Sick KOI!!!

[glstine]

We have lost 6 Koi...4 were babies. They start with Red blood spots and red streaks on them...then in some cases blot and float on the top of the water before dieing. They have been treated with pond salt and Pimafix and Melafix. Water changes have been made. We are on well water so there are really no chemicals and the water has been tested with only the ph being a little low but that is normal for our pond. Someone suggested liver or bladder infection but none of the medications we have used have helped. If anyone has any suggestions we would greatly appreciate it!!!!

OOPs, clicked wrong forum. Can a mod move to sick fish?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Moved for you.

Sounds like an internal bacterial infection, possibly septicemia. Do you have any pictures? Melafix and Pimafix are really only for external infections. I'd get some antibiotics in the water soon, perhaps some maracyn-2 or tetracycline.

HTH

 

[jsoong]

This may be costia .... a parasite that can cause hemorrhage under the skin .... I lost one of my lionhead to that .... Typically costia cause blood spots under the chin, and apparently is deadly to young koi.

You can read about it here:
http://www.mu.edu/~buxtoni/puregold/disease/symptom/byname.htm#costia

Treatment is 1% up to 3% salt dips, however, some costia is now salt resistant ... as per Dr. Johnson at KoiVet:
http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/articles_details.php?article_id=19

It is now recommended to add formalin (eg Quick Cure) or KMnO4 dips to the treatment regeime.

Increasing temp is also said to be curative (84F & up).

The other possibility is an internal bacterial infection (septecemia). You would treat that with oral or injected antibiotics.

Since the 2 treatments are so different, you need to be sure of the diagnosis before proceeding .... perhaps google pics & video of Costia in fish to compare.

 

[glstine]

Thanks for the replies, guess I will try to find some pics of costia for comparison and then see what course of action to take. (This is actually my inlaws pond and they're at a loss)

Has anyone had any issues with well water (perhaps metals or such) and koi?