The number one disease-causing agent for most koi fish is stress. Stress renders the koi's immune system vulnerable to infections as its ability to produce antibodies is compromised during these tensed periods.
Your priority, therefore, is to control or eliminate stress on your koi. Keep in mind that extreme alterations in their environment and the existence of stressors will hurt your fish. The following are common koi stressors:
1. High ammonia levels in your pond water. Check the integrity of your biological and mechanical filtration systems, as well as the clarity and cleanliness of your pond. Ammonia causes tissue damage and stunts their growth.
2. Poor water quality. Buy a test kit and check for pH, kh, gh, nitrite, ammonia, and salinity levels in your pond water.
3. Low dissolved oxygen level. Do you have aerators installed to oxygenate the water? Water should be vigorously moving/flowing so oxygen will be distributed evenly across the pond.
4. Handling and/or moving fish. The mucous layer which covers the entire body of your koi needs to be handled with moistened hands, for example. It's the fish's first line of defense against water-borne irritants, parasites, and fungal, viral and bacterial infections. Handling the fish incorrectly will damage this protective covering, which contains antibodies and lyzosome, an enzyme that destroys the cell walls of certain bacteria.
5. Crowding. Take care that the stocking level in your pond is proportional to its carrying capacity. Too many kois and there'll be stiffer competition for food, space, and oxygen, among others.
6. Parasites, like flukes, costia, chilodinella, trichodina, and the "ich". The koi usually acquire its parasites from other fish; often, when a new fish is introduced into the pond without undergoing quarantine.
7. Sharp edges in or around the pool can abrade fish skin, eventually exposing them to both parasites and infections. Particularly with your spawning tank, ensure that the edges are rounded as the male can bruise and wound the female during mating time.
8. Inadequate or improper food. Although kois love worms, mind that you don't feed them maggots which feed on rotting flesh and thus are potential disease carriers.
Detecting stress. But how will you know if your kois are stressed?
Always observe your koi for any behavioral or physical changes. Be alert to listlessness, lethargy, lack of appetite, and aloneness. If these behaviors persist for several days and to a number of kois, you should be concerned.
Examine the fish for any bruising, abrasions, lesions, and ulcers that are forming or have been there for days or weeks. Do your inspection at feeding time, when they come to the surface. Scan the gills, fins and skin, where most parasites and infections initially crop up. If you suspect a more serious illness, scrape the surface for a sample and dispatch it to the laboratories.
Jonathon Matthews is a koi expert. For detailed information on identifying and curing koi disease visit http://www.koicaringsecrets.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathon_Matthews
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