Pond Fish Diseases ... White Spot, Ulcers, Parasites

As soon as a pond fish health problem is suspected the first thing to do is to test the pond water and take a good look at how your gold fish or koi are behaving. This will give you a good clue as to what to look for. You should always be able to compare your test results to those done previously in order to spot a difference.

Ben Helm gives this starting point in diagnosing possible koi disease or other gold fish pond diseases

Ulcers are a serious koi disease and a symptom of a bacterial infection (usually internal) that will have come about by your Koi becoming stressed and susceptible to pathogenic bacteria like pseudomonas bacteria. It can also be a secondary koi health problem that arises after lesions created by fish parasites have become infected. Even so, ulcers can grow rapidly on a Koi and spread disease to other Koi in the pond so rapid disease treatment of your koi and isolation of your pond fish is recommended.

  • Parasite diseases such as gill flukes, anchor worm and ich or white spot.

  • Dropsy or pine cone disease

Dr Johnson recommends that you use salt, before you try anything else for parasites. He says "In most cases where fish are still dying off, especially smaller fish and more slowly, Flukes, should be suspected first".

There are proprietary fluke control medicaments available ... follow instructions carefully If fish losses continue seek expert local assistance.

Ben Helm's Top 10 Fish Heath Koi Disease Prevention Tips

  • Regularly watch your Koi for changes in behaviour - this is the best an earlies indicator of disease.

  • Diagnose koi disease accurately, using specific diagnostic techniques (a microscope is indispensible for serious koi keepers)

  • Know your pond volume, and dose accurately. You can use my free calculators to calculate any pond volume

  • Choose your pond fish disease treatment wisely. Is it tried and trusted? What is the recognised successful koi disease treatment program and do you fully understand the ramifications and treatment regime?

  • Aerate when treating your Koi pond as dissolved oxygen concentrations drop during medications

  • Continue to monitor all Koi during disease treatment and respond to any acute behavioural changes during treatment.

  • Koi can become hyperactive during treatment. Prevent them from jumping out of your pond by covering it with a net.

  • So that Koi can heal themselves after you've treated the pathogen, support them with excellent water quality and nutrition. I suggest you consider using Viresco as a means of actively combating viability of aeromonas bacteria types.

  • Turn off your ultra violet clarifier (UVC) and by-pass your pond bio filter if recommended to do so by treatment directions.

  • Keep a diary of pond fish diseases and successful treatments - learn from your successes and mistakes. This diary of events will help greatly in future.

 

Ben Helm's Pond Answers site

Articles for Today

Banish green pond algae Without chemicals
Banish green pond algae Without chemicals. Concepts: algae, pond, water, filter, fish, nitrates, microns, food, plants, fertilisers, phosphates, common, design, surfaces, bigger. Summary: Like most of us the more food,...

Many Believe Blagdon Pumps Amphibious Ponds Pumps Best In UK
BLAGDON Amphibious Pumps range amongst the most reliable pond pumps. The significance about the Amphibious pond pumps is that instead of a conventional impeller shaft, there is a ceramic bearing, which lasts for a long time...