Buying Fish From Koi Farms
If you don't have the time, space, or patience to breed your own Koi why not consider buying your fish from koi farms rather than specialty pet stores? At these fish farms considerable time and effort is put into breeding and selectively harvesting top quality, healthy koi. But are all farms created equal? When you visit a farm there are a few things you should be aware of.
First and foremost, you should ensure that the farm is clean and provides a healthy environment for the koi to grow in. You should avoid fish from koi farms where the water is dirty or there is too little space for the koi to swim in. Conditions like these are an obvious red flag because and are likely to house koi that are vulnerable to disease and more likely to die once you take them home.
Pay close attention the condition of the fish at koi farms. Always examine the Koi Care
fully, especially in 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. When the koi are removed from the pond make sure that they are handled gently.
Staff at koi farms should take the time to ensure that anybody buying fish from them knows how to take proper care of their koi. They should be able to advise you on how to keep your fish healthy, what to feed your fish and how to spot any illnesses that your fish may contract.
Koi farms should also ask you about where you live, the water quality in your area and what size pond you have relative to the number of fish you want to buy.
Some experts believe that the finest koi are produced in earthen ponds with the right clay. This is because good quality soils will contain plenty of helpful bacteria as well as insect larvae for the fish to eat. It will also offer natural algae control. If you can't find these exact conditions don't worry, there are a number of good koi farms outside of this ideal range.
Once you have chosen your fish and taken them home, how will you release them? Koi farms should advise you as to how to avoid stressing your fish. Introducing a fish to new environments can be an upheaval for a fish's body and metabolism so you should be careful and make the process gradual.
Since koi are sensitive to temperature changes, 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. Next, gradually let the pond water and bag water mix, allowing the fish to get accustomed to your pond's water temperature and quality. No two ponds are alike and it is likely that conditions will vary considerably from those at koi farms.
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. Koi farms can be gold mine of information and should offer you continued support as you learn about your new companions.
