Posts - Page 171 (page 171)
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It’s February and soon spring will be here. Spring is my favorite time of the year but, unfortunately, it is the most crucial time for our koi and goldfish. During winter and cold weather our finny friends go dormant. They are cold-blooded so, as the water temperature drops, their metabolism slows down. They do not eat (and should not eat in water temperatures under 50°) and just hover on the bottom of the pond. The most concerning effect cold water has on pond fish is that they lose their immunity systems and are weak from not eating. As warmer weather approaches they will become more active but will not fully regain their immunity systems until water temperatures reach 70°.
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During our recent stay in London the Doc and I found out the “fun way” just how the English compare to Americans through the antidotes of a gregarious, cockney-accented taxi driver named Kevin. Kevin picked the Doc and I up outside our hotel in London and adjusted his rates so that he could escort us around all day. He must have seen that we needed guidance — and guidance was his middle name.
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Lately, I’ve been confused about the double standard concerning fish. Are we supposed to take care of them, like the whole Save the Dolphins thing, or just torture them before swallowing, like the standard All You Can Eat Fish Fry thing? Around our house, we do both. For example, take the fish in our backyard, which live in luxury in our three nice ponds. My husband is obsessed with their welfare. He starts each day by going out for a gill count. Then he feeds them, turns on a little waterfall so they won’t be bored, changes the water and general fusses over them like a mother hen.
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Stress gives us headaches, makes us feel lousy, tears down our systems and causes heart attacks that can lead to death. We get our stress from missed deadlines, traffic, arguments, tragic events — you name it! We often ignore the warning signals and will live many years under stress.
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One of the aspects of fish health that never ceases to amaze us is the resilience of fish and their strange ability to seemingly come back from the dead. Even fish that have jumped out of the pond and are beginning to stiffen have a chance for survival! I know of several incidents when a fish jumped out of his pond sometime during the night and appeared dead the next morning. Amazingly a single shot of steroids brought him back!
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We have since late winter been experiencing water temperatures fluctuating between 50º F and 55º F. If it’s cold we want the water temperature to stay below 45º F. If it’s warm we want the water temperature to stay above 65º F. This dangerous zone in-between desirable water temperatures is playing havoc on the health of our fish.
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We know in our hearts when it is time to say goodbye to an ailing animal — when the quality of life is not quality at all. Many people feel the same emotions when losing a pet koi or goldfish as they feel when they lose a furry pet such as a cat or dog — to a more or lesser degree. When a koi or goldfish gets to the point when he needs to be euthanized it most often is up to the pet’s owner to do so. We receive many calls throughout the year asking the least painful way they can put their fish to sleep. Although we don’t know for sure what a fish feels we do know what we feel and most of us want to use the least painless route.
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If you’ve experienced an extraordinary amount of health problems with your koi and goldfish this year you needn’t feel alone. We’ve seen more ulcer disease, infestation of ich and flukes, internal infections and unaccountable deaths this year than ever before. Customers who have had the same healthy fish for years have been experiencing losses this season of 25% or more without having added new fish or doing anything out of the ordinary.
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The call comes in. One of our customers is on the phone. His fish are acting strangely. Two of them are beating up on a third (poor fish) and he’s had one jump out of the pond. Fortunately it was found in time and survived the ordeal. There’s a strange foam on the water...
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If your fish exhibit any of the following activities there may be cause for concern. Head Hanging — (Not to be confused with head-banging, a rhythmic nodding action demonstrated by youth in the 70’s.) Head hanging is when one or more fish stay near the bottom of the pond with his head down. This is an indication of parasitic infestation.
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Definite noticeable changes occur in koi and goldfish, plants and the pond itself as the temperature of the water begins to drop. Leaves on water plants start to brown and die back. Koi and goldfish become less active and require less food. Leaves fall and cover the surface of the pond. The pond may suddenly clear up after not being clear all year. These are changes we see. The changes we do not see are just as important. Nitrifying bacteria, present all spring and summer in the biofilter, stop reproducing and become none effective. Biological functions in the fish’s bodies, controlled by temperature of the water, slow down and eventually the fish hover at the bottom of the pond in a state of semi-hibernation.
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When a fish is ill and it’s apparent that the illness is bacterial in nature we often refer to it as Aeromonas. We accuse this bad bacteria for a host of illnesses that other types of bacteria create. There’s actually several possible culprits including Pseudomonas, Flexibacter, Streptococcus and Edwardsiella. Aeromonas is by far the most commonly seen and causes dreaded holes in the skin. What they all have in common is that they all are deadly. Wage war on these bad bacterias before they wage war on your fish!