You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Koi Health, Disease and Medication ForumPost here about any Koi health problems and water quality problems you may have.
» Stats
Members: 25,324
Threads: 3,317
Posts: 31,274
Top Poster: markf1fan (3,500)
I need your help!
I've been reading and looking pictures for weeks, to see if I can diagnostic one of my koi's.
The fish is about 18cm and swims together with two yellow koi fish about the same size. The two other fish is perfect and happy, will even eat shrimp out of my hand
The sick fish act's normal, except for a lot of flashing sometimes. It has some eye problem because of the sickness I think. The eye's is a little bit popped out of the head, and has some kind of white/yellow surface on top.
On the body the scales is sticking out some places, with some white stuff under. And also some red areas under the skin.
It has been like this since I bought it 1 month ago I think.
I have looked at the fish 2 weeks ago, and I think it has become a little worse.
Pond is 800 gallons
Lots of aeration, circulation and filtration in the pond and 5watt uv lamp
pump turnover is about 1,5 hours.
60cm deep
Water is clear but has a little green floating algae.
Temperature 20-24degrees (about normal living room temperature)
Ph: 7.2
Ammonia: less than 0.5ppm
DO: 13ppm or more.
It's all I can test for.
I am guessing that from the water temps you are from outside the UK?
Have you a result for Nitrite levels in the water?
My thoughts;
It looks like the onset of bacterial infection that you can treat topically. I’d guess that the white you mention is probably excess mucus on the fish.
But my concern would be what is behind this, it may well be down to parasite activity, if it is you need to get to identify and then eliminate these, unless you do, your problems will only get worse. If it is parasites then you need to identify which it is as treatment varies.
Only way to check if and what parasites are about is to take a small sample of mucus from the fish and examine this under a microscope, it‘s sounds daunting but in reality it’s a very easy process, .
If you don’t have a scope then you really need to try and find a local koi keeper close to you that may be able to help with taking a scrape.
The pond is in Brazil, Sao Paulo area (22degrees south of equator). I'm from Denmark which is why my english is not perfect.
I don't have a nitrite test kit :S maybe I should buy one? But I read that Nitrite and Ammonia levels follow each other. So if the one was okay, the other one should also be. Maybe this is wrong?
I'm not sure if the local dealer that I bought the fish from has a microscope, but I will try to ask.
I was thinking about trying to treat the fish in a saltbath, because the fish is not weak at all and maybe it would kill whatever parasite there might be.
Do I want to spend too much money on medicine? The fish was not expensive so it would be better to buy a new instead?
I know that we have to treat our animals with respect, but you also have to draw a line.
when you get another koi the same will happen why bother keeping anything if thats the way you think just let it die and then buy a new one very poor mate
when you get another koi the same will happen why bother keeping anything if thats the way you think just let it die and then buy a new one very poor mate
I can understand you guys reaction. But let me point out.
1. The fish was sick before I got it
2. I am trying all I can to fix it and spend VERY MUCH time keeping good water quality.
3. The fuckers who sold me this fish knows nothing about koi (partly my mistake for buying from them) and they want to sell me expensive medicine for fish in small aquariums.
4. I am not just changing fish all the time because they die. I bought 3 of which one was sick after a closer look when hand feeding in the pond. (my mistake for not seeing it when I bought it, but I really tried to select the best there was)
5. I join this forum and ask if anybody knows what is wrong with the fish so I can do the right thing about it.
6. I ask more questions, because I don't have access to microscope or fancy medicine. ( Of cause everything is possible with enough money )
So tell me how much should I spend on this one fish? all my savings? or is it okay I'm doing my best within reasonable limits?
I have bought medicine to kill bacteria and fungus, which I will try.
I have never in the 15 years I kept koi fish used any medicine, only good water quality. So this will be a first.
Last edited by ThomasArp : 18-01-2012 at 10:02 PM.
If you’ve been keeping Koi for 15 years without any need to treat any fish then you are a lucky Guy
The point we are trying to get home is that if the fish has a parasite problem then the chances are that all the other fish in the system are at risk/could already be infected and when parasites get a hold they can spread quickly with devastating effect.
So don’t weigh up the investment against any one particular fish but the total stock in there.
You asked for advice and all we can do is give you what we think is best advice - whether you follow it is down to you.
If you rule out chemicals other than salt then the options are limited to topically treating, I do hope this provides the solution for you.
Thanks for the input everyone. Based on that, I have had the fish isolated for 8 days, treating for various parasites, and bacteria/fungus (it's all in Portuguese and I don't speak it just yet)
The treatment was partly a success, the fish looks healthy now, except for the eyes which is still far too big!
I'm not sure if it is kind of a genetically defect or the fish still has some kind of internal infection that I can't see? It's is acting very normal and eating with the others shortly after it was put back in the pond.
Forgot to take a picture to show the improvement will do next time I have a chance.
Help! koi diagnostic 
will do next time I have a chance.
Linear Mode
