BUSY AT THE KOI POND

BUSY AT THE KOI POND

So this summer has been exciting and full of adventures…. We moved into our new home and it has been a source of love and happiness for me. We are all so happy! Our home is filled with love, smiles and the smell of summer.

Our Koi Pond has been an exciting endeavor. I kind of had to get a crash course in Koi and Pond Care, as we inherited a beautiful collection of lovely colorful fish and my responsibility gene took the best of me. I also became determined to have a lovely new hobby that would still allow me to be at home and balance my already hectic professional life, and really busy home life. I have to say, being a woman in this century has its price! I want to be independent, successful, and at the same time I have high expectations of myself as a woman and wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend…. Not to mention I really want some social time and squeeze “me” time in as well…

But the Koi pond has become a source of peace, and inspiration. Caring for them has made me use some of my skills in biology, but most of the entire pond ecosystem has allowed me to coddle my sweet and tender love of nature. Every morning I visit them and feed them. They have learned to recognize my presence, and I have conditioned them to my whistle. At first, when I whistled, I fed them. Now I whistle and wait a few minutes… They come and greet me, and flap around in excitement and anticipation. This paired with my coffee and my lovely dogs at my side, allow me to feel inner peace and joy. I charge myself for the day from the source. Source of love and tenderness than I later use in my practice, where I need compassion and patience. Doctors need a source of this…. Doctors need to understand their mission in life, to be patient and encourage people in the right path to health. My Koi Pond has been a source of this, and I never thought it would be that simple.

So I would like to share with you my friends. I have several beautiful Koi…

THE WHITES (5)

1.       White Short Tail Medium to Large (White Fang)

2.       White Long Tail large, ? blind (White Eyed Queen)

3.       White Long Tail medium (Solitude Standing)

4.       White Long  Tail medium to small with a light orange tint (Creamy Estrogen)

5.       White and orange tint all over baby small (Nemo Baby)

WHITE AND ORANGE (5)

1.       White and Orange where the front half of the body is orange and the back half is white, short tail Large (Orange Crush)

2.       White and Orange and a couple of black dots- Small (Cindy Crawford C- Alice)

3.       White and deep Orange with three distinct spots over the dorsal fin and red eyes, long tail, Medium to Small (Seminole Amylin)

4.       White and Orange with a black and grey back with some spots (Calico) Medium to  Small, small tail (Flea-Ina Lymer)

5.       White and orange all over the top and back, white belly medium to long white tail- Not a Koi – Very Large Goldfish (Chubby Diabetes)

CALICO (3)

1.       Calico medium to small long tail  (Larry Hope)

2.       Calico medium to small long tail  (Moe Charity)

3.       Calico medium to small long tail  (Curly Faith)

BLACK  (1)

1.       Large all black with orange specs throughout the body (Shaft Testo).. Don’t mess with Shaft….

ORANGE (3)

1.       Large all Orange with black specs and short black tail Medium (Denver Progesterone)

2.       All deep red orange with long white tail Medium (Seminole Deep)

3.       2/3 Orange white belly medium short tail  (White horse Glucagon)

NOVELTY (2)

1.       Black, copper, and white marks through the dorsum and sides (Skeleton Insulin)

2.       White with orange and black marks short tail  (Royal Hormone)

Every day, I will say hi to them on your behalf…. Join our New Hampshire Garden and Koi Club, and we can all learn more about these lovely Koi and about caring for a pond in New Hampshire…. I am lovin’ it!

Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD

Koi Health

Beautiful Koi fish come from the common carp, and have been bred to have such beautiful colors and patterns. The common carp is a tough fish and for the most part it can survive in very poor water conditions and host a serious parasite population without getting sick. But because our modern day koi have been selectively inbred to produce the beautiful colors and shape that we all love, they have lost much of their ability to endure such harsh treatment.

The good news is that even despite their inbreeding, Koi fish seldom get sick and die without a reason. I recently had one die and I was devastated. I needed to know the reason it died. I was also unsure if there was a bigger problem I had to tackle, and if other Koi in my pond would suffer the same fate. So naturally, I went to the books and did some research.

The common reasons Koi fish die are as follows:

1.      Poor water quality

2.      Parasites

3.      Ulcers and disease of their fins and skin

4.      Predators

5.      Lack of oxygen

6.      Medication overdose or water over treatment

7.      Jumping out of the water

8.      Viruses

9.      Toxic pesticides or chemical fertilizers

10.  Tumors

The first three are the main cause of poor health in 70% of the cases.

POOR WATER QUALITY

Like the air we breathe, water is of paramount importance to fish in general. Poor water quality can be lethal to a Koi, and it would not be a surprise to see all the Koi in the pond die overnight… Now that is what I call a nightmare!!!!

The most popular issues with water are low oxygen, and high ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels.  There are commercial water kits that can and should be used regularly to test the quality of the water. Pumps and filters are all useful to maintain proper water quality.

PARASITES

Parasites are a kind of bug that can be given from one fish to another. The main cause of a parasite infection is when a new fish is introduced to the pond. Before a new fish is introduced to the pond, it should be quarantined, or set aside from all the other fish for at least 3 weeks. During this time period the Koi should be observed and treated for parasites. Always try to find out where your fish came from, and make sure the ‘dealer’ is open about their parasite policy, and treat their Koi for parasites and is parasite free before selling it. It is recommended that you do not take their word for it, but instead ask about their ways in treating parasites, and so forth. If they are not straightforward, assume that you need to treat your new Koi yourself.

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

The two most common bacteria that cause problems on koi fish are Aeromonas and Pseudomonas.

These bacteria hate chlorine and thus are not present in tap water, but on the other hand, both Aeromonas and Pseudomonas are common inhabitants of ponds. They live naturally in pond water. If you add tap water to your pond, the chlorine in it is usually treated as it can be toxic for the Koi, and chlorine usually evaporates within a couple of days. It is no surprise that your pond would have these bacteria. Normally, in a clean healthy pond, the levels are very low, and the slimy coat that covers the fish protects them from the bacteria.

Bacteria become a problem when the slime coat that covers the fins – skin of the fish is broken and the bacteria then have access to cause infection. For this reason it is important to monitor your Koi’s movements, skin and general appearance. Bacteria can grow very easily if not treated right away.

 I hope you will find this helpful when considering Koi Health.

Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD