Osmosis and Dropsy
Possibly, the most important fact about life in water, is that it would kill if mechanisms to control it, did not exist in the bodies of fish that have to live in it. In the Koi pond, being an unnatural environment, there are man made mechanisms that also have to be understood and controlled. In the confines of a man made pond the Koi are in the hands of the keeper for the quality of the water in which their lives are spent.
The health of the Koi depends on water quality. Seldom does disease just happen, there is always an initiating factor. Poor water quality, fluctuations of pH, toxic substances and stress all play a role in the outbreak of health problems. The ability of koi to cope with all possible causes of disease depends on their own respective immunity. This will vary from fish to fish.
Osmosis is the process by which water passes in and out of the body. A semi-permeable membrane means that a membrane exists as a barrier but allows fluid to pass into a denser concentration. The gill and the gut will both take in water in this way. Koi therefore do not have to drink , whereas some fish do drink as their fluid balance is achieved in a different way.
The gills take in fluids and salts and excrete ammonia. The kidneys will retain sugars and other substances whilst producing lots of urine, which is very dilute by our standards. Osmoregulation is controlled primarily by hormones which will cause changes in the pressure of blood and in turn this will affect the rate at which the kidneys can filter, as filtration is one of its primary functions. In the case of a koi with bacterial disease, or a gill or kidney malfunction, fluids can build up in the body that cannot be excreted. Dropsy is the outcome and the familiar pinecone effect is recognised. The causes of this are many: it is not a disease state in itself.
Salt is by far the best choice of chemical to use to try and balance out the fluids. starting at a low rate of 1/3oz per gallon and slowly increasing by 1/3ozs per gallon per day. to a maximum of 3 ozs of salt per gallon (sea strength). It may be better to isolate to affected fish to a quarntine tank. Raising the whole pond salt level would be costly and unnessary for the rest of the population of the pond The fish should water temperature slowly increased up to 68-70f by 2f per day, salt level can be raised at the same time. NO feeding should be nesessary and kept in subdued lighting and very quite with out to many distubances. A small goldfish as a friend might help
The Very touchy subject of antibiotics should legaly be used through a vet, there are certain anibiotics that are broard specturm and are water soluble and may have a benifit of being used, so dont be afraid to seek vetinary advise. However No antibiotic should ever be injected or fed to a Koi with this condition. It is very unlikely the kidneys will stand its use. Whilst is is most common for Koi to develop fluid retention problems as a result of an osmoregulatory imbalnce, there are other possible causes. Stress or heart malfunction are other possibilites.
Wounds and injuries will take in fluids and allow body fluids to escape, this again can cause dropsy. The kidney, if not pressured by fluids, is also working flat out to cope with bacteria and can fail as a result.
Potassium Permanganate
Potassium permanganate, usually available in 25gram pots, is a fine purple powder or cyrstals which can be used for the destruction of Parasites, Bacteria, and fungus.
Used at a rate of 1.5 grams per 1000 litres (220 gallons, or 1 metric tonne of pond water). Must be used with extra areation in the pond.
How to use: Place powder/crystals in a bucket, (Potassium P must be very accuratly weighed first) and pour boiling water over the Potassium P. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, to allow toxins to escape. Stiring periodicly to disolve all the potassium. Be careful when adding the boiling water not to splash any clothing as will permantly stain. After the 30 minutes to up bucket with pond water. the care fully pour around the perimeter of the pond. If the pond has a venturi then a small air line pipe can be used to to syphon the water out of the bucket into the air suction of the venturi. Try not to pour any concentate into the path of curious koi.
Please ensure that pond volumes are calculated using a water meter. If you are about to use potassium Permanganate for the first time only use if you know the volume of the pond to the exact gallon and you have access to gram scales to weigh out the potassium to 0.1 grams that is zero point one grams. Kitchen scales will NOT do.
Treatments are to remain in the pond for 24hrs, after which a 20% water change is advisable.
TIP the pond water should remain a redish colour for upto 7 hours, if there is a lot debris in the water column, then the water may turn brown afer a couple of hours, so do the water change then in 2 days repeat the procedure and the second time the water should stay a redish colur for long.
If you need advise with this product please ask first!!
Chloramine T
Extra Information: Chloramine T is a form of disinfectant, which may be used at various dosage rates, depending on what is is being used to treat.
General Dosage rate is 10 grams per 1000 UK gallons of pond water.
May be used 3-4 times a year to reduce background pathogenic bacteria levels, best used as water temperatures rise towards 50f then once during mid summer, and again as the water temperatures drop back down through 50f during the Autumn period.
May be used at higher dosage rates if the are a few koi with Ulcer type infections.
Medium Dose rate is 20 grams per 1000 gallons.
May be repeated ONCE after 24 hours, then do a 20% water change ,removing bottom water, also switch off UV for the period of treatment, as chloramine T is light sensitive.
High Dose rate 30 grams per 1000 gallons.
Will be effective treatment for certain types of pathogenic organisms
should only be used as a one off treatment not tobe repeated within 7 days. Then the smae type of water change a medium dosage rate.
Virkon Aquatic
FAQ's for Virkon Aquatic
Priciple use and application of Virkon Aquatic, Produced in a 5 gram tablet which when stored properly will last a very long time. The product is activated by contact with water/moisture, and start to work immediatly. It is effective in the water colum for 4-5 days at which point after this period its strength is now half of that when it was first applied. There fore a half dose is required to bring it back to full strength. If Virkon is not topped up by this method then it will biodegrade down to undetectable levels very quickly.
There are 2 main application rates
1st is 1 tablet per 1000 gallons, general use in a pond/tank with fish present. followed by 1/2 every 4-5 days thereafter. Dissolve 1 tablet in a 1-2 gallon bucket of pond water and once dissolved pour around the perimeter of the pond. Avoid pouring dirctly in to the path of curious fish . Use venturri method of possible
The 2nd is 1 tablet per litre, and is used for disinfection of pond equipment, nets etc, at this rate contact time for the distruction of pathogens is 10 minutes.
1 TAB PER LITRE MUST NOT BE USED AT THIS RATE IN A POND WITH FISH . IT WOULD BE FAITLE
Effects of filtration systems; When Virkon is used at the stated dosage of 1 tablet per 1000 gallons followed every 4-5 days with a top up dose of 1/2 per 1000 gallons, Virkon has an insignificant affect on the biomass of a biological filter. It takes a 4-5 times over dose to start having an effect on the biomass of the filter. However do not place virkon directly prior to the biolgical filter system. As it is very important that the product is diluted into the ponds total volume first, before entering the biological filters.
UV's and Ozonisers should they be switched off? No your pond /tanks should be run completley as normal. Virkon is an add on not an instead of type of product.
Pro-biotics: If your filtration is a proper size for the pond and it inhabitants, then the need to top up with any pro-biotic such as Filter Bac is minimal, and no more than you would normally do. An Exception to this would be an immature filter or where overdosing with Virkon Aquatic has occured, wether it is accidentally or on purpose due to a major bacteral problem. Virkon Aquatic should be viewed as preventite maintainance and treatment is based on a constant topping up of half a dose every 4 to 5 days.
Known side effect of using Virkon Aquatic
Virkon Aquatic is used in commercial fish production industry, The proven reason for its use is the massive reduction in mortality rates, and increase in growth rates due to fish having better appitites, and the reson for this is the major improvement in water quality.
Back ground levels of Virkon Aquatic should not exceed 6ppm
Fish eggs should not be exposed to Virkon Aquatic. However as soon as the eggs have hatched into free swimming fry, and are no longer utilising their yolks, then at that point they would benifit from the addition of Virkon Aquatic into their water.
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