OVERVIEW OF POND ORGANIC HERBAL PREVENTATIVES AND TREATMENTS (NEW!)

Kordon organic herbal treatments based on naphthoquinones have been recently developed within the last decade for fish treatments.  In certain respects they have significant advantages over chemical treatments (see also the "Chemical Preventatives and Treatments" above on the Kordon home page, and the Article "Overview Of Chemical Preventatives and Treatments").  The Kordon organic herbal treatments should be considered on their merits as excellent disease preventatives and treatments for pond fish, including koi and goldfish. 

The main advantages for the Kordon organic herbal treatments are that:

• They are far less stressful than are chemical treatments on fishes, including not being a problem in use with scaleless fishes" (catfishes such as Corydoras, Asian clown loaches [Botia or Chromobotia], South American knife fishes, electric eels, small characins (tetras), and African elephant-nosed fishes (mormyrids), as well as not being a problem in use on other fresh and saltwater fishes.
• They are far less stressful on aquatic invertebrates than are chemical treatments and can serve as treatments for them   
• Providing that close observation of the fishes is made to be sure that the fish are not overstressed, they can be used in multiple doses per day when the infections are extreme or need to be treated for parasites with short life stages
• Providing that close observation of the fishes is made to be sure that the fish are not overstressed, increased individual dosages can be used
• Water changes are not normally needed between treatments, with only one water change recommended in normal use at the end of the treatments
• They are especially useful for new aquarium or pond set ups and quarantine conditions, because of their being less stressful than chemical treatments, while still being effective

There are three Kordon organic herbal products that are based on naphthoquinones with different combinations of herbal ingredients.  They are to treat fishes and aquatic invertebrates for external single-celled (protozoan and dinoflagellate) and external fungal infections.  Since they do not require water changes between uses, they save on water and the additives needed to treat the water. 

While all three Kordon organic herbal products are effective against single-celled infections and fungi -- Kordon's Pond Ich Attack is particularly recommended for treating protozoans and dinoflagellates, Kordon's Pond Rid-Fungus is particularly recommended for extensive fungal infections, and Kordon's Pond Prevent Ich is particularly recommended as a preventative and general treatment.

These Kordon organic herbal products do not sufficiently affect viruses, bacteria, and multi celled parasites (lice, mites, worms, flukes, etc.) to be of concern in this regard.  Other treatments will be needed for those infections (see the section above on the Kordon home page on "Chemical Preventatives and Treatments").

Use of any one of the Kordon organic herbal treatments is recommended for new aquarium and pond set ups and for quarantining new fish before introducing them to community aquariums or ponds.  Their advantages are significant for use in ponds with aquatic invertebrates, and to reduce the number of water changes needed while providing treatments.

All of the Kordon organic herbal treatments are compatible with each other and with all of Kordon's water conditioners, including the NovAquas, AmQuels, Fish Protector (and PolyAqua), EZ4U products, Start Right Water Conditioners, Tabs, ZymBacs, Tidy Tank, and Tidy Turtle.  Treatments can be interchanged between the Kordon organic herbal treatments and the Kordon chemical treatments on subsequent days without undue stress.  When chemical treatments are used, a water change should be made before another treatment is used. 

Regarding aquatic invertebrates (snails, shrimp, anemones, coral, crabs, etc.), the Kordon organic herbal treatments do not adversely affect them.  it should be noted that in some cases the corals and anemones will contract during treatment, but in repeated tests, the Kordon organic herbal treatments have not caused injury or deaths.  In a few cases where corals and anemones have died while a Kordon organic herbal treatment was used, replicating the conditions did not result in any injuries or deaths to corals and anemones.  Therefore another cause must have been involved.  In marine aquariums, if the lighting is not correct, this can be lethal to corals containing chlorophytes.  If sea anemones try to move from where they are placed, this can indicate water quality or lighting problems that need to be resolved.

The Kordon organic herbal treatments are referred to as to their uses in the Kordon Articles, which are listed at the bottom of Kordon's home page.  Particularly recommended to see are the Kordon Articles under "Fish Health," and "Beginning and Advancing Aquarists and Pond Keepers."

For further perspectives on the differences between chemical and organic herbal treatments see "Overview of Chemical Preventatives and Treatments".