Is my fish sick

[noir]

Hi folks newbie here

This will be the first winter for my garden pond

I noticed a comet in my pond with black markings on it that weren't there before.

Please see the attached picture and tell me is my fish ill.

The pond is 1000 liters (260 gallons) contains 4 comets, 2 shubunkins, 2 koi and a weather loach (the other loach escaped)

Thanks in advance

[case_rums]

Looks like it to me. Check out KoiDoctor.com (something like that) for what it is and how to treat it.

:scratch: I have no idea what it is.

[aquariumfishguy]

I'm sorry, I (too) have no clue whats wrong with the fish...if anything is wrong.


...but I thought I'd mention your pushing the limits of your pond as Koi should have around 100 gallons per fish in a pond...the goldfish should have about 50 gallons per fish. Forgetting about the loach, if you count the fish you have (goldfish and koi) your pond should be somewhere around 400 gallons! :eek:

(just something to think about as spring gets closer and closer...)

[BigFishDude]

Has been acting any differently? Does he rub against rocks, have a loss of appetite?

Overall, he looks pretty healthy. My guess would be that he just has some discolored scales. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but keep an eye on him.

[noir]

Thanks for your input guys.

As I am new to this I get a little panicky if I think my fish might be unwell.
I will keep a close watch on this fish just as a precaution.

I have in storage for the springtime a filtration and clarifier unit rated for a pond 3 times the size of mine.

Hopefully this will keep the little guys happy.

Thanks again

[BigFishDude]

Be prepared, that panicky feeling never goes away (that is if your neurotic like me ;)).

Glad I could have been of service to you! :)

[aquariumfishguy]

An upgraded filtration system is always better but it still doesn't change the fact that Koi are Koi. They get huge...and they need lots of room. I think as these fish get larger, the chance for problems will increase. Good luck.

[Cearbhaill]

Two things come to mind- if a Goldfish is exposed to high levels of ammonia it will burn their scales- the black is a sign of healing in this case. Double check your water parameters and make sure things are ok with your biobugs.

Second is Black Spot Disease (http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/puregold/disease/symptom/byname.htm#black%20spot)- a parasite that uses snails as part of its life cycle. That is a bit less likely than ammonia burns.