Suicidal koi survives...can it grow new scales?

Phyllis and Jim,

As long as it is not showing fungus it will probably be all right. Keep an
eye on it though. I had a small Bubble-eye that got sucked through a larger
opening in the cascade cover that opened up while I was at work and it went
into the next pond area, but there is a diffusion basket on the other side
to cut the force of the water as it falls into the pond and so the
Bubble-eye was rolled around for "I don't know, how many hours" in the
basket not able to get away. I found the guy and he was pretty battered
with a lot of scrapping of the scales and scale loss. I put him back into
its rightful pond and it is doing fine. Not moving as quickly as it used
to, at least for Bubble-eye speed, but it is doing fine.

Oh, for those talking about Bubble-eyes in ponds and the ability to be pond
fish, I would like to mention that the bubbles on the fish's eyes didn't
break while the fish was being battered in the basket. Water in my pond is
being pumped around at about 3500gph and all of this volume of water is
cascading between ponds is being buffered by a basket diffuser to dissipate
direct water flow force into the pond. This unplanned demonstration kind of
elaborates on the stamina of the Bubble-eye's bubbles.

Tom L.L.
"Phyllis and Jim Hurley" wrote in
message ...
We have had plastic milk crates in our pond for years without any mishaps.

Then, about ten days ago, one of our pretty fantail koi decided to push
through an opening that was too small. Jim came out and saw it at the
bottom, about 1/2 way through the crate, with tadpoles on it. He assumed
it
dead. When he went in to get it, it was alive...but had 'scaled' itself
for
a couple of inches behind the gills. Jim cut the crate to get it out. It
swam off.

Then we did not see it for days. Not a good sign! Then Jim found a piece
of its skin! Dead, we thought. But not floating yet. A couple of days
later, I saw it SWIMMING...slowly. Better than dead.

We were away for a week. Upon arrival home, we found the suicidal koi
swimming, but not with its usual speed. It has lost portions of its tail
and fins. It has a bare midrif and a patch of scales missing on one side.
No fungus or anything else to show illness.

Our question: Will it regrow the peeled scales? Or just look grotesque
for
ever? We will try to get a picture of it. and put it on the website. Jim
got a picture of it in the milk crate.

Your thoughts and, especially, knowledge would be much appreciated.

P-
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