Koi bacteria and infections

Mainly used for decorative purposes in water gardens and outdoor ponds, Koi, or Japanese carp are ornamental domestic varieties of the common carp. Although they are quite beautiful and hardy these fish are prone to Koi bacterial infection.

Five Ways Your Fish Can Get a Koi Bacterial Infection and How to Treat It

Mainly used for decorative purposes in water gardens and outdoor ponds, Koi, or

Japanese carp are ornamental domestic varieties of the common carp. Although they are

quite beautiful and hardy these fish are prone to Koi bacterial infection.

This occurs most often when they come in contact with Aeromonas or Pseudomonas

bacteria. These naturally occurring bacteria are found mainly in the water of ponds and

lakes. They do not exist in tap water because of the chlorine it contains.

However, if you fill your pond or water garden with tap water you will discover that the

bacteria can eventually be found in this water too. Once the chlorine evaporates

Aeromonas and Pseudomonas are quick to move in. Unfortunately they then have the

ability to cause Koi bacterial infection.

The good thing about these bacteria is that they don't cause much harm when found in

low quantities in a clean and healthy pond.

Also, the outer coating or epidermis of the fish protects them from infection. However,

harmful bacteria can infect your Koi when its epidermal layer is broken because then the

bacteria can penetrate it's outer cover.

Not only does it harm the fish already present in water, but can spread very rapidly too.

Commonly, when the Koi's dermis layer is exposed to bacteria, infection can start to

spread rather rapidly. This process takes place when flukes use their haptens, resembling

small fishhooks, to attach themselves, thus attracting harmful bacteria onto the surface of

the fish.

Another thing that can break the Koi's slime coat is a puncture or scratch from a sharp

object, such as a rock, that exposes it to bacteria.

The Koi can also be exposed to bacteria due to poor water quality or stress caused

through overcrowding or moving the fish from one pond to another.

So how can these infections be treated? If you are interested in trying some home

remedies you can follow the procedures below.

Koi bacterial infection can be present in wounds either smaller or larger in size.

Therefore separate procedures are followed to treat them.

When treating small sores use a paper towel to dry off the wound. Next, soak the sore in a

solution of hydrogen peroxide on a cotton swab for 30 seconds before you place the Koi

back in the water. You need to repeat this procedure for 3 consecutive days.

The treatment for larger sores is similar. The only difference being, after following the

same procedure and drying off the wound again, you need to apply a Debride Medicated

Treatment on the sores. This procedure also needs to be followed for 3 consecutive days.

However, if this treatment doesn't work effectively, you may need to seek the advice of

your veterinarian. You can also feed medicated food to help heal your fish faster. This

method may not always work, especially in fish very small in size.

This advice is for informational purposes and is not intended to replace proper medical

treatment by a licensed veterinarian when treating stubborn or severe cases of Koi

bacterial infection.

Article Tags: Bacterial Infection