Stop wasting money on these 15 Koi and Pond products

Keeping koi and pond fish is an expensive hobby without wasting money on unnecessary items or items that have artificially inflated prices because they are associated with koi keeping.
In this video I will tell you about 15 things that we as koi keepers spend money on unnecessarily. Where applicable I will give you alternative products that can be bought much cheaper and that will do the same job (or even occasionally better).
I also have a section for things that people often scrimp on when spending a little more will actually save them money in the long run, false economy.
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[@dancrawford2690]

Absolutely brilliant video mate,very refreshing to see a level headed look at our hobby, I always feel like I'm been coned when I buy anything kio related

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, thanks very much for taking the time to comment, I appreciate that 🍻🥂🥂🍻

[@atsuminaoki9910]

The biggest waste of money is to slavishly buy more KOIs without regard to seasonality. Define a period of time to properly set up and nurture them. It is better to eliminate KOIs that are distributed as consumables.

[@tonywalsh1967]

Only in the process of designing my first dedicated koi pond, finding your no nonsense information very useful, thanks.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Tony, I appreciate that 🍻👍🍻

[@matcrutch1]

also in regards to the expensive blue tubs for measuring koi, i found some large black tubs of ebay for £11. same size but black. i think there originally intended for horses to drink from

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, sounds good. You can pick up the measuring strips to stick on the bottom for a few quid to 👍👍

[@SeanHiggins-o5f]

I use test strips 2,3 times daily very cheap and quick to use but I also use dropper test kits if I see anything spiking or want to reassure myself on kh and pH levels I do believe dropper kits are better but test strips also work to let you know there is something not quite right and you can check it out properly with more expensive test kits so they do have there place in koi keeping

[@FudgeMonkeySmurf]

I don't keep Koi (yet) but I have been in the Aquarium hobby for the last 12 years keeping both salt water reef tanks and tropical fresh water and the same applies throughout the industry. Good work.

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers mate, I assume you are planning to get yourself some koi soon?

[@matcrutch1]

I used to swear by koi clay. like you said , it did drag all the fines to the bottom and make the water clearer but once i improved my filtration system , i know longer needed it.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, sounds good, what filtration do you use?

[@anthonyjackson4034]

Hi Darren Great video again. It made me think about what your opinion is on expiry dates on powder medications such as Lernex Pro. How accurate are they? In my humble opinion a powder can not go off.Thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate and thank you very much. Its a tricky area this. I couldn't possibly sit here and make a blanket statement that they will be fine beyond the expiry date. I will say though that SOME of them, in theory, should be fine. I think its generally down to oxidation over time and usually it results in a reduction in performance rather than turning them in to something unsafe. I personally wouldn't rely on a product that's gone beyond its date because if it has dropped in potency you could end up losing fish by the time you realise its not working as it should.

[@ACKoi]

I agree with some of what you said not all have you seen our pond and filters 🤔

[@DazzleKoi]

I have mate, it looks great 👍👍

[@KoiRun50]

With nervous anticipation as each item is mentioned I came out pretty good 14/15. Embarrassed to say which item I got dinged for, but for those who know my pond it would be obvious.

[@DazzleKoi]

haha, we've all been there and done it mate 👍👍👍

[@jerrygordon9449]

One thing that I believe was bad advice. Hikari wheat germ is not a high quality food. If you want the healthiest fish and the best water quality I can only recommend Saki Hikari. It costs twice as much as Hikari wheat germ but it's worth it. If you want to feed when the water is a bit cold you can feed Saki Hikari pure white. It can be fed at the same temperature range as Hikari wheat germ.

[@DazzleKoi]

As far as I understand, hikari is the same food from the same manufacturer. The difference is that 'saki' in the name indicates that the product contains 'hikari germ' which is basically a bacteria strain that lives in a koi's gut and aids digestion as well as several other benefits. There is simply no reason to include this in a food designed for cold water feeding as it wont be utilised. As such, for IP reasons their wheatgerm doesn't carry the 'saki' name. The ingredients are still the same high quality and hikari wheatgerm is considered throughout the koi world to be the best cold water food there is. Having seen a friend of mine feed ONLY hikari wheatgerm all year round and grow 2 chag to 1m I followed suit and have honestly never looked back. Feeding 'saki' in cold temperatures is a waste of money. You are paying for 'hikari germ' and it is just dying off.

[@deanhargreaves5958]

What's you're views on heated and unheated over winter also to cover pond or not to cover as the season changes

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I'm in the North West UK and I've never covered pond, even when I had a large pond that was heated. The idea of covering and not seeing my koi every day has me in a cold sweat to be honest. So many people suffer issues in spring that would be avoided if they could see their koi every day and act promptly when an issue first shows. Heating is something I did when I had quite expensive koi as I had paid for potential that I didn't want to lose. To raise them to their absolute best you need to heat in the uk but the cost is prohibitive for all but the most expensive young koi. For 90% of hobbyists, heating is unnecessary and koi in the uk certainly don't HAVE to be heated. When I heated a followed Japanese ambient temps and always gave my koi a winter period as its vital for their systems and body clocks to be able to reset.

[@andynicol6811]

Thumbs up to you lad for saving koi keepers some serious dosh by telling it like it is. Good vid mate 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers pal 🍻🥂🍻

[@JMacFlyFishing]

Hi Daz mate, how are you? Great video 📹 thanks for sharing 👍🏼 very good points 💸😎👍🏼 Take care, John

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I'm ok thank you, how about yourself? Its been a while since you made a video mate, everything ok?

[@JMacFlyFishing]

@DazzleKoi Hi Daz mate, glad you are well. I've been so tied up with work lately. I've been doing plenty of fishing and fish related stuff but just haven't got the confidence to get back behind the camera 😅. Hopefully I'll get back to it soon. I miss the youtube community 😢 Keep up the great work 👍🏼 Cheers, John

[@pao1acar11i5]

grazie per tutti i tuoi consigli, ne farò tesoro, perchè è vero che ci sono tanti ciarlatani che vendono cose inutili e costose. grazie!!!

[@DazzleKoi]

Grazie mille per le tue gentili parole lo apprezzo davvero 🍺🍻🍺

[@edenkoipond]

Smashing video. As a whole, I couldn’t argue with any of that very useful info. Watched your other video on HP for algae and will be giving it a go. The blue bowls, if people pop down to their equine store/horsey stuff, there’s blue bowls without the koi tax. Need a bigger bowl, google mortar tub in blue. Nicely done 👍🏼

[@DazzleKoi]

Great advice mate, thanks. When I searched the mortar tubs I found another good search term is 'plasterers bath'. Cheers pal 🍻🍻🥂🍻🍻

[@alistairmarks]

Another fine video, Darren, packed with information and presented clearly, without any padding. Thank you. However, I can't agree with you regarding the Amalgam UV. The UV steriliser produce radiation at the wavelength most potent for disrupting unicellular organism's nucleic acid (RNA/DNA) and cell walls, rendering them sterile and sticky. I understand the clarifier just makes the cell walls a bit stickier but has little effect on the nucleus and reproduction, as the UV clarifier tubes produce a lot of visible light with little or no effect and a modest amount of much "softer" UV radiation. I think the steriliser is a better tool and if you're breaking rocks it's a sledgehammer vs a claw hammer for the clarifier. You will get there with the wee hammer but much more slowly with much more effort (energy) I'm new to the hobby this year and ended up with green water, as did several others I know. After researching between the two modalities, I ended up fitting a steriliser and two days later, the green was gone and cleared and by using a TAPO timer plug, I was able to switch down the on/off ratio from 24/0 to 12/12, 6/18, and so on, over the next two weeks until I could leave it off all together. I know others who flogged on for weeks with a clarifier on 24/7 and green water. I reckon there is potentially a saving in electricity that puts the steriliser in the "buy now save later camp", imho. Mine is rated at 40W but on my TAPO it was only 23W and I know these things are not super accurate at low wattage but they're not hopeless either. Worried my lamp was not working properly I contacted Filtreau and they commented my reported wattage was absolutely fine. My season, with a second burst a few weeks later, so far represents about 4-5 kWhr, less than £2. I understand folks with clarifiers use them throughout the summer months and say 182 days at 55W, if indeed they are at the rated wattage consumes 240 kWhr which at today's price could be as much as £82. It may be they run on lower wattage like my steriliser but someone with one on a TAPO might comment. Either way, the steriliser has used up a tiny proportion of it's life and the clarifier at least 50%, meaning more expense and maintenance time for the clarifier fitting a new tube. My final comment re sterilisers in the drum is that I had heard whispers it could prematurely age the silicon gasket making the seal between dirty and clean sides, meaning the drum would leak between internally. I heard this said, for certain, on one of the big trade stands at the recent Great British. The result being that if you are to put one in the drum, position it so that it does not shine on the gasket. I look forward to your next video, Darren. Do please keep up the good work.

[@markfleming1177]

Thanks Daz, great info. Appreciate your wise advice. What do you reckon to the electronic blanket weed treatments? My mate recommended but not working for me.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Mark and thank you 👍 Electronic weed controllers are divisive at best mate. There is a vague amount of science behind them but most people I've encountered that have used one say it didn't work. You seem to get the odd one that swears by them, I can only assume they are very dependant on specific conditions which don't seem to be very common. Not for me.

[@mrgibbs7916]

Hi daz, good to see your back and great information as always. Question on the hydrogen peroxide: Would you know if it's safe for a sturgeon?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, yes its perfectly safe. Its actually used to give a quick oxygen boost for sturgeon when they run in to problems with a lack of oxygen.

[@MrSmithy63]

All make sense , Im guilty of blue bowls and clay 😬.

[@kenn3875]

HI Darren i been meaning to ask with the crystals do yo add enough for the pond. Or like my pond is 4000 gallons is it 40 grams and doyou add before you top up or so much at a time. Thanks again daz great videos

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I throw enough in for the water I am adding only. Chuck it in where the water is being added at the start of the top up. It wont cause any harm if you overdose. The only thing I try to do is make sure the koi are not right there when I throw it in as they are always ravenous and I wouldn't want them to eat the crystals. You can dilute in pond water first and then tip the liquid in to ovoid this if you are worried.

[@kenn3875]

Hi Daz. as normal geat video, after 30 year's of keeping I have found out the hard ways. I was wondering from December I stop feeding my until March April my pond is approx 4000 gallon 90% under cover not heated do you still feed on warm days .

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I have a video or two on this subject but basically I feed hikari wheatgerm all year round and I have never stopped feeding in winter for more than a few days over the last 26 years. If they are hungry and eat it within 5 minutes or so then it is fine. Koi and mother nature know what is best.

[@oliverskinner8962]

I've seen a lot of KZbinrs set up shops but they don't all make it. As regards to koi filters I think unless you're going to buy a drum filter you should just DIY your own filter it's a lot cheaper especially for ponds under 10,000 litres. Lastly one of the most important things is a well designed pond in the first place !!

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I completely agree with your first and last points. I don't necessarily agree with your point on diy filters though. Over 26 years I've seen and experienced many many disasters from diy filters because people don't understand the importance of preventing waste settling inside and of being able to flush waste out on a daily basis. Some do work well, but many many more end in bacterial disasters and dead koi. And given the price of a second hand pod or nexus its not even always much cheaper to build your own these days.

[@marmar3431]

Long overdue post, Darren. Think subscription to you should be compulsory. Clear common sense with no BS.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks very much, I appreciate that 👍🍻👍

[@mykoiobsession]

As always a very informative and well thought out video. Looking forward to the next one. 👍🏻

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate, good to hear it was useful 👍👍

[@Smog104]

Excellent Daz I’m using a large pressure filter till my Bakki comes from me last house and I connect me bead and sieve up . Luckily me ponds 2.4 k gallon and me Koi are mostly Tosai but it’s a matter of time simply ………. No 1 was a revelation to me THANKS for that . I do use a cartridge system but at times I do need dechlorinator BRILLIANT 🙏

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, thanks for your comment, how are you getting on, you got the bead a shower on yet or still on the pressure filter?

[@MrJb3010]

thanks m8 you have just saved me some money and confusion i cannot thank you enough

[@DazzleKoi]

My pleasure, good to hear you found it useful 🍻🥂🥂🍻

[@andysmall379]

Hi Dan, great video good explanation and science behind each item. Have one question ref HP I see there are various concentration levels for HP what is you advice ref this?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I use the 3% food grade stuff off ebay. 1 litre of 3% per 1000 gallons of pond water. If you have a bigger pond than me you will be better going for a higher concentration. Just adjust the dose accordingly. Half a litre of 6% etc 👍👍

[@samwood1468]

Hi Darren, what are your thoughts on hydrogen peroxide for algae etc affecting biological filtration? Thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I've never seen any detriment to the performance of a biological filter. I've read a lot of papers on its impact in water purification and there doesn't seem to be anything out there that directly translates across to a koi pond bio filter. There is even an argument for the oxygen boost being beneficial. I'm happy that there is no issue though mate 👍👍

[@CATANDEYEKOI]

Excellent video Daz, nothing fluffy, straight to the point. All 15 items spot on. Cheers.

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Steve, much appreciated Sir 🍻🍻

[@bigbri59]

Very interesting Daz and I know from past episodes you research before you say. Really taken on board what you advise. Thank you!👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers mate, and thanks for taking time to comment 👍👍👍

[@kevinlowe3808]

Great video Daz I’ve watched almost all your videos and you have saved me money with the likes of sodium thiosulphate etc I personally agree with what you’ve said but you have me on the clay lol I use columbo crystal clear water and swear it makes a difference but now you’ve put the doubt in my mind lol Question if I may I have a 5 litre tub of hydrogen peroxide food grade 5 I think it is never opened it but must be 4 years old and label unreadable should I get rid and get new I use clover leaf blanket answer to control blanket weed say about 6 times a year at 1/4 dose but obviously what you state makes sense so would rather use hydrogen peroxide Keep the videos coming and thank you

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Kevin, I would always say that if you use something and you see a positive benefit then keep using it. Even just a perceived benefit is a benefit sometimes. With hydrogen peroxide, it breaks down to oxygen and water so if it has expired it simply becomes less effective and not dangerous. If you pour a bit in to the bottom of a sink and it bubbles its still effective. If it doesn't bubble, chances are it will be ineffective. You can use it though, it just might not work.

[@russellpickford2681]

Afternoon dazzle brilliant KZbin channel. Can you send me a link to the food you suggest which is good for all through the year.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Russel, I use hikari wheatgerm all year round. It doesnt come cheap but its generally considered to be the best there is. No waste or discolouration of your water. Its this one but have a shop around for a better price www.aquatix-2u.co.uk/products/hikari-wheatgerm-pond-pellets?currency=GBP&variant=31239862714431&Google%20Shopping&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwusunBhCYARIsAFBsUP9YPe2WIJf9FQOhSI2ir7UN2MmvGRVGIB0gihYgXJA5qzU4EOrp_7AaAnlEEALw_wcB

[@stevenpayton989]

Great video mate I can't seem to find sakki hikari wheatgerm only hikari wheatgerm is that what you use thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, yes the wheatgerm is hikari, saki hikari is from the same manufacturer but is even higher quality and contains pre and pro biotics.

[@baitking1]

Hi Daz another great video & I agree with everything you said 100% koi & keeping koi is expensive enough with out waisting so much money on koi taxed products we don’t need looking forward to the next video

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate and thank you, how's things with you?

[@grahamparker5129]

Hi Darren, a good video again mate, I am glad you are doing well and back doing things as well, and I do my water changes every day as well and my KOI are doing very well mate

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Graham, very much appreciated Sir 🍻🍻🍻

[@richardthurston92]

Had koi 30 years nice video agreed with 90% of what you say in the last 15 years people have made our hobby in to a money market product s and fish to.the most improved item in the hobby is definitely the drum filter. Which is now a god send .

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Richard, yes I couldn't agree more. I've been setting up a profi drum this week for a friend while he's on holiday and once I got it all tuned in it was a breeze to run and worked a treat.

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

Thanks for the video Daz, very interesting especially about the MEDI food 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate, all the best 🍻🍻

[@richardh615]

This was one of the most useful koi vids I have seen for a long time, top marks mate! The best advice I would give is keep the water clean and do not mess with it.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate, I couldn't agree more. Keep it simple and keep it consistent 👍👍👍

[@ayronbecherston9802]

Daz, every point on this was music to my ears!! Keep up the good work :-)

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate 🥂🥂🍻🥂🥂

[@Franklykoi]

Subscribed to your channel 😊 good videos and informative 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks and welcome, good to have you along mate 🍻🥂🍻

[@markraven6670]

Brilliant video daz great to see you back can't wait to see what you will be selling

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Mark, much appreciated 🍻🥂🍻

[@davidporat7757]

Thank you for your helpful videos. We are very appreciative of your time

[@DazzleKoi]

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment, it is very much appreciated 🥂🥂🍻🥂🥂

[@barryboxall6859]

Could you name the top 6 or so fish foods that you would use ?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I have used aqua source and takazumi in the past with good results but I would only ever recommend hikari or saki hikari to be honest. It is by far the best food you can give them in my opinion. I only ever feed hikari wheatgerm now and have for probably 15 years (albeit with a break from koi altogether in the middle of that time).

[@darrengosling3477]

Some good advice given in this video enjoyed listening to you

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate, I appreciate that 🍻🍻

[@petercousins4767]

Thank you you have just saved me money 👍👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Peter 🍻🍻

[@terencegander8342]

Great video again mate

[@DazzleKoi]

Thank you very much 🍻🥂🥂🍻

[@brianjones9448]

Excellent!

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers mate 🍻🥂🍻

[@stephenwhalley9009]

Spot on

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers mate 🥂🥂

[@arlenewinfred3038]

😀 Promo-SM

[@ADS-KOI]

Absolutely brilliant 👌👌

[@davidcook380]

Daz, You are such a knowledgeable guy, thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks very much mate, I appreciate that 🍻👍🍻