Review by Kathy Tater, DVM, DACVD 
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This is an excellent guide to koi medicine, surgery and husbandry. Throughout its almost 200 pages, the manual stays focused on serving its audience - the aquatic veterinarian or professional koi keeper – by serving up practical tips to prevent and treat koi diseases.
The “Environmental Management” chapter is a detailed summary of filtration systems and water quality issues. The “Formulary” chapter contains clear instructions on mixing medicated solutions to “treat the water” when treating fish. Other chapters on “Clinical Procedures” and “Infectious Diseases,” make this manual a well-rounded reference on fish medicine. The book also has 4 case studies drawn from the author’s veterinary practice to illustrate common koi medical issues – neoplasia, bacterial infections, environmental problems, parasite infestations.
So much of fish medicine involves the visual examination of gross or microscopic lesions (gill appearance, cytology). That’s why the over 400 color photographs on illustrating procedures, such as surgery and anesthesia, and pathogenic microorganisms are so useful. While some of the photographs are of lower resolution, the variety of photographs and figures help offset this.
The manual reads as if you are flipping through the detailed and well-organized notes of an expert aquarist. Luckily for all of us, this aquarist, Dr. Nicholas Saint-Erne, is also an experienced aquatic veterinarian who can write.
Erne Enterprises: Glendale, Arizona
194 pages, soft cover, 2002.
ISBN 1-59247-4004.
VIN Store: Currently unavailable