Fish Lice
Type:
Parasitic
>> caused by fish lice, Argulus, a light green/brown,
translucent, shield-shaped crustacean up to 1/2 inch in
diameter
>> Argulus
feed by injecting digestive enzymes into the tissue using a
pre-oral sting and suck out the liquefied body matter with
their proboscis-like mouth
>>
this feeding activity irritates the fish greatly and can
result in localized inflammation of the skin, primarily
because of the piercing action of the sting
>>
bacterial infection of irritated areas can arise and cause
even bigger problems for the koi
Symptoms:
>> presence of fish lice (argulus) on the skin that look like
dark spots at first glance; argulus is one of
the very few fish parasites visible to the naked eye
>> rubbing of body against rocks and pond surfaces
in the early stages; lethargy in later stages
>> can be fatal if gills are infected
Remedies:
>> for very mild presence in isolated koi, the
lice may be manually removed by carefully scraping it off
with a cotton bud
>>
also for mild infections, subjecting the koi to a strong
salt bath for about 10 minutes may also cause the lice to
remove its grip on the koi and eventually die in the salt
bath, but extreme care must be taken to ensure that the koi
can survive the salt concentration used
>> fish lice can be eradicated with repeated
treatments with organophosphates such as Masoten at 10-day
intervals
>>
some experts also recommend Dimilin |