burky0002, You know it's fish lice? Did you see indicators to lead you that way? Usually this time of year (coming out of winter/ water warming up) it is usually a fungal/ bacteria problem that attacks our fish before they can build up their defenses. I am presently fighting a bacterial /fungal thing in my 6,000 gallon pond with salt. The fish I was able to catch showed no nasties under the microscope and some fin rot. Whatever it turns out to be, best of luck treating it. LP Here is a link that might be useful: Fish Parasites 101

J, it seems you have a lot going on in your pond, with fish with tatter fins, koi with bumps/lumps, lost fish etc. Parasite treatments can be very expensive. The larger the volume of water, the more treatment product it is going to take. I use Interpet Parasite treatment, see it here, [http://pondusa.com/treat1.htm] in the Fall as a prophylactic treatment to combat any winter/spring invaders in the pond. It costs about $20.00 to treat 2000 US gallons, a bit more than that in Canada unfortunately!!! Good suggestion about checking the water parameters, i.e. nitrites, nitrogen, ammonia, pH, etc. Was your pond cleaned out last Fall or did you leave it full of leaves and other junk, that could be creating a problem now? Depending on what you find out, re,the fish and water condition, you may have to empty the whole pond and scrub down the sides, vacuum the silt etc, from off the bottom and start all over again, treating the new water with de-chlorinator. Check the link out below about parasites. Here is a link that might be useful: Parasites in the pond.

Thank You Skygee: Here is a great link by the way, explains a lot esp why meds don't work... now I used only non ama medicine on myself going way back - concept of balance, intestional floura, diet so on, and this site posts research that basically states the same. IE, the store bought betta with flex has been battling it for months now... Rule number one, I will never buy from this store again, (although I see the same stuff at other stores) as they are already infected and in spite of my thinking I could heal them, it is a losing battle. (there is much at this amazing site, after reading much on it, esp the types of bacteria and how it balances itself and different cycles - even the colonies at the surface of the water. http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/bactin.shtml (and why not to put infected fish although 'cured' back into community) Therefore won't put my gourami (parasites, treated and now several months later, same spot erupting again) will go by himself in tank that used to house albinos. (This site also had information on gourami cysts - described it exactly as mine had, never really are cured, parasite lives in liver and other organs, and crops up again (as mine has) ( due to their breeding in filth) (with guppy mom and three baby guppies) The breeders call them ticking time bombs. Not a nice way to treat fish, I'll say. Now with re to cories. No more losses. I put them in ten gallon with rocks (guarantine tank)(Rocks safe, I've had for decades solid granite) (filter and water from main safe tank and slowly over a few days added fresh. Checked all paramentors aok. No more scratching flashing...hmmmm. (reason why they had been put back in 20 long in first place) So something in that tank that is causing this??? In tank they came from: I noticed when there was only a few snails (pond) there was a lot of 'castings' - ie snail pooh. I think, looked like castings. A lot of mulm on floor. Can 2 -3 snails pooh that much? Could this have been causing nitrite/nitrate spike in gravel (which was reduced in amount, gravel that is) because I didn't cycle right? Ie bacteria would take care of snail pooh? Even before I put in fresh gravel and it was bare, I noticed a lot of these. Before the guppies, which I know pooh a lot, lol. Or since I had part sand, part small rounded gravel, could this have caused irritations. I had noticed it in their gills once in a while. That said they were recovering from septesemia (SP) (which due to this site I found I now better understand) My salt is very little. Per old fashion Dr. Innes... About 1/2 teasoon in 10 gallons. Up to 1 over a few days.... That's it (have done it before and they can handle a very low dose esp if done gradually)... Since I didn't want the gouramis/bettas spread out in extra tanks, I now have more tanks then intended and will not be buying any more fish, esp since the tanks at my local stores have dead and dying fish - all the time. Also at new one I went to for Annubias they had in stock, fish with the same columinaris, or water mold. Seems to be in a lot of stores, and guy at second store said they come in with it on them, yikes! (New World Aquarium, had some not for sale, beautiful white as white female bettas given to them by a local breeder. What a difference it makes. Like cream. There fish all healthy but mostly marine) What is sad but interesting, is that on another forum (vivarium) someone had posted an article where due to this species and it's variations, there is a mass die off of amphibians world wide. Within two weeks they are all dead. It is virulent. Due to logging and other inbalances in environment. This article also states that like in a hospital due to over treatment of antibiotics, esp in the fishing industry, these bacteria have become highly mutated and resistant. I knew this had occured in people but didn't realize it was so much used in fish. When younger all I used was salt. Fish rarely got sick even, just the one that jumped out occasionally. So, to conclude, not sure what is/did cause them to scratch in that tank. I have used same source of wood in 4 other tanks, with no problems... for over one year? (all wood from red wood forest, guy had it out in 'yard' for decades, solid root parts then I aged it for months but really didn't need it) They will stay in bare bottom tank, with rocks and annubias since they seem happy and well there. They are swimming wonderfully! I guess the cold snap started things off... but relieved all seems settled, and can stop fussing, lol. Best and thanks again, Sherry

I don't think that your questions are connected. Question No.1- I have a bit of the silt-like stuff floating especially near the plants. It makes the pond look quite dirty and yet when I pull it up with the plant (usually one of my oxygenators like canadian pondweed) it seems to disappear, and the plant then gets thrown back in. I don't know if yours is the same. Also in my shallow end of the pond I find that it settles and when you try to pull it out it all just floats into little specks again and can't be removed. I have found that it does disappear in time or settles onto the bottom of the pond. There is nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't get too thick on the bottom. I now use my net to try to get the silt-like stuff away from the plants. As I pull it out I realise that it is changing into the slimy algae. When it does this it can be removed easily. The stringy blanketweed around the liner is often used by the fish for food. All my tadpoles are living in it at the moment so I don't take it out unless I check it all first, but it is easy to remove. Take out any that you don't want. Eventually most of it should disappear anyway. As to your second question about the fish being at the bottom and not eating much. Mine are the same at the moment. I think it has a lot to do with the weather and the temperature of the water. Last week they were up all week and in the shallows but this week when it has got a bit cooler they are back to staying in the deepend and not eating. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Another thought which might make you worry is that a preditor has been by, maybe a heron has flown on over and scared them. If so you are lucky to still have your fish but it is something that we all worry about. Alison Here is a link that might be useful: Visit Alisons website