Fish Dying

[IPA]

I recommend that you join koiphen.com and post to their emergency and health issues section. Post the symptoms and water test results in you request for emergency help as well as the treatment you already used.

Make sure to test the nitrite and post that here and there. Ammonia should be zero and nitrite can be just as harmful, more possibly, and needs to be ruled out.

I'd be guessing as much as you but here is a link with disease and symptoms that can help you narrow down the possibilities. Wait to start more treatments until an expert here or there can confirm the actual illness.

http://www.fishnet.org/sick-fish-chart.htm

 

[MitchM]

Check the colour of the gills.
Nitrite poisoning will show as brown coloured gills.

What was the original reason for dosing Knock Out?
What is filtration/water circulation/aeration?
KH/GH numbers would be useful to know.

 

[cas]

Added one last week afraid to add anything.

You added a new fish to the pond and then the others started to die?

 

[Mmathis]

You added a new fish to the pond and then the others started to die?

I noticed that, as well.

 

[audioenvy]

I think she said the dying started two weeks ago and the fish was added a week after.

 

[IPA]

Here is the water test from this afternoon and pictures of 2 of the fish that have died. The other one that has been floating was at bottom of pond now still alive for now. The orange was alive on Saturday and then dead on Sunday afternoon. The other one I found in skimmer 4 days before orange one died.
Ammonia less than .25
nitrate 4.5
Alkalinity 130
Ph 8

States Nitrite

Nitrite is 4.5 ? That's very bad!

 

[CherylD]

Wondering if raccoons could have injured those fish and they just died from wounds and shock? Although if the raccoons would have gotten a hold of them you would think they would have eaten at least one or more. Can the raccoons enter the pond by a shallow shelf or is your pond deep sided? If deep sided they might have tried to grab the fish and just injured them.

It appeared to be a displaced baby that was not very old. Pond is

You added a new fish to the pond and then the others started to die?

No, added fish a fish back in April. Added a bacteria pod the local pond place said to use a few days ago, but had already lost 2.

 

[CherylD]

Nitrite is 4.5 ? That's very bad!

So is there anything I can do to get it down. Since is have not had any trouble I am lost at what to do. I was told changing water would stress fish more

 

[CherylD]

So is there anything I can do to get it down. Since is have not had any trouble I am lost at what to do. I was told changing water would stress fish more

I am wrong the nitrite is 0 and the nitrate is 4.5

 

[IPA]

When did you start the treatment with knockout plus?

 

[CherylD]

I used knock out for 7 days and the last dose was on Friday Sept 29th. The orange one I had that died started turning white around his mouth then died about 5 days later, this was why I contacted local fish place because of him changing colors like that. The pond place here had recommended using knockout. I have another one right now that has been on its side but is now at bottom of pond and it is turning white around mouth now. Again since I have never had any fish die I am at a loss of what to do. The pond had been really pea soup looking but figured it was from extreme heat we were having here in Indiana in the 90's. Water has cleared up now though. Wondering if I should do a water change. We are on a well here also, not city water.

 

[IPA]

Can you describe the behavior of the fish before they died and the ones you still have. Are or were their fins clamped, are they flashing, other symptoms, appetite loss, lethargic, gulping for air, swimming on bottom, head down, loss or excess in slime coat?

Do I understand that you added a fish and the same week the others got ill and you began the treatment? at the same time it's possible a raccoon attacked your fish?

Please describe in detail the filtration system.

I don't want to contradict the advice your local pond expert gave but now that the treatment is finished I think a 20% water change should probably be preformed. Since you have well water make sure that it is aerating as it enters the pond, don't just stick the hose in water since well water can be low in oxygen. Anything you can do to increase aeration is also recommended.

You KH is 120; 200 would be better and addition of baking soda should not interfere with future treatments.

Is there any salinity in the water, did you ever add salt, when and how much?

Perform any other test you have in you kit and post results.

It's hard to see issues with the white Koi from the picture, can you describe any issues? If you have fish still ill, without over stressing them can you examine them? This might be a good time to treat by a dip as well but what I don't know. Take pictures of any issues you notice. Do you have a way to look at a scrape under a microscope, maybe the pond store where you purchased the Koi? Hopefully the treatment took care of any parasites and can treat for secondary bacteria (or fungus) but a scrape and scope would eliminate guessing.

 

[CherylD]

The first I noticed something was wrong I found one in the skimmer dead, then I noticed the orange one was turning white around the mouth, then a few days later started laying on side but swimming away if you touched it. It was swimming with its head down also. They are not eating well and used to swarm to eat now they are acting skittish. No I have not added any new fish, did get one back in April though. I know from a neighbor who bought fish and just put in their pond and lost all of them to parasites, so was careful when adding the one back in April.

The racoon that was in the backyard was too young to be on its own and got through the fence, not sure if it had gotten in the pond, but it could have, but my trouble started right after that.

We have a waterfalls and I also have a 4 ball areator in the pond also

. The one that was on side yesterday am is back swimming for now, but it is turning white around the mouth like the orange one did before it died. Could it be that I need to treat the pond with an antibiotic?

I think I will go ahead and do a 20% water change and see what happens from there. They are really skittish and I think it would really stress them trying to catch them.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Is the white that develops around the fish's mouth just discoloration or does it appear to be a cottony growth?

 

[CherylD]

Is the white that develops around the fish's mouth just discoloration or does it appear to be a cottony growth?

Appears to be discoloration that I can tell, I cannot get a hold of it to really look. I know have others laying on their sides. Changing 20% of water and hope that they pull through.