Thread: Salting
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Old 03-22-2005   #2 (permalink)
MikeM
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Orlando, Florida
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First, "everyone" will tell you not to treat unless you know what you are treating. Second, without a microscope you cannot know for sure. Third, I don't expect beginners to get a scope. So, where does that leave you? ... guess that means sometimes treatment has to occur on the basis of educated guesses... or you go find someone local who has a scope & is willing to help out.

Going to koivet to review the symptoms page and suggested treatments is a helpful place. However, I am a bit uncertain about the flukes diagnosis for "laying over". Typically if one koi has an infestation of flukes, the whole pond will have them, and some flashing would be seen. If it is flukes, the salt will not do much good. Prazi has become the treatment of choice, but is expensive. Second choice has become supaverm. Third choice is fluke tabs. Fourth is the formalin/malachite green remedies (have to pay attention to water temps and do not use salt at the same time) or Potassium Permaganate for those skilled in its use. [I'll get in trouble over the ordering!!] I am wondering if it is just a matter of your butterfly being more sensitive to the cold than the others, but if the water is warm enough for them to be fed, then that should not be the issue. On the other hand, when I have had ich infections, the koi "go to ground" and one or more may sort of look like they are tilting toward one side. Ich can be successfully treated with salt, which is my treatment of choice for Ich. But, again, usually it would be more than one fish infected... and they stop eating if the infestation gets very serious.

So, I hesitate to give any advice because on the information available one guess is as likely to wrong as another. .... Except, I would advise against a salt dip. That is something that can do far more harm than good unless you know what you are doing. And, I'd advise you to get an accurate gallonage measure of your pond. You need that for any treatment. Best way is to empty the pond and then re-fill making certain nobody uses any water in the house while you are re-filling. Check the water meter to your house before & after. You can calculate your gallonage pretty accurately. (Some folks in parts of Britain and elsewhere would have problems with that advice, because water meters are not universal. In some places water is free) Of course, the koi need to be kept in an adequate facility while you do it.

If your water temps are up (60sF & higher) and you feel you have to treat even though you do not know what you are treating for, and cannot restrain yourself, then your best bet for "wide spectrum" coverage is one of the formalin/malachite green treatments available at most pond supply shops or over the internet from mail order discount aquarium & pond suppliers. ....Wish there was someone close by who could pay you a visit & check it out.
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