Hickstead Koi

31/03/2025

Another stage nearer to selling koi today! (Monday 31st)

The heater has been turned off! Once the water has dropped to room temperature, we will be good to go selling! They've been priced up too now!

Our outside pond was sitting at a barmy 14c at lunchtime, so it really won't be long now.

We have 260 new koi in store, waiting to go to their forever homes.

Drop by and see what we have! These are just a few out of our latest shipment.

29/03/2025

We all love wet pets here but just for fun share your furry/feather friends, your reptilian room mates 🐇 🐈 🐕 🐹 🦜 🦎🐍.

26/03/2025

Adding water to your garden has many benefits to our health and wellbeing, and there's no escaping the good physical workout that comes from digging a large pond and the satisfaction from completing the project. But how do you get started?
https://ow.ly/cP7m50VnYF9

25/03/2025

Koi are big fish and need big ponds. To ensure healthy development and maximise water volume, a pond designed for koi should be at least 1.2m/4' deep but the bigger the better. These are pets that get better with age and tend to outgrow smaller facilities, this leads to serious owners often upgrading their ponds as their fishes mature. Large, greedy carp in big ponds need serious filtration and this is a factor to be considered at the planning stage, with helpful hardware such as bottom drains installed in the early stages of construction. The fact that many standard garden ponds have one or two koi swimming amongst goldfish and orfe is a tribute to how hardy they are, and they'll enjoy uprooting the plants and foraging in the mud in the same way their wild ancestors did. The fact that dedicated koi ponds tend to be bare is testament to the fact that they demolish most attempts at planting, so ensure any vegetation is out of reach and consider adding a "plant filter" where the benefit of waste removal can be harnessed safe from the fishes. Unlike wildlife ponds, carp ponds are best filled using tap water to ensure healthy mineral content - keepers in soft water areas are advised to add buffers to increase KH levels and monitor these alongside the usual parameters such as ammonia and nitrite. As these conditions favour the growth of algae, an ultraviolet clarifier is usually an essential piece of equipment to maintain the clear water that allows you to appreciate your colourful pets. Find out more here or chat to your local store team about any questions you may have about their care.
https://ow.ly/2FCC50VnYvt

23/03/2025

One very happy customer, with the purchase of a hariwake this morning! They only arrived Thursday! It will be in its forever home once the weather has warmed up.

I don't think these Yamasan nisai will be here for long.

11 left from this bowl now. The picture doesn't do these fish justice. These need to be seen up close. Especially the ochiba. The goshiki isn't half bad either.

Drop by and see what we have for yourself. There are some really good looking butterfly koi also. Not many breeders do these so get yourself something different.

21/03/2025

😍

20/03/2025

****Koi shipment update****

We now have just over 260 new koi in store.

We picked them up today, and are now settling in at the shop.

We have tosai mix of ginrin goshiki, goshiki, ochiba, kohaku, ginrin kohaku, doitsu sanke and doitsu showa from Hiroi Koi Farm.

Tosai butterfly/long fin from Yamasan Koi Farm.

Tosai mix from Miyashi.

And finally, some nisai from Yamasan.

If anything takes your fancy, drop us a message here, or drop by the store so you can see them for yourself 😍.

We can send a short video clip of each bowl too, because a photo doesn't always cut it.....

20/03/2025

Today is the first day of spring and hasn't it felt like it. It's been lovely and warm and we have been working on our pond section for when the water temperature is warm enough to kick off the pond season.

20/03/2025

👀🛬🇯🇵

20/03/2025

https://uk.flightaware.com/live/flight/JAL41

They are here!

Once all the relevant paperwork has been completed, they will be unloaded, then loaded on to many vans, heading off to various other stores across the UK.

It's really not long now till they are in store and settling in, going through a quarantine period. Let's face it, about 14 hours on a plane is long enough, plus being bagged and boxed previously.

Once the temperatures are high enough, they will be on sale to go to their forever homes!

Watch this space....

Track Japan Airlines (JL) #41 flight from Tokyo Int'l (Haneda) to London Heathrow

19/03/2025

Excited our koi are in the air. Yes i said it in the air 😁🛫

19/03/2025

As we type this, our koi are being loaded on to the plane! (5pm UK time).

We will keep you updated as to what's happening!

They should be landing, just as we are getting up in the morning 😃.

We will then be heading off to pick them up!

Watch this space.....🇯🇵🛬

18/03/2025

Let's hope spring brings warmer weather, we are expecting our next koi shipment later this week from Japan. We are pushing to be ready for Easter weather permitting of course.

17/03/2025

Not koi, but hey.....

There's a theme going on here. 🍀

16/03/2025

Cracking day today. Time to get out in the garden and sort those pond jobs out. We are open till 4.30

15/03/2025

With the weather starting to warm up, is your pond ready for the season ahead?

Now is the time to replace that UV bulb, whilst using rubber gloves, or paper towels. Oily finger prints can affect their effectiveness. These bulbs don't have a super long life. They generally last between 6-9 months. This is when the bulb is at its strongest. It may still glow, but their strength decreases. Give the quartz sleeve a clean up too. This should be as clean as possible.

When putting the filter back together, it's the ideal time to check your o rings. They should be free of cracks and fit perfectly back in place. Your filter needs to be water tight if pressurized!

Sponges. Do they spring back if you screw them up? If not, it's time for new ones. If they do, give them a rinse and a squeeze. But in pond water, in a bucket. Don't clean them too much though.

Moving on to the pump. Check your impeller. It's important it's not damaged in any way, and that it moves freely. When the impeller has been removed, clean up the slot it fits inside. Scrub down the outside of the pump, and also brush off the cage that surrounds it. This will improve water flow.

Check all pipework! Cold weather can, and will make hoses stiffer, and in turn, brittle. This makes them subject to piercing. Any holes can result in an empty pond if not checked!

Keep netting the surface, if you see leaves and other debris. They can disintegrate and decay whilst at the bottom of the pond so a good spring clean of the bottom could be needed. So get it as clean as possible. Your pump and filter will thank you for it.

If you need help with any of the above, drop by the shop as we have bulbs, sponges, nets, treatments and more. As with most parts, if it's not in stock, it will be within a week or so, providing the supplier has availability.