I just received a copy of Koi2Kichi and Koi Crazy by Peter Waddington. Peter is a leading authority on Koi in England. His initial book published in 1995 was, and still is the bible for most serious koi keepers. It can be found selling on ebay for anywhere from $300 – $600.
Koi2Kichi was a revised 2 book edition published in 2002 and covers everything from Koi history to Koi keeping. This is a well illustrated manual with detailed text about the hobby of raising koi. It deals with all aspects of the pond habitat and the medical treatment of koi. In addition there is an overview of the area of Japan where the finest koi are produced. Even includes a lovely map and details about the breeders.
Koi Crazy is a more condensed, less illustrated version of the first two books and was published in 2009. It revises some of Peter’s views on various types of filtration and illustrates the concept now known as ERIC filters (see ericpondfilters.com). Koi Crazy is a quick read for novices to koi keeping but beginners should read it at least twice through to pick up on the important parts. Filtration is discussed in detail with the shortcomings of all types of filters. There is nothing in this book to confuse the pond building aspects with water gardening or goldfish ponds. It focuses on koi ponds and koi keeping. I highly recommend this book before you do much other research.
In the UK these books can be purchased directly from Peter Waddington at his main site koikichi.com. Here in the USA they are in limited supply at Great Wave Engineering. They can also be found on Amazon or ebay from time to time.
