Potassium Permanganate Treatment for Koi

Potassium permanganate can be added to koi environments regularly to prevent or cure parasite infections and kill existing algae blooms and prevent new ones. Care should be taken in order to prevent accident overdoses, which can be lethal to the fish.

  1. Parasites

    • Potassium permanganate is very effective in killing parasites that commonly plague koi fish. It should be added to the water whenever the fish exhibit symptoms of parasite infection such as lethargy and loss of appetite.

    Algae

    • Potassium permanganate also does a great job of killing both free-floating (planktonic) algae and filamentous or blanket weed algae, the two most common forms of algae that plague koi keepers. By treating ponds with the correct maintenance dosage regularly, algae will be inhibited from growing.

    Dosage

    • Potassium permanganate can be toxic to the fish, causing gill burn, if not dosed properly. The correct volume of water must be calculated and the dosage will be calculated at 2 ppm (parts per million) This is equivalent to 8 grams of potassium permanganate per 1,000 gallons of water. Dosing should occur every two weeks during warmer months and less during colder months

    Consideration

    • It is important to disable the biological filter when dosing in order to prevent killing beneficial bacteria.

    Suportive Care

    • Make sure there is sufficient air being pumped into the system to reduce the amount of stress on the fish and to assist in the distribution of potassium permanganate.