UPDATE- Here is what she emailed me today. I will be taking her a water sample asap.
We�re still waiting from some test results but this is what we know so far:
- monogenean (parasites) infestation on gills but within what we consider normal for fish living in a pond
- gills had hyperplasia (were swollen)
- liver of the largest fish was pale, suggesting a systemic disease
We isolated a bacteria culture from that liver. We haven�t confirmed the bacterial species yet but we should have the results soon.
Overall, based on what we know so far and in my opinion, I�m leaning towards a water quality issue that is making the fish susceptible to a bacterial infection. I believe the bacteria we have is a species of Aeromonas, a typical opportunistic pathogen that doesn�t cause problems when fish are maintain in good conditions. It is unusual for this time of the year, too cold, but�. that�s what I can tell you for now.
We forgot to ask you for a water sample. If you don�t mind to stop by again and bring us ~ 1 L of water, we can check it for you.
I�ll let you know the definitive diagnosis before the weekend.
