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.
What type of feed are you giving them? Is it free of mold? Old? What is the protein/fat ratio. Carbohydrate percentage?
