Koi problems, Pics help Diagnose

[Steve Nguyen]

can you post a diagram of your pond and filter layout?

Steve

[junglegeorge12]

Quote: Originally Posted by REC Very true... I am not a vet... My main purpose for being in this hobby is for the science of it and so I "specialize" in koi health issues. I routinely have my "techniques" vetted by some real life practicing fish vets. I also have direct contact with with almost all of the practicing koi health vets through the KHA and other programs, so anything I need help with I can turn to a vet to get the assistance I need. But I am an engineer, so I am qualified to help with those types of problems. (laugh here..) REC

LOL, my bad. I got info from someone you do farm visits to help out with animals and just concluded you were a vet. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I still think your advice is spot on.

What kind of engineer?

[bigred]

I did use ph buffer which was a acid with out knowing better. I went and picked up some Chloramine T today. Also lost another koi. No blemishes except a green spot. Also the gills were a little different. They were white in color. Here's some pics below.

I'll have to draw out a diagram of the pond so that will be up tomorrow.

Yes I was the one with the stinky caca at the bottom of my barrel filter. I shopvaced it out and the water was grey. I have to do some mods to the barrel so when it drains ity take that crap with it.

I did the scrape and scope if I did it right. I found some things that look like hairs but they didn't move and some algea. I did'nt find anything that moved. I took a knife and drug it along the body with the scales and nothing but slime. Did the gills and nothing but algea.

So you want me to catch them all and put them into a quarintine tanks. I'm going to use touts. What water do you want me to use in the QT. I can get RO water. It would be very clean.

Let me know if there's anything else anything else you want to know. About the koi/pond.

[bigred]

Sorry forgot the pics

[Tamianth]

Hi Steve,
If you did the scrape and scope on the dead fish, then you probably would not have found anything. Parasites quickly evacuate for a new host. This needs done on a live fish. No to the RO water...

How many fish are you going to be dealing with? A stock tank is very portable and quickly set up, get one from a feed store, for a hospitol tank and your going to need filtration and 02....

You can get slides and slip covers from Pond RX or if you have a store like the Learning Tree around, Someplace that sells scopes should have them...

I'm sorry your loosing fish Steve, and yes, your going through a stressful situation. Believe me, we've all had heartbreak and hair pulling bouts. We call it the book of learning.... But your not alone!

[MikeM]

Unless there are quality issues with your tap water, use it in the hospital tank(s). 100% RO water would kill the fish...they need mineral content in their water.

[bigred]

OK, so today after I get home from work I will catch one or multiple fish if needed to scrape and scope. The wife found some slides . As for the wonderful tap water here, I did a TDS reading of 365 and the ph of 8.17. That could be the problem. I don't even want to drink that stuff.

[bigred]

I did this real quick but blue in black to next barrel and orange out to water fall. Green and grey matala filter pads in first barrel and 2 pads for bio in the second barrel. Let me know if I'm going to change anything because I'm adding the second barrel this weekend.

[REC]

Geez.. this was a sick fish. My sense is that this is chemical poisoning. Note that the gills are not tattered as we would expect from a parasite attack. Nor are they pale,which would lead us more to an anemic condition caused by major organ failure (liver, kidneys).

The green stuff is most likely saprolegnia, a water fungus that attacks severely affected fish. It is present both on the body and the gills. We could expect this to happen and there is no need to be concerned about it unless you have other fish that canbe saved and show this fungus on them.

As point of discussion, had you seen this fish alive and saw those gills, this would be one that we could not save. The gill tissue is beyond repair and this fish most likely suffocated. It would be an interesting post mort, though.

We still need to exclude parasites despite the appearance of chemcial posioning as I could be wrong. If we find no parasites on the fish or gill, then we look at the pH buffer as the main culprit. It is time to get some pics of the survivor's gills so we can see how they are doing too.

JG: Not to worry..in my "next" life I will be a vet. My neighbor is a horse vet and I tag along with him so I can learn the art of horse medicine. I am an IE/EE, BTW.

REC

[PapaBear]

More media in the 2nd barrel and an air ring beneath to improve biobacter growth would be helpful. Biobacters need lots of oxygen to thrive. Some Kaldness type moving bed media might be a better choice as opposed to Jmat for this type of application.

Quote: Originally Posted by bigred I did this real quick but blue in black to next barrel and orange out to water fall. Green and grey matala filter pads in first barrel and 2 pads for bio in the second barrel. Let me know if I'm going to change anything because I'm adding the second barrel this weekend.