Site Links
Symptoms Finder
You'll get a picture of the koi / goldfish, you click on the koi fish where it's sick, or choose from several other behavioral options that your koi may be exhibiting.
Sample Submission
Koi and pond fish samples may be run directly at KoiLab or move to UGA for testing at basic cost price. When you send a koi or pond fish to Koilab, the diagnosis, sample collection from whole koi and goldfish, and consultation included.
What KoiCrisis Is For
OutBound Links
KoiVet.com
Probably the first and largest all-Koi health site on the web. Searchable, with chat and message board areas. Content by a veterinarian for fish and author, Dr. Erik Johnson.
KoiLab.com
If you're curious about the latest in Koi health, Koi Lab is where it's being learned. There are no "committees" and no "motions" to determine if we should learn something. Just clinical experience. It's a koi hospital.
Koi Beginner
Once you've leapfrogged through this tutorial you will have a solid, working concept of the Koi hobby and what it's all about. This is done just about exclusively with video and very little written material.
DrJohnson.com
More than koi health, this site spans all things animal, by a real veterinarian who shoots you straight.
Additional Resources
KoiFiltration.com
Non retail: All filtration, all the time. Site was designed for someone who wanted a balanced overview with illustrations and pictures. All types of filtration considered including Nexus, Vortex, bead, sponge, canister, etc.
KoiNutrition.com
Non retail: Just feeding, feed, and food. It's not a retail web site, it's all about different foods, feeding and nutrition.
Koi and Pond Hard Goods
So many places these days, are pure ripoffs. Finding a reputable dealer of koi and pond hard goods isn't as easy as you would think but there's ways to tell. The product line should be to-the-point and not contain shams. Who's doing it right? Visit this site!
Finding Reputable Dealers
The fish are only as good as the dealer holding them. Quarantines, guarantees and fish quality all factor in. What to ask, what to see and how to handle your new fish.
Books on Koi Diseases
You will be introduced to Dr Johnson's Koi Health book but also to other books he's reviewed.
Help With Koi Problems
Koi Community rates a variety of forums and message boards on ease of use, friendliness and quality of help. Not all boards are created equal. Not mincing words here.
Rapid Losses In Koi & Goldfish
Obviously "time is of the essence", but that does not obviate the need for immediate water quality testing. When fish are sick and dying rapdily, my FIRST thought is water quality, to include poisoning or derangements with Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, PH and Carbonate Alkalinity. Even issues with carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are possible. However those two parameters are rarer, and much harder to test for.
So, the first steps with rapid losses include water testing.
If water quality appears "good", some would recommend a massive water change to remove any possible toxins, reduce bacterial numbers, thin populations of parasites, improve overall water quality including ORP, and more. I would endorse the concept and perform a major water change if it would not seriously alter the ambient temperature of the pond in the 'colder" direction. (Say, mid summer you have to be sort of careful).
After the water change, the fish might appear better but you'd be smart to dispatch one or two fish to KoiLab for testing. Some of this can be done free of charge.
If you're concerned that it could be a virus, for example if you've recently added new fish without quarantine and now fish are dying pell mell - consider this article on the Koi Viruses, and then hasten to koivet.com for more on the viruses.
Then, salt at 0.3 to 0.6% would be highly recommended. Read on.
If you want to try a shotgun (blanket) regimen that could work well, after the initial water change:
You'd be VERY smart to consider a shotgun remedy for basic diseases, plus superheating, to skate past various parasite, bacterial and KHV (virus) diseases.
Recommendation then:
- Feed medicated food for the first 14 days of quarantine
- Use salt at 0.3% to 0.6% (safe for all fish) (Salt article)
- Use Prazi in case (good chance) there's Flukes on the incoming fish.
- Heat for ONE WEEK to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. (Article on heating.)
[If you do not have any goldfish in the quarantine, you can substitute SupaVerm for Prazi in the above.
Back to home
Koi Beginner
Once you've leapfrogged through this tutorial you will have a solid, working concept of the Koi hobby and what it's all about. This is done just about exclusively with video and very little written material.
DrJohnson.com
More than koi health, this site spans all things animal, by a real veterinarian who shoots you straight.
Fishdoc.co.uk
By Frank Prince-Iles. A UK authority who put this site together some time ago and which is still relied upon as a major source of good Koi and pond fish information
Fish Medicines
Learn about fish medicines, what they do, and where to get them.
PondCrisis.com
If you have a koi, pond or fish problem, this site takes you through twenty easy questions and at the end you know what you need to fix in your pond to create restored Koi health.
KoiCrisis.com
Koi Crisis has a symptoms chart by system you can choose the symptom by fish part, and resolve a lot of Koi pond fish problems or at least, learn about them understand how to remedy them.
Buying Domestic Koi
What does "Domestic" koi mean? Why would you buy that kind? How do you pick good and healthy ones? Who sells them and where do you find the best ones?
Buying Imported Koi
A Japanese or Israeli imported Koi is a beautiful thing. Why would you buy one of those? How do you identify a "good one"? And what kinds are there? Who would you buy one from?
Koi Filtration - Bead
With a little bit of management every week or so, you can have gin clear water in your koi or fish pond. Bead filtration is more than ten years old and defines the state of the art in Koi and pond fish ponds.
Koi Filtration - Natural
Requiring no weekly management but one big yearly overhaul, natural filtration is the easiest there is. Relying on live plants and organic processes, water quality is usually superb. Described and common mistakes illustrated, visit this site!
Koi Food & Feeding
What should you feed your koi? How many times per day? Is Corn really that bad in a Koi diet? What are the most common feeding mistakes people make? What's the best food?
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