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.
Water Changes
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Water changes are simply the removal of some old water, and the replacement of that old water with new water. It sounds so simple but there are problems, nationwide. First, water can be chlorinated. Second, alot of people don't do water changes, at all. Thirdly, failure to do water changes allows the accumulation of background pollution such as phosphates and proteins which inhibit fish health and growth. Finally, water changes need to replenish trace elements and minerals in the water which fish need.
Chlorinated and chloraminated water is usually supplied to hobbyists "at the tap" from municipal water supplies. The water company adds these two chemicals to disinfect the water. Each day, municipal source-water is tested for eggs, spores, ova and cysts of various pathogens. If any are found, it may be that the municipal water authority will double or triple the chlorine or chloramine concentration. Spritzing the water into the pond slowly WILL dissipate a lot of chlorine, but will it dissipate all of it? Dechlorinate. By dechlorinating the water, you can be 100% sure the chlorine is gone and will not harm your fish. When your municipal water supply uses Chloramine, you will be relieved to know that dechlorinator can still bind the harmful Chlorine. The remaining Ammonia should be no match for a cycled (properly functioning, well colonized) filtration system.
In speaking to people from across the country, I found that about forty percent of the hobby is not doing ANY water changes at all. This accounts for recurring illness among the fish, slow growth, and poor color. This is the most common cause of the "seven inch, seven year old" Koi. A koi in good water with plenty of water changes should grow at least 3-4 inches per year. Hobbyists should be encouraged to follow a water change regimen as outlined in the chart below.
"Topping Off" the pond is not a water change. You should know this about water: The solids in water do NOT evaporate, nor do many of the chemicals in the water. This means that the nitrates, phosphates, a good bit of the carbon dioxide, all the salt, minerals, etc NEVER leave the pond and accumulate over time. As the pond water level goes down by evaporation, you may notice that the fish perk up as you add water back. There is a transient increase in water quality after the addition of 'new" water but it's rapidly offset by the dissolution of the existing background pollution. So, "topping off" actually concentrates solids and organic chemicals in the water over time. Real water changes should be endeavored.
| Ideal water change regimens | |
| Every week | 10 percent water change |
| OR: Every two weeks | 20 percent water change |
| OR: Every three weeks | 30 percent water change |
| No matter which of the above regimens you pick from above, I HIGHLY recommend that twice to three times per year you should perform a 60-70% water change to really REFRESH the pond. You will notice a real boost to fish health and growth.
Major water change: Simply drain the pond down 60-70% and add dechlorinator. Then refill the pond. Don't do this in the PEAK of the summer as you might chill the fish (I've never hesitated, but that's just me). But SURELY in the early summer and late summer you should find the fish VERY appreciative of this service. |
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If you are performing the recommended water changes, you should have robust, hungry and healthy fish. Fish may still beome ill, of course, however it is much less common in well managed ponds with LOTS of FRESH Water. Fact is, if you wouldn't swim in the pond, your fish shouldn't be.
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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