My Fish are Flashing.

[Maddog1]

Hi Everyone/ I've got 15 fish in my pond. And 4 of them are flashing, but I've only noticed them doing it after feeding? What are peoples thoughts? Thank you

[davethefish1]

Water quality tests, scrape and microscopy
Koi keeping 101...

[Maddog1]

Hi/ Thank you. Water test are all good . Fish feeding like mad. Got The scope out today only tested two fish which were flashing. But read that you might have to scape the fish with up to seven slides. I only scrapped the lateral line on both Fish. Will have to try again tomorrow. Just thought it was strange, that they only did it after feeding.

[davethefish1]

Hi/ Thank you. Water test are all good . Fish feeding like mad. Got The scope out today only tested two fish which were flashing. But read that you might have to scape the fish with up to seven slides. I only scrapped the lateral line on both Fish. Will have to try again tomorrow. Just thought it was strange, that they only did it after feeding.

water tests all good? thats unusual for this time of year,
most peoples bios are just waking up unless heated all winter...
low ammonia readings followed by nitrite, as food levels are increased and bacteria struggle to grow as fast....
ph swings as algae start growning in earnest with higher light levels.

benignly some flashing can be down to coarse/sharp food particles stuck in gill filaments. i had some colour food like that, but only once.
most common is gill fluke irritation, causing discomfort when food particles pass through gills.
i've never found gill flukes on the body though, only ever in gill scrapes... you would have to have a reasonably high level of infestation to find them on the body i think...

i don't often do gill scrapes because they are usually a bit bloody...only after eliminating everything else...
as you can see from the pink colour of this gill scrape with a gill fluke....

i'd scrape 3 more and some that are not flashing,
some fish don't flash much and still have parasites but are just more tolerant of them...

[Maddog1]

water tests all good? thats unusual for this time of year,
most peoples bios are just waking up unless heated all winter...
low ammonia readings followed by nitrite, as food levels are increased and bacteria struggle to grow as fast....
ph swings as algae start growning in earnest with higher light levels.

benignly some flashing can be down to coarse/sharp food particles stuck in gill filaments. i had some colour food like that, but only once.
most common is gill fluke irritation, causing discomfort when food particles pass through gills.
i've never found gill flukes on the body though, only ever in gill scrapes... you would have to have a reasonably high level of infestation to find them on the body i think...

i don't often do gill scrapes because they are usually a bit bloody...only after eliminating everything else...
as you can see from the pink colour of this gill scrape with a gill fluke....

i'd scrape 3 more and some that are not flashing,
some fish don't flash much and still have parasites but are just more tolerant of them...

|Thank you David. Some really good information there, what makes a lot of sense. Love the last bit about fish not flashing and having parasites, because they are healthier, stronger etc. Or not as stressed.