This year was the first year that I have had facilities to do quarantine, a
nice 1000 gallon show tank and 1/2 cubic foot bead filter. I always worried
that the koi, ranging in size from 8 or 10 inches, to over 26 inches would
overwhelm the 150 gallon stock tank. I have been very particular about who
and where I get fish. The simple parasites are easily treated in the pond
or in quarantine, but it is cheaper to treat less water. The biggest fear
now is the KHV and SVC viruses. These will kill koi, and very rapidly, and
in large numbers. The quarantine facility need to have the ability to go
through temperature swings to activate the viruses, or they can be missed in
a normal quarantine. That may mean the quarantine needs to last well into
cool weather where it can go cold, and then with heaters, be warmed back up,
or allowed to go for the entire year to see cool water and warm water.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
wrote in message news:41741efc@padme....
Continuing the topic of the likelihood of newly introduced GF or Koi dying
within the first year. Whilst I understand the desirability of having a
100 gallon QT tanks, heaters keeping them for a year in these tanks and
virtually turning your small garden into a fish importers quarantine
industrial estate (I exaggerate for effect - but you know what I mean).
Its all very well to buy, sterilise, fill, heat, keep a watch on,
maintain, fence have the fish die anyway, etc etc, but I have got a proper
job and house to rebuild to keep me busy, and I don't have any room for
tanks.
The cost and effort put into running the QT tanks needs to be assessed
against the likely hood of the newly introduced fish dying, or more
worrying, existing stocks dying.
The POLL:-
Just how many fish have people in this newsgroup bought, and have died in
the first, say, year? Both with and without using quarentee procedures.
And how many times have existing stocks been killed of by diseases carried
by the newcomer?
I'll start it off. I have added 10 Koi, in 5 batches over 5 years, 8 GF
in 4 batches over 5 years, 2 grass carp, 2 golden tench. All added as
tiddlers. The grass carp are 12 inches long, and the Koi range from 12 to
16 inches long.
Deaths: first occurrence this year, 1 out of 1 3 inch tiddler Koi
added. seemed very happy for the first 3 weeks then poof! without any
warning. Purchased in the autumn.
1 off 16 inch Koi died out of the blue, over a year after the addition of
any newcomer.
I suspect that this is very typical of pond life and death, whether
quarantining or not - but lets find out. Over to you.
I also lost 2 starlets (dwarf stergeon) but a fish importer told me that
they are not suitable for ponds, they like rivers.