Internal Parasites in Fish

Internal Parasites in koi and pond fish

All living creatures, including koi and pond fish can have parasites. Parasites are a natural occurrence, not really an illness. They become a concern in our koi and pond fish when the health of the koi and pond fish begins to suffer. Parasites can be eliminated or at least controlled by following a few simple steps.

There are some obvious symptoms of parasite infestations in our koi fish. koi and pond fish that are overloaded with parasites will often appear listless. They may exhibit loss of weight even if they are eating a normal amount of food.

The most common internal parasite in koi and goldfish is the tape worm. Tape worms are long, fine, white, ribbon-like worms that can be found tangled in the intestines of the fish. If a koi or pond fish fish becomes heavily infected, it will lose condition and could very likely suffer intestinal blockage.

As with many goldfish/koi ailments, prevention is often the best defense. Quarantining new arrivals and observing them closely before releasing them into your established koi or fish pond is one of the most valuable steps. One should avoid overstocking and crowding in the koi pond. Keep the water parameters perfect by providing clean water with no rotting food or plants. Avoid extreme temperature swings. Limit feeding live foods as they can introduce internal parasites into your system. And know your fish’s behavior.

Even with all these preventative measures, there will be times when one will need to treat the koi and pond fish fish for internal parasites. Our product AquaPraziTM is a very effective treatment for tape worms. Plus, it treats gill and body flukes.