QUARANTINING

[kimr]

Hi

A couple of month's ago I bought what I thought was a beautiful looking Goskiki. Over the next few week's something was niggling at me and I have friend who come's round often and was forever putting her hand's in both pond's and using one of the small ponds net's in the Koi pond and it didn't matter how often I explained that you can't do that, it didn't seem to sink in. Then one day I was sitting chatting to another friend when it suddenly hit me. In the excitement of seeing the Goshiki I had forgotten a conversation I had had with dealer when I first went into the shop. He never quarantined and he thought KHV was banded about to make hobbiest's cough up more money. I must admit I went into melt down. Luckily the Goshiki was in the small pond but there had been cross contamination over the last few week's, I felt so sick. So I rang my dear friend Tommy 2 ponds and bless him he tried to calm me down and make me see sense and remember everything I had learned about KHV. But also advised me to get in contact with Duncn for the correct protacol. This I did straight away.

A quarantine was set up with a 50 gallon tank in the dinning room and we were off. I caught Chilli and a Chagoi who I had reared and in they went. I let them get use to being in the tank as Chilli (the Goshiki) was bouncing of off the side's bless it. So after a couple of day's with the water temp at 18 I started to increase the temp by 3 degree's a day until it reached 25 degree's. I held it at this temp for 3 day's then started to turn the temp back down again. I did this raising and dropping the temp on a 3 day cycle until the last rise in temp as it had to be held at 25 for 10 day's. During the last 10 day's we had a sudden hot spell and one morning I went into check on them and poor little mite's were at the top gasping as the water temp had reached a stonking 27, so I opened the window and brought in another air pump and was able to reduce the temp back with-in a couple of hour's. Thankfully after all they had been through they came out of it fine (thank goodness) and they have both improved in size and shape. But I would not want to go through the worry again of not knowing if the Koi I had just bought was safe. I do know better and I have no idea why I was so stupid, and if it hadn't been for my friend putting her hand's in both pond's and using one net in both pond's it might never of dawned on me, although I would like to think it would of. Both Koi are back in the small pond enjoying having all that space, and with-in 2 day's both were hand feeding again.

This has been a nasty experience and for a while I was concerned not for the new Koi so much but for all my other Koi. My friend has now learned that you do not cross comtaminate. But what a lesson to learn.

I can only thank Tommy for being there and for Duncan for his knowledge