Buying Koi

There are some important things to consider when purchasing your koi to ensure you are not disappointed with your purchase.

The main countries that export koi are Japan, Israel, Singapore and now more  commonly the United States. Japan is still known as having the top quality koi in terms of colour and availability. If you are wanting to buy show quality koi, then Japan is the place to go. However Japanese koi will typically be more expensive for these reasons.

Koi from singapore and America are generally regarded as being of intermediate quality. Their colours are not as distinct as those found in Japan. And when these fish get older, the colours can fade and the fish can sometimes lose their shape.
Israel on the other hand are known to produce very pretty smaller fish that become plain in appearance as they get older. As the years go on the quality of these koi is increasing and it is possible to pick up show quality koi from Israel.

The best quality koi are typically exported from Japan in November and December. This is because the fish are harvested in october mainly due to the lower water temperatures. Colder water can hold more dissolved oxygen and the koi are much less active and demanding at this time of year as well. Koi can be purchased throughout the year from Japan but the high quality koi will only be sold in november or december.  If show quality koi are not sold, they are returned to the growing ponds ready for sale the following year.

Most suppliers of koi will happily keep the koi in quarantine tanks before you purchase them and often will use indoor tanks over the winter months. It is a good idea to give your koi a good settling in period before ther first winter.

When purchasing your koi try and find a reputable dealer who have good knowledge about the fish and where they come from. Look at the state of the shops ponds and make sure the fish look healthy. The water should be well filtered and well aerated to keep the koi in top condition. Koi that are kept in dirty water are much more prone to disease.

Spend time watching the koi to check they are swimming without any difficulty. The koi's swimming should be fluid and not jerky. Once you have chosen a fish, ask the dealer to let you examine it in a bowl or a see through bag. Take this opportunity to ask the dealer about the individual koi. Ask them what are the good and bad points about the individual koi and ask for the variety name.

Take care when transporting the koi home and ask for additional oxygen in the bag if you have a long journey. The shop should be able to provide you with a box to prevent the koi from rolling around during transportation. Some will even be able to pack ice around the bag for long journeys. It is very important to minimize the stress in the koi when transporting them. A stressed fish will have a weakened immune system which will leave it open to disease.