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Parasites all feed on parts of our Koi, normally in the mucus layer or
 the dermal layer of the skin, or within the bloodstream and flesh. All parasites need sustenance to enable them to live and reproduce at truly alarming rates. An adult parasite lays many eggs, and many parasites do not need a partner to reproduce, some stay in the mucus membrane of the Koi, others may fall to the bottom of the pond and into the filtration system which of course spreads throughout the filter system and are continually being
carried back into the pond with the return water flows ... So it is always essential that when you are treating your pond for parasites that you leave your system running so that which ever medication you use also passes through the filtration system .. it is pointless in treating a pond for parasites and shutting off the filtration system - only to open it again several hours later to find that you have reintroduced the parasitic problem again into your pond ..
Signs to watch for:
Even before you have identified the particular parasite you will know from the way your Koi are behaving unusually, that there is something wrong in the pond ... They may be 'Flashing' or Flicking' off the bottom drain top or some other object, indicating that they have an 'itch' or something is bothering them ... If there is just a single Koi that seems to be troubled - then the problem may not be so bad as to warrant treating the whole pond, but you do still need to examine that Koi and take a scrape and examine that under a microscope with at least 100 x lens - if however you have a few Koi
doing this and also jumping out of the pond in an attempt to shake off the parasite - then this is a clear sign that something and some course of action has to be taken.
Again, and I cannot stress this point enough, once
the parasite has been identified - then and only then, can you
treat the pond for that parasite ....
OK.... having identified the parasite - How can you treat
for it ?
Before going on to diagnosis, treatments and the remedies
etc., the following points are important to your Koi, your
system, and your own understanding if the problems are to be
kept to a minimum and the treatments, if required at all, are to
be effective and safe.
- Ensure that you know the exact volume of your system
...i.e. how many gallons of water in your system - not just
the actual pond but also the water contained in the
filtration system.
- Click
Here for a Pond Volume Calculator
Please be aware the dosage rates that we shall be quoting are
accurate and whilst a 15% under dose can be ineffective - a 15%
overdose can be dangerous ! Never try to guess the volume of
your system if you do not know it....
Please note that the anti-parasite medications specified are
NOT FISH TREATMENTS they do nothing medically for your Koi ...
They are used to eradicate the parasite that is irritating your
fish.
Ensure that you understand
Parasites, what they are, where they come from and what they can
do if left un-checked.
The Parasites, which are Water-borne can be divided into two
sections, namely those we can see with our eyes and the ones we
can't see without the aid of a microscope. All parasites live on
and feed from parts of our Koi, be it just the mucus membrane,
the dermal layer of the skin itself or the bloodstream and
flesh. All parasites need this sustenance in order to survive
and reproduce - which in ideal situations they can do at
alarming rates. Each adult parasite lays many eggs, many
parasites do not require a partner to reproduce. Many of these
eggs stay in the mucus membrane - others are swept into the
filtration system where they will hatch and the cycle will
continue with an even greater infestation ... that is unless
something is done about them...
 The
actual life of these parasites is not very long - probably on a
few weeks depending on the water temperature and their
dependency of finding a host - (our Koi) - to live off... In the
natural pond parasites are kept to an acceptable level because
of natural stocking where the majority of newly hatched
parasites cannot find a host. In our Koi ponds the stocking
level is much greater and there is plenty of Koi around for
these parasites to find a host to nibble away at.
Parasites are usually introduced to our ponds by Frogs -
Toads and Birds and it is very hard to stop all of these
especially the birds who come down to the water to both drink
and to bathe - and if you have a waterfall then these make ideal
bird baths - no doubt you will have smiled to yourself when you
have seen the fun that these parasite carrying birds have when
taking a dip in your water ...little realizing the problems that
you may encounter later ....Newly purchased Koi can
unfortunately be carrying a parasite and even the most careful
dealer cannot be sure that his Koi do not carry a single
parasite - and also a newly purchased plant may also have a
parasite ... and that is all it takes under the right conditions
for an infestation to take place ...and it is then that action
has to be taken to bring a halt to the breeding cycle of these
parasites otherwise if it is left to escalate you could
experience heavy losses amongst your Koi. Eventually the
infestation will damage the fine mucus membrane in the gills
themselves which in turn will reduce the amount of oxygen
available for the Koi and this could cause severe damage to the
brain itself. Then there is a secondary risk of bacterial gill
decay and this usually is followed by death. Other secondary
problems resulting from that of a prime parasitic attack can be
a bacterial infection which may be come visible by way of
ulceration's on the actual body of the Koi. Prime parasites bore
holes to enter the body through the protective mucus membrane -
this is an ideal place for the parasites to colonizes and
infect.
It must be understood that we can never eradicate the problem
of parasites on a permanent basis in an outdoor pond - unless
you can stop Birds, Frogs, Toads and other insects visiting your
pond .. We can only hope to control these within the limitations
that are available to us.
The medications and the dosage rates quoted are only intended
to be used with an adequate filtration system running as normal
although it is recommended that in certain circumstances,
depending on the medication being used, that the Ultra Violet
Sterilizers be switched off and do not run your return water
through a sand pressure filter for a period of no less than 24
hours as these will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
Unfortunately there is not just a single treatment that will
eradicate all of the parasites. Different parasites require a
different treatment and with some of these treatments the dosage
rates can vary somewhat - and this is also affected by the
temperature of the water at the time of treatment. If the wrong
medication is used if will have no effect on the actual parasite
causing the infestation and although no medication is good for
the Koi it will allow the parasites to continue its cycle. So it
is extremely important that you get it right the first time.
Medication treatments are usually effective with 2 to 6 hours
following their application, the un-hatched eggs however will
not be affected at this stage and although the adult parasites
may have been eradicated - these eggs will continue to hatch and
therefore the pond should receive a second treatment
approximately 10 to 14 days later.
Many of the medications that you may use if coming into
contact with some metals can give off a toxic reaction - so it
is very important that you do not have your water pumping
through or in contact with metals such as copper, cupra-nickel
etc .... make sure that your metal fittings are safe such as
brass, phosphor bronze or stainless steel.
HANDLING CHEMICALS & MEDICATIONS
WARNING: - The chemicals and medications that we
recommend are safe to use in the dosage rates quoted. However it
must be stressed that they are potentially dangerous to humans
if abused.
Always store them away safely in a cool, dry place and well
out of reach of both children and pets. We recommend that you
where rubber gloves when handling these medications and take
care not to inhale any of the vapours that may be given off - mix
medications where it is required to do so outside in the open
atmosphere. Under no circumstances should these medications be
taken internally and if accidents do occur then seek medical aid
immediately. Always wash your hands after handling medications
of all descriptions even though you may have been wearing rubber
gloves.
On the next page in this very complex and in-depth subject,
we shall discuss some of the parasites you can expect to find on
your Koi, and how to treat them, and please bear in mind that all fish have parasites -
so finding one would not be the end of the world or be too much
of a problem if you can identify the particular parasite that
you believe is causing the problem ... go to Parasites and Treatments next: |
