How to proceed after koi deaths

[chezron]

I had koi for many years without incident at my old home. I have had koi in La Mesa for two years. Unfortunately, I introduced a sick koi in with my other four koi. They all started to die one-by-one. It appeared to be Costia. At the beginning I got some medication for them, but it didn't work, as they kept dying. I had the pond water tested and my levels of nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, seemed low. I have a large biological filter and uv sterilizer. I am down to my last koi and i expect him to die soon. I would like to have koi again. I just do not want to add them until I know it is safe and that they will survive. Do you have any advice for me?

I plan on emptying my pond and scrubbing, and refilling it. Has the medication harmed my biological filter? Also, if I replace the existing water lilies back into the pond with the new water will they reintroduce parasites into the water?

I feel really bad that this happened. I never meant to hurt my fish.

Best,
Sharon

 

[singhlakhy]

i suggest you take out your last koi from your pond and put it in bucket and feed her medication their and food cuz probably your pond water already to much medicated already. so i suggest you clean out pond take all the water out and clean everything and wash the lilies with fresh water and run the fliter seprate with fresh water and then fill out the pond with fresh water and check the waters levels before you add any fishs

 

[adavisus]

A light solution of bleach will sterilise the plants, one spoon per three gallons water. Take your time repeating the bleach dose, putting them back.

It turns to a trivial amount of salt in a couple of days

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[JohnHuff]

Sorry for your loss. I think the suggestions above are very good and that is what I would recommend.

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I can relate to it because I lost 27 Koi this year. I bought 24 young Koi and added them to my 19000 gal pond and apparently they had an internal parasite that killed 27 Koi but didn't bother any of my gold fish. I would imagine that the difference in their digestive systems is why it didn't effect the gold fish. I will NEVER put any more new fish in my pond. TO LITTLE TO LATE!!!!

 

[sissy]

I soak everything in peroxide as it will not harm the fish and most times will not kill the plants but it will kill bacteria .Koi are fussier than goldfish and harder to take care of .They 2 I have are over 2 feet long and over 10 years old so I have been lucky since I knew nothing about fish at all .

 

[Mmathis]

I soak everything in peroxide as it will not harm the fish and most times will not kill the plants but it will kill bacteria .Koi are fussier than goldfish and harder to take care of .They 2 I have are over 2 feet long and over 10 years old so I have been lucky since I knew nothing about fish at all .

Sissy, how do you do the peroxide! Sure I did it wrong, but did a peroxide "dip" on some plants, and killed the plants....

 

[sissy]

I use half a cup to 2 gallons of water .You need to hose all the dirt off the roots and then dunk the roots first and swirl them in the water and then I dunk the whole plant and then wait 10 minutes and then it goes in fresh water with fertilizer .If I am iffy about the plant I soak it longer or just do it several times and then inspect the plant closely .If I soak it for longer then I use a quarter cup of peroxide and fertilizer together .But key is to get all the old dirt off and trying not to destroy to many roots .You have to really be careful of the roots,they absorb everything .That's why the weak fertilizer bath .I use miracle grow ,half a scoop to 3 gallons of water .It also depends on the plant .If it looks healthy to start then it is easier but most of mine come from the half dead racks and really need cleaning and babied .Sometimes I even trim some of the tops to put less stress on the plant .Root trimming helps also and root thinning .

 

[Mmathis]

Wondering how the last fish that the OP had was doing?