why does my koi stay near the top of the water?
Friday, December 25th, 2009 at
3:37 pm
my koi just stays near the top of the water and sometimes just faces the top of the tank, and i see it go about half way to the bottom and just swims back up sometimes. I think its either scared of what has happened to it or it becomes a floater or something. A crawlfish ripped part of its tail and scales off. i took the crawlfish out and now i need to know how to keep my koi’s body from being infected
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Filed under: Aquatic
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If he/she is staying near the top and appears to be ‘gulping’ air, it means there is not enough oxygen in the water. Possible the water is too warm because the warmer the water the less oxygen it contains. Maybe you need to use some mechanical aeration with an airstone and pump.
He/she could also have a problem with his/her swim bladder.
As far a preventing an infection, you need to use some antibiotics. Go to a pet store with a knowledgeable staff and ask what the best antibiotic to prevent bacterial infections.
He is having difficulty swimming because of it’s fin damage and may be having difficulties getting enough oxygen. Test your tank for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and temperature. If the water quality is bad, do 10-20% water changes until it is better. Any trace of ammonia or nitrite in the water will burn it’s gills and sores and may cause infection. It will also keep the gills from getting enough oxygen. Use aquarium conditioner with aloe and slime coat protector, like Novaqua or Stress Coat to help heal the sores. If you use an antibiotic to heal the wounds, use a quarantine tank set up for this purpose. Using meds can kill the good bacteria in the main tank. The only antibiotic you can use in the main tank is aquarium salt. Use half of the recommended amount if you have catfish or plecos, in case they don’t like the salt. Make sure you have lots of circulation in the tank to help it breath, but if he is being tossed around with the current, put decorations in front of it to block the current, and face the filter to a wall if possible to deflect it. Hope this helps!