Garden ponds are crucial to biodiversity but an incredible number have been removed from homes in recent years. Conservationists are encouraging home owners across the UK to restore old ponds or to create new ponds in their gardens in an attempt to help threatened species. The campaign to increase the number of ponds has inspired action. Troubled species are being helped but climate change appears to be having the opposite effect. A deadly disease which kills frogs is spreading rapidly due to warmer temperatures. It could wipe out entire populations within the next 50 years. Climate change and ..read more

Most pet owners will seek to insure their animals. Veterinary bills can be enormous and a good policy will compensate owners in the event that their pet is lost or stolen. Unless, that is, your pet happens to be a koi carp. Insurance companies offer policies to cover almost any animal from horses to hamsters. Even dog breeds with reputations for aggression are now insurable, despite the potential for enormous third-party injury claims. The story is very different with koi. The colourful fish are increasingly popular and can live for decades. But they can’t be insured and that is a serious issu ..read more

You will probably have heard the met office’s augers of doom regarding extreme weather events. Climate change is causing the UK to suffer a greater incidence of extreme weather. Hail showers in July, a summer heatwave, the Beast from the East and Storm Ali are amongst the freak events that you may have experienced over the last couple of years. Extreme weather is always an inconvenience and sometimes incredibly disruptive. It is also problematic for ponds. With hotter days and tropical nights becoming more common, pond keepers face greater challenges. Garden ponds and hot summers ..read more

talkSPORT presenter Jason Cundy is used to fielding calls about Premier League football and the World Cup. What the former Chelsea player probably never anticipated was a caller confessing to killing his neighbour’s fish. But that is exactly what happened recently when a Welshman called Cundy’s show in some distress. The caller, who said his name was Spike, had been minding his neighbour’s house while they were away. He called the national radio station because he was desperate for help after causing a disaster. Cundy and his co presenter encourage their listeners to discuss anything that h ..read more

This is a topic we have looked at before and we are revisiting, as some koi enthusiasts advocate keeping their fish in very soft water. Should you do the same? We think that you shouldn’t! There is a theory that soft water promotes koi growth and impressive colour. However, the available science indicates that the fish are more likely to thrive in water with a DH level (degrees of hardness) of no lower than 6. Hardness is most commonly expressed as milligrams of calcium carbonate equivalent per litre. Water containing calcium carbonate at concentrations below 60 mg/l is generally co ..read more

You may have read that it is advisable to turnover the entire volume of water in your pond every hour which might not be feasible in a larger pond. It is vital to turnover the water in your pond at a sufficient rate to remove ammonia and nitrite from the water. But what is that rate? Think before you increase waterflow If you are fortunate enough to own a large koi pond, turning over the water every hour would require an impressive filter system and truly scary energy consumption! Before you plan to construct your own power station, it is important to consider that issues with nitrite an ..read more

A koi pond is a fabulous feature for any garden, but those colourful fish will draw youngsters towards the water. Koi are undoubtedly beautiful and fascinating. Their wonderful patterns will be appealing to youngsters and attract them to a potentially dangerous situation. Even shallow water is a potential hazard and so children must be protected from falling into your pond. The importance of supervision Children should always be supervised when around your koi pond. Stay with them or remain close by and in view of the pond at all times. This will enable you to intervene at any given ..read more

Koi keepers have many challenges to overcome. They will spend a great deal of time constructing their pond and creating the right pond environment. They will tackle poor water quality and might be the victims of unscrupulous thieves attempting to steel their fish. Local wildlife may have to be deterred from eating treasured fish and koi can become ill with a number of conditions which need treating. But koi keepers don’t generally have to deal with a person falling out of the sky into their pond! Camberwell skydiver Residents of Camberwell, London were recently shocked to see a parach ..read more

Pronounced kar-rah-soo, this variety of koi gets its name from its black colouring. Almost completely black, this fish from the kawarimono class may exhibit different colours on the ventral area, usually red, orange or yellow. The black colouring rarely fades over time and so you will always be able to savour the true beauty of this koi. Karasu symbolism The Japanese believe that black koi bring good luck and that they are omens of prosperity. Black fish are believed to absorb any negative energy in the pond, improving the health of the other koi. So, although black is often seen as ..read more

Koi are relatively straightforward creatures to care for but you can run into trouble if you don’t do your homework. Simple mistakes can lead to big issues! Here are the most common errors and how to avoid them. Overfeeding Koi fish should only be given as much food as they can eat in a couple minutes and they should be fed twice a day. Providing too much food will result in the pond water being polluted by the uneaten portion of food. If you don’t have a large filtration capacity, uneaten food and increased fish waste will pollute the water and lead to numerous health issues. In ad ..read more