We do our best to keep our koi happy and healthy, however traveling is very stressful to koi and they may become unwell over the course of their journey. We highly recommend setting up a quarantine tank for your new fish, both to prevent your existing fish from becoming ill and to give the new koi’s immune system a chance to recover. 

1. Check the condition of the fish. If they appear unwell, lean to one side, or aren’t moving, release immediately into a quarantine tank.

2. If the koi seem relatively healthy, place the closed bag into the
   quarantine tank and let float for 15-30 minutes to let the temperature adjust.

3. Release the koi gently into the quarantine tank. Keep your new koi in quarantine for 2-3 weeks before introducing to your pond. Make sure to cover the quarantine tank completely, as Koi tend to jump to escape when stressed. 

 

Quarantine Tanks:

Prior to the arrival of your Koi, it is important for you to prepare a tank for your Koi to rest. This will not only give your Koi time to adjust to their new environment but also allow any parasites, bacteria or fungus from being introduced to your home pond. As you are letting you are quarantine your fish, keep an eye on your koi, and let them settle into the quarantine tank for at least 2-3 weeks. At Artisan Koi Farm we recommend all our customers quarantine any new koi regardless of where they have bought their fish. To help our customers quarantine their fish properly, we have listed all the supplies that you may need:

 

• Tank

• Small air pump and filter

• Air pump

• Salt

• Pond/Aquarium heater

• Water test kit. Ideally, a test kit that will measure Ph, Ammonia, and Nitrate

• Water salinity tester

• Net (prevents your koi from jumping out)

• Water thermometer

 

Setting It Up:

1. When customers are setting their quarantine tank, we recommend a 100-300 gallon tank as it would be ideal for most Koi. 

 

2. The next step is to fill the tank with water, making sure to fill the tank with your pond water or fresh dechlorinated water.

 

3. Now that you have water in your tank, make sure that the water temperature is at 72 F or above. If you only have a small tub/tank, then using two aquarium heaters should be acceptable.

 

4. While you are setting the tank up, keep in mind that a proper filtration system is recommended. If you don’t have a filter, an air pump should work just fine.

 

5, In terms of salt, we recommend 0.3% salt concentration for all of our quarantine tanks. Please note, that if you have not added koi into your pond over a year, then we recommend a 0.05% salt concentration). 

 

When you have finally set up your tank, all you have to do now is wait. When your Koi arrives, all you’ll need to do is introduce it to the tank. In doing so, any health issues that a koi may have, will become apparent. At Artisan Koi Farm, we recommend all our customers to quarantine all new fish from any breeder for for at least two weeks before introducing them into another pond. However, the choice is always up to the customer when it comes to quarantining.

 

 

After introducing your fish into the pond, the koi may undergo unusual behavior and changes. Some symptoms include:

 

• Lying upside down on the bottom of your pond

• Color of the scales are fading

• Hyper energetic or jumpy behaviors

• Little to no movement

• Refuses to eat

 

If you experience this, please do not worry as these symptoms are common among stressed koi fish as result of the shipping process. If your condition of your water is adequate, then these symptoms should subside as time passes. If your Koi is still experiencing these symptoms or any symptoms that are no listed above, please visit {Koi Health} for additional help. However, there is strong chance that your Koi is not experiencing any of these symptoms yet will still need time to become acclimated to its new environment.

 

In many cases, it will often take a week for your fish to begin eating. As your fish becomes acclimated, you can begin to feed your fish regularly. Please note that the amount you will feed your Koi will depend on water temperature, for any more questions, visit {Koi Health}. If you are in need of Koi food, you can check out {Fish Food} on the homepage to find the same food we use to feed our koi! 

 

If this page has not answered your questions regarding Initial Koi Arrival Care, please contact us at Artisankoifarm@yahoo.com.