Halamid (Chloramine-T) for Koi Ponds
Treat white spot, costia, flukes, bacterial gill infections and external bacteria in koi ponds and quarantine tanks, and disinfect nets, bowls and koi socks between uses so disease does not spread from fish to fish.
Halamid koi dosage at a glance
Halamid is the trade name for Chloramine-T, an oxidising disinfectant used by koi keepers and koi dealers against external parasites and bacteria, and to disinfect pond equipment.
- Pond or quarantine treatment: 3 g per 1,000 litres of pond water.
- Soft, acidic water (pH below 7): use half the dose, 1.5 g per 1,000 litres.
- Short dip: 1 g per 7.5 litres of water for a maximum of 3 minutes, well aerated.
- Nets, bowls and new plants: 150 g per 10 litres of tap water for 15 minutes.
- Do not use below 13°C, in water with more than 0.3% salt, or with other medicines.
Why koi keepers use Halamid
You can do everything right for your koi all year and still lose fish to disease carried on a net or a bowl. Serious koi hobbyists and dealers know that contaminated equipment is one of the biggest risks in the hobby, and they disinfect it as routinely as they treat their water.
Halamid works by oxidation: it reacts directly with micro-organisms rather than acting like an antibiotic, and no tolerance or resistance to Chloramine-T has been reported. It keeps working for a longer period, is not corrosive to metals or other materials, and is widely used in agriculture and animal care.
Effective against
- White spot (Ichthyophthirius)
- Costia (Ichthyobodo)
- Chilodonella
- Gyrodactylus (skin flukes)
- Gill flukes
- Bacterial gill disease
- External bacterial infections
- Saprolegnia fungus
- Algae
Halamid dosage for koi ponds
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| Use | Dose | Time | Repeat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parasites in pond or quarantine | 3 g per 1,000 L | In the pond | Second treatment after 10 days for egg-laying parasites |
| White spot and similar infections | 3 g per 1,000 L | In the pond | 3 or 4 treatments, at least 3 days apart |
| Soft, acidic water (pH below 7) | 1.5 g per 1,000 L | In the pond | As above, at half dose |
| Dip for individual koi | 1 g per 7.5 L | Max. 3 minutes | 3 or 4 times, at least 3 days apart, for confirmed white spot |
| Nets, bowls and new plants | 150 g per 10 L tap water | 15 minutes | After every use |
| Dealers: nets and koi socks | 200 g per 10 L tap water | Between uses | Refresh the water regularly |
How to treat the pond
- Measure the pond accurately: length × width × depth in metres × 1,000 = litres. Use the calculator below.
- Check pH and temperature: halve the dose below pH 7 and do not treat below 13°C.
- Prepare the filter: bypass the biofilter and make sure the pond is well aerated. Do not feed during treatment.
- Dissolve first: mix the Halamid in a bucket of water, never add the powder directly.
- Spread evenly over the pond, aquarium or quarantine tank.
- Change water: one week after the last treatment, refresh 10% of the water.
Never increase the dose. In very acidic water (pH below 4), move the fish temporarily until the Halamid is no longer active.
Koi pond Halamid calculator
Enter your pond size to work out the volume and how much Halamid to dissolve. The standard dose is 3 g per 1,000 litres, halved for soft, acidic water.
Treating white spot in koi with Halamid
White spot (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) can only be killed in its free-swimming stage, which is why a single dose is not enough. Treat 3 or 4 times, leaving at least 3 days between treatments. Raising the water temperature of the pond, aquarium or quarantine tank to 28°C speeds up the white spot life cycle, so the treatment works faster.
Tip: treat in a quarantine tank where you can, so it is easier to control temperature, aeration and the dose.
Halamid dip treatment for koi
How to dip
- Dissolve 1 g of Halamid per 7.5 litres of water in a bowl.
- Keep the water well aerated throughout.
- Dip the koi for a maximum of 3 minutes.
- If the fish shows any sign of stress, put it straight back in the pond.
Dip quantities
- 7.5 L bowl: 1 g
- 15 L bowl: 2 g
- 30 L bowl: 4 g
- 60 L bowl: 8 g
Disinfecting nets, bowls, koi socks and plants
Koi dealers handle fish from many different sources every season, and nets and bowls are used and swapped constantly. Disinfecting nets, koi socks and bowls after each use is one of the simplest ways to stop cross-contamination. Good dealers disinfect their equipment where customers can see it.
For hobbyists
Place nets, bowls and new plants in a bucket of tap water with 150 g of Halamid per 10 litres for 15 minutes. At these doses and frequencies Halamid does not harm plants or fish.
For koi dealers
Keep used nets and koi socks in a bowl of tap water with 200 g of Halamid per 10 litres between uses, and refresh the water regularly.
Safety rules when using Halamid
Do not
- Use it below 13°C water temperature
- Use it if the salt level is above 0.3%
- Combine it with medicines or salt
- Feed the fish during treatment
- Increase the dose
- Smoke while handling it
Always
- Wear plastic gloves and avoid contact with eyes and skin
- Bypass the filter and keep the water well aerated
- Dissolve the powder in water before adding it
- Keep it out of reach of children; it is harmful if swallowed
Like any disinfectant, Halamid can temporarily disturb the biological balance of the pond. If you are unsure about treating, ask a vet or qualified koi expert first.
Tested effectiveness
Chloramine-T has been shown to be effective against a wide range of viruses, bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites and algae. The dose needed in practice depends on contact time, organic matter and temperature, which can differ from test conditions.
Viruses
Herpes virus, Adenovirus, Coronavirus, Influenza virus, Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) virus, Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) virus, White spot syndrome virus, Systemic ectodermal and mesodermal baculovirus (SEMBV), Iridovirus, Reovirus, Avian reovirus, Rotavirus, Paramyxovirus, Picornavirus, Poliovirus, Coxsackie virus, Pox virus, Vaccinia virus, Ectromelia virus, Fowl pox virus, Myxomatosis virus, Newcastle disease virus, Infectious bronchitis virus, Infectious bursal disease (Gumboro) virus, Fowl plague virus, Canine parvovirus, Porcine parvovirus, Infectious canine hepatitis virus, Hepatitis B virus, HIV, Rabies virus, Aujeszky's disease virus, African swine fever virus, Classical swine fever virus, Swine vesicular disease virus, Teschen virus, Togavirus, Encephalomyocarditis virus, ECBO virus, Foot and mouth disease virus, Nuclear polyhedrosis virus, Pepino mosaic virus.
Bacteria
Fish-related: Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas salmonicida, Flavobacterium branchiophilum, Flavobacterium columnare, Flexibacter maritimus, Mycobacterium piscium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio salmonicida, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia ruckeri.
Other: Acinetobacter spp., Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Alcaligenes faecalis, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis (and spores), Bacillus thuringiensis, Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens (welchii), Clostridium sporogenes, Clostridium histolyticum, Corynebacterium spp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Citrobacter, Hafnia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Erwinia carotovora, Lactobacillus spp., Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Moraxella spp., Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pasteurella, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida, Salmonella (Dublin, Typhimurium, Newport, Senftenberg, Pullorum and other serotypes), Shigella boydii, Shigella sonnei, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus faecalis, Vibrio cholerae, Xanthomonas hyacinthi, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.
Fungi, yeasts, parasites and algae
Fungi: Saprolegnia parasitica, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium moniliforme, Geotrichum candidum, Microsporum canis, Penicillium species, Trichoderma viride, Trichophyton equinum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Wallemia ichthyophaga.
Yeasts: Candida albicans, Cryptococcus spp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Parasites: Epistylis, gill trematodes, Gyrodactylus salaris, Ichthyobodo necator, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Labyrinthuloides haliotidis, Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis.
Algae: Anabaena cylindrica, Chlorella vulgaris, Oscillatoria tenuis, Skeletonema, Stigeoclonium, Tetraselmis.
Frequently asked questions
How much Halamid do I use in a koi pond?
Use 3 g of Halamid per 1,000 litres of pond water, dissolved in a bucket of water and spread evenly over the pond. In soft, acidic water below pH 7, use half: 1.5 g per 1,000 litres. Never increase the dose.
How do I treat white spot in koi with Halamid?
Treat at 3 g per 1,000 litres, 3 or 4 times, with at least 3 days between treatments. Raising the water to 28°C speeds up the white spot life cycle so treatment works faster.
What is the Halamid dip dose for koi?
1 g per 7.5 litres of well-aerated water, for a maximum of 3 minutes. Return the koi to the pond immediately if it shows signs of stress.
Can I use Halamid with salt in the pond?
No. Do not combine Halamid with salt or other medicines, and do not use it if the salt level is above 0.3%.
What is the minimum water temperature for Halamid?
Do not use Halamid in water below 13°C.
Will Halamid harm my pond filter?
Like any disinfectant it can temporarily disturb the biological balance, so bypass the biofilter during treatment, keep the pond well aerated, and refresh 10% of the water a week after the last treatment.
How do I disinfect koi nets and bowls?
Soak nets, bowls and new plants for 15 minutes in tap water with 150 g of Halamid per 10 litres. Dealers can keep used nets and koi socks in 200 g per 10 litres, refreshed regularly.
Related products and guides
Order Halamid from Ecotao
Buy online on the Ecotao Store, or contact us for advice on treating your pond. Call +27 21 911 5835 or email sales@ecotao.co.za.