Precautions for Anesthetizing Koi with Dettol and Key Points of Breeding Techniques

TreatmentKoiFor external injuries, holes, and rotten flesh, you have to take them out, wipe away the rotten flesh, then apply medicine. Since koi struggle quite vigorously and do not cooperate at all, and we fish lovers cannot bear to use force to restrain them, anesthesia is the only way. Here I still advise everyone to avoid using Dettol, Walch, and the like. The active ingredient in them is chloroxylenol. I have not researched this thing much, but I always feel it is not suitable for anesthetizing aquatic products, and the dosage is hard to control. Even eugenol and MS222 are hard to control, let alone this. For your precious fish that you talk about endlessly, it is better to hand them over to professionals. If that is really not possible, use a dedicated fish tranquilizer.

Alright, next I want to talk about a few small mistakes we easily make when doing it ourselves, which end up directly killing the fish. Of course we should still learn from and salute the experts, but most fish keepers are not experts. I will not discuss dosage here, but I personally feel it is better to use as little as possible.

1. Poor judgment of the state. Do not wait until the fish turns over before starting treatment. Do not think anesthesia means the fish is in a dead-fish state. These are preconceived wrong ideas. If it really reaches that state, the fish will almost certainly be gone. Generally, when you scoop the fish into the anesthesia basin, it gets startled. Wave your hand above the basin; if there is no reaction, it is about right. Then poke it with your finger; if it swims slowly instead of darting away quickly, it is ready.

2. Poor control of force. Do not worry about the fish struggling. For a normal carp over 30 cm, if you only pinch without hooking your fingers, it is impossible to secure it. If you pinch it and it cannot struggle free, that is good enough. It is best to use a towel as an aid. Once you decide to take it out of the basin, you must be accurate. Think in advance about where to grab it and which injured area to expose. Or directly grab the injured area, then hand it to the other hand holding the towel. Remember, only lift it out after you feel it is properly secured, do not drop it on the floor again. If it is a large fish that cannot be handled with one hand, call a helper in advance.

3. Poor control of time. Movements must be quick. Applying iodine, applying ointment, applying gentian violet, giving injections - prepare everything in advance. Cotton swabs should be dipped in the medicinal liquid beforehand, the ointment lid should be opened, and the syringe should be pre-filled with medicine. Once lifted out, finish it in one go. During this, also pay attention to observation. If you find breathing is very difficult and the fish mouth is barely opening and closing, stop immediately and put it into prepared clean water with strong aeration (though those already having difficulty opening and closing mostly cannot be saved).

4. Too many worries. If you are afraid of getting the house wet, afraid of getting yourself wet, afraid of dirtying your clothes, then do not do it at all.