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Helpful links: Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) Disease | UPDATE ON KOI HERPES VIRUS (KHV) FOR THE KOI HOBBYIST | Quarantine & Acclimatisation -What to do if you suspect you have this disease July 5, 2004 Dear Friends, I'm writing to you not only as a koi dealer of ten years, but as a hobbyist as well. As you may already know, we were recently wiped out by KHV, a virus that not only affected our sale fish but our personal collection as well. We are currently going through the labor-intensive and painful process of destroying the surviving fish and sterilizing all of our ponds and tanks so that we can start over. More than ever Mike and I urge you, when you buy that next new fish, to be aware that it is most likely weak and stressed. This in turn weakens the fish's resistance to parasites and bacterial infection. To protect both the new fish and your existing collection, PLEASE quarantine your new purchases for at least four weeks. If you buy your fish in the spring, try to raise the water temperature of your quarantine tank to at least 72 degrees or wait for warmer weather to perform this task for you. It is advisable to keep your quarantine tank up and running all the time, which means keeping a few host fish to maintain the filter's biological needs and to keep your new acquisitions company. Koi are social animals and do better with companions, especially when encountering new environments. Watching our collection of over ten years die one by one was one of the most heart-wrenching experiences of my life. I know that finding a place for a quarantine tank can be difficult at times. I know that finding the money to pay for a quarantine tank can be a problem. I know that maintaining a quarantine tank can be an extra burden, especially for busy people. And we're all busy. However, once your pond becomes infected infested with a parasite or a pathogen, you'll discover a new meaning for time consumption and you'll wish you'd built that quarantine system after all. As one who now knows the meaning of loss, I urge you to isolate all new fish in the future. Sincerely, Ron Weynschenk
Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) Disease | UPDATE ON KOI HERPES VIRUS (KHV) FOR THE KOI HOBBYIST | Quarantine & Acclimatisation -What to do if you suspect you have this disease |