I have pretty much exhausted everything I can think of except medicated food, so here are the details and I hope someone from the outside may pick up something that will work.

I have a fully cycled 135L tank with two Panda Moors in. It has two external filters, one of which is also attached to a UV sterilizer. The smaller of my Pandas has only been with me for 3 months and I have had problems from nearly the start.

Water readings:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = always between 5 and 10
Ph = between 7.4 and 7.8

Symptoms:
She either floats, lies on the bottom, or lately floats upside down.
She eats well.
She seems lethargic.
She seems to be developing a curved spine, and swims more in the direction of the curve.
She either has long stringy poos, or none at all.
Sometimes she passes huge bubbles alone, and sometimes in her poo.
She has also started swimming with her head further down.

What I have done:
Tried various food, and kept a diary, and there doesn't seem to be a correlation except with one.
Increased the temperature slightly (It had a marked positive effect for a short while).
Fed a pea before every meal.
Removed all dried food for a while giving only homemade gel food.
Put Epsom salts into her food when it was bad.
Tried a flake soaked in Glycerine.
Epsom salt bath.
Fewer and then more frequent water changes.
Fasting her for a day or two, then feeding with a pea.
Used Droncit to deworm and defluke.

Conclusion:
When do I have infinitive proof that this is an infection to treat with medicated food?
My other fish with her is perfect.

I have read the article on Swimbladder problems on here, which I found very interesting, and I have tried everything on there. She seems in pain, and it is stressing me out. Any advice would be so thankfully received.

Frances,

I've forwarded this exact text to James at my work (the guy who rears Koi) to see if he can help. Thanks for the detail. Poor, poor Ziggi, she will get better, I just know it. x

Thanks, Rachel, I am so desperate for her. She seems in pain, like us when we buckle over from stomach ache, and yet still she is happy to see me!

Poor thing. Could you post a photo?

Hi Cathie,
It is very difficult to get the view of her curved spine because whenever I get close to take I picture she straightens in her excitement to see me. She is currently hiding under an anubias plant with her fins down. I can post a picture of what she looks like?

Hi Frances, sorry to hear about Ziggi. I know you've tried everything you can. If the poo is still stringy after deworming her and giving her some time to clear any infection by herself, then perhaps it is an infection in the gut/swimmbladder that requires medication? I can understand your reluctance to administer meds though without any proof it is infection. Hopefully someone with more experience of this will be able to help soon. x

Give any photo you can a go, sadly I don't suppose it will result in an eureka moment, just covering all bases. Good sign that she can still straighten.

Hi Miss P,
It is so stressful, and I feel so helpless and stupid! I just want to help her and I am not sure what to do.

Quote:

This is exactly what James has suggested it could be. He then suggested about taking Ziggi to a vet for an injection. There is also an operation to correct swimming in fish suffering with long-term swimbladder trouble, and that is to have quartz stones implanted - this is also mentioned in the Hess book.

James has also advised that you try contacting some Koi dealers for advice, as they are much more clued up about disease treatment and remedies, as they are almost ideantical in Koi and goldfish.

He has given me the contact details for someone he deals with in Yorkshire called Kitsu Koi, see: http://www.kitsukoi.co.uk/

The guy is called Chris and their contact number is 01142 878666. He says to drop them an email with the detailed post to: sales@kitsukoi.co.uk to see if they can help at all.

Sorry I can't be of any more help Frances, but hopefully you can obtain some further information from other people on here.

Good luck x

Thanks, Rachel, that is a lot of help.
Cathie, I have a photo but I don't seem to be able to upload it. Or at least it uploads but won't attach.