NT Labs

All ponds will contain billions of minute bacteria. There are the helpful species that breakdown the toxic fish waste in the biological filter system, and convert it into nitrate, which is then taken up by the plants. However, there are also other bacteria that live in the pond that are opportunistic invaders of stressed and wounded fish. These bacteria, including the species Pseudomonas and Aeromonas will infect any cut or abrasion of the surface of the fish, and can also invade the host across the gut wall during gastrointestinal problems.

Acriflavin when added to the pond will reduce the numbers of these opportunistic bacteria in the pond, thus lowering not only the chance of infection, but also the intensity of disease in already infected ponds.

Add 10 ml of Acriflavin to every 80 gallons (363 L) of pond water.

Acriflavin is ideal to use in hospital or quarantine tanks, but it is unwise to constantly add the treatment to the pond when the fish are healthy. This is because a background level of bacteria is essential for healthy fish to maintain their immune system.

External parasites such as Ichthyopthirius (White spot), Trichodina, Costia, Chilodonella, and Epistylis are frequent troublemakers in the fishpond. They live in the mucous layer of the fish and cause intense irritation as they graze on the skin cells. Infection can be recognised as the fish secrete excess mucus, thus giving them a grey slimy appearance. In White spot infection, as the name suggests, the parasite forms small white spots that resemble table salt crystals over the surface of the fish..

All these parasitoses cause intense irritation to the fish causing them to scratch against sedentary objects in the pond, flick and thrash around and even jump out of the water, as they attempt to scratch the irritation.

To treat these parasitic complaints use 10 ml of Malachite Green for every 176 UK gallons of (800 L) of pond water.

The best treatment for the diseases described above is Malachite Green used in conjunction with Formaldehyde, which enhances the effect of the Malachite Green. Use 10 ml to every 352 gallons (1600 L) of pond water when used with formaldehyde.

Malachite Green is also an excellent anti-fungal treatment for diseases such as Saprolegnia. This fungus commonly infects wounds and ulcers on the surface of the fish. It resembles cotton wool like outgrowths from the infected area. However, microscope diagnosis is extremely important as the infection appears very similar to Flexibacter infection. As this is a bacterial disease, an anti-fungal treatment will only aggravate the disease.

Add 10 ml of Malachite Green to every 176 gallons (800L) of pond water to treat fungal diseases.

Two researchers called Leteux and Meyer were the first to publish the fact that the anti-parasitic activity of Malachite green could be enhanced through using it in conjunction with Formaldehyde. When parasite infections such as Ichthyopthirius (White spot), Trichodina, Costia, Chilodonella, and Epistylis are suspected the best treatment is a mixture of Malachite Green and Formaldehyde.

Add 10 ml of Malachite Green, to every 352 gallons (1600 L) of pond water and 10 ml Formaldehyde to every 150 gallons (681 L). A pre-prepared mixture of Formaldehyde and Malachite Green called F.M.G Mixture is now available in the Koi Care range. This is a strong one shot treatment, and is thus not suitable for use with those systems that contain sensitive species such as Orfe, Sterlet, Rudd or Tench.

Some external parasites such as the flukes Gyrodactylus and Dactylogyrus are best controlled using Formaldehyde alone. When these parasites are suspected apply Formaldehyde at 10ml per 150 gallons (681 L) of pond water.

Malachite green and Formaldehyde are the best treatment for common external parasitic infections.

Instead of using these two medications separately, and worrying over incorrect dosing and five day treatment courses etc, why not use F.M.G MIXTURE. This is a strong mixture of the two anti-parasite agents that is applied to the pond or treatment tank once only. The treatment lasts the full 5 days required to kill all free swimming and emergent ecto-parasites.

Due to the strength of the treatment it only needs to be applied once. However this means it is dangerous to use in ponds containing sensitive fish such as Sterlet, Tench, Rudd or Orfe. For these species use New wave Eradick, which is a weaker treatment, and must be applied daily for 5 days.