They're all dead!

[Dani & glenn]

We've had our 11 (multiple generations) koi for 23 years here in Arizona. Pond is fully automated, food, filter, waterfall. We go on a 3 week vacay every year & never had a problem, this year we took a fall trip.
Our son called us in the 3rd week & told us all our koi are dead & floating. Immediately we came home & found all but 4 were dead Food, filter & waterfall still working.
The survivors died one by one over a 4 day period despite our heroic efforts to try & save them from their watery grave.
Here's the rub...
Normally our koi were shy & would hide,
but the survivors had all gone blind! No reaction to human interaction & running into walls of the pond! They also had blisters all over their mouths & bodies, wouldn't eat & sucked air off surface of water. Were they poisoned????
It is a complete mystery to us! Any ideas of what may have happened would help our hearts heal from the loss of our wet pets

 

[mrsclem]

So sorry to hear! It could very well be some type of chemical that got in your pond. Any close neighbors that could have sprayed pesticides or other chemicals?

 

[Lisak1]

Oh no! More info about your pond please - how big, what type of filtration, any recent changes, etc.

 

[Dani & glenn]

Thank you for the validation that it could be poison. All our deadbeat neighbors spray their yards with Roundup (dispute the cancer warnings) it's never effected our pond before as it's 4' above ground. This seems more like a deliberate & direct hit. God knows why someone would be so mentally ill to do something like that!
I could find nothing on the internet about koi going blind & diseases. I'm at a loss

 

[Dani & glenn]

Oh no! More info about your pond please - how big, what type of filtration, any recent changes, etc.

No changes of any kind in pond functionality for 10 years, it has sustained them for 23 years. We've only lost 2 several years back. One was a jumper, the other had brain damage & was older. No sores or anything on any of them before this.

 

[WaterGardener]

Have you tested the water? That's always a good place to start.

Sorry for the loss of your fish and damage to the survivors.

 

[addy1]

So sorry to hear!

 

[j.w]

Could it be high ammonia levels? I'd test the water for everything w/a good liquid test kit.