I have a koi that behaves perfectly normal and eats fine, swims fine etc. But I noticed him coughing this afternoon. Almost like one of his teeth that he was trying to disguard has got stuck.
He's a big koi so I can't think of anything that he may have swallowed that is stuck and the fact that he's eating fine and not spitting out pellets is confusing me.
I plan to sedate him tomorrow and I need to treat a small mouth cut that he obtained in spawning last week.
While sedated I will check with a torch as far down his throat as I can to ensure nothing is wedged down there.
Anything else you can think of that I should check or what it might be?.
koi coughing / choking
Moderators: B.Scott, vippymini, Gazza, Manky Sanke
Re: koi coughing / choking
hi they do this for a couple of reasons, one being as you say a tooth is irritating them maybe its loose . the other is debris stuck on the gill rakers they are trying to clear it
either way you can check this when you sedate it
dunc
either way you can check this when you sedate it
dunc
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Gazza
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Re: koi coughing / choking
Hi Stu,
How often does the fish do this and is it only after eating
How often does the fish do this and is it only after eating
Re: koi coughing / choking
Hi Gazza, he's been doing it for a few days now, pretty much constantly.
I sedated today as I needed to treat a cut to the mouth he picked up during spawning. I checked inside the mouth but at almost 70cm I could put my finger all the way in and not feel anything unusual (although I wouldn't really know what is usual about a kois mouth as I've never put my finger inside one all the way before).
I used a torch to see the back of the koi's throat but nothing stuck out.
I also lifted the gill plates slightly to see if I could see anything trapped, they were a nice red colour but nothing seems to be stuck in them.
The koi is eating very well and always up for food. Never spits it out or sulks so not really sure what else to try. All other koi are fine with none of them showing the same symptoms.
I'm uploading a video to your tube of post spawn treatment so once it's up I'll post the link so you can see.
I sedated today as I needed to treat a cut to the mouth he picked up during spawning. I checked inside the mouth but at almost 70cm I could put my finger all the way in and not feel anything unusual (although I wouldn't really know what is usual about a kois mouth as I've never put my finger inside one all the way before).
I used a torch to see the back of the koi's throat but nothing stuck out.
I also lifted the gill plates slightly to see if I could see anything trapped, they were a nice red colour but nothing seems to be stuck in them.
The koi is eating very well and always up for food. Never spits it out or sulks so not really sure what else to try. All other koi are fine with none of them showing the same symptoms.
I'm uploading a video to your tube of post spawn treatment so once it's up I'll post the link so you can see.
Re: koi coughing / choking
hi
the gill rakers are not the nice red bits they are white spikes/guides on the white gill rach, these act like spray rails on a fast speed boat to deflect ( in the case of a speed boat) water where you want it. in the case of a koi it acts to deflect debris away from the nice ruby red bits so you are looking for debris/crap ahead of the gill lamellae
dunc
the gill rakers are not the nice red bits they are white spikes/guides on the white gill rach, these act like spray rails on a fast speed boat to deflect ( in the case of a speed boat) water where you want it. in the case of a koi it acts to deflect debris away from the nice ruby red bits so you are looking for debris/crap ahead of the gill lamellae
dunc