I was going to adopt a couple of koi from a friend of a friend, that have lived in a very small indoor tank for a long time to give them a home in my pond. However, their current owner contacted me and said that they are sick (I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 - 80 koi fish, thankfully, and knocking wood, I haven't had to deal with illness with them). So, I can't put them in my pond, but I'm hoping you all who are so knowledgeable can help with what might be wrong with them and how to help them. I asked her to describe exactly what is wrong with them and their symptoms, and here is what she says: "I thought at first it was from poor water conditions as they are so large in such a small tank so I thought if I kept changing the water and do a round of antibiotics, they would be fine. That still may be the case but I may be using the wrong antibiotic. Anyway…one has a growth on the side of its mouth. Has had it almost since we got it but it has gotten bigger and now the whole head looks like it is being eaten away. It is all red and bumpy, like it is being eaten up. The other has several small whitish patches on it…no worms or parasites or cottony growth, just like a grayish whitish spot about .33 of an inch. Its tail had started to get frayed and eaten away which is why I thought it was just the poor water conditions and thought I could cure them with some antibiotics."
Any ideas? And many thanks in advance,
Brenda
Help for sick fish....
Brenda,
You may take a look at this web sight. Bonnie is very knowledgeable
about Koi or she can at least steer you in the right direction for help.
Hope the koi get better soon! Sounds liKe a terrible situation.
http://www.bonniesplants.com/KoiCare.html
Thank you, BeaHive. It doesn't sound good, does it? I have sent the weblink on to the owner.
Brenda
While trying to figure out the condition, I would start them in a salt solution. Reminder --although antibiotics can kill a lot of bad things, it can also kill a lot of good things too. So, if the water was changed AND antibiotics were added, most likely the whole biological filter, as inadequate as it may have been, was killed off.
Salt can help add a slime coat to the fish, while trying to decifer what condition they may have. It sounds like it may be bacterial or fungal based off of poor water conditions from over-crowding.
Because it was an indoor aquarium, it most likely (but not absolutely) one of the extreme viruses that show up as water temperatures change outdoors.
Was the antibiotic put in the water.....or injected.....or part of the feed?
I don't know, Mary, but I'll ask her. Thanks for your input.
Brenda
It may be ick.
The fraying could be caused by the fish rubbing against things with the itching.
She can get an ick treatment at Walmart. The growths may be tumors.
Thanks, Crimson. I haven't had an update from her recently, but I'll let you know.
Sounds like ick for the cottony stuff.
Koi Vet has a tremendous amount of info on the site.
Hi, if skin is getting eaten away its because of aremona. [I think thats how you spell it] Anywho, if it is you need to use tricide neo. Works Wonders.
Thanks, Laserkoi!