It is far better to add a measure of anesthetic when the Koi has settled down in the bowl and see how the Koi reacts during the next few minutes and if the fish shows no sign of the affects of the anesthetic then add just a little bit more .. Eventually the Koi will lay on its side but at this stage the fish is not completely under the anesthetic and should be left in the solution until the fish can be lifted just clear of the water in your open hand(s) and if the fish then struggles or flaps then place the fish back into the bowl. When it can be lifted out carefully lay the fish on a wet towel ready for treatment. If you are in any doubt then we advise that you seek professional help and guidance.
N.B. Anesthetic's are dangerous and should be handled with the utmost care and placed well out of children's reach when not in use - locked in a medical cabinet if possible. We can supply a completely safe and easy to use anesthetic - see 'Medicine Chest' ...
We do not intend within this first section to discuss the manner to treat the various problems that your Koi may need during their life- but we do discuss this subject elsewhere - but, of course, we are quite willing to try to assist anyone and give our opinion and guidance on the treatment of a particular problem ... please email us if you wish to use this free service ... or seek other professional opinion.
TOPICAL DRESSINGS
Again there are many topical dressings, as such, that can be obtained from a good Koi Dealer who hopefully will give sound advice on their use. Many people use Malachite Green to place on the infected area with reasonably good results. Others may have their own particular brand of dressing that they already use and quite happy with them and we do have a good selection of such dressings and treatments - details of which are all contained within the subject surrounding 'Medications' ... but for those of you who are just starting out in the world of Koi - or you just can't find the right Topical Dressing - then we offer what we consider to be the most effective dressings that we have found to date - the test results that we have run over the past 18 months are conclusive and we wholeheartedly endorse this product and highly recommend it to our many customers. it is ... the KOI DOC Click here
SALT as a Medication:
Salt is probably one of the best forms of pond and water treatment available and at a very minimal cost ... and salt added to any pond or tank at the rate of 1/2 ounce to the gallon is extremely beneficial ... but please seek advice from your Koi Dealer before increasing the dosage rate for whatever reason you may think...
A salt bath is often the cure for many minor problems, like gill infections, raised scales caused by a bacterial infection, ulcers on the body etc .. .and a salt bath cannot do any harm to the Koi providing you don't go over the top with the salt levels ... and depending on the severity of the problem we suggest a salt bath with a level of between 1.5 ounces per gallon to 2.5 ounces per gallon .. but as salt can act as an anesthetic after a period of time, then I suggest that you do not place the Koi into the bowl and walk away - otherwise you may return to find it is too late to recover the Koi ..
BUT if you are using Salt as a Medication Bath then you MUST ensure that there is plenty of air supply in the water - using at least a single 2" air stone - oxygen is extremely important as salt in the water, especially at the higher levels, depletes the oxygen levels very rapidly.
Also NEVER use salt in the water if you have any 'Formalin' present in that water, which you may have been using for other treatments .. many times you may get away with this - but salt reacts with the Formalin and causes stress related problems to the Koi under treatment .. if you are unsure that please contact us for further advise before you use these salt baths or decide to run your system even with the low salt level of 1/2" ounce per gallon ..
Many customers and Koi enthusiasts we know maintain their ponds and tanks constantly at this salt level throughout the year .. others only at certain times of the year. But there is little doubt that a level of salt of 1/2 ounce per gallon is beneficial, and let me stress that Salt will not hurt the Koi at all ... A salt level within the system keeps the gills free from congestion problems which of course is one of the possibly causes of a secondary infection... so I am personally a big advocate for using salt ...
One of the best know treatments for Koi that have been transported for long periods of time, say from a Japan etc .. or from a dealer who may be quite away from you ... and one that we certainly always used upon the arrival of any new stocks from Japan, was to use ELBAGIN AND SALT .. the Elbagin calms the fish down and helps them get over the stress of the journey whilst the salt helps clear congestion from the gills etc
To be able to assess the correct amount per gallon - and to maintain that level - you will need a 'Salt Tester' or a Salt Meter, which will then give you a reasonably accurate dosage rate for salt and enable you to keep that level steady..
It is possible to buy a Salt Tester for a few pounds, but a 'Good' Salt Meter can cost you quite a lot of money - but a simple Salt Tester, which works similar to a hydrometer and will give you the specific gravity.
Please take a look at these Salt Meters if you don't already have one - it will become an important part of your Medical Cabinet - just click on the Product details listed below to see further details on that particular salt meter/tester
Source:
http://www.koicarp.net/koi_medication/treating_koi.html
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