Carp Care Solutions

[crusian]

Hi Everyone 

What are the panels views on when to buy a new Carp Care Solution , i.e. do the solutions  lose their effectivness over time please ? .

Also is Propolis the solution to buy ? .

Ta .

😃 

[jh92]

Hi mate I use Gardner intensive care for hookholds, it's just a spray, just be mindful it sorta dyes your fingers blue 👍🤣

I use prolopis for damage/wounds, it creates like a scab over the wound. I think prolopis if sealed properly has a shelf life of around 10 years 👍

[yonny]

  On 27/03/2025 at 18:50, jh92 said:

Hi mate I use Gardner intensive care for hookholds

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Me too.

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:28, crusian said:

Also is Propolis the solution to buy ? .

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Yes and no. The use of propolis originates in koi keeping. It creates a barrier on the wound to lock out any nasties. This is fine when a koi is living in a posh pond with clean, filtered water with controlled salinity. Not so fine for a carp lake - you risk locking nasties IN to any wound. Best bet is to use a proper antibacterial/antifungal treatment (like the Gardner stuff), and then use propolis afterwards👍

[salokcinnodrog]

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:28, crusian said:

Hi Everyone 

What are the panels views on when to buy a new Carp Care Solution , i.e. do the solutions  lose their effectivness over time please ? .

Also is Propolis the solution to buy ? .

Ta .

😃

Expand  

I'm still on Kryston Klinik. I'd screenshot and add the pic to the post, but it takes so long to upload with awful signal, so I have added in Johnson Ross and the Kryston link:

https://johnsonrosstackle.co.uk/kryston/26816-kryston-klin-ik-carp-care-solution.html

[yonny]

  On 28/03/2025 at 07:53, salokcinnodrog said:

Kryston Klinik.

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Same stuff as the Gardner with a different label as I understand it. Decent.

[kevtaylor]

I've got the kits because I have to with the club rules, do I use it NO, I might treat a bad hook hold coz I know the damage is fresh but as for treating existing wounds I don't really believe in it TBH  you could easily be making it worse, trapping harmful bacteria in - we're not vets IMO

Tin hat on - bring it 😂

[salokcinnodrog]

  On 28/03/2025 at 08:54, kevtaylor said:

I've got the kits because I have to with the club rules, do I use it NO, I might treat a bad hook hold coz I know the damage is fresh but as for treating existing wounds I don't really believe in it TBH  you could easily be making it worse, trapping harmful bacteria in - we're not vets IMO

Tin hat on - bring it 😂

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No tin hat comment from me. I've seen how quickly carp heal in their own environment. All the split fins and torn scales from spawning. Within weeks that damage is unnoticeable and healed up.

Like you I'll treat a bleeding hook hole, but carp must cut their mouth on stones, sticks etc when feeding and that heals.

  On 28/03/2025 at 08:16, yonny said:

Same stuff as the Gardner with a different label as I understand it. Decent.

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I remember Dave Chilton coming up with Klinik and he refused to make a profit on sales, so sold it at cost as he felt that carp welfare was more important than profit. Obviously Dave Chilton sold Kryston and I believe  I may be wrong, Richard Gardner went to the same source as Kryston's new owners didn't have the product rights. 

I must admit, I do have plenty of time for Richard Gardner and Gardner Tackle.

[kevtaylor]

  On 28/03/2025 at 09:57, salokcinnodrog said:

No tin hat comment from me. I've seen how quickly carp heal in their own environment. All the split fins and torn scales from spawning. Within weeks that damage is unnoticeable and healed up.

Like you I'll treat a bleeding hook hole, but carp must cut their mouth on stones, sticks etc when feeding and that heals.

I remember Dave Chilton coming up with Klinik and he refused to make a profit on sales, so sold it at cost as he felt that carp welfare was more important than profit. Obviously Dave Chilton sold Kryston and I believe  I may be wrong, Richard Gardner went to the same source as Kryston's new owners didn't have the product rights. 

I must admit, I do have plenty of time for Richard Gardner and Gardner Tackle.

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For me IF the water quality is bang on they'll need no help healing.

I was keeping an eye on a mates house when he went away on hols, during the week his biggest koi managed to trap itself between layers of the surface netting which I didn't see obvs.  By the time he returned it was in a very bad way, fins and tail gone and skin red raw.  He released it and it sank down not doing much at all.  After a few days it was completely covered in white mould and he thought should I kill it for kindness, well he didn't and after a week or so the white slime vanished and the fish looked great with new fins growing and everything.  It's still going now, maybe 10 years later.  No treatments were given but the water quality was obviously very good.

 

[elmoputney]

  On 28/03/2025 at 08:54, kevtaylor said:

I've got the kits because I have to with the club rules, do I use it NO, I might treat a bad hook hold coz I know the damage is fresh but as for treating existing wounds I don't really believe in it TBH  you could easily be making it worse, trapping harmful bacteria in - we're not vets IMO

Tin hat on - bring it 😂

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I think the thing to do before propolis is some kind of antisceptic spray then prop it to stop it getting infected but like you say, people just use propolis as a one stop shop, I just tend to use the gardner stuff. 

I don't think you are wrong though, I've never seen them go to the quacks after spawning. Not sure if they even have a GUM clinic 😅

[kevtaylor]

  On 28/03/2025 at 11:51, elmoputney said:

I think the thing to do before propolis is some kind of antisceptic spray then prop it to stop it getting infected but like you say, people just use propolis as a one stop shop, I just tend to use the gardner stuff. 

I don't think you are wrong though, I've never seen them go to the quacks after spawning. Not sure if they even have a GUM clinic 😅

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It's the Propolis thing for me, obviously good, but not if your sealing in bad germs.  Like you say antiseptic first then seal but it does seem a bit risky to me.

There's also the treatments getting on the gills themselves, this is shocking and needs to be avoided at all costs the risks are obvious.

[jh92]

Interesting thoughts about sealing in germs 👍

I was always told to pat the area dry then seal with propolis 🤔

[kevtaylor]

  On 28/03/2025 at 12:54, jh92 said:

Interesting thoughts about sealing in germs 👍

I was always told to pat the area dry then seal with propolis 🤔

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I wouldn't use Propolis in the mouth at all, if it washes back onto the gills it can't breathe potentially. Antiseptic for hook holds ONLY if required, Antiseptic then propolis for the body.

I don't think we should be doing any of this as a matter of course tbh only if you deem it necessary. 👍

 

[jh92]

  On 28/03/2025 at 13:01, kevtaylor said:

I wouldn't use Propolis in the mouth at all, if it washes back onto the gills it can't breathe potentially. Antiseptic for hook holds ONLY if required, Antiseptic then propolis for the body.

I don't think we should be doing any of this as a matter of course tbh only if you deem it necessary. 👍

 

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I don't mate, I've only ever used it on wounds like where the fish has damage to its body area, I only use antiseptic in the mouth 👍

To be honest if I pull a fish in that's badly damaged I'd retain it and call the bailiff 👍

[crusian]

Thanks very much for all your answers , and I must change my fish care procedures .

I started to read Yonny's 1st. post , and I thought " he's going to mention sealing nasties in " - oh poo I've been using MCP's Propolis .

So reading all the replies I'll go back to my Gardner Intensive Care which is a few years old . I've also got some Kryston Klinik which is even older .

Also I'll stick to treating just wounds where the flesh is broken and there is bleeding .

😃

[greekskii]

I use propolis occasionally. Bit like Kev though, just let them heal themselves unless it’s really bad. I also have some korda stuff (very old though) in the side pocket of the mat. 
 

as said. Best course of action if you want to/have to use something is any of the anti septic stuff followed by propolis on the body. But tbh there’s every realistic chance that the fishes goes and rubs the propolis off once released anyway! Or thrashes on the mat or sling and knocks it off beforehand. 
 

if a fish is obvs suffering from some infection from a wound it’s best to give it a salt bath and quarantine it, any treatment an angler puts on won’t be of much use!