We all know that our fish are prone to parasite, they start flashing, hang in the water, sit on the bottom of the pond or hang around in front of your waterfall or outlet pipes, some will go off their food and refuse to eat .
All of the above are signes of parasitic infections but how can we tell , ok to eliminate other problems like problems with your water we must first take our test kits and test the water for signs of problems if non are showing then we kow we have parasites
Next you'll need a microscope a benching bowl and a net and if you habve one to hand a credit card or something similar .
Gently guide the fish to the surface and into the bowl , allow a few minutes for the fish to calm down , they gently gude your fish to the side of the bowl and hold it against the side of the bowl never sedate your fish when doing this sedating them removes parasites
Take your credit card then hold it at about a 45 degree angle, then starting just behind the fishes gill cover applying only light pressure work your way to just before the tail of your fish , never ever go tail to head or against the fishes scales even if your fish is a leather koi.
When you look along the leading edge of the credit card you'll see a build up of the mucus yor fish protect themselves with against parasites.
Next get a spare slide and apply the edge of your credit card to the glass hn add a little bit of water to the sample before fixing the sample with those little cover slips that come with your slides.
Next very gently press the slip on the glass to spead your sample out a little then place your slide under the microscope and using the x100 setting veiw the slide mucus moving the slide about until the sample has been covered if you see nothing try upping your magnification some more then look again whilst taking in the whole slide if you see nothing then you still cant congratulate yourselves and sit on your laurels "test more fish".
You'll need to test around about 5 or 6 fish to get an over all veiw if parasites are seen identify which you have then treat the pond accordingly .
It is important that these are done around about now as we go from spring into summer.
Bellow a rouges gallery of parsites and what your looking for on the slides
.
White spot
Argulus
Body Fluke
Chilodonella
Columnaris
Costia
Epystilis
Gill fluke
Paramercium
Tricodina
Dave
All of the above are signes of parasitic infections but how can we tell , ok to eliminate other problems like problems with your water we must first take our test kits and test the water for signs of problems if non are showing then we kow we have parasites
Next you'll need a microscope a benching bowl and a net and if you habve one to hand a credit card or something similar .
Gently guide the fish to the surface and into the bowl , allow a few minutes for the fish to calm down , they gently gude your fish to the side of the bowl and hold it against the side of the bowl never sedate your fish when doing this sedating them removes parasites
Take your credit card then hold it at about a 45 degree angle, then starting just behind the fishes gill cover applying only light pressure work your way to just before the tail of your fish , never ever go tail to head or against the fishes scales even if your fish is a leather koi.
When you look along the leading edge of the credit card you'll see a build up of the mucus yor fish protect themselves with against parasites.
Next get a spare slide and apply the edge of your credit card to the glass hn add a little bit of water to the sample before fixing the sample with those little cover slips that come with your slides.
Next very gently press the slip on the glass to spead your sample out a little then place your slide under the microscope and using the x100 setting veiw the slide mucus moving the slide about until the sample has been covered if you see nothing try upping your magnification some more then look again whilst taking in the whole slide if you see nothing then you still cant congratulate yourselves and sit on your laurels "test more fish".
You'll need to test around about 5 or 6 fish to get an over all veiw if parasites are seen identify which you have then treat the pond accordingly .
It is important that these are done around about now as we go from spring into summer.
Bellow a rouges gallery of parsites and what your looking for on the slides
.
Dave
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