Chris Neaves's blog

Those of you that have touched a Koi against the side with a net will recall that it will bend into a C-shape and dart away at roughly 90 degrees.

Carp have a preferred body temperature (PBT) of 22 to 28 degrees Celsius.

The swim-bladder, also known as an air bladder, is an air-filled sac situated just under the backbone at the top of the abdominal cavity.

Stress has such a huge impact on Koi that it warrants an article on its own. Good Koi husbandry will not be possible without a decent understanding of stress and the effects on koi in a pond. To fully understand stress it is necessary to backtrack a little bit and consider the immune or defence systems of fish.  

Here is a very simple solution to a dry pond caused by a plumbing break.

If you are drawing water direct from your bottom drains.

Advice by Chris Neaves.

Chlorine is a toxic element, and excess chlorine could be harmful to fish and crustaceans, so it is important to remove chlorine from the water before introducing the stock.

What kind of salt?

The best salt to use in the pond is normal coarse salt.

Methylene Blue comes as a very dark green powder, appearing blue when dissolved in water. Considered a 'traditional' medication for bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections, it is used less frequently as it is highly toxic to plants and will wipe out the bacteria in a biofilter.

Many Koi keepers look forward to spending some time either relaxing at home or going away for a well-deserved rest. Being a Koi keeper does not mean that you cannot go on holiday! If that was the case, many people will opt not to keep Koi.