Page 72 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 69

We arrived at Des and Helen’s home, Des runs a Koi
business and Helen is a gardener. The pond was raised,
THE POND brick-built and fitted with a large infinity window, and is
WAS RAISED, divided in to three ponds, one is 3,000 gallons, the
other two are 1,500 gallons each. Each pond has its
BRICK-BUILT own filtration system, consisting of a drum filter and
fluid bed, delivering the water back to the ponds via a
AND FITTED below water return and a shower. Des demonstrated

WITH A LARGE how he could control the air pumps by the sound of his
voice, all too high tech for me.
INFINITY A wooden pergola above the pond covered with

WINDOW polycarbonate sheets keeps the rainwater out and
keeps the pond warm over the winter months, a roller
shutter can be pulled down to keep the ponds warm. In
another area Des has set up his lab with a microscope
and other water testing items.
Some of Mick’s impressive
Koi including Kohaku, Sanke,
Showa, Shiro Utsuri and
many other varieties.
Mick’s pond is kidney shaped and is of concrete block
construction and rendered then finished with fibreglass
and has a capacity of around 6,000 gallons, it is 6ft
(2 metres) deep, I know because I fell in it in December Right:
about four years ago whilst returning a large Koi in a Des’s lab with a
microscope and other
bowl back into the pond, luckily it was heated. Water is
A WHITE delivered via two bottom drains to the filter system water testing items.
KARASHIGOI which is concealed below ground, under decking. This Below:
Des’s large pond is
consists of an Oase drum filter which feeds into a bead divided in to three
FEMALE filter then returns the water back to the pond via a deep separate ponds each
water return and a purpose-built stainless steel shower each with their own
WITH RED which Mick designed himself. filtration system.
EYES AND A Mick has three more ponds with blocked sides and
mud bottoms all housed in a large polytunnel. Here,
BEAUTIFUL Mick spawns his Koi every year and raises the
STRONG offspring. This year he has spawned Kohaku again
using two males and one female, and you could see
BODY thousands of fry which were just 14 days old. Mick
carried out another spawning using the same two
males, but this time used a white Karashigoi female
with red eyes and a beautiful strong body which he
hopes will carry its genes into the offspring. These fry
were just 7 days old. There was so much to see, but it
was time to leave to visit the next pond which belonged
to Des and Helen Harris in Longfield.
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