Product Review

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Koi Keeper Assistant
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Review:
I have been using this for about a year now. I have found it very useful. It was a little tricky to get started, but once I got going it was very easy to keep track of everything in my pond, from the filter to the feeding and the the growth and development of the koi. Worth the investment for any serious koi hobbyist.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: TomiGai Taberu
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Review:
I feed this almost year round, until the water gets below 50. In the very warm months I switch over to the color blend. But this is a great food, I think they even grow during the winter!

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: TomiGai Spirulina
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One of the best new food on the market! Great growth and color development!

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Koi Smart Nets
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I thought this net was fine, until I got my Matsuda. This net is terrible by comparison. Its slow in the water and the pool handle fills with water making it very hard to maneuver. But to be fair, comparing this to a Matsuda it like comparing a Honda civic to a Ferrari.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Beni Koi Food
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Review:
I have been very please with the beni koi food over the past couple years. I am trying a new food, Holistic choice, but I still have always liked this food...great development, low waste and a fair price.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Holistic Choice Koi Food
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Review:
I just started feeding my koi with this last Fall. They really liked the fruits and veggies in there, but they never touched the peas and I had to fish them out. But its been a good food for my pond and I plan to feed it all season long to see how well they grow this year.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Kordon Pond Rid-Ich+
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I have had parasite issues two times over the past 4 years. I used the Kordon product both times with very quick success. I didn't know which parasite I had, but this treats several and it works so I am pleased with it.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster Supreme Heaters
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I got this quickly after my Laguna heater failed on me. This heater has been great and just finished its 3rd winter without a single problem. Kept a hole open and clean the entire winter. I even felt comfortable enough to go out of town.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Laguna Heating
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I bring my small koi indoors for the winter, but I leave the big kids out all winter. I had this heater die on me after the very first freeze. I had to go out there with a hammer twice a day to keep the hole open.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Savio Natural Barley Extract
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Review:
I tried this once back in the early days before I knew what I was doing. It cleared the water maybe 10% and then a few days later it was just as green, if not more so. Save your money, buy a UV.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Koi - Volumes 1 & 2
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Review:
These books cost about $100 each. I got them on sale for $150 for the pair. Well worth every penny! Once you open them you will know where you money went. The photos are amazing and they work as both a educational text book or a handsome coffee table book.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Koi Show Tanks by Deepwater 8-10 ft
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Review:
I have had mine set up in my garage for about a year. I brought a few of my smaller koi in for the winter and need a place to put them. After they went back I just left it set up and I use it for a QT. So far not a single leak. The customer service was great and the price was even better. Very nice tank!

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Matsuda Koi Net
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I went to Japan and brought one of these back with me. Its one of the most amazing nets I have ever used. In Japan they are not all that expensive, so if you go or know somebody going, have them get you one cause they are great!

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Koi Kastle - Netting
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Review:
I had this at the bottom of the pond for a few months. The koi would just knock it over all the time, it was too light weight. It might work fine for small koi, under 10 inches. But i have some 18 inch + koi in the pond and this didn't do anything for them. On top of that it cost like $50 which seems very high to me.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Thrive Koi Clay
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Review:
It was great for my pond. it really helped my water quality significantly and the koi love the clouds it creates in the pond. I did notice a bit of sediment on the bottom of the pond after each use, but it makes its way into the bottom drain after a day or so.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Air Tech 130 Air Pump
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Review:
This is a very powerful air pump. Its not as quiet as I would like, but it give plenty of air, even through my bottom drain at over 6 feet deep. There is so much air I was able to use the same pump to run a small fluid bed filter in my system. Its been over a year and it hasn't needed any maintenance.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: EasyPro Bottom Drain
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Review:
I bought this at the same time as I got my easy pro skimmer. The bottom drain and the skimmer are both hooked up to the same pump. This drain is very rugged and well made. It was easy to install and has worked perfectly ever since I got it.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: EasyPro Mini Skimmers
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Review:
for a small skimmer, this really does a great job. It says a max flow of 3000 gallons, but I run 4000 gph though it with no problems.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Delta Elektra UV
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Review:
I am very pleased with this UV. I have had it on my pond for over 2 years now, I upgraded from the Aqua UV which was too small for me. This is a very nice UV, very powerful and really keep my pond crystal clear. The first bulb that came with it lasted over 18 month before I had to replace it.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Atlantic FastFalls
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Review:
The plastic they use is a bit flimsy and it is now warped a bit. You need to enforce it very well when installing. It still holds water, but I had to go back and reinforce it with cement to keep it from warping even more. If I hadn't done that then I think it would have eventually cracked.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Aquadyne Bead Filters
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Review:
Very solid filter. I have had it on my pond for over 4 years now and it has been flawless. I haven't needed to open it up even once because the blower and backwash do such a good job. The valve is very solid and I expect this filter to last 20 more years.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Beckett Versa Gold
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Review:
I have this powering a little spitter. I got it at Home Depot and it has worked pretty well for the past 2 years so I got my money's worth out of it.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: LIFEGARD� Sea Horse Pumps
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This pump has been very reliable and quiet. It was also very well priced compared to other similar size pumps. I don't think its the most energy efficient pump out there, but its not terrible.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: KoiZyme
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Very good product. Been using KoiZyme for over 5 years now and its been a life saver many times. Should be used in every pond if you ask me.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Heron Decoy
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its true the herons are territorial and will stay away if they see another heron. But herons are pretty smart and when they get hungry they will still come check it out at a safe distance. They sometimes figure out that the heron isn't real. Also, the decoy can have the opposite effect during mating season.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Tetra Easy Strips
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I bought these once.....once. Not very accurate at all. I find reagent test kits to be far superior to any strip test.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: GC Tek AlphaBio 1
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Great media, durable with lots of surface area and floats very nicely. Well priced too!

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: GC Tek Vortek SS
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I use this instead of my pump basket. Its an amazing piece of equipment! Its my entire mechanical filtration system in a single unit and its all I need. Removed the waste from 8 large koi and it keep my bio filter really clean. Best thing I ever bought.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: EasyPro Mini LED
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Review:
I have several of these around the pond. I like them because they blend right in. They don't give off as much light as I would like, but they have worked perfectly for over 3 years.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: OASE Pondovac 4
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This is the best pond vac on the market. period.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Arctic Blend
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We have some very cold winters around here and usually end up with some spring issues. But I started using this two seasons ago and I have almost not spring health issues. Very good product.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: LaMotte Test Kit
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This is the best test kit on the market. Expensive, but worth the money if you have to test a lot. But check your ammonia binder, they don't all work with this test.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: Dream Pond Sock Net
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Review:
This is the ideal koi sock. Silky soft and yet very durable. I have had the dream pond sock for over a year now and I am very pleased

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: BioWave Filter Media
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Review:
not a fan of the sinking media. I prefer a floating media like the K1 or GC Tek. This is also more expensive then other options as well.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: CerMedia
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This media is amazing. Light weight, so its easy to move, even when wet and it gives tons and tons of surface area. I would not use it as a mechanical filter though, once clogged with sludge it will be very hard to get clean.

Stephen J. (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 30 March, 2011
Product Reviewed: API Tap Water Conditioner
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Review:
I used this for years and years. It always been reliable and I have never had a single issue. But I found other products online that cost less so i try and use those. But this is available locally so if I ever need something quick I go back to this.

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