Hmmm... I am 'snooping' about now!
Anyway... I am not sure what Ann is talking about, as she keeps talking about hardness, and the amount of oyster shells breeders use? Shells don't buffer hardness, they simply dissolve on demand if water is producing large numbers of hydrogen ions (acid). Excessive use of shells will buffer KH to a degree, but a high KH doesn't mean that the water is 'hard'. Anyhow, all of the water that she tested was in breeders premises... places used only for 'holding' Koi, not growing them! The high stocking densities of holding ponds, means that many hydrogen ions are being produced, and hence, KH buffering is needed. But, mud ponds are a different matter entirely!
Anyone remember this pic from Koichat last Summer? The meter is showing the TDS level of one of Momotaro's best performing mountain mud ponds. The TDS reading of 36ppm represents the combination of KH, GH, and organics in the pond, and yet the pond is brown! The brown colour is just stirred up mud, which isn't dissolved (but suspended), and hence, doesn't show up in the TDS reading.
What I have been harping on about in all my articles, is making efforts to 'safely' try to emulate 'near' mud pond water, in an attempt to get mud pond results, NOT to emulate a breeders holding ponds!!!
Another point, whilst on a roll... I think that RO plants can be very usefull for people in hard water areas, but I have NEVER EVER encouraged anyone to use only RO water. Untreated mains water MUST be mixed back in, to make a mix of water that is safe for keeping Koi.
It is argued that soft water effects Sumi development. I feel that this is only partly true. I think that soft water will to a degree slow down Sumi development, but if hard water is necessary in order to make sumi show on a particular Koi, then the chances are that the sumi is very low quality anyway. Good Sumi will show regardless, in time. Temperature is a good tool for controlling Sumi development.
A little bird told me a couple of weeks ago, that the aforementioned lady is claiming that I sell RO plants, and that is why I am promoting the use of them. As anyone who knows me will no, I have NEVER sold an RO plant, or taken any kind of 'kickback' from RO plant suppliers. In fact, one could argue that the use of an RO plant would negate the use of purifiers for metals removals, etc. So, could this be why I am so heavily frowned upon?
BTW... I am in a good mood as I type this
Mike.
P.S... 'Craig A' uses RO water, and Bakki Showers (for those who asked)