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I have a very sick koi, he was gorgeous about 2 weeks ago,
but then I noticed his tail fin looked "funny", so I neeted
him to inspect more closely, yes indeed he had a problem,
his scales were raised, eventually fell off and his tail is
completely gone. I placed him in a bath with some medication
for systemic infections for a few days and he looked much
better, but his tail & scales were still missing. Last night
he was swimming to the top gasping for air, so again I put
him in a separate container with the medication, but I truly
do not think he will make it.
My pond is 8 x 13 ftx18" deep, 1900
gph waterfall pump and 1100 pump that I use when it is very
warm for a fountain in pond. My fish include: 6 koi (1, the
sick one, was about 13", 1 about 8" and the others under 4")
there also is 2 comets and 6 goldfish and 1 10" plecastomous,
all except Mr. Hoover, the largest are fine. The amonia is
good, the ph is 8 (here in Watertown WI, I am told is about
the correct ph) and no issue with nitrites or nitrates. I
also have plants, though they aren't very large due to the
continuous nibbling!
My question is, am I over populated
and if so, why did the largest and most beautiful (he is a
butterfly koi) get ill? Are the rest of my fish suseptible
to becoming ill too? What should I do to prevent this with
the other fish? And if Mr. Hoover is still living when I get
home today, is there anything I can do to aid him. I am relatively
new to ponds, only 5 years, but this is a new and enlarged
pond, previously I had only 250 gal pond with no issues.
Another question I have is could
I leave my fish outside during the winter? I have a deicer
I could use, but I think I am too shallow for WI winters.
Am I correct? Thanks for any answers you may have. I hope
you have some advice to assist Mr. Hoover.
Hi Claire,
To start with, you have 1166 gallons,
but I don't see any mention of added filtration. If you
want koi, you'll need to seriously consider this.
With only two koi and a few goldfish,
overcrowding is not your issue. Based on your description,
your fish has "tail rot" which is very simply an overwhelming
bacterial infection of the caudal peduncle, much like what
happens to a diabetic's feet when there is something else
going on.
By your description, your big fish
is probably beyond help, especially if his tail is completely
gone and he's got lifted scales and ulcers on the aft parts
of his body. He'll need to be euthanized; a concentrated
solution of bicarbonate of soda will do it humanely.
The question is, what stressed
him to the point that his immune system was no longer able
to resist the bacteria? The most common answer is parasites.
I suspect the shallowness of your pond also contributes,
since shallow ponds are subject to wide temperature swings
over a 24 hour period, especially if they get direct sun.
Very stressful to koi, who prefer deeper and colder water.
You need to get someone in to do
a scraping and suggest an appropriate treatment. A vet who
does fish would be best. Our local fish vet, Chris Shirkey,
may know someone in your area. (bluegilldvm@hotmail.com)
Your pond, at its current depth, will
freeze solid in a WI winter if not covered with a poly house
and heated. Koi won't tolerate that. Your goldfish might
survive.
(Answer courtesy Bob Passovoy)
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