Simply Koi and More Koi

Hi Guys,

This is just a question as i was just wondering today about the gills on fish as they are so small and fragile and i was wondering how good they can regenerate and if they can ever grow back to a normal state if damaged or if it will always inpare the fish

Gazz

Have heard in the past damaged gills cant repair, will wait to see what others have to say.

On the subject of gills, I once brought up on another forum the need to inspect gills when purchasing a fish, not easy unless you sedate the fish I know and equally understand dealer wont be happy in doing this, but, wonder how many fish have damaged gills when bought, just not checked for it?

Regards

Kev

Hi Gazz and Kev;

I have also heard that gills don't repair and from my experience this seem true having seen and followed up a couple of fish with severe gill flukes. Three moths after the treatment for flukes the gills were scared with no sign of regrowth.

Peter

Hi Gazza

I don't know if this will help, but I have a large goldfish who was born with a very badly deformed gill plate which left the gill totally exposed, This fish has continued to thrive and has reproduced many times and lives the same life as the other's.

But on the other hand I had a Koi when I first got into keeping Koi who wouldn't grow. Eventually I managed to see that it's mouth was totally deformed as were the gill plates. I managed to find a small enough pellet for it to manage and it began to grow, which in turn caused the gill plates to wear away the gill fillaments. He was still managing to survive, then one day I pp'd the pond, he was out of the pond before the pp had even had time to start to work. No other Koi was affected by the treatment except this poor thing, so all I could think was that the pp had burned his gills. The damage done by the gill plates was immense, and until the pp he was doing ok