Season underway...

I've had a great week off work, but the koi haven't had as much of a look in as I'd planned. I'm still to go through the tosai which I must do over the next week or two... but today we got the season off to a good start by lining both fry ponds and starting them filling.

It's a week later than when we started filling them last year. Spring seems to have come a little later than normal in our little spot in the world. Waiting that extra week meant the frogs and newts have finished spawning and we've been able to re-line the ponds and clear out all the spawn.

After two ponds worth of clearing frogs, puncturing the old liners, repairing banks, re-lining - we were knackered! It's one of the jobs that's always a bit awkward, but is also very positive and marks the start of the new season.

There was some bank damage to repair on one of the ponds, but other than that, they seem to be holding up well.

In previous years I've been anxious to have them filling early, so I can spawn early and make time for late summer spawnings. This year I'm taking a different approach. My aim is to have one good spawning, and generally being a little more patient than in previous years.

On the less pleasant side of things... remember the baby champion from my koi club's garden show; the one that had a lump developing on it's side going into the winter. well, it's been going down hill and I put it out of it's misery today. One of those things unfortunately

Over the next few weeks I will be keeping a close eye on the females tank. The temps are up to the high teens, and I'm using a heater to hold the temps and keep temp swings to a minimum. I'm aiming for spawning's in 6 weeks time.

Really need to go through these tosai when we get a chance....