In around 1979, I designed and produced the first filter design specifically made for Koi ponds. Around those days, another guy was doing his own general fishpond filter that he later said could also be used perfectly well on Koi ponds.
The guy was Malcolm Goodson, a lovely guy who came up with the idea of buying domestic plastic header tanks (seconds) and then adapting them by drilling a few holes and using a few plastic fittings. He then filled them half-full of gravel and offered them for sale as Koi pond filters under his company name of Cyprio.
Within a few months they became to target of derision by the serious Koi enthusiasts of the day that christened them as ‘Black Boxes’.
However, the vast majority of pond and Koi enthusiasts took to them with open arms, as a result, they sold in their thousands and still do to this very day.
By the mid-1980’s Malcolm was using ‘Flocor’ inside them and later included a small U/V unit as an optional extra, he even gave clear water guarantees with his units. Whilst there were many buyers who tried to claim on their guarantees, I do not recall anyone being ultimately successful in their claims and sales just continued to escalate.
Around 1987, Malcolm rang me and asked me to supply him with a filter system for a set-up he had built for breeding Koi (a new venture of his). I asked why he’d contacted me when he had thousands of his own filters stacked up in a yard next to his office.
Malcolm then replied by saying – ‘Yes I know, but I now need one that works!’
A few years later, he sold Cyprio to a large water garden supplier for a staggering amount of money. I last saw Malcolm in an airport departure lounge when he was returning to his luxury home in Spain where he plays tennis most of the day!
