13 replies to this topic

[coolwind2003a]

I hd a Show Qt Bekko shes now 3 years old Before this winter she was perfect I was looking today & now she has a bent tail Is this unusally something that happens or could have it happened from them huddling in a outside pong 4 ft deep all together or was it just nature? Made me Sick She was so perfect before our coldest winter in years !
Thanks Coolwind ::

[stroppy]

do you have a heater in there could it have got burnt or a shock from a faulty pump ...i just googled it and thats some of the suggestions sorry i cant be more help ...

[coolwind2003a]

No I dont run a heater @all & My pond never freezes totaly over as my air pump keeps that from freezing & my pump that run this winter was inside a pump box & was mid way of my pond Just has me Stumped
thanks Stoppy

[DrDave]

Has there been any chemicals such as malathion used anywhere near the pond by you, a neighbor or the local authorities? Sometimes the govt sprays it to keep down mosquitos.

[coolwind2003a]

Not that i know of DrDave as i live out in the Country & in all open land here & my Neighbor has not & I sure have not ! I did notice a Rock in the bottom of my pond after posting this & was wandering if a Deer had came over for a drink & made it fall in on her Sounds crazy but its all i can come up with as during the winter i did not ck them every day But i dipped her out & she has No scares or sores just crooked tailed about 4 inches from the tip But swims the water as well as any others
I Will just have to love her as is & breed her on LOL as i dont think she will pass it on to her babys you tell me ? I want to thank everyone on her too for being such nice people & putting up with a over the hill learner LOL
Tks DrDave

[j.w]

Found this on the net:

Question:
one of our koi has had a bent tail for a few years now but this season once the ice melted off the pond the tail is bend all the way sideways? what causes this?

Answer:
I'm sorry about your koi. Bent tails occur pretty frequently. Some fish are born that way. If not, then it can result from physical injury, vitamin deficiency, electrocution (such as a shorted out pump in the pond or even lightning), or fish tuberculosis (which usually comes with other symptoms like either anorexia or tumors).
and:
Why is My Fish Bent?

Here are some reasons a fish may develop a bent spine.

* If born that way, the fish may have a genetic abnormality.

* If born that way, the fish may have incurred a developmental problem while growing inside the egg. This could be related to diseases, temperature, injury, etc.

* If the fish was shocked via a faulty heater, pump, etc. or via lighting (striking a pond or surging through a house), this can result in a bent spine.

* A severe injury can bend the spine. Normally though if broken, the fish would die right away.

* Fish tuberculosis sometimes results in a gradual development of the curvature of the spine. I have seen this often in zebra danios but also in a golden orfe and a few other species. A fish with this condition (fish tuberculosis with a bent spine) is often also anorexic.

* Certain vitamin deficiences can result in spine curvature.

* It seems that many fish nearing the ends of their lives get bent spines which usually match one of the above problems but sometimes do not.

I'm afraid it can't be undone but the koi can still live a pretty normal life if he can still swim around.

[digginponds]

Has anyone had this happen

A lady donated a koi to me last year,some may remember it had a slight bend in the tail it died.BUT it was a young fish.

So I'm not saying yours will die,just passin on my experience. good luck to her!

[pondbuilder13]

I had this happen as well to a fish that I had for about a year or so and he eventually ended up dieing!!!!!

[coolwind2003a]

Thanks to you all for your in put & I hope she can live a life out ok and as long as she shows not to be getting worse I will let her do that But if she get bad I will do the Human thing for her ! I think I may have finally found out what may have done her this way as a rock was @ the Bottom of the pond on the side & a deer may have knocked it in getting a drink! I will be getting her out in the morning for a really close inspection as I want whats best for her may put her in a qt tank for a few days or weeks to really watch her closer
Thank you Greg

Edited by coolwind2003a, 24 February 2011 - 06:01 AM.
ad to

[The Real Koi Lady]

I have seen this a few times and none of the koi have died and it's been years.

1) One koi got a bent spine when it was netted. It was a proper koi net, caught by a professional, the koi was not lifted in the net. It just happened, no one could have predicted it. We gave the koi away, after calling it spaz because it swam weird for obvious reasons. That customer still has it and says he's doing great and only swims weird when he moves fast.

2) Occasionally a koi gets bent in the shipping bag. Some straighten out in a few weeks, sometimes they don't. I've seen this 3-4 times in 11 years..

3) I had one of my own developed a bend from one day to the next in my indoor pond over winter. There is no pumps or anything giving electricity in the water. My guess would be it got startled and pinched a muscle in it's back and is now bent. That was 2 years ago on a 22" koi...she's just fine, just a bit crooked.

Everyone eats a hugely varied diet so a deficiency is very unlikely. FYI, i had a heater years ago that cracked and made a current in the water. The only noticeable thing was all the koi at one end of the tank looking freaked out. As soon as i put my hand in the water near the heater i could feel the current but it didn't kill or otherwise hurt anyone.

Sometimes it just happens...my best guess is the majority got startled and pinched a nerve or muscle in it's back. If it's a baby, that's a different story, it's just deformed from genetics most likely.

[Ermasdaughter]

One of mine has a bent spine. I just noticed it. Things are starting to warm up here in Barcelona and my fish are coming to the surface again. Thanks for posting this. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure this out.

I also heard it can be high levels of nitrogen in the water. Anyone else heard that?

[CountryEscape]

Ermasdaughter, I'm glad you noticed this post! I just read your post about your fish before I read this one, and was going to post on yours to look at this one! LOL Some good info, as usual, on this Forum. Always learning ....

[koiguy1969]

there are multiple reasons for curvature of the spine in fish....
**Electricution by lightning or even shock from faulty electrical equipment (e.g. submersible pumps) is documented to cause spinal trauma in fish. Affected fish display kinked backs, can swim erratically, and display buoyancy problems.
** Scoliosis can result from vitamin C or tryptophan deficiency. Other causes include spinal trauma, muscle damage, organophosphate toxicity, and arsenic exposure (e.g. pressure treated lumber).
**and sometimes it may be a poor genetics thing.

[Ermasdaughter]

Thanks for the replies guys.... Spoke to my local petshop guy and he said it was either a vitamin deficiency or nitrogen. Told me there was not a lot to do about it except try to correct the nitrogen issue and hope for the best.

Naturally, its my favorite little guy!!!