Koi health, Spring Care

Spring Care.	Suggested Husbandry
1. Large ponds will benefit. Use covers through spring with smaller ponds.		Spring has arrived, and with our fickle climate in the U.K., this can mean that temperatures can vary enormously almost from day to day and temperatures at night can be at or near 0 deg C until the end of April. This is where those of us with large deep ponds will benefit over small shallow ones, as daily temperature fluctuations will be minimised. Small ponds can give rise to substantial fluctuations in Spring temperatures and it is therefore a good idea to provide a cover of some type to use at night to help prevent rapid water temperature changes.
2. Take care when beginning to feed	As we have seen above, rapid temperature changes can occur in smaller ponds. Be mindful of this when beginning to feed, and do not start feeding until temperatures have reached between 50 - 52 deg F. If your pond has a larger volume, with a more staple temperature profile, you can start feeding sparingly at a temperature slightly less than this. Only use wheatgerm foods, or a modern all the year round food which is designed to be used at low as well as high temperatures.	Your koi appreciate a stable environment. They can withstand a broad range of temperatures, pH levels, and even pollutant levels if stable. They DO NOT like rapid changes in temperature or pH especially. If you have a small, shallow pond, these parameters are more likely to fluctuate quickly. Larger, deeper ponds provide a better, more stable environment for your koi, specially during the winter and spring seasons.
3. Water Quality	Your filters will have been 'just ticking over' during the winter period, owing to the lower water temperatures, and low levels of ammonia being produced by the koi during this time. However, as the water begins to warm up, and you commence feeding, your filters will start to work more effectively in response to warmer water and higher ammonia levels. You must take care not to overfeed during the spring, since not only will your koi not require large quantities of food at this time, but uneaten food will decay and this may increase ammonia levels before your filters can cope with the extra load.	To guard against filter 'lag'. ensure that you test your pond water regularly at this time of year, especially for ammonia and nitrite, the two most toxic pollutants. If you find that levels of these two pollutants have risen to unacceptable levels, stop feeding immediately and carry out regular 10 - 20% water changes (using a water filter) to lower the levels of these substances in the water. Salt may also be added at the rate of 0.5 oz per gallon as this is a good general tonic for you koi, but also reduces the affect of nitrite poisoning.
4. Be Observant	Spring is probably the most nerve racking time for all koi keepers, as most problems which occur do so at this time of year. By observing your koi and their behaviour, especially at feeding times, you will learn to recognise any problems at an early stage and take appropriate action. Do not be tempted to use prophylactic treatments at this time of year, your koi need excellent water quality, and adding chemicals to your pond unless absolutely necessary is definitely not a good idea. In addition, many pond treatments do not work well at low temperatures and are therefore much less effective.	Your koi's immune system is effectively switched off during the winter and will not start to work until the water temperature has reached around 12.5 deg C. As many parasites and bacterium are active and reproducing at temperatures lower than this, if your koi are affected by parasites or bacterial diseases, they will be much less able to fight off any infection or parasite attack and so spring is the time of year when your koi are more vulnerable to opportunistic attack by both parasites and bacteria.
5.Overcoming health problems	Don't panic ! If you suspect your koi are suffering from parasites you should attempt to identify the culprit before treatment. Catch one of your suspect koi and take a skin scrape and examine this under a microscope (our club hires these out to members) to determine which parasite, if any, is present. Once identified, you can then apply the appropriate remedy knowing that you are treating a known problem.	If you suspect a bacterial infection with one or more koi generally the symptoms will be visible to the naked eye. Koi that have damaged themselves or been attacked by parasites are liable to have open wounds on the body which may become infected by pathogenic bacteria. Normally the affected wound would become ulcerated if left unattended, and an appropriate remedy should be administered as soon as possible if the wound is infected.
6. Treating your Koi	Suggested treatments - Common parasites. Anchor Worm - Dimilin. Skin Flukes. - Malachite Green and Formalin. Gill Flukes. - Malachite Green and Formalin. White Spot. - Malachite Green and Formalin. Trichodina. - Potassium Permanganate. Costia. - Potassium Permanganate. Dosages - Follow manufacturers instructions. Dimilin and Potassium Permanganate can be used at any temperatures. Malachite and Formalin. are not affective at temperatures of less than 10 deg C. Switch off UVs during treatment. .	Suggested treatments - Bacterial and Fungal diseases Fungus - Malachite Green or Elbagin. Wounds - Potassium Permanganate or Chloramine T to disinfect water and kill bacteria. Ulcers. - As above for wounds. May need antibiotic treatment - should be administered by a qualified vet or club health officer. Separate from other koi if possible. Provide heated quarantine tank to speed recovery. NB. Use salt at 0.5 oz per gallon as a supportive treatment in the pond or quarantine tank. Note that these recommended treatments are by no means the only ones available. If you have a treatment regime that works for you for any particular condition above, please don't change !
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