News Flash
see our news item regarding
fish sales on eBay.
The fish helpline uses the services of a
professional laboratory for screening and testing for K.H.V., S.V.C., V.H.S.,
chronic bacterial infections. and blood tests.
New Service
We now have a gel pack which can be mailed to
you so you can carry out a scrape on a fish and post it back to us. Full
instructions are included (see downloads below).
When the pack arrives,
if you open the jiffy bag carefully, it can be re-used to return the gel to me.
A return address label is included in the pack.
On the return post (not
covered in the price), ask the Post Office for a guaranteed next-day delivery.
The gel will keep the organisms in the scrape in an undisturbed condition so I
can check your scrape in my lab with the same reliability as if I was beside
your pond.
The pack costs £12.58 including postage to you and the
result, which you can get by 'phoning 24hrs after posting.
All our
microscopes are linked to video, so if you want a DVD of the scrape, this is
available for an additional £10 including
P&P.
Downloads
Fish_Helpline_Transporting_Gel.pdf (item 3: towel or
koi sock should be soaked in pond water)
Fish_Helpline_Return_Form.pdf Become a water keeper first, and a fish keeper
secondWarning: formalin will kill your filter.
No matter what its says on the bottle always run a by-pass when using this
chemical. It will also de-oxygenate your water and when used with alga
treatment become toxic to fish.See our warning on
filter containers on the filters pageNow is the time to feed
Vitamin C with your food to boost your fish's immune system ready for the cool
season.
Microscope
Room
(KHV/SVC precautions are taken)
Consulting Room
Office
Our Mobile
Laboratory
Distance no object!
This koi pond had infection after
infection until the water fall was cobbled to stop birds bathing and allow
drinking only.
Use the links on the left to get more information
about fish diseases, and if you're a first time visitor, we recommend you read
our
Frequently Asked Questions first, as
these can often solve common queries.
Download our
Checklist a health
history questionnaire (PDF file).
DeckingSee our
decking page (under ponds).
Tropical
FishSee our
tropical fish
page (under products).
FrogsKeep frogs out of your koi
pond or problems will arise no matter how well maintained your system may
be.
Frogs are said to carry many of your internal parasite problems, see
hexamita. Frogs DO carry this parasite, so do
BIRDS. Never let birds bath in your waterfalls. Frogs will have been in
goldfish and wildlife ponds, dyke lakes or the river next door and can bring
infection straight into your pond. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to
understand that one. If you want frogs in your garden, which I think is not a
bad thing, then have a raised system or a wildlife pond at the other end of
garden. Many of our native fish carry infections which do them no harm, but in
a koi pond in confined conditions with close fish contact, apart from being
against the law - removing fish from native waters - the transfer of infection
to koi from native fish is far heavier and faster than a parasite bloom in a
pure koi pond. Frog borne disease is a time bomb.
KHVAlthough KHV can only be diagnosed by DNA
profile, contaminated fish show many signs after lengthy investigation. As a
result the main laboratory equipment can become contaminated. For this reason
The Fish Helpline does not allow suspect fish into the main laboratory - they
are examined in a separate room under a small video microscope which can be
readily sterilized.
Heron and Mink
- A hungry heron with goldfish. These birds damage koi which are to
large too hold. Many nice fish succumb to secondary infection from heron
wounds.
- In autumn and spring when heavy rain has coloured the lakes and
rivers a clear koi pond is irresistible never underestimate them.
Most heron attacks are fatal
as you can see from the picture - they are stab wounds. For treatment you are
best contacting me direct with email pictures so I can assess the damage, and
where wounds are, that's the important bit. While you are waiting, the fish
needs to be in salt at 0.3%=3lb per 100 gallon in container with an air stone
and pond water, and out of the sun and passing traffic (e.g. nosey
bystanders).- Mink are also becoming a problem in some places
