How to care for your Koi and Koi Pond

Feeding

Caring for your Koi will require consistent effort day to day, but is not overly difficult to the point where the work seems like a burden to the reward. Caring for the Koi requires some effort and a keen eye, but is easy once you repeat the motions a few times and become comfortable with the routine.

Koi should be fed twice a day. Each meal should be five minutes long, and you should feed the Koi as much as they are willing to eat in those five minutes. The appetite of your Koi will vary based on season. With warm weather they become hungrier, with cold weather they become less so. Almost any aquatic pet store will have specialized Koi food, often times in the form of pellets. Allow them to eat whatever they will in those two five-minute sessions, but it is important not to overfeed! The two times are more than enough, and overfeeding is Koi is like overmedicating: there are only
negative side effects to it.

Sickness & Treatment

Illnesses in Koi are rare because of the fish's hardy immune system. Still, sickness does occur, but most sicknesses with Koi can be treated easily. If a Koi does appear ill (the most common signs are sluggishness, swimming alone, or hugging the bottom of the pond), place it in a separate tank until treated. Medications for common fish diseases are available at any aquatic pet stores.

When sickness does occur, it is usually caused by stress that causes a temporary break down in the Koi's immune system. For a Koi to become ill, it usually requires an environmentally stressful (i.e. unhealthy) situation along with the actual disease agent. Controlling stress is the best way you can keep your Koi healthy, and like with many things, prevention is better (not to mention easier) than treatment.

Some of the most common causes of stress include:

• High ammonia level
• Handling and/or moving fish
• Bad water quality
• Overcrowding
• Parasites
• Water temperature either too high or too low
• Other toxic chemicals (chloramines, oak blossoms, weed spray, etc.)
• Sharp edges in and around pond
• Improper feeding
Avoiding these potential pitfalls will help you to keep healthy Koi.

There are four main sources of Koi illness:

• Bacterial,
• Viral,
• Fungal, and
• Parasitic.
The bacterial illnesses are one of the main causes of mortality among sick fish. Most bacterial infections are secondary results of some stress-causing stimulus. Once you fix the stress, the rest of your fish won't be as likely to fall to the same bacterial agent. The one notable exception is "columaris,"
which needs to be treated separately.

Most bacterial infections are still very treatable, and there are an entire series of acceptable treatments, including acriflavin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, nitrofurans, oxytetracycline, and sulfanomides: which are delivered through various means. Consult an expert before giving treatment with one of these methods, and be sure not to over medicate. Koi are strong fish, and do not need a lot of help. If you're not sure how much to
give, shoot for the low number. Koi only need a little help, so under medicating will often still allow a full recovery, while over-medicating can be harmful.

Occasionally Koi can be sickened due to a fungal infection, which is usually secondary, but telltale of a different injury at the ame site. This can also damage fish eggs, and the most common treatments are acriflavin, iodine, malachite green, methylene blue, or salt. The best approach to this is best
suggested from others who have already had to deal with this problem.

As with all fish, Koi can also fall prey to parasites. Some of the most common of these parasites will include anchor worm, fish lice, ich, monogenetic flukes, and tricholphyra. Most fish, in fact, carry some parasites, but usually develop a degree of resistance that will help to prevent problems. On the other hand, parasites such as anchor worms and fish lice are a problem whenever present. Young fish are more susceptible to illness caused by parasites than older fish.

Many times it will be stress situations and/or changes in seasonal weather that make Koi susceptible to infection. Some parasitic infections can be mistaken for bacterial diseases or viral infections. Recommended treatments include Dylox, Demilin, Formalin, Malachite Green, Masoten, potassium
permanganate or salt to be place in the entire outdoor pond. Here are a few of the various methods of chemical treatment, (listed from basic to most drastic):

• External swabbing
• Dip – five minutes in a separate pond or aquarium
• Bath (30 to 60 minutes)
• Sick tank or whole pond (low concentration for 12 or more hours)
• Feed
• Injection
Treating the entire pond has the advantages of apparent ease of administration and the ability to destroy all the harmful pathogens in an entire area. The disadvantages are that drugs used in the treatment tend to be absorbed by organic debris in the pond, making potential toxins more likely to stick around. In addition, the appropriate drug levels may not be reached.

External swabbing with antibiotics or disinfectants can be surprisingly effective. The disadvantage is that the fish is exposed to handling and possibly anesthetics. This can be extremely stressful to an already ill Koi. Medication should be attempted only after the water quality and stress conditions
have been improved. Partial water changes can be effective in improving water quality and relieving stress.

It is always a good idea to have several items ready, as kind of an "emergency kit" in case your Koi seem to be ill. A brief list of items that should be included are: Ammonia test kit, Chlorine/chloramine test kit, De-chlor, Demilin, Dylox, Formalin, Malachite green, Methylene blue, Nitrofuran powder, Panalog ointment, pH test kit, and rock salt. With those materials, you should be prepared for about any problem that may arise.
Above all, though, remember that stress is the root of the majority of health problems your Koi may run into. Eliminate the stress, and the chances of illness plummet.