Product Review

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 09 October, 2008
Product Reviewed: Matala Round Coils
Product Rating:

Review:
Expensive but do the job. I like the sheets better since they are easier to clean then the huge roll. You have to keep the maintainance on this alot since it clogs quite often during the summer months. Frequent cleaning is required or else your filters will over flow if using a barrel type system

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 09 October, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Matrix
Product Rating:

Review:
I have used this with ease during the first few months. After a while, its very hard to clean, but the water is crystal clear

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Aquatic Plant Food Liquid
Product Rating:

Review:
provide good nutrients for floating plants. Claims it will not create algae blooms. I had string algae like crazy and clogged my filters. Best bet would be to add koi clay. Not only does it help koi, plants get greener and grow quicker

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Aquatic Plant Tablets
Product Rating:

Review:
didn't like this product that much. Koi thought is was food and nibbled on the tablets. I like tetra lily grow better. Results were far better also and I got several blooms

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: FishMate 21 Day Feeder
Product Rating:

Review:
couldn't afford the koi cafe so decided to get this one. Works ok. Battery tends to drain quick around 1 month of use. Best if used on going on vacation or winter months where feeding is minimal.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Azoo Wheat Germ Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
good food even at low temps. Koi will eat it but their poop will be clear if fed too much. Good pricing and can be purchased in small bags or huge quantities.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Azoo Top Color Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
I think the color enhancer might be too strong on koi. Most of the white koi turned a hint of pink and were not snowy white. Not sure if this would be recommended for gosanke type koi. Ok product.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Azoo Koi Growth Plus Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
very good product. I always purchase this especially during summer months. Sells in 44lbs bags for a super deal. Listed protein is 35% only but growth is excellent. I fed this to my koi 4 times a month

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Bio Wave Filters
Product Rating:

Review:
To expensive to purchase this unit. Do it yourself and save the $$$. Units are very similar to any pool sand filters that are downward flowing.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Carefree Sand Filters
Product Rating:

Review:
Great for people who want to do some DIY projects. I did mine by adding WLIM sinking media and plumbed a 1.5hp blower. Open the laterals a bit and your ready to go. Good filter, a cheaper alternative would be purchasing a Hayward sand filter.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Ultima II
Product Rating:

Review:
Not a good mechanical filter, only good for bio filtration. After months of heavy use during summer months, backwashing will not work as well. Uses bio media that looks similar to straws that are cut up in small pieces. This can be easily DIY'd with a sand filter. Expensive for what it does. Best to add a blower to churn the media during backwash

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Quin-Phos Anesthetic Solution
Product Rating:

Review:
Good product, but expensive. Best if you visit a local vitamin store and purchase some clove oil. Results are the same without paying the price

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: CHLORAMINE-T
Product Rating:

Review:
Great medication for gill disease. Not to be used for shotgun treatment. Lessons learned, must bypass thru filter or entire colonization of good bacteria will be wiped out completely. Best if used in a QT tank only and not entire pond

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 30 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Bifuran (Koi Care Kennel)
Product Rating:

Review:
Excellent strength medication to treat ulcers caused by pseudomas and aeromonas bateria. This one actually can do entire pond treatments. Can get expensive, so treating a QT is alot cheaper. Good product, you will see results within a few days of treatment

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra 3-inch Bottom Drain
Product Rating:

Review:
Pond contractor installed this unit, but after 3 years of use, developed some issues and didnt work as effectively. Upgraded to koi-toilet and that one seems to work alot better than this product

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Toilet
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this since I had to replace the tetra bottom drain. Very durable product and easy to install. Superior design and works very well.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: ProForm C
Product Rating:

Review:
Only had to use this once and it worked like a charm. Good to keep on hand just in case of emergencies. Very safe on fish and you do not need to bypass your filter. Very safe to use

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Parasite Treatment
Product Rating:

Review:
Usually Salt will kill off most nasties in the pond. This product also does a good job and eliminating the parasites in your pond. I used this as a shotgun treatment since I did not know what I was dealing with. Worked well. Best to read up information before treating entire pond.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PraziPond
Product Rating:

Review:
Must have for fluke infestation. Always do scrape and scope before treating an pond. Very expensive product. I got mine thru a group buy so it came out a little cheaper. Must have for all koi pond owners

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Anti-Fungal Treatment
Product Rating:

Review:
Microbe lift does have good products, and this one is just as good as it states on the bottle. Do not try anti-fungal blocks as they do not work as well.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Savio Springflo Bio-Filter Media
Product Rating:

Review:
Used in my DIY barrel. Establishes bacteria quickly but hated the cleaning. I dropped it straight into the barrel and didnt clean for over 2 months. Lots of muck built up, so you will get dirty cleaning this stuff.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Dolphin AV-50 Pond Air Pump
Product Rating:

Review:
After using this for a few months gave this to a friend of mine who owns a few ponds. Still works after 3 years and still works just as good as day one. I got rid of it since it was a bit noisy and my neighbors did mention constant noise right next to their bedroom window.Good price, but noisey

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Alita Air Pump 40
Product Rating:

Review:
Air pump did not work as i liked it to. A bit noisy. Found out later i had to replace the diaphram, and seems it was a bit pricey since I bought this unit used. I never replaced the diaphram and bought a hakko air pump instead.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: CrystalClear Clarity Max Plus
Product Rating:

Review:
Fairly new product and provides quick clean-up of a pond.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Crystalclear D - Solv
Product Rating:

Review:
put some of this stuff on my waterfalls and in a few days, the stone was like brand new. Removed all the brown organic sludge caked on the stones. Good and safe for the fish

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Phos-Out
Product Rating:

Review:
Tried once, but didnt see much a difference. Probably will not try again. Treats very little water

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Jungle Labs Fountain Block
Product Rating:

Review:
Designed for fountains only. Suggest to use pool chlorinator to remove algae. Much cheaper than the fountain blocks. Cheapest solution would be small dilutions of bleach, only if no live fish are present.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: CrystalClear Biological Clarifier Dry
Product Rating:

Review:
Fairly new product on the market. Similar to Pond Zyme or aqua-zyme. Treats large amounts of water which is great. Good price too

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: ShoKoi Impact
Product Rating:

Review:
This was the first generation of koi fish food. Other brands have emerged since then and again, does not live up the statements made by the manufacturer. Growth rates are not up to par, and quality did not seem ad good as other brands. One shipment had some dead bugs in the bag. Wasn't to sure how old the product is since no exp. date is listed. Not a good product

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Debride RX Medicated Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
Another alternative if you cannot inject your koi and are scared to do so. I used this in conjunction with the debride ointment. Koi did not seem to eat the food right away, but after a few feedings, they will slowly eat it. I did try another product, but the koi never even touched the stuff. A tad expensive for the quantity purchased.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Hi-Growth
Product Rating:

Review:
After trying various types of growth food, this one seems pretty close in quality of the food. A bit pricey, but the protein content and gowth of the koi are noticed within a few months of feeding this stuff. Bigger bags would be cheaper than the 17 oz bags

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: EA Show Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
After reading these reviews I decided to order myself some. Food smells fresh, and koi love it. Small size but seems like a really good product. So far so good.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Flaked Fish Food
Product Rating:

Review:
Was never a big fan of flake foods, but this is only good for small aquariams you have in your house. Pellets are my choice of koi or goldfish food. Flakes tend to cloud water if fish do not eat them right away

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Thrive Koi Clay
Product Rating:

Review:
Was not as good as ultimate koi clay. Noticed some sandy residue after mixing water to it. Distributed evenly over pond, but the sandy residue was sitting on the bottom of the pond and did not dissolve. Ok product, ultimate koi clay was better

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Algaway 5.4
Product Rating:

Review:
Very similar to algae fix. Be careful not to heavy dose as the koi will hang at the surface or waterfall area. Must provide good aeration when treating the pond with any algae medication. Good for all types of algae including pea soup, and string algae. Be prepared to scoop out all the dead algae after treatment or after a week of use.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Ammonia Test Strips
Product Rating:

Review:
Don't waste your money on test strips. Results are very innacurate even after 3 or 4 reading 10 mins apart. I recommend using the liquid test its as they are very accurate and provide consistent results

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Jungle Chlorine Test Strips
Product Rating:

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PerformancePro Artesian
Product Rating:

Review:
Needed a strong pump to push through a bead filter and this one did the job. Purchased a 3/4hp model and the flow rate is amazing. Makes backwashing ever easier with this pump. Looks like its built to last. This also can be used for medium head applications. This would be one of the top 3 pumps, along with Sequence and Wave

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Aluminum Fountain Pumps A-Series
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this for a small water feature. Purchased it since it was very durable and lasted a long time. After 2 years of use, the algae had clogged the impeller and made a grinding noise. Called the manufacturer and sent a replacement pump for free. Uses a little more watts than other brands, but still a good pump

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Flowmaster Water Garden Pump
Product Rating:

Review:
This pump is good for open gravity filters. Was installed for a holding tank to house 5 large koi. Super quiet operation and good flow. Not a good application if you have a large amount of head. We used this on a flooded suction and worked very well

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Cal Pump Egglite
Product Rating:

Review:
I use to use solar lights around my pond, and they never worked. These lights are very good and the lens are interchangable to give different lighting features. Install was easy and any novice can do it. I have mine on a timer and bulbs are still running strong

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Savio Living Ponds Waterfall Filter
Product Rating:

Review:
Help my friend install this unit on his koi pond. Installation was a breeze, good flow of water and did an excellent job of filtration. Unit is larger than once expects. Great filter, price varies

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra Protective Netting
Product Rating:

Review:
Used one season and the netting had ripped over long period of sun exposure. Probably best if used in the shade for longer use of this product. Quality not that great, price is cheap. Have not tried other products to give anything comparable

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls
Product Rating:

Review:
Wish I had this before the pond was built. Lots of information on pond building, and why certain things are done the way they are. Good explanation of plumbing, filtration and koi keeping. A must have for anyone who wants to learn how to build a koi pond

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Ogata Special Silk
Product Rating:

Review:
Got his along with my Ogata performance at a koi show. Beside the price being out of my range, the quality of food went way beyond my expectations. Very high quality koi food, excellent protein content for koi development. I just these as treats for my koi about once a week and koi went nuts

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Wheat Germ (Large, Medium, Mini)
Product Rating:

Review:
Good for fall/winter food. The only thing I saw with this food, is that my koi's poop was clear and they float!. I guess not to feed alot during these months, but you will be scooping alot of poop if you feed your koi this. Good price with this product

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Excel
Product Rating:

Review:
Out of all the hikari type of foods, excel is the best out there. Good growth, clean colors and less koi poop which will help maintain filters. Hard to fins larger size bags. I was only able to find the 17 oz bags. Good for smaller koi that range from 4-5 inches long as it lasts a bit longer

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Spirulina
Product Rating:

Review:
Tried the 17oz bag, but made my white koi's develop a hint of pink. Not to be fed alone, best if mixed with hikari growth or other types

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Friday 29 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Economy
Product Rating:

Review:
Good quality staple food for regular pond grade koi. Hikari makes other types for better type koi's which make the colors pop out and excellent growth

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Ogata Performance
Product Rating:

Review:
Very expensive for the lbs you get. Food ran out too quick to even see the results. Decided not to order anymore since I was not able to afford it. You can get other brands for a fraction of the cost

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Jungle Labs Fungus Clear Tank Buddies
Product Rating:

Review:
Tried this when one of my koi had tail rot and fungus growing at the tip. Decided to use this and did not work. Had to act fast decided to sedate koi, scrape fungus, iodine, and seal wound with bio bandage. Gave, 5 shots of Baytril and koi was in tip top shape. Cheap product, never delivered

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi USA Magazine
Product Rating:

Review:
Wife gave me a year subscription and I am very pleased with the contents and information regarding koi. I've learned a great deal and this one is just as good as Koi Nations

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Simply Clear
Product Rating:

Review:
This is very similar to acu-clear. Cloudy water will be gone in a matter of hours. The only thing I did not like is that the fish go crazy when added to the pond. I suggest mixing with pond water before introducing it to the pond. Works well in clumping small particles and dirt inside the pond

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Jungle Labs Pond Clear - Zyme
Product Rating:

Review:
Jungle Lab products are not as good as other products out there. You get what you pay for and this will not work as described. I like Koizyme the best

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Ammo-Lock
Product Rating:

Review:
Good product, but pond prime in my opinion is the best. Detoxifies ammonia and de-chlor at the same time. Lessons learned, do not feed you koi too many times, or else you will be using this ALL the time

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Wave II
Product Rating:

Review:
William makes the best pumps! I have a wave I series and decided to swap that out for a wave II 3/4hp to push thru my bead filter. Boy, pushes ALOT of water, strong flow and very energy efficent. Well worth the price and will pay for itself over time

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster 1000 and 2000 Submersible Filters
Product Rating:

Review:
Helped a friend install this on his goldfish pond. Not the best filter out there, and looked a little cheap. Did the job though for filtering 100 gallon pond. Be prepared to get wet when doing maintance and cleaning since the media will be hard to clean, espcially if you koi or goldfish poop alot

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Thermo - Pond Floating Pond Heater
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased this thinking it would heat my pond and keep it warm during the winter months. I was wrong, this thing is a de-icer which makes holes if you live in an area where your pond freezes over. Returned product since it was for the wrong application. Con's: uses ALOT of watts.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetrapond Lily Grow Tablets
Product Rating:

Review:
Worked well in my exotic lily's. Never had a bloom until I used this product. I even had lilies grow during the winter time which grew up to 8-10 inches in diameter. Good if you have plants aswell in the pond

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: DeBride Medicated Ointment
Product Rating:

Review:
Best if used with DeBride sinking pellet foods. A little greasy, but applies well in water. If on a budget, bio-bandage works just as well

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Argent Oxolium Powder
Product Rating:

Review:
Good product as used for dips for treating ulcers. Best if used during early stages of infections as later stages of infections would require injectables as well.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Saki-Hikari Growth
Product Rating:

Review:
Good food, a bit expensive, but the colors on the koi are striking. I recently ordered this to try on my small pond of kohaku's only. The whites are whiter and the beni is alot thicker than before. I guess you get what you pay for

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Filter Media Bag
Product Rating:

Review:
Not the best bags to use. I used it for my chemical filtration and used carbon as my source. After 1 week, all the carbon was flushed into my filter mats and was very hard to remove since the bag had ripped. Not one of my favorite choices

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 28 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Liquid Nitrate Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
Best test kit ever made. I had the test strips which didn't work as well. Fast, easy and quick to use.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 27 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra OFX Pumps
Product Rating:

Review:
Ok pump. This was used on my turtle small pond of lass than 100 gallons. Good flow for such a small pond, but i could have used something alot smaller than this. Mag drive pumps would be better than this.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 24 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Blackwater Max Growth Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
Ordered this food this summer to try something different from Alife haifeng brand. Koi seem to enjoy it. Looks like this entire 40lb bag will last me the whole summer. Good product. I may try the fall and winter food aswell.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 24 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hai Feng Alife
Product Rating:

Review:
Good food especially summer months. Fast growth rate, but runs out quick. Comes in 5kg bags, but i've seen bigger bags also. good protein content as well. 42% i believe. I recommend this food to young koi that are 4-5 inches long since they come in small size pellets

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Bio-Blue Pond Colorant
Product Rating:

Review:
Came with one of the items I ordered by mistake. Decided to try it and did not like to blue hue tint it gave my pond. Looks very unnatural and was not able to see the true colors of my koi. Claims best if used in summer months to avoid UV rays, etc. I placed a shade sail instead.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Aquasafe
Product Rating:

Review:
Treats very little water. There are better products out there that are super concentrated and do even more like remove high ammonia, etc. I like pond prime by seachem. 2L treats 40,000 and lasts me about a year

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Pond Sticks
Product Rating:

Review:
Do not buy this food. Clouds the water, and koi will take forever to grow. I was feeding this in my QT tank and the koi were 4-5 inches most of the year. Switched to blackwater food and bamm, stunted growth quick.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Multi-Mix Gold
Product Rating:

Review:
This was given to my pond contractor at the beginning. Food is ok, there are better products on the market. My favorite is Blackwater creek. Good price and good product. Tetra make some good products, but koi is not one of them.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra Jumbo Shrimp Freeze Dried Treat
Product Rating:

Review:
Boy, if you want your koi to grow an average of 6-8 inches during summer months, these treats will do the job. High protein content of 60% and the koi go nuts over this stuff. Only bad thing about this small product is that it is expensive for the size it comes in. Your're looking at close to 40 bucks for the biggest container which only 16 oz or so

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra Koi Vibrance Sticks
Product Rating:

Review:
These stick need to be soaked before the koi will eat it. Clouds the water if not all eaten within the 5 minutes. Colors on koi become faded after long period of use. Beni will be lost especially if used frequently. There are better products out there, but color enhancers have never been my favorite

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 23 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: KOI Nations Magazine
Product Rating:

Review:
Don't be fooled by fingind this at your local paper stand. This is one of the best magazines out there. Since then, I've made the subscription and have been very happy

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Liquid Nitrite Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
Good test kit. Works just as good as the tetra brand. I recommend buying the entire test kit together, as each item separately will be more expensive

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Wide Range pH Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
My very first test kit. Works well and just as good as the tetra brand. Go with the liquid test, do not buy the test strips. These work alot better

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Liquid Ammonia Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
Quick and easy to use. Lasts a long time tetra kits are just as good, but these are a bit cheaper in price.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Liquid GH & KH Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
Instructions are a bit iffy on how to measre kh and Gh, thank god koiphen was there to help. Good little test kit.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond pH Up
Product Rating:

Review:
After reading tons of info on koiphen, your best bet to maintain Ph would be adding baking soda. This will help stabilize the Ph for at least a couple of weeks. Cons: you might have to purchase the ph down just in case if ph goes too low. Baking soda will maintain at or around 8.0. Not a must have, but if your wallet is tight, visit your local grocery store and pick up some baking soda

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond pH Down
Product Rating:

Review:
After reading tons of info on koiphen, your best bet to maintain Ph would be adding baking soda. This will help stabilize the Ph for at least a couple of weeks. Cons: you might have to purchase the ph Up just in case if ph goes too low. Baking soda will maintain at or around 8.0. Not a must have, but if your wallet is tight, visit your local grocery store and pick up some baking soda

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Eco-Fix
Product Rating:

Review:
Be prepared to siphon out all the dead brown algae after adding this product. It does help stabilize water conditions, but my filters were overwhelmed with all the algae clogging up the fiber matting in my 55g drum. Does a good job of breaking down heavy sludge near the bottom of the pond.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Jungle Labs Pond Block
Product Rating:

Review:
Don't waste your money on this stuff, won't clear up green water at all. You will need tons of blocks for entire pond treatment. I'd stick with liquid form, "algae fix", best product ever made for that. I've tried different types of blocks that claim to clear green water and algae, but doesn't work.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Health and Disease
Product Rating:

Review:
This book was given to me by pond contractor. Good info in learning different koi diseases, but some of the information was old already. Most of the information can be found on the internet, but those who like a good book in their hands, this one has most of the info on koi keeping

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Kichi
Product Rating:

Review:
Couldnt afford this book, but I was fortunate my local library had this on their shelves! I was shocked, they would have this book on their shelves. Good book to read as it has lots of info on koi. I eventually ended up getting an entire copy of this book at no cost.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Practical Guide to Building a Koi Pond
Product Rating:

Review:
Wish I had purchased this book before I had my pond built. Lots of information, on filtration, setup, etc. As always, after reading this book, I want to change my entire setup and build a bigger and deeper pond. Anyone who wants to build a koi pond, buy this book first and read, you wont regret it

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster - Koi Color Varieties
Product Rating:

Review:
Excellent book for newbie koi pond owners. I got this book just to see the nice colorful pictures, but now i can identify most koi with their real names. Good book, lots of information to reference.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster Mag-Drive Models 9.5 - 36
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this on our water feature fountain. Strong flow for such a tiny pump. Good wattage and lasts a really really long time. Still running strong after 5 years of use. Easy hookup and cleaning is a breeze

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Aqua Ultraviolet Classic Series
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased this unit used for a decent price. Unit works strong and must be used with low flow rates. Replacement parts can get expensive depending how much it is used. Depending on your application this is a good product, but if on a tighter budget, tetra might be your second choice

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra Laborett
Product Rating:

Review:
For those on a budget, this entire test kit is well worth it. This test kit lasted me an entire 2 years without replacing. Local pet stores will carry this for usually under 20 bucks.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Nycon Floating Thermometer
Product Rating:

Review:
Wanted to see how my water temps were, but during the summer months, the entire enclosing was covered with algae, inside and out making it near impossible to read the temperature. Best to spend money on a digital temp reader, which is quick, fast and accurate.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond Salt
Product Rating:

Review:
Too much hype about pond salt for what its worth. Most pond owners have large ponds and this wont treat the entire pond. Best to go to local supermarket and purchase non-iodized salt that comes in 50lb bags. Works just as good for a fraction of the cost.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Thursday 21 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Weco DeChlor
Product Rating:

Review:
It was very concentrated and does treat huge pond volumes. Good product, but there are other products that are comparable that are even concentrated and cheaper. Pond Prime is my favorite, as it treats 40,000 gallons from a 2L bottle.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: ECO PAL pH Meter
Product Rating:

Review:
Had mixed reviews on this product. Compared this to water test kits and both were different. Not sure what was correct as it was off by almost +- 2 ph units.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra - UV 2
Product Rating:

Review:
Decided to use this on my main pond that is 1500 gallons. Works well on a lower flow rate thru this unit. Pond has not been cloudy in over 2 years. Bulbs are just as cheap and easy to replace. Phillip bulbs are the best, ebay bulbs wont last as long

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra - UV 1
Product Rating:

Review:
Cheap, reliable, long lasting and does what its supposed to do. Best UV filter used on my QT tank. Good on small setup's and even clears pea soup green water in a matter of 3-4 days

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pentair Tarpon Sand Filters
Product Rating:

Review:
Very similar to Hayward downflow filters. Price is reasonable and works exactly as it should. I used Wlim black sinking media and works very well for bio filtration. For more finer filtration, use scoria rock as it works almost as a water polisher. Adding a blower to this filter would be a good option if you have heavy fish loads

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Firestone EPDM Pond Liner
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this liner for both my main pond and QT tank. Real heavy but made with good quality and the folds are alot easier during installation.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Viewing Bowls
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased a nice blue tub at home depot at a significant price difference than a koi dealer. But for some reason, the tubs at the koi dealer always look way better than the off brand ones. Be willing to pay some money for the real tubs

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Smart Net Handle
Product Rating:

Review:
Good handle, but this is the same as pool handle which could be alot cheaper at a pool store. If your on a budget, pool stores or home depot may be your answer

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Neocide 3
Product Rating:

Review:
Before I heard about baytril, I used this product for koi ulcers. A bit pricey, but it gets the job done especially if you have High quality koi. This is a good product if you are scared to inject your koi as it is another alternative to nasty bacterial infections

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Solutions Bio-Bandage
Product Rating:

Review:
I like this product ALOT. Best topical treatment. An alternative to denture powder since it has some antibiotics on it. Best to use clove oil and sedate koi before application. Good on koi fish with ulcers, mouth rot and fin rot. Best if used with iodine then swab with biobandage

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Filter Carbon
Product Rating:

Review:
Put about 10 lbs of this stuff in my diy filter drum to remove DOCS and brown tint in water. Clears up the water fast and no more smelly water. Must be replaced after a few months of use and at this rate it does get expensive. Good for what its worth

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Gel Bacteria
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this on my filter mats to jumpstart the filter. Within a week, water was stable, and ammonia went down to zero. Good to use in warm weather. Price is ok, but if you cant wait to add fish, this would do the trick right away

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Blocks
Product Rating:

Review:
Don't waste your money on this stuff. Pond blocks dissolve quickly and no results after a few days. Best algae product used was algaefix. Plus, for a large pond, you would need tons of blocks

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Wednesday 20 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Koi Vital
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased a small bottle hoping to use it during spawn season. To my knowledge, my koi were not the proper size for them to mate, however, this stirred quite a frenzy in the koi pond. Most koi had lots of energy especially when feeding time

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Evolution ESE Series
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased this unit from fancykoioutlet for best price. Got it when it was first introduced into the market that has the emerson motor. Good flow, and super quiet. Cons: listed watts say 143 watts. Kill-a-watt meter reads 229 watts. If I only knew the wattage, i would have not purchased this pump. I got an iron might pump that works just as good for 1/3 the price and watts are super low

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra DynaTec Pumps
Product Rating:

Review:
Good submersible pump. I purchased the 1100gph model and it worked great. Good flow and worked wonders on the tetra PF-3 filter. Only issue I had was the pre-filter sponge gets clogged quick, especially of you have tons of algae on the pond. Quick and easy to clean and install

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Leaf Baskets
Product Rating:

Review:
Very durable made priming pot. Easy to install and no teflon tape needed. Best is purchased with pump since you could get a better deal. Usually retails for around 50 bucks

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Furanase
Product Rating:

Review:
experienced some mold fin rot and tail rot on QT tank. Turned water yellow and didnt't see koi heal properly. Treatment was only for one time, didnt work as directed

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Medicarp
Product Rating:

Review:
after trying other medicated type koi food. This one my koi ate right away. Not sinking like others. I just used this right before spring time to prevent ulcers on my koi. Good product., come in small packages only

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Yamato Nishiki Koi Food
Product Rating:

Review:
Was purchased thru ebay for very cheap in large quantities. Good for koi that are large since they come in large pellets. Has other ingredients to help koi become more healthier and vibrant

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Medi Koi Antibiotic Food
Product Rating:

Review:
Best if injectables are not easily available. My koi did not eat this stuff when i was treating them. They would spit it out right away. Only tried once, but koi did not like it. expensive for the amount you get, but is worth a try

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hikari Gold (Large,Medium,Small pellet)
Product Rating:

Review:
Managed to get 20 bags of this 1 lb bag from a local pond dealer that was closing down. Got a deal, and willing to test the food. Koi loved this stuff. Nice protein content aswell. My goldfish loved this stuff too!

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Hai Feng Quick Grow
Product Rating:

Review:
Best bang for the buck. These bags go for 25 bucks at my local pond dealer. This is for 11 lbs of food. Best for fall, winter food where koi do not eat as much. Poop is noticed alot with this type of food, but if your filters are capable, then i'd go with this food

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Dainichi Premium
Product Rating:

Review:
Great food, nice results on growth and color. Best to mix other types such as growth or color enhancers. I like this food, but again, price it up there.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Dainichi Growth Plus
Product Rating:

Review:
This stuff is like steroids for growth food. Ordered the 5.5 kg to give it a try. Excellent for small koi 4-6 inches. Saw rapid growth during summer months. Got almost 6-7 inches within the 3 months of feeding. Good food, least amount of waste seen in the pond. But again, all dainichi koi food are expensive. I recommend blackwater creek growth food. Cheap and results are almost the same if not better

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Dainichi Color Intensifier
Product Rating:

Review:
Not to fond of the color enhancers but gave it a try. Turned my kohaku pink after 2 weeks of feeding. I might suggest to mix this food with growth food to get better results. Other koi did get better color. Beni might change if used too much. Good food if used correctly, but also expensive

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Dainichi All Season
Product Rating:

Review:
Koi food is excellent. Koi will love this stuff. No con's except price on this. This stuff will kill your wallet over a long period of time. If money is no object, this stuff is the best

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Filter Brushes
Product Rating:

Review:
Cheap in price, works good for mechanical filtration for larger size like leaves, and koi poop. Very hard to clean and you get dirty and wet trying to rinse these off. I like japanese mats alot better.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Japanese Filter Mat
Product Rating:

Review:
A bit expensive initially, but pays for it self as it lasts for years. Easy to clean and hose down. Better than the cheap white fiber matting. Excellent for DIY projects using 55 gallon drums. I used this on mine with weekly cleanings of the matting

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: HAKKO Linear Air Pumps (HK-40 HK-60 HK-80)
Product Rating:

Review:
Using this on my 1500 gallon pond and its amazing how much air is coming out of this little unit. Good if you need additional aeration during hot summer months. Good buy, a bit expensive, but ebay can be your best buddy

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster AP Pumps
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased this air pump for my QT tank. QT tank is only 200 gallons, but does a great job and lots or air bubbles. I like hakko or alita pumps better. But if you are on a budget, this one works good too. No problems so far, been running over a year now

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Argent Potassium Promangante
Product Rating:

Review:
After reading about DOCS and cleanup of pond, this thing really works. Mild treatments have helped maintain low levels of DOCs in my pond. Use PP paste on ulcers when needed. and Every spring, small dose of PP to kill off any bad bacteria. Good price and product for what it is worth

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Care Pima Fix
Product Rating:

Review:
Not good product. Same as melafix. Best to treat infected koi with PP paste or iodine and seal with bio bandage. Better results than Pimafix. Not recommended

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: KoiZyme
Product Rating:

Review:
This is a must for all koi hobbyists. No more ulcers after using this product. I'm overstocked as usual, and this product works great. Lowers Gram negative bacteria in pond by 10 fold. I have my water tested in summer months, and ocunts are way low. A bit expensive, but you wont have to deal with ulcers and treating koi in the long run

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond Stress Coat
Product Rating:

Review:
Can't really tell if this works or not. I usually use this when I introduce new koi to a QT or pond or whenever netting them. Koi seem to like it too

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Accu-Clear
Product Rating:

Review:
Clears water up fast, in a matter of a few hours and clumps all particles and organic matter for easy removal from water. Only thing i didnt like was when introduced in the water, koi went crazy and started to flash for about an hour. Seemed a bit too harsh for the koi to react this way.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Calcium Montmorillonite Clay
Product Rating:

Review:
Similar to koi clay, dissolves great and koi love it, Cons, a bit pricey when it comes to container size. No clumps in water. Avoid buying them on ebay, could be mixed with other materials.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Ultimate Koi Clay
Product Rating:

Review:
Best koi clay ever used. No clumping in water, doesnt look like mud, and koi and water look great. A bit expensive, but you get what you pay for

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Aqua Safe
Product Rating:

Review:
Does a so so job of removing chlorine only. There are other products out there such as pond prime that does removal of ammonia, and other metals for a much cheaper price. Wish this was more concentrated as it does gets expensive if you have a large pond

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond Zyme Plus
Product Rating:

Review:
Tried this product. Similar to aquazyme.Larger size clumps will form in water if not distrubuted evenly in pond. Good clean-up of water and fast acting.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: PondCare Biofilter Booster
Product Rating:

Review:
Used this to jumpstart my 2 biofilters. Ammonia spiked went down to 0 in a few days after addition of this product. Will colonize good bacteria in a matter of a few days especially in warm whether.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra Aqua-Zyme
Product Rating:

Review:
Used during the first year of my new pond. Helped with clearing/cloudy and maintenance of pond water. Not an absolute necessity, but as a koi fanatic, I did make the purchase. Good for quick clean-up of ponds

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: TetraPond Algae Control
Product Rating:

Review:
This product does its job, but a bit pricey for the treatment size. I recommend using algae fix as it is more concentrated than this product. Koi go nuts when this product is introduced in the pond for about 5 mins. All is normal after that.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Care AlgaeFix
Product Rating:

Review:
Strong kill of algae in 2 treatments. Does a good job on pea soup green water and string algae in the pond. Will not kill algae on rocks or waterfalls area. Must be hand removed.

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Koi Smart Nets
Product Rating:

Review:
Will not hurt koi scales or skin. I recommend removing excess water and placing in shaded area after use. Our neighborhood cat smelled fish on it and tore my net up. I have a replacement, same net. Good price and product

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Sunday 17 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tetra pH Fresh Water Test Kit
Product Rating:

Review:
This is by far the cheapest and most accurate ph test kit. I've been using this for over 4 years now and still lasting. 5 Drops to test ph. I did mine once every 1-2 weeks. Very nice product

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Iron Might Pumps
Product Rating:

Review:
Using this on my 200 gallon QT tank. Only 140 watts to operate, but good flow. Whisper quiet, can't even tell its on! No problems. Best bang for the buck

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Tiny Might Pump
Product Rating:

Review:
Thought this was a good pump, only 110 watts to run, quiet,but the problems happened after 6 months of use. Bearings went out quick, manufacture did not want to repair. Still works, but now noisy. Don't spend your money on this, buy an iron might pump. 140 watts and 3 times the flow. Running strong for 2 years now, no issues

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Sequence 750 Series
Product Rating:

Review:
Great pump, using this 1/4hp on my retro sand filter. Pushes huge volumes of water with only 279 watts. Pumps run strong and built to last

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Wave I
Product Rating:

Review:
Excellent pump, excellent flow, and low wattage. One of the best pumps i've used. Had some bearing issues, call William from WLIM and he will take care of you. Pump was fixed as it were brand new. Running this pump for 5 years!

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: Pond Care MelaFix
Product Rating:

Review:
Too much hype on this product. Doesnt work well as it should. Baytril or PP works wonders, not melafix

Nilesh (Hobbyist) on Saturday 16 August, 2008
Product Reviewed: AquaBead Bio-Filtration Systems
Product Rating:

Review:
Purchased a 2.5cu filter for my 1500 gallon pond. Ease of maintanece and clear water is nothing compared to other filters I've tried. You get what you pay for, and this is one awesome filter

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