The Koi Disease Is Treatable - Protect Your Pond

Having fish or any type of animal has its up side and down side. Koi disease is very common but the good news is that it's very treatable. Depending on which disease they have you will have to treat it accordingly. If you do not you will infect other koi and thus have a large scale problem on your hands. There are several koi diseases that can affect your fish; we will look at a few of the most common ones and how to treat them effectively.

Dropsy is not so much a koi disease but more of a symptom of something else. The koi will become bloated or full of fluid and their scales will perk up and make them look like a pine cone. Their eyes will also bug out, the fluid that fills them up inside cannot be expelled. If the koi swells too fast it can cause internal bleeding and if it swells slowly then it will become infected with parasites. Dropsy is very contagious; if you suspect this koi disease you should separate the fish immediately and treat them with an anti bacterial remedy.

Finrot is easily recognizable because the fin on your koi will look like it was chewed or damaged. There may be discoloration too. Ulcers usually accompany finrot and that can cause kidney damage and death if you don't treat it quickly. The bacteria in finrot can infect other fish through their gills. You should add some salt at a small rate or use an anti bacterial medicine. If you do add salt make sure the mixture is 3gm per litre.

Trichodina is a parasite that attacks the gills and skin tissue of koi. This koi disease lives mostly in warm water and you can tell if your koi is infected by their lethargic rubbing. The parasite can only be seen under a microscope and the circular cilia eat away at the tissue making your koi sicker by the day. The only way to treat trichodina is with potassium permanganate. This is a mixture of salt and ions will dissolve the cilia.

Anchor worm is a koi disease that you can actually see. This little worm will attach itself to the koi and usually under a scale but you can see them protruding because they can grow to up to 12 mm. The anchor worm will mate and the male will leave the body but the female will stay attached. They will inject bacteria and fungal infections grow from this little worm. They can be removed with tweezers but the koi must anesthetize, you can also make the anchor worm release by dabbing a cotton swab soaked in potassium permanganate on it. Treat your pond with paradex.

Fish lice are a common problem and deadly koi disease. The host will attach to the koi and inject their toxin. The koi will jump and try to get rid of this parasite. The damaged caused happens in their gills and treatment isn't found in stores. You will need to contact a dealer or vet to cure this koi disease.