Parasites
Parasites are a real health issue when it comes to
koi fish. The most common way koi fish contact parasites is from other
fish. Before a new koi is introduced to the pond, it is extremely important
that the new fish be quarantined for 3 weeks. During this time period the
koi should be treated for parasites. Isolating a koi for 3 weeks in a quarantine
tank, without treating the koi, is no assurance that the koi is parasite
free. All that tells you is that if it has parasites, there are not enough
of them to make it
sick at this time. If you do not have a separate quarantine tank in
which to treat a new koi in, then be very careful who you purchase your
new koi from. Make sure the dealer is very conscientious about treating
all their koi to make sure they are parasite free before they sell them.
Do not take their word for it that they are parasite free. Ask them exactly
how they treat their koi for parasites. If they are vague about how they
treat the fish you would do well to assume the koi will have parasites
and then make your decision as to whether or not to purchase the koi based
on that fact.
The five most common parasites that affect
koi fish are: flukes,
costia, chilodinella, trichodina and ich.
All of these parasites are microscopic which
means you cannot see them without the aid of a microscope. The most common
signs that you may have
parasites are:
* Fish are flashing.
Flashing is when a fish swims slowly near the side or bottom of the pond
and then quickly swims off by first rubbing it's side against the pond
wall.
* A fish is isolating
itself from the other fish.
* One or more
fish have stopped eating.
* A fish spends
much of the time near the water fall gasping for air.
* Fish are sitting
on the bottom of the pond with their fins clamped close to their body or
are drifting in the pond with their head pointed upward or downward for
several minutes at a time.
* Sores developing
on the fishes body or fins.
* Fish are dying.
When selecting a treatment to rid koi of a particular parasite, you
should always try to select a treatment that will effectively kill the
parasite, while at the same time, cause the least amount of stress to the
koi. Stress is a real factor that needs to be
considered in treating koi. Think of it this way. You can live and
work around all sorts of germs and never get sick. Then things change at
work and you are suddenly required to work very long hours for several
days in a row. Now, when you can least afford it you get a cold. Why is
that? It is because your immune system has failed due to the extra stress
of working so much. It works the same way with koi fish. When they get
stressed their immune system can begin to fail them and any hope for recovery
will be slowed down, if in fact they recover at all. An infestation of
parasites can be very stressful to a koi. For this reason, it is very important
when treating a koi with parasites to select a treatment that will not
stress them anymore than is necessary.
Proper treatment for parasites depends on which parasite the koi have.
If you have access to a microscope, by simply taking a scraping from the
fish and examining it under the microscope, you can usually tell exactly
which parasites are present and then
treat for them accordingly.
