K1

[Chas]

Went on a visit last sunday to a well respected koi dealer/shower with other members of our club.
When the subject of K1 was mentioned he pooh poohed it saying that K1 caused koi to lose skin quality and colour and that the Japanese didn't use it.
This man has probably forgotten more about koi than I will ever know but I couldn't help thinking about it, plastic media is plastic media, what difference can it make wether plastic media is static or tumbling.
Am I missing something.
Anyone got any thoughts on the subject.

Chas

[Bob Hart]

If that was the case, everyone with a Nexus or homemade K1 chamber would not have any decent Koi. Dont think it's quite true is it? I take it the dealer sells other filtration????? Who is it then?

[Capt Nemo]

That is the strangest comment on K1 I have ever come across...... this hobby really is amazing sometimes !!!!


who was is ? you have to tell us.... and was he trying to sell you something he's come up with which is far better then.


K1 has to be the best Bio media on the market in my book.


rergards
Capt'n

[GERRY5]

there will always be two thoughts on all media , but to rubbish k1 out of hand is nonsense , this dealer obviously dosent sell it .... i would like to know who as well ...but i would have two good guesses...at who it maybe , but i wasnt there so chas its down to you if you want to reveal or not,

tony....have to agree mate woudnt use anything else , apart from a few showers or two

[Jules]

K1 is an awesome filtr media as is Jap matting as is Bakki media all used in the correct filtration. To rubbish K1 without evidence to back it up is not only foolish but very short sighted. K1 has turned filtration around over the last 5 years or so it has been used within the hobby. Do us a favour and don't name this guy he has had enough press. This industry never fails to amaze me. Almost as good as one I heard the other day about soft water not doing anything for koi Another load of bull. Ask not dealers but hobbyists in and around Bristol who have been guided by Mike @ Yumekoi and see the growth rates and the quality these guys get. Another case of "dealers" selling ideas for their own gainand not the hobby/industry.

Rant over

Jules

[TDM]

Hi guys,

In fairness to the dealer, what I think he meant was that he saw better skin quality where other forms of filtration, with or without K1, were used.

Not having enough knowledge to offer an opinion, I do see the point that static media such as Jap matting may suit certain bacteria that is not suited to the heavily aireated K1 media. Whether different bacteria have different characteristics toward koi growth and quality is maybe a point of debate. Maybe in more static filter media you are going to get sediment etc which reminds me of the whole clay debate when everyone used to put clay in their ponds.

EDIT: I guess the point I was trying to make is that clean sediment could act rather like clay or mud in mud ponds by releasing minerals. I had thought that was one of the key benefits of jap matting in that you don't clean it too rigously? Just trying to understand more and learn from others...
Just trying to balance the debate without giving an uneducated opinion!

BTW, I dont think the dealer was trying to sell anything.

[Jagger]

A local koi dealer once stunned me with what can only be called a vitriolic attack on the use of "paint thickener" in ponds.What he was referring to was montmorillonite/bentonite clays,long used as an additive for koi ponds and the basis of mud ponds full stop.

http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/ ... ntmori.htm

They still sell it though.

K1 is not as good as some folk claim,nor is it as bad as others think.It is simply a plastic media that can be used with success just the same as all the other media including Jap matt (plastic media).

[StuW]

to be fair the guy in question does not have any alterior motive and uses K1 in his showers. I do not know the context of the conversation in question but I do know that all his ponds and tanks are run from showers so I guess maybe he just meant that he thinks showers improve skin quality more than K1 would...

[Chas]

Hi
It wouldn't be fair to tell you who this person was, he was just giving his opinion which he is fully entitled to do, he certainly wasn't trying to sell me anything, in fact I don't think he deals in filters etc - just fish.
Chas

[estanque_koi]

to be fair the guy in question ... uses K1 in his showers...

K1 in showers?

[Andy H]

wouldn`t any media work in showers although some better than others???

[estanque_koi]

I guess you are right, Andy.
Just never heard of K1 being used as filtration media in showers.
One problem is that K1 is light and float, not easy to keep in the right place within the trays.
Another question is if it could get glogged easily or not in a shower
Has anybody actually used K1 in a shower? I'm just curious