I
had grown it to 39cm (at the time of photo) for the
customer that bought it. This Koi was actually sold
at 31cm for £350. It is fair to say that now that it is
over 40cm, it has become a ‘cheap’ koi. But, had it
not grown, it would have remained relatively
‘expensive’
and perhaps even Grand Champion with
the same koi over a number of years!
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful achievement?
growth potential
You may wonder why I feel so strongly
about the subject of soft water, but my
reasons are simple. People in England
generally accept that they can’t grow koi
like they do in Japan. Some people even
go as far as saying that they don’t care
whether they can grow big koi or not. But,
if you knew you were capable of growing
koi beyond 80cm, would you try? One of
my customers visited Momotaro Koi
Farm with me in April, and bought an
expensive Jumbo tosai Sanke. Mr Maeda
said to him: “If you leave this koi here,
and grow it big, it will become a cheap
koi. But, if you take it home and don’t
succeed in growing it, then it will be an
expensive koi!” I must agree, in that it is
pointless buying expensive koi with huge
potential for size, if you don’t try to make
the koi achieve its potential.
the future’s big
Let’s look back to Colin’s pond in
Swansea, which contains 7,500 gallons
(mentioned in the April 2003 article).
Colin is running his pond on the ‘low TDS
theory’, and adds absolutely no form of
water additives, or clays. Lasts year’s
Tosai are now up to 55cm. All of his koi
are growing alarmingly fast, and he has
achieved his own personal goal in growing a koi to over 70cm. This koi was
bought at three years old at 50cm, and is
a male Wakabayashi Kohaku. It is now
five years old. I am absolutely confident
that Colin will easily grow some of last
year’s tosai to over 80cm within the next
three years. But, he is now facing stiff
competition from this side of the border!
Japanese hobbyist, Mr Mori, can grow Tosai in his own ponds, to over 70cm by the time they are three years old
Reprinted from the July 2008 issue of Koi Carp magazine.
KOI DEVELOPMENT
MIKE SNADEN
This is where the magic takes place and if we want results, we
have to try to emulate the benefits of the mud pond
The Mystique of
the Mud Pond Water Hardness
Carrying on with his series on the benefits of mud
ponds, Mike Snaden
focuses on water chemistry…
In
soil’, but it is in fact the complete opposite.
Japan, breeders generally expect koi to grow. In
many cases the breeder doesn’t really understand
why. They just know that if they put them out in
the mud pond, they will simply come out in the
autumn as bigger koi! You see, in Japan, they take
their water chemistry for granted. In the same
manner, Westerners take it for granted that they
can’t grow koi. But if you look closely you will
see that Japan’s water chemistry (and indeed most
of Asia) is incredibly soft, and I mean
‘incredibly’ soft! I know that one or two people
will disagree with me on this and claim that the
secret to the mud pond lies in the ‘mineral rich
water in Japan
Japan in its entirety has very soft water, with
Niigata having the softest. As much as this water
is wonderful for koi, it is also the
reason that farming in Niigata is almost
impossible. The soil is so devoid of minerals
that the only thing that can be successfully
grown is rice. If you spend a lot of time in
Japan, you will frequently see Niigata on the
news and in the papers, expressing the hard
times they are having in that region because
of the soil being so mineral depleted.
About the author:
Mike Snaden is the proprietor of Yume Koi in
Bristol, specialising solely in very high end koi.
He has supplied three out of the last four BKKS
Grand Champions. Mike’s specialised field is
water and growing koi to their maximum potential, as a Japanese breeder would. This approach
has given him considerable insight into koi.
However, on the bright side, this is also the
reason that Niigata’s rice is known
throughout Japan to be the best and why
the water is so good for koi!
Water hardness is made up by whatever kind of
rock or soil the water passes through before
being collected in reservoirs or lakes.
MIKE SNADEN
However, before we can do this we need to
take a look at water chemistry in Japan.
Living proof that you can have great fun raising £90.00
tosai to become six years old (82cm) in a 6,500 gallon
pond in the UK that is overloaded with koi.
…many mud ponds
will run with a pH
often going down to
around the 6.5 region,
with 6.8 to 7 being
quite commonplace
and 7.5 being the
general upper end of
the scale
This water falls as rain, with a TDS (total
dissolved solids) typically of just 3 parts per
million in Japan (indicating extreme purity as
H²O). As it falls down over mountains it permeates through the soil and rock, picking up
and dissolving minerals on the way. Japan’s
rock is not limestone based, unlike much of
the UK, and this is the reason that very few
mineral ions, affecting hardness, are
taken into solution.
In the West, there is a lot of misconception
about water that is good for koi. People generally feel that because common carp thrive
in our relatively hard water lakes, then this
water is the kind best suited for koi. However, koi are a far removed species from common carp and since many of generations of
koi have been raised in Japan in soft water,
we should strive to replicate the same conditions that these fish are genetically suited to.
mains water
Mains water GH (hardness) in Japan is
very low, usually below 50ppm (2.8dh). KH
(alkalinity or bicarbonate hardness) levels are
generally similar, running below the 50ppm
level. TDS levels are typically around 70ppm
in most areas. This may sound like it doesn’t
add up, but remember that GH is the measure
of calcium and magnesium (positive) cations,
whereas KH is the level of carbonate and
bicarbonate (negative) anions. The assumption with the test kit of both parameters is
that either ions are assumed to exist, as if
present as part of CaCO³ (calcium carbonate), as an anion will always be connected
with a cation, until its bond is broken by
chemical reactions.
The measurement is given in this manner
as it merely needs a unit of measurement as a
reference benchmark, as both Ca ions or CO³
ions will always be attached to something.
However, since we don’t know which, we
make the assumption of CaCO³ for either
parameter.
mud pond water
Mud pond water in Japan is usually softer
than mains water. Water in the mud pond
may look dirty but this is caused by algae and
suspended solids (turbidity). This is reflected
in the TDS, hardness (GH) and KH levels.
TDS levels in mud ponds typically range
from around 35ppm to 90ppm. This reading
includes GH, KH, dissolved fish waste/
organics and all gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide etc.
When you look at TDS figures near the
35ppm end, it is obvious that the water
simply cannot contain any significant level of
KH or GH. Of course, in a mud pond it doesn’t really matter too much as the stocking
level is very low, so fish’s acidic by-products
aren’t too much of an issue. That said, many
mud ponds will run with a pH often going
down to around the 6.5 region, with 6.8 to 7
being quite commonplace and 7.5 being the
general upper end of the scale. Such water
and pH levels offer great benefits in terms of
both growth and colour condition. You see,
colour pigment cells are very much a living
thing in their own right, much like fauna in
your garden. Theory has it that in soft water
the pigment cells stand up, giving a thick,
soft, healthy appearance to the beni (red).
However, when the koi are pulled
up and put into harder water, the pigment
cells are said to try to lie flat, as if attempting
to make a protective barrier. This makes the
colour redder in the short term but causes
pigment cells to die, resulting in a hard red
that is much thinner. As such, if a breeder has
high hopes for a koi, he will try to prevent its
beni from finishing until it becomes big, as a
koi that is finished later in life will have a
much more youthful and longer lasting
beauty.
why oyster shells?
There is a big misconception that Japanese
breeders use an abundance of oyster shells as
they want to make their water harder. This is
a somewhat ridiculous notion for several reasons. Firstly, oyster shells won’t harden water
at all, as their use simply buffers pH. Secondly, shells only really dissolve on demand,
as the water starts to become acidic. The reason vast quantities are used is to provide
more surface area of shells, so that they can
buffer the pH more speedily if needed. If you
only had a handful of shells in a pond that
was turning acidic, it is unlikely that they
would be able to dissolve quickly enough to
stop the pH from crashing. You should also
bear in mind that breeders use these shells for
their indoor holding ponds when they bring
the koi in for the winter. The stocking levels
of these ponds are so high that without
masses of shells the pH would just plummet,
as the breeder’s fresh water has a virtually
negligible KH level.
water in the UK…
Our water is generally very hard. Some
northern areas have slightly softer water with
only Wales and parts of Devon and Cornwall
having what I would call soft water. Many
people believe that water in these areas
should be buffered up with copious amounts
of sodium bicarbonate.
In some cases, even attempting to raise
the hardness (GH) levels!
KOI DEVELOPMENT
27cm
Japaexon
other
bethat
lev-
53cm
nese
perts
the
hand
lieve
if GH
els are
higher KH
than
Tosai like this 27cm Takeda Kohaku are not
produced in abundance. So, if the breeder trusts
you enough to sell you such a koi, it is important
not just to admire it but to try to get a result that
would make them proud.
els
tween
levbe1
This is the same koi at nisai and is 53cm, with
this being last summer’s growth. Reaching
sansai this coming autumn she should measure
around 65cm
and 2dH. The reason I
say ‘try’ is that over a long period of time you
generally plentiful enough that if you don’t change will find that your KH will slowly rise or fall,
enough water, your GH levels will rise in the pond until it finds a level where it is in equilibrium
over a period of time and, as such, need to be kept with the feeding, stocking and maintenance
levels of the pond. Getting it right means a
in check. As for KH, this parameter has a somefine balance, with very slow fluctuations that
what sliding scale effect against pH. If the KH
level is too high, you will generally find your pH will sometimes see the KH running up to 3dH
perhaps every couple of months or so.
becoming too high. For raising koi, a pH of between 7 and 7.5 is most desirable. In my experiTDS
ence, KH of even as low as 1dH (17.8ppm) will
This has to be what I consider, the single most
prevent a pH falling below 7, with a KH of 2 to 3
useful parameter within keeping koi, as it can tell
giving a pH of around 7.3 to 7.5. Once you start
you so much about both your water and your pond
running KH levels of above 5 (89ppm), you will
most likely find your pH running somewhere be- maintenance. If I were stranded on a desert island
with a koi pond and just one item for water testtween 8 and 8.4. At a pH of 8 or over, however,
ing, this would be it! The reading that a TDS mekoi will lose their appetite and no feeding means
ter gives you is basically the sum of everything
no growing!
dissolved in
the water.
balancing act
We first advocated the use of TDS meters
On our main growing pond here, I try to run
back in 2000 and over the last few years they
have slowly caught on. The reason they are so
incredibly useful is that used in the simplest manner, they tell you whether your wa
50ppm, you should make efforts to lower it!
Mineral contents within pelleted foods are
The TDS meter clearly indicates that this murky,
dirty looking Japanese mud pond has a TDS of
just 36ppm. These ponds run with barely any KH
or GH level at all and are an environment in
which koi simply thrive in an unparalleled manner.
ter changes are adequate. It is so often the case
that when someone first buys a TDS
meter, they will proudly state, “Of course, my
TDS levels should be good as I flush my drains
and filters three times a week and my water is
crystal clear!” A short while later, I receive a
phone call saying, “I can’t believe it, my mains
water measures 250ppm but my pond is 900ppm,
what should I do about it?”
There is a big
misconception that
Japanese breeders
use an abundance of
oyster shells as they
want to make their
water harder
MIKE SNADEN
Next time you visit Japan, don’t judge your pond by the
breeder’s fish house, but instead turn your attention and
thoughts to his mud ponds, where the real magic takes place
If you find yourself
having to buffer your
KH, then it is most
likely because
you aren’t changing
enough water
The whole package of KH, GH and TDS all
kind of go hand in hand to some degree.
What I mean by this is that in the instance of
the above koi keeper, his mains TDS of
250ppm is a rough indication that his water is
generally pretty hard. This water will probably
have a GH level of 7dH and KH of 7dH.
However, the pond TDS of 900 is a clear
indication that the pond has been lacking
water changes or is simply overloaded with
koi/waste. Such a pond will often run low KH
levels, as whilst the TDS levels would have
risen over time to this ridiculous level, the KH
would have also fallen.
Due to mineral contents within the food, the GH
level in the pond is almost certain to be higher
than the fresh water being introduced. It is likely
that the keeper in question has to add some sodium bicarbonate from time to time to stop his pH
falling too low. Generally speaking, if a pond has
been running perhaps ten years, but only been
very slightly under-maintained, the TDS levels
will slowly rise over the years to astronomical
levels, often with slowly depleted KH levels.
In the instance of the above koi keeper, if he
checked his pond TDS from the first day the pond
was filled and then tried to maintain a TDS differential (difference between fresh
mains water and pond water) of perhaps 50ppm,
then ten years down the track, his
pond would still be running a TDS of 300ppm
(differential still at 50ppm), with his KH levels
being very close to the levels in his fresh water.
KH
Now that we have covered TDS, let’s take a
look again at KH. Some people advocate
maintaining crazy levels of KH within the pond. I
have never managed to fathom out why? KH
(otherwise known as alkalinity or carbonate hardness) is simply the level of ions present in the
water that are capable of
‘mopping up’ acids. There is a myth that
biological filters need KH to survive. This is
completely incorrect! Filter bacteria feeds on
fish waste and organic matter. In the process
of breaking down this matter, acids are produced.
These acids are neutralised by the bicarbonate
ions, which are alkaline. This
keeps the pH from turning acidic.
It doesn’t matter whether there is 20mg/l of KH
in a pond or 100mg/l, it won’t affect the filter or
koi in any way. In fact, if the KH is too high, your
pH will ride too high. Remember, KH is purely an
acid neutraliser, not a filter food source! What
does matter however is whether your KH level is
stable from day to day or month to month. If you
find yourself having to buffer your KH, then it is
most likely because you aren’t changing enough
water.
As far as running low KH levels are
concerned, if your pond is working efficiently
and there is no trapped decaying waste in the
system, then you will find that even after going
away on holiday for a couple of weeks, you would
see very little change on your return. It is also
important to realise that even with high KH levels,
it is still possible to induce a pH crash, particularly
if the pond is covered.
conclusion
Koi are raised in Japan in soft water, with an
ideal pH of 7 to 7.5, with very low TDS levels
and low KH levels. If your koi collection consists
of pets that you have had for years and you aren’t
obsessed with jumbo koi, then run your pond with
‘safety’ in mind. If however, you have a high end
collection worth astronomical sums of money and
you wish to do them justice, at the same time as
impressing the breeder, then I would suggest that
you re-evaluate your beliefs of how to grow koi.
My own obsession is the latter and to make sure
that others get the absolute most out of their koi.
Champion koi that come back bigger and better
can’t be raised any other way.