I have a sick koi at the moment and need some advice. I found it in the skimmer about two weeks ago stuck head down in the basket. Not sure how long it was in there could have been anything up to 12 hours as I cleaned the basket in the morning. Fish seems unable to stay upright keeps swimming on its side and not really eating. I have put it in a separate container in the pond and are trying to hand feed but not really taking much in. Do you think it stands a chance of recovery. It is about 30 cm long.

Any advice?

I have seen amazing recoveries after physical injuries. The fact that he already survived for two weeks gives me hope, but the lack of nutrition might be a problem. The separate(probably small) container in the pond might add unnecessary stress, but it needs food to get his strength back. The ideal would probably be to place him in a heated hospital facility of at least 1000 liters, with salt @ 3kg/1000 liters to calm him and protect him from secondary parasite/bacterial infections because of a low immunity due to stress, and see what happens.

The possibility of survival is probably 50/50.

Hi,
Sorry to hear about your mishap.
If a fish has trouble maintaining an upright position in the water, it could be a swimbladder problem.
If the fish is unable to take food, it may be necessary to consider euthanasia for the fish.

Have thought of that but after losing 47 fish last summer do not have the heart to do this. If it is swimbladder what would you do?

The vets do inflate or deflate swimbladders, but it is tricky.

Salt baths or salt @ 3kg/1000 liters (indefinate) are recommended by the experts, and use sinking pellets as apposed to floating pellets.

Hi,

I really do not think it will make it, unless you “force feed,” by pushing food paste down with a tube.
This won’t help the swimbladder problem, and here I agree with Paul.

Sorry to hear, but I am with Pieter on this one.
It will not survive and I believe it is suffering.