I have had serious problems in my pond since June last year after purchasing several new fish everything went pear shaped.

After several treatments of Virkon S and salt, FMC, several treatments of PP things seemed to improve but soon something else would pop up. I have to anesthetize several of my favorite Koi due to ulcers. I started a course of Bytril injections which helped for awhile but soon the fish would become lethargic and hang in the water.

Bobby and Drikus came to my rescue one day and moved all my Koi to the quarantine pond and injected all the fish with Nu flor and treated the pond with Bio Talk. There was at first a slight improvement but after a second and third injection with the help of my wife things started to improve.

Just when we all thought thing were ok, the ammonia in the pond started to increase at an alarming rate and the fish looked terrible and to some showed signs of KHV. Paul came and did some scraps a few weeks ago but could not detect anything. Some people thought it wise to have KHV tests done, so on Monday I took six swabs and sent it to Durban. I have just received them which I have attached. Thank the Lord I can keep the rest of my beloved Koi pets.

sho... ...glad to hear all is good now...so what was killing your fish?

Hi Colin

I am relieved although I did not think it will be KHV, as everything pointed to a serious bacterial infection.

It is good to have the piece of mind that it is not KHV. Rather be safe than sorry.

Lets hold thumbs for a speedy recovery, although you must realise that such a serious bacterial infection that your fish have, takes a lot of time. There are no quick fixes when the infection has spread internally.

It is now crucial to maintain perfect water conditions and minimum stress.

Thanks Paul, yes you were correct all along. Thank you for your help and support.

Hi Colin,

Where did these fish come from? I'll bet my last dollar they weren't quarantined properly... - bacteria can take ages to manifest and in colder water they are virtually dormant. Did you send for a bacteriogram?

Everyone worries about KHV, as they should, but then overlook bacteria - which then kills and damages collections instead!

:-(

Hi William

Swabs were send and the results, Aeromonas Hydrophilia and Aeromonas Sobria.

Herewith the results and recommended treatments suggested to be sensitive:






Aeromonas hydrophilia, also called ulcer disease or just Aeromonas, is the number one killer of Koi. It does not kill nearly as fast as a virus like KHV, but if not treated, a Koi will usually eventually succumb to the disease. Aeromonas is always present in water, it is also an opportunistic bacteria. The skin ulcer will grow bigger and bigger until muscle tissue is exposed. After that, the infection turns septic and spreads throughout a Koi in their blood stream.

Hi William,

I purchased Koi from a few people and have a pretty good idea were it came from but feel it is unfair to the dealers to mention names as it cannot be said with certainty.

I think the point has been made. Quarantine, quarantine, and quarantine. Ask your dealer how long the fish have been in the country before buying the thing in the first place! 6 weeks in summer is a minimum, over winter a minimum. Basically until water temps are consistently above 22 for at least 6 weeks the Koi CANNOT be said to be quarantined, in my opinion only of course. You are free to buy Koi from whomever you like!

Ulceration occurs generally once the bacteria is already in the blood stream - septicemia if you like which is why it is good idea to remove the Koi and why it can take such a long time to present symptoms we can see. i.e. it is not an 'outwards in' thing, it is an 'inwards out' thing. Opportunistic infections as a result of a wound are rare and should be in healthy ponds where the bacterial load in the water stream itself is low. Hydrophila is common - we find it all the time in fish from Japan.

Aeromonas levels should be zero in a Koi pond. Bao Bio Koi for instance is one very easy way to ensure this. Experience indicates that clean filters keep aeromonas populations down. My instinct is that sand filters are havens for aeromonas - but that's just me. I have never seen aeromonas on any Koi pond using low pressure filtration and effective daily sludge removal. Not once.

Thanks William, I have no doubt you are correct in what you are saying and I have learnt a very valuable lesson and a very stressful one as well.

Hi Colin! We were together when U bought most of your fish in May...At one place I was not happy with the QT facility...Did not see any filtration, and though that time I did not understand it too well, now I do...
I believe a QT should have filtration...Am I correct or not?
Keeping many Koi in unfiltered small pond can create problems...IMHO.

Neli, those fish you are referring to were purchased May 2011. The fish that were sick were purchased the previous year and I can assure you non of the fish came from the dealer you are referring to.

I know of several dealers that quarantine in holding ponds or vats with good aeration and regular water changes with great success. The green water is not bad water, in fact it is very good for the Koi.

I have not yet had any problems from the dealer you are referring to. Always good quality, healthy fish.

Thanks colin!
I always hear about QT and filter...I dont know for sure ...can it be that good for Koi...for a month, so many of them in a small pond...stressed from the travel...I imagined it might be better with a filter...
But what do i know...just keep receiving news through the back door....

Nelli,I suggest you get your facts straight before you open your big MOUTH. You want to say something call the person face to face, and not make inacurate remarks.

Nelli, If you stayed with your QT setup and it's subsequent problems, it is none of my business. The fact that you have implied that other dealers are unscrupulous in their QT methods and although, not mentioning me by name, we all know who Colin bought fish from. This upsets me and makes me very angry!
Your remarks are uncalled for and from your post you have insinuated that I am responsible for selling sick fish. My reputation and code of ethics is very important to me as well as peace of mind, trust and satisfaction from my customers.
I have been going to Japan and importing koi for the last 13 years, twice a year. My expertise , experiance and knowledge of koikeeping have stood me in good stead. GOD willing, I have never had KHV or any other koi diseases that I have passed onto my customers.
For this reason, I have taken exception to your remarks which can potentially affect my business in a negative way.
I would appriciate it if you apologised.

Costa.