Koi Farms

Picking your fish at Koi farms

If you don't have time to breed your own Koi, or want to find great Koi to breed, start with Koi farms. Koi farms are like regular farms, but instead of wheat or corn, they harvest Koi. When you go to pick out fish from a Koi farm, there are a couple of things you should be aware of.

First, you should make sure that the farm is clean and provides a great environment for the Koi to grow in. You don't want fish from koi farms where the water is dirty or the fish are too cramped. This should be a red flag because those types of conditions will make the fish more vulnerable to disease and more likely to die once you take them home. Another thing to look out for is of course, the condition of the fish. When they pick out the Koi for you, make sure they are delicate. Also take a look at the fish carefully, especially near the tail and gill areas to make sure it isn't harboring any illnesses. This will only harm the other Koi back at your own pond.

Once you take the fish home from the Koi farms, there is a process you should follow when releasing your new Koi into your pond. Introducing a fish to new environments can be stressful to the fish and so you should be careful and make the process gradual. It is recommended that you place the bag of Koi into your pond for about an hour before you open the bag and allow the Koi to enter the pond. Even after the hour, you should gradually let the pond water and bag water mix, allowing the Koi to get accustomed to your pond's water. If the fish seem to hide and not eat for a few days after introduction, don't worry, this is natural and your Koi will come up for food when it feels comfortable enough.