Proper treatment for parasites depends on which parasite the koi have. If you have access to a microscope, take a scraping from the fish and examine it under the microscope. You can usually tell which parasites are present and then treat your pond accordingly.
Note: When selecting a treatment to rid koi of a particular parasite, you should always try to choose a treatment that will effectively kill the parasite while at the same time, cause the least amount of stress to the koi. Stress is a real factor that needs to be considered in treating koi. With the addition of stress, a koi’s immune system can begin to fail, and any hope for recovery will slow down.
An infestation of parasites can be very stressful to a koi. For this reason, it is imperative when treating a koi with parasites to select a treatment that will not stress them any more than is necessary.
| Suggested Medication for Treatment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parasite | Medication | Caution | Bypass Filtration? |
| Flukes | Supaverm | – For use on koi only
– Kills Goldfish and several other species |
Not necessary |
| Costia
Chilodinella Trichodina
|
Malachite Green & Formalin | – Do not use with salt level above .1%
– Will kill most pond plants – Keep pond well oxygenated |
Yes |
| Ich | Salt | – Will kill most pond plants | Not necessary |