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The Pond Doc's School of Preventative Koi Care
at PondDoc General Hospital

You've heard that prevention is the best medicine and it's never more true when it comes to koi and goldfish health.  There are a few fundamental rules that, when followed, will insure you the least amount of worry when it comes to preventing sick fish.

Many sick koi and goldfish have lost their lives to something that could have been easily avoided.  At Pond Doc's School of Preventive Koi Care you will find how to avoid those nasty complications that can turn an enjoyable hobby into a nightmare.  

Disease / Disorder Preventative Measures Further Reading
Parasites (the root cause of most koi and goldfish problems)  Parasites are brought in mainly by the addition of new koi and goldfish and we estimate that 90% of the fish you buy have some kind of parasite.  Very few establishments quarantine and treat the fish before you take them home.  That's the hard facts -- so it's up to you to do it! QUARANTINE AND TREAT ALL NEW ARRIVALS!
Nothing can take the place of quarantining new fish.  Not only do you keep any new arrivals separate for at least two weeks you must treat them for parasitic infestation. 

IF QUARANTINE IS OUT OF THE QUESTION...
Some of us cannot possibly set up and maintain separate quarantine and hospital tanks.  If you cannot quarantine then you must TREAT the whole pond after you've added all the koi and goldfish you are going to add for a while.

     
Bacterial Infections / Ulcers / Bacterial Gill Disease
Over-crowded conditions lead to ulcers and other bacterial infections.  It doesn't matter if you have excellent biological filtration and a squeaky-clean pond.  The more fish you have and the more crowded the fish the more apt they are to come down with bacterial problems.
Do NOT Overcrowd the Pond!
I know, easier said than done.  We have the same problem.  At least give it a try!  Anything over 1 koi per 100 gallons of water or 1 goldfish per 50 gallons of water is pushing it.

Keep the Pond Clean and Anaerobic Bacteria at a Minimum
Anaerobic bacteria is present in every pond but you can do things to keep the bacteria from taking over.  Give the fish a fighting chance against bad bacteria by cleaning up their environment.  Don't line the bottom of the pond with rocks (giving muck a place to collect and breed anaerobic bacteria) and do a thorough pond cleaning about once a year.

Know Your Gallons!

Heavy Duty Water Meter 

     
Water Parameter Problems    
     
Deadly Viruses    
     
Internal Infections / Septicemia / Dropsy    

Pond Doc's School of Preventative Koi Care is presently under construction.  Please visit us often to see our progress.  In the meantime if you want great information about koi and goldfish health issues you can find excellent articles in our Online Newsletter Article Archives.

© copyright, 2008, PondDoc.com.  Reproduction or use of any content on this website prohibited without written consent from PondDoc.com.  This advice is given free of charge and serves as information only to help you with determining the cause of fish health problems.  The content given is to be used as guidelines only.  By following the guidelines on our website you are agreeing that we will not be held responsible or liable for any losses.  We cannot diagnose your specific case.  We are simply forwarding the benefit of our extensive experience with koi and goldfish health.

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