Help koi has something wrong with tail!

Ok this koi is the baby of the first koi I ever owned, who died this summer after bobbing around for a couple of months after being zapped by lighting. My daughter is holds me accountable for any misfortunes. Well this guy was pretty small when it started getting cold outside so we brought him into the house to spend the winter indoors this year. He's been doing great and I'm hoping he doesn't get to big before spring and I can move him back to the pond!
I noticed about a week ago my koi had a little, I'd say blood tinged at the base of part of his tail. Just before this I had a problem with the little white worms (plainariam something) but it was because I was over feeding. I just quit feeding so much and did a couple of partial water changes filtering the gravel more. There is a guarmie who is smaller than my koi but has been a bit aggresive too. The tinged spot has gotten a bit bigger and is puffier. It almost looks like a blister once some of the fluid has reabsorbed leaving loose skin with some fluid. I took some pictures (not the best) so I will try to post them.
I've had tanks for over 20 yrs and don't constantly check all the ph and nitrate and all that other stuff. My tanks have always been crystal clear and healthy with rare water influence from me. Only accidental deaths by human mistakes. I still have my first fish in there. I have a couple of the test to check some things and have had my water tested before and all levels have been right where they needed to be. Ive never had to do major maintence things and that's why they have been healthy and I like it that way. So please don't drill me with all the scientifics that will cost me an arm and leg just to answer your question. But then again I really don't want him to get worse. So any suggestions would be truely appreciated. Thank you.

Red Spot disease?

90% of fish diseases are dependent on poor water quality.......Sounds like a bacterial infection with a lesion..........Without drilling you any further may be you can figure out what you need to do.

Partial Water Change. That will help in the healing process. Dano hit it right with his suggestion of bacterial. If it is external, it is either bacteria (most likely) or fungal (not so likely). Most external parasitic infections are pretty visible like ich (little white spots), but this doesn't sound parasitic. I would do your water change first and then head to the nearest fish store to look for antibacterial medication. Most of them are not super expensive and do the job. PetSmart or PetCo would carry these as would most local stores. The boxes usually have pictures of the disease, so sometimes you can pinpoint it that way. I know the API brand meds use pictures of what they will treat. Follow the instructions to a "t" and you should be fine. Just make sure you get that water freshened up first. It's like cleaning a human wound before treatment. It is much better to get it clean before putting stuff on the wound.

Hope this helps!

You say he's inside right now, is he by himself? If he is by himself you can treat him with salt. Just go buy non-iodized salt from the market. No need to buy aquarium salt! Koi and goldfish can handle LOADS of salt in the water and it will kill most anything that will make them sick. I used to add 3 cups of salt to my 60gallon to treat bacterial infections any paracites. I added half a cup for every 10 gallons. That's A LOT! So to start with I would add 1/4 cup for every ten gallons, add half the 1/4 cup per gallon in the morning and half in the afternoon. If the tank is bigger then ten gallons add a 1/4 cup everyday until you have 1/4 for every ten gallons.

As long as he's not on the brink of death already THIS WILL WORK!

SALT KILLS!! If used in excess and administered suddenly, it is as deadly as CHLOROX.

Research "osmoregulation and osmotic shock"....Get some science before you run your mouth.....................Sorry, but this is serious and not an experience thing.....Because grand dad did it don't make it right........................Take a Yellow Tang and drop it into fresh water and watch what happens.........................

Salt should be thought of as a medication for fresh water fish and used with wisdom and great caution.......Salt has to be diluted out of fresh water as no means of filtration or chemical additives will remove it........

I was able to post some pictures under my user name in album. Not the greatest picks but he doesnt hold still he just tries to look at me. Im not sure where else to put them.

Catch it and hold it firmly and put some regular mercurochrome from the drug store on the red spot with a q-tip.....Be careful and gentle.....Don't get any in the eyes or gills.

dano wrote:

SALT KILLS!! If used in excess and administered suddenly, it is as deadly as CHLOROX.

Research "osmoregulation and osmotic shock"....Get some science before you run your mouth.....................Sorry, but this is serious and not an experience thing.....Because grand dad did it don't make it right........................Take a Yellow Tang and drop it into fresh water and watch what happens.........................

Salt should be thought of as a medication for fresh water fish and used with wisdom and great caution.......Salt has to be diluted out of fresh water as no means of filtration or chemical additives will remove it........

I did the salt thing that chickenfoot suggested and my fish is absolutely 100% better. I do agree to be careful. I started with less salt and I also treated with antibiotics. Maybe we should be a little kinder with our responses so as to not scare off the new people.

Rachael0805 wrote:

Maybe we should be a little kinder with our responses so as to not scare off the new people.

Sorry.................I wasn't referring to suzannaonspruce and I don't think I scared her. Hopefully I warned her away from this salt cures all mentality...............Rachael0805 and chickenfoot87 may have caused suzannaonspruce to add salt needlessly to her tank (cup fulls at a time) We as a reasonably educated group of people need to absorb new thinking and get away from the "it didn't kill little Billy so it won't kill little Suzie" attitude.

This is what I was referring to........You say he's inside right now, is he by himself? If he is by himself you can treat him with salt. Just go buy non-iodized salt from the market. No need to buy aquarium salt! Koi and goldfish can handle LOADS of salt in the water and it will kill most anything that will make them sick. I used to add 3 cups of salt to my 60gallon to treat bacterial infections any paracites. I added half a cup for every 10 gallons. That's A LOT! So to start with I would add 1/4 cup for every ten gallons, add half the 1/4 cup per gallon in the morning and half in the afternoon. If the tank is bigger then ten gallons add a 1/4 cup everyday until you have 1/4 for every ten gallons.

As long as he's not on the brink of death already THIS WILL WORK!

No I'm not scared! I've just been doing partial water changes! I have added salt before but have not ever been brave enough to actually add as much as the directions say! But I do believe the points made about salinety being needed. I am listening, don't know if anybody is able to see the pics I posted for a better idea! Its after 5 and been a weekend so I haven't had a chance to get anything that has been suggested. Thanks again for all your help!

Good Job on the partial water changes. That alone will help out. Keep us updated and let us know what treatment works so that others with a similar problem can look at this and find an answer!

Sorry if my suggestion bothered anybody. I figured I might get some people freaking out on me

I know this sound crazy to add that much salt, especially if you are used to cichlids and tropicals. I've been keeping goldfish and koi for long time and I am telling you with 100% confidence that the fish would be fine. I wouldn't suggest something that might hurt anyone's fish.

I literally kept my 60 gallon with 3 CUPS of salt in it at ALL TIMES with no problems...in fact it will completely heal any fish that is ill and prevented the others from getting sick. I bought 50 lb bags of salt from Costco and added salt at EVERY water change to keep the salinity high.

Never never ever put this much salt in with anything other than goldfish or koi!!!


PS
I'm not saying this is the only way to treat the fish either. If you dont want to treat with salt that's fine...You might heal it with antibiotics or other drugs. However, for goldfish and koi I have found nothing works better than salt. ESPECIALLY when you dont know what is hurting your fish! You can give them antibiotics but if its a parasite that wont help...same goes for an anti-parasitic. But salt kills everything! And I it will not hurt your fish.

dano wrote:

SALT KILLS!! If used in excess and administered suddenly, it is as deadly as CHLOROX.

Research "osmoregulation and osmotic shock"....Get some science before you run your mouth.....................Sorry, but this is serious and not an experience thing.....Because grand dad did it don't make it right........................Take a Yellow Tang and drop it into fresh water and watch what happens.........................

Salt should be thought of as a medication for fresh water fish and used with wisdom and great caution.......Salt has to be diluted out of fresh water as no means of filtration or chemical additives will remove it........

I'm not talking about a Yellow Tang I'm giving advice about koi.

Just to validate my point here is the website to the Midwest Pond and Koi Society: http://www.mpks.org/faq/ans16.shtml
There chart shows the ratio for salt in koi ponds, here is the formula.

Formula for Salt in Koi Ponds: 1.0 lb salt/100 gal This is the smallest amount they have on their chart. The amounts of salt on their chart goes as high as 2.5 lb/100 gal = 3.125 ppt

I recommended 1/4 cup for every ten gallons and said to add 1/8 cup at a time twice a day so as to acclimate the fish.

chikenfoot87....................suit thy self.