Koi pox

[james9489]

Hi guys

So my Ogon that’s struggled last winter with carp pox, costia and then fins starting to decimate, turned a corner early spring after an fmg treatment and fins cam back and skin started to look good. Fast forward and it started to flash like mad again a month back, found a few flukes, treated with fluke ex, had a few happy weeks and then fins degrading lumps on scales lots of flashing, scrape and nothing!

Treated with tamodine and a bit happier but then flashing again. Every one else fine… what’s up with this guy, bad immune system ?! Feeds fine and is the most brazen to start the feeding

[RS2OOO]

Can't really tell from the pic, but clearly something is causing damage to the fins, whether it be pox (which I can't see in the pic), flashing, or otherwise.

If she's got pox at this time of year then immune system almost certainly is well down.

Are your parameters all spot on, and are they all stable morning to evening / week to week?

Flashing can only really be water condition/parameters, parasites or infection. No real sign of the latter in the pic, so back to square one I would say.

[james9489]

Can't really tell from the pic, but clearly something is causing damage to the fins, whether it be pox (which I can't see in the pic), flashing, or otherwise.

If she's got pox at this time of year then immune system almost certainly is well down.

Are your parameters all spot on, and are they all stable morning to evening / week to week?

Flashing can only really be water condition/parameters, parasites or infection. No real sign of the latter in the pic, so back to square one I would say.

It’s a real strange one, unless Iv missed something on the slide it must be water quality. Iv done all the tests and all clear, use a big blue now and check that with dpd4 and all clear on chlorine too.

The tail looks coated like pox and it definitely looked like pox in the winter, just expected now with the warm weather for him to clear up.

I might try salt baths next, just don’t want to head into winter again like this. Absolute trooper of a fish.

Cheers RS


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[john1]

Hi James,
Hard to see in the picture but looks bacterial on its pecs,is there any redness on them?
Carp pox is a bugger to go,I nave one with still a couple of lumps on it but doesnt bother him.

[RS2OOO]

Should add, I've had bouts of flashing in my pond and all the fish clearly being off, yet water has been stable with good parameters and scrapes have all been completely clear.

After a week things look worse, I repeat the scrapes and nothing found, then a couple of weeks later it all settles down.


Had this a few times over the years and never found parasites under these circumstances. On the last occasion in 2024 I was at my wits end and decided I'd do nothing until things got serious.... and it all settled down with no intervention. This year, touch wood, I've had absolutely no problem so far - it has been my best issue free year (aside from 2 sudden recent injuries both on the same day).

Obviously if they're jumping out the water, or hanging head down / tail up, or multiple fish clamped on bottom, then something more serious is at play.

[RS2OOO]

Should add, I've had bouts of flashing in my pond and all the fish clearly being off, yet water has been stable with good parameters and scrapes have all been completely clear.

After a week things look worse, I repeat the scrapes and nothing found, then a couple of weeks later it all settles down.


Had this a few times over the years and never found parasites under these circumstances. On the last occasion in 2024 I was at my wits end and decided I'd do nothing until things got serious.... and it all settled down with no intervention. This year, touch wood, I've had absolutely no problem so far - it has been my best issue free year (aside from 2 sudden recent injuries both on the same day).

Obviously if they're jumping out the water, or hanging head down / tail up, or multiple fish clamped on bottom, then something more serious is at play.

I should also have mentioned that I've suspected Pollen as a cause to some of these problems as they have occurred around the same time as heavy pollen in the air. Felled some trees a few years ago that were overhanging the pond and big clouds of pollen came out of them which was a lightbulb moment.

[Alburglar]

I have a poxy Ochiba. Stays poxy all year round and has the same gimpy fins. Doesn't bother the fish at all and it's now about the size of a Labrador and is the first fish that Everyone points out in the pond, despite its issues.

Its poxy-ness, in my limited experience, has not made it more liable to anything else bacterial or parasites. It only ever flashes when something is wrong.

Perhaps PP dip,
Or as you suggest, a salt bath.

...and yes as RS suggests, there is a lot to be said for treating for what you find, then wait for things to settle down. Sometimes two.or three weeks before things settle down. Sitting on your hands (once you've identified/treated issues) is the hardest thing for a conscientious Koi keeper to do, but it's sometimes exactly what's needed.

[james9489]

Hi James,
Hard to see in the picture but looks bacterial on its pecs,is there any redness on them?
Carp pox is a bugger to go,I nave one with still a couple of lumps on it but doesnt bother him.

Thanks John, that has crossed my mind, no redness just carp poxy tail and fins degrading, they came fully back in June and now going bad again?! Everyone else absolutey fine, maybe the odd flash. How’s your summer been with the pond?


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[james9489]

I should also have mentioned that I've suspected Pollen as a cause to some of these problems as they have occurred around the same time as heavy pollen in the air. Felled some trees a few years ago that were overhanging the pond and big clouds of pollen came out of them which was a lightbulb moment.

That’s a very good point, pond is covered in pollen recently. Not sure what type but with such a small body of water it has to mess with things doesn’t it. He’s lasted a year or more like this so doesn’t seem life threatening just is what it is I suppose. Bad genetics maybe


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[james9489]

I have a poxy Ochiba. Stays poxy all year round and has the same gimpy fins. Doesn't bother the fish at all and it's now about the size of a Labrador and is the first fish that Everyone points out in the pond, despite its issues.

Its poxy-ness, in my limited experience, has not made it more liable to anything else bacterial or parasites. It only ever flashes when something is wrong.

Perhaps PP dip,
Or as you suggest, a salt bath.

...and yes as RS suggests, there is a lot to be said for treating for what you find, then wait for things to settle down. Sometimes two.or three weeks before things settle down. Sitting on your hands (once you've identified/treated issues) is the hardest thing for a conscientious Koi keeper to do, but it's sometimes exactly what's needed.

Cheers Al, that’s great to know. If she’s that big she’s healthy in my eyes! Just has some sort of fungal thing going on. I’m sitting here now and he’s racing around fighting and winning for food so just looks unwell but maybe ok. It’s the way he isolates in one corner until food goes in that make it all a bit strange. Never gone for a pp dip, but think might go salt bath soon. Cheers


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