Koi Diseases How to diagnose and treat common koi fish diseases
Koi fish are very hardy, robust fish and don’t often once become sick once they have settled into the koi pond.
koi disease occurs in ponds as fish fall prey to parasitic,
bacterial or fungal attacks.
The causes of koi fish diseases varied and can range from a sudden
drop in water temperature, predator attacks and spawning to name a few.
No matter what the cause of the koi diseases, one thing remains
constant – the sooner you recognize and begin to treat the problem
…the more likely you will be successful treating the koi diseases.
Regular pond maintenance and water-quality checks
help keep diseases away from fish, but illnesses still
occur, even in the best-kept ponds.
The first sign of a problem may be a fish floating at the surface, by
which time it is probably too late for effective treatment.
For this reason, it is vital to set up a routine for examining
fish; feeding time provides an ideal opportunity to
check their appearance and behavior.
So how do you know if you have a sick koi fish? Sometimes the signs
that a fish is sick are very subtle, such as one fish segregating itself
away from other fish, or not eating very much.
As time passes and the koi disease gets worse, the symptoms become more obvious and may spread to other fish.
Environmental problems
The health of pond fish influenced by environmental
conditions.
During spells of hot weather, for example, evaporation can lower
water levels, which has the effect of concentrating dissolved nitrogenous waste.
Atthe same time, elevated temperatures drive oxygen out of the
water; the combination of nitrate and oxygen stress can be
fatal, especially for larger fish.
Many of these problems can avoided by topping off
water levels during the summer, and incorporating a
pump and filter; these improve water quality, break down waste,
and increase oxygen content by creating water movement.
Overstocking a pond, especially if it is not well established, places
great stress on its occupants, and fish may succumb to usually
benign bacteria that are present in the water.
Overfeeding is another common environmental problem,
especially in temperate areas in the spring and fall; uneaten food
decomposes in the water, encouraging populations of pathogens.
It turns out that Koi is quite hardy for ornamental fish. But, on
several occasions when there is irregularity in water quality, things
may become quite rough for them.
Among the most major disease for Koi is Ich parasite or white spot disease.
This disease will make the fish look like they have been
sprinkled with white salt all over their body.
This parasite will attach to the skin, and eat them alive for several
weeks before they detach themselves and move to other host.
There are several disease affecting them as other fish, but there is
one virus, which affected Koi and common carp but not other species.
That viral disease called Koi herpesvirus (KHV) or cyprinid herpesvirus 3. Most of the fish infected with this virus will die but some may survive.
Those who survive will be the carrier and may send the viral
infection to other non-infected fish.
In this case, most of the breeders that have Koi diagnosed with KHV
in their farm will need to take harsh action to cut all the population to avoid the spreading.
fish diseases pictures
Gill rot fish diseases pictures
This disease occurs the most of all the koi diseases.
Irrespective of conditions of breeding or sizes of koi, it occurs.
It often does at high temperature above 20 degrees centigrade, but
sometimes below the temperature, too
The disease advances . before the diseased koi fish loses its weight, it dies, that is before the fish shows any symptom, it dies.
In such a case if you open the gill, you will find red gill filaments turn grey or muddy, or some of them broken.
The germ is
drugs or antibiotic substances or a medicated bath of furan drugs.
Aquatic terramycin is very useful
fish diseases pictures Anchor worm disease
Red swellings appear under the scales.
When the tip of a swelling pulled, a worm with an anchor-shaped top comes out.
The worms stick to fins, mouths and the hypoderm.
Sometimes fifty or sixty worms live on a fish and weaken it to death.
Dipterex is efficacious to exterminate them.
fish diseases pictures raised scales
Liquid stays under the scales and puses them up.
The scales bristle up. liquid stays also in the abdomen and the body swells. The diseased koi fish looks like a pine cone.
First a part of the body affected, but gradualy the disease spreads all over the body. Eyes of the diseased koi fish protrude.
It breathes hard, swimming around in crazy manner.
After a day or two the fish dies, overtunring on its back.
The Doitsu happens to affected by the disease, but it recovers
Its causes supposed to be some bacteria, interruption in blood
circulation caused by a disease blood vessel or internal orga, some
medicines and excessive eating of live foods.
It occurs often in the spring when oxidized pupae given to koi.
When the water temperature is high, it breaks out. Any fish, either fry or adult, affected in dirty water.
Sulfa drugs, anitbiotics and furan drugs are efficacious. It is also helpful to break blisters and apply monafracin with Dipterex to the part.
It is important to find the disease in its earl stage, otherwise it will be difficult to cure it.