Typical causes for one (or more) of the above behaviors include the following:
- poor water conditions
- bacterial or parasitic infections
- overcrowding the tank
- stress caused by bullying from other fish
- tension related to difficulty from mating or spawning
- the addition of new (possibly sick) fish to the tank
Why do Koi scales fall off?
To provide physical relief, koi will develop ‘flashing’ behavior whereby they’ll rub their bodies against rocks or other surfaces to stop the infectious itch. This will then lead to their scales falling off.
Why are my fish losing scales?
When this happens, they brush up themselves to many objects present in the tank. Thus, resulting in physical damage, that shows mostly in lost scales. Another common cause for physical damage is the aggressive behavior of certain fish that are present in the tank. Such fish could harm the others by hitting them constantly.
What causes koi fish to die before death?
Things like predators and even the breeding behavior of the fish can cause these injuries. This section is designed to help you recognize and diagnose even the most subtle symptoms that your Koi may be exhibiting. As stated, all fish will exhibit some sort of symptom well before it is close to death.
Do koi fish have deformities?
Sometimes there are simply Koi that have this from birth, and it is a deformity. You should know this by inspecting your fish closely when you get them. If you first notice it only when they are sick, but they had it all along, it will lead you astray in diagnosing problems.
Can koi scales grow back?
Koi fish can regenerate their scales because they produce a lot of cells in the epidermis, which is the outermost layer of skin that covers most parts of an animal's body. This allows them to replace any lost or damaged scale by growing it from scratch with just one single cell.
What does it mean if your fish is losing scales?
A fish's scales should be smooth, lie flat against the body and be unbroken. Scale loss can be the result of physical injury, when a fish bumps into something or rough handling, parasites, a water quality problem or skin infections. If there is an infection there will be additional signs, such as a reddened area.
How do you treat fish losing scales?
Adding aquarium salt to your tank can help accelerate the regrowth of their scales when they become lost. This is because your pet's slime coat will be able to heal more easily when salt is added to the water (although it can also be used in freshwater tanks).
How do you know if a koi fish is dying?
The abdomen may become swollen due to bloating. Also look for damage or redness around the gills or mouth. A koi who cannot breathe properly will deteriorate fast, so catching issues around the gills and mouth early is one of the best ways to save a koi fish from dying.
How do I know if my fish has ammonia poisoning?
Symptoms include:Purple, red or bleeding gills.Fish may clamp, may appear darker in color.Red streaking on the fins or body.Fish may gasp for air at the surface of the tank water.Torn & jagged fins.Fish may appear weak and lay at the bottom of the tank.
How do I know if my fish has parasites?
Look to see if your fish has cloudy eyes, white patches or is gasping for air, rubbing on objects and is listless. Fish lice could cause these symptoms. Internal parasites will cause loss of appetite, listlessness and erratic swimming. Note redness, irritation and/or threadlike worms coming from the fish's tail area.
How can you tell if fish are stressed?
Strange Swimming: When fish are stressed, they often develop odd swimming patterns. If your fish is swimming frantically without going anywhere, crashing at the bottom of his tank, rubbing himself on gravel or rocks, or locking his fins at his side, he may be experiencing significant stress.
How many times a day should you feed koi?
How Often to Feed your Koi Fish. We recommend that you feed your fish once a day. This will provide enough nutrients for healthy fish and a healthy pond. Feeding them too often can put an excess amount of nutrients into your pond which can cause algae issues.
Can you overfeed koi?
It's very easy to overfeed your koi, because it's often the most interaction you'll have with them. If you do, they'll start looking a little bit tadpoles, with big bodies and whispy tail. Never feed them more than three times a day, and then for only five minutes.
Is salt good for koi pond?
Is Salt Good for a Koi Pond? Yes, it has many benefits for creating a defense against bacteria and parasites. When used correctly, it effectively treats new, stressed, or sick koi in your pond.
Why do fish damage their scales?
Another common cause for physical damage is the aggressive behavior of certain fish that are present in the tank. Such fish could harm the others by hitting them constantly. This can also result in lost scales, mostly on the fish that was attacked.
What happens when scales are attached to fish?
Because of this, these scales will be shed and results in other bad consequences.
How to treat a fish with a disease?
While you treat your fish, you must also clean the aquarium where the disease happened. To do this, use 5 percent of Sulphuric acid, Chloramine or Hydrochloric acid solution. The gravel must also be disinfected. A good method for this, is to boil it to make sure all bacteria are removed.
How long does it take for a fish to grow back?
For instance, some fish will grow back the shed scales in a matter of weeks. Others could even take up to 3 or 4 months.
How to find out which fish don't like plecos?
To find out which fish don’t like Plecos, just do a quick online search. It can prove quite helpful, so you don’t mix together species that will potentially hurt each other. When keeping Plecos in your aquarium, make sure you have tank mates who don’t have grudges against them, or the other way around.
Why do fish have problems breathing?
Due to the scale loss and bubble forming, your younger fish will have problems breathing. That’s because at this stage in their life, fish are breathing through their “skin”, and thus the protrusions are preventing them from it. However, these symptoms are not always a precursor to Scale Shedding.
Do fish shed scales?
Let me answer the question right away: NO, fish do not shed their scales, in normal conditions. They don’t have to do such a thing. If you’re thinking that some fish shed their scales because they are growing bigger, that is a total misconception.
Why do fish lose scale?
The other common cause of scale loss is skin parasites, such as flukes. With parasites, the fish will rub against objects in an attempt to get rid of the itchy pests. Fish may also leap out of the water frequently for the same reason.
Why do scales come back when spawning?
Sometimes a scale will not grow back at all, or will come in a different color. The other common cause of scale loss is skin parasites, such as flukes .
What is the best treatment for koi spawning?
If there are parasites present, one of the best treatments is praziquantel, available in pet stores, pond supply shops, and online. Since your koi are not exhibiting other signs of parasites, it's likely this occurred as a result of spawning.
Why do fish bump into each other?
The fish bump roughly into each other and the chasing that occurs results in collisions with the pond sides. It is very common for scale loss to occur with spawning.
Is it normal for a fish to lose scales?
Scale loss of the magnitude you've described is not normal. Yes, a fish will sometimes lose a scale or two, but it is not a natural process for them to 'shed' scales, and certainly not for a number of koi to be losing them at one time.
YellowCichlid New Member
Yes it can. I took the "recently added" as within the past week or so.
Top Poster Of Month
Yeah, I was getting confused too that's why I asked for a picture to see exactly what the problem is.
Why do my koi fish flash after feeding?
So if you notice that the fish flash only right after feeding, then this is the most likely culprit, and the flashing should cease in a few hours at most. Electrical Issues (see above for details) Lawn Care & Other Chemicals (see above for details) Sunburn/UV Irritation. Koi can get sunburn or be irritated by the sun.
Why do fish get dropsy?
Now back to the four primary reasons fish get Dropsy. In the first situation we will discuss, Dropsy can be caused directly by ulcerations in the body. As you know, ulcers are caused by a bacterial infection, and as these are usually secondary in nature, most likely another factor was involved like parasites or poor water quality. These issues, of course, must be addressed as well prior to attempting any further treatments. So this first case of Dropsy was caused by parasites and/or poor water quality, followed by a secondary bacterial infection that caused the ulcerations, and thus these ulcerations caused the Dropsy.
What does flashing mean in koi?
Flashing is one of the most common symptoms/behaviors seen in Koi and goldfish and is easily noticed. It is not always a symptom of impending doom, and sometimes it is more a simple reaction to a simple stimulus. It should make you take notice and keep a closer eye on things until you can figure out what is causing it.
What does rain do to koi?
Most rain is very acidic and can be a pH of 6. This is very low and definitely irritating to Koi and goldfish. So if you have had a heavy to moderate rain in the past 8 hours or so, this could be the cause. Sometimes the rain can dilute and lower your kH and this will indirectly affect the fish and cause flashing.
How long do koi live?
This is especially true with Koi primarily because they can live for 40-60 years!
What does it mean when fish flash?
When you only see a small percentage of your fish flashing this could be a clue that it is parasites beginning to infest the population. However, as with any and all symptoms the first thing you do is test all the water parameters. These include ammonia, nitrite, pH and kH. While normally if there is a water quality issue it will affect most of the fish, it does not always affect them at the exact same time. Just like with people, individual fish can have varied responses to water quality issues. Some fish are simply more sensitive than others and therefore may show symptoms before certain other fish.
What is a red sore on a fish?
Red sores on fish are referred to as ulcers. The beginning of these ulcers start out as pink/red spots or areas, and can appear just about anywhere on the fishes’ body. These spots gradually turn into open wounds and will continue to spread wider and deeper if left untreated. Eventually, and if they live long enough, they will develop “Dropsy” and die.
