DO WE OR DON’T WE QUARANTINE....?

This has always been a controversial topic among Koi keepers as to how serious quarantining is.

Here are some DO’S and DONT’S , you make up your own mind....!

1) Do have a quarantine facility ready for your new arrivals, the bigger the better.

2) Do regular water changes.

3) Do test for ammonia and nitrites regularly.

4) Do take scrapes if possible to ensure proper treatments for parasites.

5) Do have appropriate aeration

6) Do monitor your new Koi’s behavior.

7) Don’t use chemicals on new arrivals until they have settled in.

8) Don’t quarantine fish alone, they are social creatures and need company.

9) Don’t subject your new Koi to fluctuating temperatures.

Koi is affected by stress, much like us human beings, which can result in all kinds of diseases and viruses. By netting, placing them into bags and transporting them are all stressful situations for them.

When we buy new Koi from reputable Koi dealers, the Koi should be parasite free and healthy, but due to the stress, the fish are affected and so are their immune systems, making them susceptible to all kinds of "nasties".

Even if your new fish are bought parasite free and declared "clean" a week or so later, your fish could appear sick and full of parasites due to the stress or low immunity.

WHY DO SOME HOBBYISTS NOT QUARANTINE?

1) They loose fish during quarantine or;

2) They don’t have a quarantine facility or otherwise don’t have the space for one.

We believe in QUARANTINE all the way. In view of the threat of KHV, you have to.

If you do not have one, we can supply one for as little as R 450.00 (click here)

It is just not worth losing all your Koi that you have had for years, due to two new fish you have just added to your pond that is riddled with parasites and bacteria.

Especially in view of the KHV (herpes) virus which can kill all your fish overnight, you can not take chances. There were quite a few recent KHV outbreaks in South Africa and it is a reality also in our country, contrary to popular belief. There is no treatment available, and you can not diagnose KHV with a microscope as with parasites. It can only be diagnosed in Germany properly, although there is a facility in Durban who can test your fish and diagnose KHV with adequate certainty. It requires at least 18 degrees celcius to show its colours, and therefore the temperature of your  quarantine facility should be at least 18 degrees celcius. The ideal way to trigger KHV is to take your temperature slowly to 23 degrees and maintain it for a few days. Thereafter bring it slowly back again to approximately 16 degrees and take it up to at least 26 degrees. Do not take it to above 28 degrees as this might kill the KHV but the fish might still be a carrier of the virus.

Even if you know that the dealer has quarantined the fish properly and tested for KHV, it is still necessary to quarantine . The fish have to have time to gradually settle in at their new home, and they must gradually get use to new bacteria that they are going be exposed to, being the type of bacteria carried by you own fish. If any parasites took advantage of the period in which the fish was stressed due to traveling, they must be dealt with before you introduce them to your existing fish.

WHAT IS REQUIRED FROM A GOOD QUARANTINE FACILITY?

One must ensure that the environment for quarantining is good. The following are some guidelines:

1) have an adequate sized quarantine pond, which is covered with a net to prevent the fish from jumping out (they tend to jump during the first few days).

2) filtration, although some hobbyists feel that the turbulence of the water might stress them further. If you are going to quarantine for only a short period, you can do away with a bio filter provided that you do regular water changes of at least 10% per day. Some hobbyists create a constant drip of water into the quarantine pond which will be equal to a 10% water change per day. In this way, you do not have to worry about the chlorine in the municipal water if you do not have a borehole. Although a bio filter is not crucial provide that you do regular water changes, you must at least have a submersible pump that will turn over the water every hour. Stagnant water is very bad for Koi and you need oxygen in the water.

3) a well-aerated pond; Most submersible pumps have a venturi which will be sufficient. Another option is to add an air compressor and air stone to the water or connect one to your submersible pump.

4) correct temperature, a bit higher than your main pond to force any possible parasite or bacterial outbreaks; (at least 19 degrees celsius) Because a normal quarantine pond is normally much smaller, the temperature in the summer will automatically be higher. In the winter, you should add a heater. The costs of a heater is minimal at approximately R 60.00 for a 300 watt aquarium heater.

We feel that a kids size porta pool that hold approximately 1000 liters of water is sufficient.

Some hobbyists quarantine their new Koi for four weeks. However, you should look at various factors when deciding how long. Factors to be taken into account are the temperature, the season, whether you bought from a reputable dealer, do you have the peace of mind that the fish are parasite free and the amount of risk that you are prepared to take.

One must also always remember that during the quarantine period......

Do not over medicate;

Always monitor the behavior of your Koi carefully. If you suspect any health problems, extend the quarantine period.

Check that your filtration system is working correctly if you use one;

Test your water regularly for Ammonia, ph and especially Nitrites, as the Nitrites often tend to increase rapidly due to a lack of a proper filtration system.

Do not unnecessarily handle or disturb your fish in quarantine, they are there to adjust, relax and recuperate;

It is advisable not to feed your fish for at least the first two days in quarantine, to allow them to settle in. Thereafter, feed once a day and limit the food.

Watch for the fish rubbing against the sides, this could be an indication of the fluke parasite, also for any sores that appear or red markings.

If all goes well, you can safely move your Koi to the main pond within four weeks, although some hobbyists successfully transfer their new arrivals to the main pond after 10 days if KHV is not an issue. It depends on the chance you are prepared to take.

You should always have a quarantine pond available, not only for new fish, but also for existing fish. A quarantine pond is quite valuable for treating individual fish that have injured themselves or that have become ill. It is better to remove these fish and treat them individually than to treat the whole pond.

We believe that it is a good idea to keep "feeder fish or tester fish" in a quarantine pond, as Koi does not like to be alone. This also serves to keep the new fish calm and secure in their new environment as well as keeping the biological filter active.

If you don’t have a quarantine tank, it does not mean that you cannot buy Koi.  The risk will only be greater, and are you prepared to take that chance?

A word of advice,,,,, try to invest in a microscope, whereby you can take a scraping should you suspect that your fish is carrying parasites. 

HOW TO QUARANTINE NEW FISH

1) Once the fish have arrived to its new home, float the bag in the quarantine pond for about 10 minutes for the fish to adjust to the new water temperature. Most people say 30 minutes, but we believe it is not advisable to put the fish through another 20 minutes of stress inside a bag full of Ammonia. After all, the fish must get used to various other water conditions conditions for example possible Chlorine, PH, etc. If the temperature of the water in the bag and the water in the quarantine pond is the same, release the fish immediately.

2) Open the bag and gently with your hands or a net and release the fish into the water. Do not allow the water from the bag to flow into the quarantine pond, as this may be infected and will contain ammonia.

3) Float something large on the pond or net the top. This is to prevent the fish from jumping out. After a week or so, it should be safe enough to take it off, but rather keep it on.

4) Try not to feed your fish for two days to allow them to adjust to their new surroundings. Thereafter, limit food intake during the whole quarantine period.

5) On the 2^nd day you can treat the pond with salt (5 kg per 1000 liters added over a period of two days) and potassium permanganate at 2g/1000 liters.

6) Do a 10% water change every two days from water in your main pond to limit any ammonia or nitrite build up and to enable the fish to get used to the new water, and to introduce them to bacteria present in the main (target) pond. It can be mixed with tap water, provided that you use anti Chlorine to get rid of the Chlorine contents in the Municipal water. If you use a borehole, obviously the chlorine is no problem. Add salt every three days to substitute the salt that were flushed away during water changes.

7) Test the water regularly for ammonia, nitrite and ph levels, but especially nitrites.

8) Make sure you have enough aeration, especially when using potassium or other medication.

9) After the quarantine period,  take a scraping if you have a microscope, and if there are no parasites and the fish looks happy, place them in the main pond, ensuring that the temperature of the quarantine facility and the main pond is the same. If there are more than 4 new arrivals, introduce only four at a time over a period of a few days to enable your main pond's filter system to adjust to the new load.

10) Limit feeding in the main pond for a day or two.

11) Increase the level of salt in your main pond and observe the new arrivals and the fish in your main pond carefully for a few days. If any of the new arrivals look unhealthy after a day or two, put them back into the quarantine facility immediately.

QUARANTINING PLANTS

Not only can new fish carry bacteria and parasites on them, but so can new water plants you introduce to your pond. We therefore encourage you to always quarantine your new water plants. By using potassium permanganate you can ensure that most parasites/nasty bacteria will be killed.

Dip your new plants into a bucket with Potassium Permanganate (1 g per 50 liters) or Dipterex (1 g per 50 liters) and leave for at least 2 hrs in the water before adding them to your pond.

Do not quarantine the plants in water with a high salt content. (No more than 1% concentration)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR QUARANTINING

1) water from your pond

2) small filter and pump

3) small air stone

4) net to cover the pond

5) salt and potassium permanganate

6) a test kit to test for salt content, ammonia, nitrate and ph.

7) most of all..... a pond, which can be a kiddies porta pool.

HOW MUCH SALT DO I ADD TO MY QUARANTINE TANK?

After about a day you can add salt. For about 1000 liters of water you should add 3kg - 5 kg of salt (non iodised). You can divide the total amount by three, adding 1/3 the first day, 1/3 the second day and so on. This is to ensure that the fish adjust more gradually to the salt content.

PLEASE REMEMBER.....

When buying Koi, learn to know whom you are buying from. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Are the fish clear of parasites and why do they say so? Did they quarantine? Were the fish in their possession for at least four weeks?, have they been tested?, Were there any recent problems in their pond/s? Does the fish in their ponds look healthy, do their water smell, is their medication in their water and why? etc.

We hope that we have covered most of the information you require on quarantining.

If you have  more questions regarding this very important topic, feel free to E Mail us with your queries and we will gladly post it on our site or forum for response by other Koi keepers including ourselves.

HOE LANK MOET EK KWARANTYN?

Ek glo dat daar nie regtig ‘n vaste tydperk gekoppel kan word aan ‘n kwarantyn tydperk nie, aangesien daar soveel faktore is wat ‘n rol speel. Drie maande soos deur Pieter aanbeveel is ‘n baie lang tydperk, maar soms wel nodig.

1. KHV: Die heel belangrikste aspek om te oorweeg met bepaling van die tydperk, is om te bepaal of KHV dalk teenwoordig kan wees. Dit sal afhang van of die nuwe aankomeling getoets is vir KHV en of die handelaar reeds behoorlik gekwarantyn het vir teenwoordigheid van KHV met gepaardgaande manipulasie van temperatuur om KHV bloot te lê indien teenwoordig. Die bron van die nuwe aankomelinge speel ‘n geweldige groot rol by die tydperk wat nodig word. Indien onseker, behoort die kwarantyn tydperk ten minste 8 weke te duur met behoorlike inagneming van die ondergenoemde faktore.

2. Temperatuur: Die meeste parasiete, bakterie en virusse is betreklik onaktief terwyl die water temperatuuir baie laag is. KHV sal byvoorbeeld eers sy kleure wys wanneer ‘n temperatuur van ten minste 18 grade Celsius bereik is. Indien visse gekwarantyn word tydens die wintermaande, behoort hulle tot ten minste ‘n maand na die aanbreek van somer gekwarantyn te word. Die "nasties" gaan eers hulle klere wys nadat dit warm genoeg is. Indien elektriese verhitting gebruik word, beinvloed dit natuurlik die beginsel en ook of die kwarantynfasiliteit binne of buite geleë is.

3. Immuniteit: Die immuniteit van die visse speel ook ‘n baie belangrike rol, wat direk saamhang met die temperatuur van die water en die tyd van die jaar. Aan die einde van die somer is die vis se immuniteit op sy beste en tydens winter weer op sy laagste. Tydens lente, al is dit al redelik warm, het die vis se immuniteit nog nie kans gehad om op te bou nie. Dit neem ten minste ‘n maand van redelik warm weer alvorens die vis se immuniteit weer in volle swang is en kom nie eensklaps terug nie. Dus is dit altyd beter om nuwe visse in die somer by te voeg. Die aanbevole kwarentyn period is drasties laer, en visse kan selfs met redelike veiligheid binne 10 dae bygevoeg word, met dien verstande daar is geen ander faktore teenwoordig is wat ‘n langer tydperk verg nie.

4. Risiko analise: Die tydperk benodig hang baie nou saam met die risiko wat jy as Koi entoesias bereid is om te neem, en dit kan nie bepaal word deur enige buitestaander nie. Daar is altyd ‘n risiko dat jy vis kan verloor weens die aanvulling van nuwe vis, selfs nadat jy vir tot drie maande gekwarantyn het. Die vraag is, hoeveel risiko is JY bereid om te neem met inagnemeing van jou finansiële vermoë. Kan jy bekostig om van jou bestaande kolleksie te verloor. Indien jou antwoord zero risiko is, moet dan nooit nuwe vis byvoeg nie, maar dan kan jy ook nie regtig die stokperdtjie uitleef en geniet nie. Wat ook baie belangrik is, is wat die waarde van die vis in jou hoof dam is, want dit bepaal die mate van risiko wat jy kan bekostig.

5. Behandeling tydens die kwarantyn periode: Die tydperk benodig hang ook baie nou saam met die wyse waarop gekwarantyn word. Daar is baie entoesiaste wat hulle visse ‘n Potassium en sout bad gee by aankoms, dit herhaal twee dae later, ‘n skraping neem om te bepaal of daar enige pasrasiete teen woordig is, en indien nie, suksesvol die nuwe aankomelinge saam met hulle bestaande visse voeg. Twee baddens gaan die risikos baie verminder en die tydperk benodig om te kwarantyn verkort. Indien jy toegang het tot ‘n mikroskoop en skrapings neem vir parasiete gaan dit die risikos verminder en eweneens die tydperk en risiko verminder. Indien antibakteriële medikasie gebruik word of selfs soos sommige, ‘n antibiotiese behandeling toedien as voorsorgmaatreël, gaan dit die tydperk benodig verminder. Selfs die kwaliteit van die fasiliteit gaan ‘n rol speel, soos byvoorbeeld die effektiwiteit van die filter, hoeveelheid suurstof en in die algemeen, die kwaliteit van die water. Hier moet ook bepaal word of die teikendam se water gebruik is in jou kwarantynfasililiteit soos aanbeveel, en het jy een of twee van jou bestaande versameling se vis saam met die nuwe aankomelinge geplaas met ‘n daaropvolgende positiewe reaksie deur beide die huidige vis wat saamgevoeg is en nuwe aankomelinge.

6. Die reaksie van die visse tydens kwarantyn: Jy moet jouself die vraag afvra, het die visse positief op die kwarantyn tydperk gereageer. Indien daar enige tekens van probleme tydens kwarantyn was, behoort die tydperk drasties verleng te word.

7. Vertroue in jou handelaar: Buiten wat reeds genoem is ten opsigte van KHV, is vertroue in jou handelaar ook baie belangrik. Daar is handelaars wat visse verkoop ten spyte van die feit dat hulle bewus is van ‘n infeksie. Hulle doen dit want hulle kan nie bekostig om alle verkope te staak net omdat daar ‘n moontlikheid van ‘n bakteriële of virus infeksie onder hulle visse is nie. Hulle maak staat op volgehoue verkope om hul maandelikse verpligtinge na te kom. Vra jouself die vraag af, is jou handelaar dalk een van hulle. Hoe meer jy jou handelaar vertrou, hoe korter die aanbevole kwarantyn tydperk, maar meer belangrik, koop net van handelaars met ‘n goeie naam en reputasie. As daar enige twyfel is oor die toestand van hulle visse, bly weg. As daar ‘n geskiedenis van KHV of gesondheidsprobleme is, bly weg.

Die kruks van die saak is, daar is nie ‘n vasgestelde tydperk vir kwarantyn nie. Elkeen moet dit vir homself uitmaak hoe lank benodig word, met behoorlike inagnemning van die faktore hierbo genoem en die risiko wat jy bereid is om te neem.

HOW TO QUARANTINE NEW ARRIVALS FROM ABROAD, CLICK HERE

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