Lee Brouillet wrote:
The only time I had a fish loss (my first year), it was the largest fish
that died. I was leaving for work, and my two biggest koi were floating. I
had an algae outbreak at the time (and other problems that aren't pertinent
to your problem). Oxygen deprivation will kill the largest to the smallest,
but you will find them floating in the morning with nothing to give prior
warning.

There are several "new things" in the koi world that will kill them: KHV
(Koi Herpes Virus) and SVC (Spring Viremia of Carp). Not to mention the bout
with BGD (Bacterial Gill Disease) that John Rutz just went through that has
decimated his collection. The fact that your fish died slowly is indicative
of a disease, not oxygen deprivation. I'm sure you've seen the mantra here
about quarantine, and this is why. It's time consuming, but it's worth it to
prevent the loss of your current pets.

Taking a big step into nowhere, I would venture to say that the first batch
of new fish were infected: they died first. The resident fish were
incubating. You mention that they looked fine externally, but that their
eyes looked "funny". "Funny" how - bulging or sunken?

Symptoms of SVC can include: bulging eyes, abdominal swelling, bloody mucus
from the vent, spider-web or skin hemorraging.

Symptoms of KHV can include: head down swimming, lethargy and weakness,
sunken eyes, gill lesions, sandpaper skin or a stringy slime coat, bloody
sores.

Not all of the symptoms need to be present: the above are "indications". You
didn't mention checking the gills: their condition will go a long way
towards diagnosis.

The incubating fish gave it to the new arrivals. To date, I haven't heard of
goldies contracting the diseases, but I've been concentrating my learning
curve towards koi, as that's what I have. I don't know if goldies can be
passive carriers, though.

Bugs dying of CO2 died from oxygen deprivation; I don't think they would
poison the fish. Contaminents from the yard were eliminated (you said you
don't use poisons). From my understanding, earthworms are pretty primitive,
and if they were sick or toxic, they would die pretty quickly. NEVER feed a
dead earthworm to the fish, but live ones are safe (or they'd be dead!).
Most airborne poisons would have done in your goldies, too.

If your water parameters were in shape, and your pond does not suffer from
oxygen deprivation (airstones are NEVER a bad idea!), I'd say you were a
victim to one of the above diseases. Please set up a quarantine tank: it's
much less painful than losing pets. The days of purchasing fish and turning
them loose in your pond are gone: the spectres of KHV and SVC are REAL.
Reports of these diseases used to be "isolated" a year or two ago; it is now
estimated that 50% of the breeders have been exposed. And it's growing
geometrically.

If there is anything else I can help with, please let me know.

Lee



I'll add a couple of the signs of BGD are laying on the bottom and
upon examination mucus on the gill plates


John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

never miss a good oportunity to shut up

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com