Took my kohaku to loolilocks for a scrape as it had a wound on it. Upon inspection from loolilocks they said the fish had the start of dropsy and said it was early stages so we injected with baytril. The wound has cleared up completely, yet the fish seems to be doing worse. The skin at the back is flaky and appears to be pealing off. The fins seems to be disintegrating aswell.

The scales dont look pine coned to me and I'm just wondering if it may be something else that is wrong....anyone care to give some advice?

Thanks....oh and just ignore the blue marks...its from the wound gel\ulcer cure I was treating the wound the fish had previously....the yellow bump is actually where the previous open wound was.

i think your fish has fin rot you can use melafix and pimafix together then do as Dr Pieter said FEED GARLIC

Dead fish swimming.

Not dropsy.... It's a bacterial infection that's spread. With fins deteriorating points to the infection being in the fins as well which will take months to heal properly.

I'm affraid you'll have to decide whether it's worth treating or releaving it from it's missery.... If you wanna try treating it, try an anti-biotic like Amikacin. I've had very good results with it in the past. I use the 250mg/2ml vials.

Thanks Chris, that was the advice I was looking for. What would you suggest, would I have to treat this fish seperately or could it be in the new pond? Problem is I dont have an immediate seperate setup available.

I know this is a sh!tty thing to say but this was one of my first fish which cost me R70, so luckily not a loss if decision is to euthenaise.....just worried that this may spread to my other fish in due course......will it? and what should I do immediately to safeguard them?

thanks

Jaco wrote:

Dead fish swimming.

agreed. Once the fins and body start to look like that its a few days away from a hole in the ground. You can try an anti-bacterial solution for it to swim in plus high salt (dont stress it anymore) but my experience tells me its to late for most. I pulled 1 or 2 through when it started looking like that but its upto each fish.

The fish is exausted and has no-immune system left. I have seen it in my own collection in the past and usually happens when a fish is sick and the owner is a bit over zealous in treating it (like iwas) or if the road to recovery is to long. The stress from being caught to often, anethetized, injected and treated causes it to starts to look like that. Its like its own immune system just shuts down. Fin rot sets in everywhere next thing will be fungus on the body...and the ulcer will get worse...

Try the anti-bacterial solution with high salt but dont catch it for any reason and in 2-3 weeks if its stll alive inspect it. Thats the only advise i can give.

Remember its winter now and the wound wont heal till the water gets to 20'C+. Antibiotitcs is only effective in water above 18'C. Best you can do now is to let it swim in a anti-bacterial solution and try and get it through winter.

Cliff,

Nothing will help for the fish anymore, put it to sleep.
It could cause more problems in your pond and to other Koi .

I will definately not treat it in the same pond. If you don't have a QT facility rather put it to sleep. As Pieter said, it will cause problems in the new pond.

You have received very good advice from every body, go with it, If you don,t then please keep this fish away from others.

Was advised that I could do acetone in the tub the fish is in, adding a drop at a time till fish is on its side and motionless........can anyone confirm this?

Pieter J de Villiers wrote:

Cliff,

Nothing will help for the fish anymore, put it to sleep.
It could cause more problems in your pond and to other Koi .

This is what I would do, sorry my friend.

Now this is what a hate about Koi keeping!

Sorry Cliff..... Everyone has to do this some time.

Sorry about your Koi.

I had a very special Koi called Elvis due to it rock and roll swimming pattern.(only paid R15 for it when it was small but my favourite) Injected him and made him special food to eat at the bottom since it struggled to swim to the top. Over a period of a few months the body became a 'S' shape, then 'L' shape and before it died a 'U' shape. Was sad to see him suffer and I was cruel not putting him to rest earlier on.

Kohaku put to sleep this even at 17h30......he's in some massive pond up there as we speak ......... hope the big guy's got some decent filtration up there......lol

What I did was put the fish in a bucket, added clove oil. Once I could see the gills had just about stopped moving I then added acetone to the water to kill the fish completely.

Read up that it is better to put them to sleep and to then add pure alchohol or vodka to the water to kill eliminate the fish completely. This is the best way as you are first putting it to sleep and then killing it which is more humane that just doing a pure alcholic sulution which is very stressful for the fish.

Oh well...hope he/she enjoys the after life