I am planning to market a Medic kit for Koi keepers and currently my kit contains the following:


1 Potassium Permanganate Wide spectrum treatment for parasites, bacterial infection and disinfection
2 Virkon S Strerilizing ponds, filter or equipment, kill bacteria, fungus, viruses
3 Malachite Green Parasite, bacterial and fungus treatment
4 Methaline Blue Parasite treatment
5 Dipterex Treatment for Anchor worm, Leeches, Fish lice
6 Acraflavine Anti bacterial treatment
7 Seponver Plus Treatment for fluke
8 Hydrogen peroxide Disinfecting wounds and to stop active ingredient of Potassium
9 Frairs Balsem Wound sealer
10 Clove oil To anaesthetise koi for treatment or to euthanase koi
11 Syringa To inject anti-biotics
12 Ear Buds To treat wounds or take swobs
13 Cotton wool To treat wounds
14 Measuring spoon To measure quantities of medication
15 Measuring container - Plastic bottle 100 ml To measure between 1 - 10 ml
16 Brush To apply medication/sterilizing agent to wounds
17 Tweezer To remove anchor worm or treat wounds
18 Blade To treat wounds
19 Surgical gloves To protect hands from medication and to prevent infection
20 Small Waterproof Plastic bags To inject koi or dispose of dead koi or to transport koi
21 Large plastic bag To transport koi from net to working surface and sheet to work on
22 Full manual for treatments All dosages and full health care manual

Anti biotics should also be part of the kit, but I may not dispense it.

What would you add / leave out?

What about Praziquantel and scissors maybe?

Thanks for the reply. I did consider Prazi but could not find any yet. I know they market it also as Ecotel in South Africa but my supplier can not help me at this stage. Should I find, I will add that thank you.

Scissors is a very good idea. I often have to cut skin away or trim fins with finrot etc.

I also considered Sodium Thiosulphate (Thiobarb) to remove chlorine, (although not strictly speaking a medical kit component) but I can also not find any in South Africa. Apparently there is a world wide shortage. Any suggestions as a cheap alternative to remove chlorine?

1) A legal disclaimer in the event that someone overdoses his/her fish collection and kills them. Also a legal disclaimer that you are not responsible for any mishandling of any of the substances in the kit. e.g. if someone gets some of these chemicals on his hands or in his eyes. A dsiclaimer should the koi keepers pets eat or drink some of the chemicals in the kit.

2) Detailed instructions with precautionary notes.

3) A diagnostic table. (Although if you think about it if you treat with some of the good anti fluke medications and malachite green you will get rid of most of the parasites found on koi).

4) Tables that koi keepers can calculate the dosage rate for the pond volume.

5) Perhaps a medical sheet koi keepers must fill in for themselves. Containing information such as pond volume - not an estimate but actual volume (you will be surprised how many koi keepers do not know their pond volumes or have calculated the pond volume incorrectly.) What treatments were done and when the y were done. Water temperature when treatments are done. Symptoms leading to diagnosis which in turn has led to the treatment.

6) Try to obtain some scales for weighing very small quantities. How will koi keepers weigh powder if it is sold in bulk?

7) I will make some enquiries for Sodium Thiosulphate for you - please send me an email with a list of the suppliers you have already tried.

Regards,
Chris

more ideas

Use by date on chemicals

Check on legal aspects of the sale of syringes directly to the public.

Not everyone is capable of injection fish - tricky area this. Check legal aspects.

Anit biotics cannot be sold directly to the public with out a perscription.

Chris

Thanks Pieter / Chris

I was thinking of selling the microscopes separately but maybe I should have the option to include it in the kit for those who don't have one yet. I believe no koi keeper can properly keep koi without one.

I will definitely have a proper legal disclaimer being an attorney myself. The charts and tables are a very good idea and your post referring to temperatures reminded me of a thermometer as temperature of water often influences the required treatment.

I could not find any regulation prohibiting me to sell syringes. They are available by mail order online all over and pharmacies do sell it without any prescription.

It is a pitty that I may not sell anti-biotics. I get for instance Baytril directly from the supplier at a fraction of what a Vet will charge me.

Thanks for the offer re Thiobarb. One of my friends supply medicine to the Vet's and Co-ops country wide and he could not find. I will enquire where he searched on my behalf, but he has most of the suppliers on his system.

Hi

Don't know if this is what you mean with the full manual for treatments, but a step by step photo-guide of how to inject and/or treat wounds.

I remember so well how I stressed the first time I had to treat a fish. Didn't know how to go about it - on towel or not, to wet towel or not, apply medication with finger or not, etc. Sounds silly now, but then it wasn't.

And without a doubt (as mentioned earlier) - sell by and use by dates with the legal disclaimers.

More ideas -

Some years ago I saw a microscope in the UK which looked like a portable CD player. Small and round. You flipped the front open and placed the slide with the scraping into a slot. After closing the lid you turned it on and looked through the microscope like a pair of binoculars.

It was very simple, had one magnification only to see parasites, was portable and worked on batteries.

Perhaps koi keepers need something like this instead of sophisticated and expensive microscopes.

Chris

some examples of field microscopes





and a really cool field microscope with a LCD diplay - not sure of the magnification ..



Regards,
Chris

My first 30 Medic kits are almost done.


(not complete yet)

Already sold three over the weekend before it is complete.

I have added the following to my list.

1. Wound med (own formula)
2. Malachite Green & Formalin mix
3. Adjustable measuring spoon
4. Small tape measure to measure "patient" - to calculate dosage of injectable medication and for record purpose while the fish is available for measuring anyway
5. Notebook & pen
6. Microscope glas
7. Swabs with MDS test request forms for KHV.
8. Small laminated waterproof dosage chart (apart from full manual and other paperwork)
9. Funnel
10 Small Padlock (to keep the children..... and the wife out )

Price: R 480.00

Thanks for all the inputs. One more question. What do you think would be the most appropriate description.

1. Koi Online's Medic Kit
2. Koi Online's Medical chest
3. Koi Online's First Aid Kit
4. Koi Online's Medicinal kit
Any other?

Koionline's medicine chest

What about:-

KoiMedKit ( from Koionline)

Koi Online's Medikit