FISH POND CHEMICALS AND MEDICATIONS

Fish pond chemicals and medications should only be used as directed. Be sure to read the bottle carefully and be mindful not to overdose. Overdosing with chemicals can severely have a negative effect on the health of your pond and ultimately your fish.
Adequate personal protective equipment such as gloves and protective glasses is recommended when handling chemicals. Chemicals should always be stored in a cool dark spot and out of reach from children.
Be sure to monitor the pond in the hours and days after the initial dose. As a precaution, we recommend ponds be dosed with aquarium salt at 1 kg/1000l. Concentrations can be increased x2-3 fold when the disease is present. This generally slows down infection and gives the fish more of a chance to fight the disease.

Pond volume is calculated by multiplying the Length x Width x Depth of the pond.

For help calculating dosage rates or pond volume, please contact The Fish Works

Common Diseases

Anchor Worms and Gill Flukes

Anchor worms are small parasitic copepods from the Lenaea genus and are actually more related to shrimp than they are to worms.
They attach themselves to the host with their bodies protruding from their skin. Once attached to the skin, they feed on the blood of the host and can cause your fish a lot of stress subsequently leading to other diseases or infections.
Anchor worms can be quite prevalent in ponds as they can often be hidden in new fish or plants.
Adult anchor worms can be removed with tweezers much like ticks, however for anchor worms in their larval stage an anti-parasitic medication like Aquasonic Para-Gone along with regular aquarium salt will eradicate them.

Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections are generally caused by poor water quality. When fish get injured due to a cut or abrasion, they can then easily get infected due to unclean water. This can present itself as tail or fin rot. Treating sick fish early is paramount in ensuring fish survival.
Water quality should be addressed first, but medications like
API Melafix, Aqua One Broad spectrum remedy, or PondMax Paramax will address the issue.

Fungus and Mouth Rot

Mouth Rot is actually caused by a fungus that can cause damage to internal organs. Common signs of fungal infections are grey cotton-like growths seen on the skin, gills, fins, and around the eyes. Fungal issues are generally caused by poor water quality, which can include a lack of flow or an excess buildup of sludge and other organics in your pond, so cleaning your pond regularly is a must.
To treat fungal infections API Melafix, Aqua One Broad spectrum remedy, or PondMax Paramax will address the issue after your water change.

Ich (White Spot)

Ich is a very common problem for many fish keepers which presents itself as small white spots on the scales, fins, or gills of fish. The appearance of these white specks across the skin of the fish is also why the disease is sometimes called “white spot disease”. At its core, the disease itself is caused by a parasite that latches onto the skin of fish.
Ich itself is present in most ponds, however, it is not usually an issue unless the fish itself is stressed or sick. Winter is a common time for ich to occur as the metabolism of the fish is slower which results in the fish’s immune system having a harder time fighting off the parasite.

To treat Ich use medication like Aquasonic Para-Gone, Aqua One Broad spectrum remedy, or PondMax Paramax.

Velvet

Fish who have velvet will be scratching their body against any hard surface in the tank. This is to try to remove the parasites from their skin. Fish with velvet will show signs such as being lethargic, appearing to be covered in gold dust, rapid breathing, not eating, clamped fins, and peeling of the skin.

Much like Ich, these parasites can be present in many aquariums and ponds but will only cause an issue if your fish is stressed, sick, during transporting, has a sudden, temperature change, or has poor water quality.
To treat Velvet use medication like Aquasonic Para-Gone, Aqua One Broad spectrum remedy, or PondMax Paramax.

Ulcers

Ulcer disease is a devastating disease that can wipe out entire ponds. Skin lesions such as ulcers or sores on the body, reddening at the base of the fins and the vent, loss of appetite, and darkening of coloration are all symptoms of infection.
Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to treat this disease. So it is paramount that your fish is sourced from a supplier that has a stringent quarantine process.

That is why at The Fish Works we pride ourselves on selling only the best fish. We only buy our koi fish from our reputable Western Australian breeder. Although this means we pay substantially more due to transport costs, we feel it is important that our customers have peace of mind when purchasing fish and only get high quality disease free fish.