Why are my koi turning white?

[Mmathis]

This is a reply to Dave 54 and Val. Thanks so much for the encouraging words about our color-changing goldfish. We like to think our fish are happy. -- Evie

@Evie Despite all that everyone has said or commented on [myself included], your fish DO look happy and healthy! So, obviously, whatever you are doing, you are doing just fine!

I have some GF that change so much, I sometimes can't keep up with "who" they are, LOL! And their color changes have spanned the gamut of combinations, nowhere near staying in any particular order.

So, as @Dave 54 commented, be worried when you see reddening or pink coloration, veining, or if they get a grayish tinge, or any time you see "patches" that don't look normal for that fish. "Black" is the least stable color in GF, so it's the first color to disappear in a younger fish that has some black [well, except for Shubunkins or "calico" fantails]. So if you see black appear on a fish that has previously NOT had black, that is usually a sign of healing taking place in that area (like from ammonia burn, damage to scales or fins.....). And remember that all of this is an "in general." Nature is always willing and able to prove us wrong!

 

[HARO]

I was feeding the fish in the garden center's display pond yesterday, when it occurred to me that several of the goldfish are in the process of changing from red to white. Their scales were, in some cases, red with white centers, at least on part of their bodies. I only get there now and then in this weather, so any changes are more obvious than they would be on a day-to-day basis. Judging by their appetites, there is certainly nothing wrong with these fish! BTW, this pond is in the foyer, under glass, so the pond temperature is still just under 60F.
John

 

[Dave 54]

This is a reply to Dave 54 and Val. Thanks so much for the encouraging words about our color-changing goldfish. We like to think our fish are happy. -- Evie

Evie the best way I know that your fish will be happy and always will be, is to study into the subject of fish keeping , diseases of fish, fish health etc , would be to go on amazon US and buy a number of books on the subject to do this .
We are aivid readers about fish health issues and fish diseases Pathogens bacteria and viruses .
Please feel free to use our updated Library reviews in our own library to buy a number of these books :-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/articles/our-updated-library-with-reviews.11/

Read the reviews then buy which ever takes your fancy, Amazon US has many of these books at knock down prices, as does Alibris US the other book website we use...
You can get some real bargins just ask @bettasngoldfish who I know does the same and has bought quite a few books recomended by US since we first became friends on the forum, these include books on Bettas,Goldfish, Fish health and Fish disease books
This was our first ever fish health book that Val bought for me as a Christmas Present 29 years ago , weve not looked back since plus I've added one or two more that I feel you may fnd useful in the future :-

The Manual of Fish Health ISBN 0861013869. Dr Chris Andrews Adrian Exell, Dr Neville Carrington.

The Interpet Manual of Koi Health ISBN 1842860992. Keith Holmes, Tony Pitham.

Hand Book of Fish Diseases (All Fish) ISBN 0866227032. Dieter Untergasser.

These were the first three books we invested in and we havent looked back since its given us a working knowledge of fish diseases how the affect our fish , what to look out for, tipson how to check your fish daily whilst feeding them and what to do should your koi become afllicted .
This time of year is perfect stick all three on your Christmas present list as presents you would like to recieve from friends and family .
This year myself I've put three books on my Christmas list and I know that Santa [Val} has bought them for me bbut I'm not allowed to touch till hes been [though how he will get past our gas fire is beyond me] but then again thats his secret but my secret is reading make sure you know everything there is to know and then some , "you wont go wrong I promise you, it turned Val and myself from the killer's of goldfish**** into life long fish keeper's", [or in our case, koi keeper's] .
**** our mistake was to buy from pet shops instead of fish shops and we didnt know how to QT our fish leading to alott of mortalities

Dave