How to Rehome My Koi

Koi bring a great amount of joy to their owners. Really, anyone who’s ever shared their environment with koi can tell you they develop a special bond. Each koi seems to have its own personality. So, parting with your treasured koi seems an unthinkable thought. But, there are times when you must look into rehoming your koi.

Parting with your koi isn’t just a matter of getting rid of your koi. It’s a decision you’ve made with sincere thought. You want to ethically rehome your koi that have brought you much happiness. Now that you know you’ll no longer be able to care for your pond friends, there are some things to consider.

Top Reasons for Rehoming Koi

• Moving homes
• Lifestyle change (job change, divorce, retirement, cost, etc)
• Pond has become overstocked
• You’ve inherited or have been gifted koi fish that you cannot or do not want to care for
• Your family or friends can no longer care for their koi

Rehoming Koi is Common

More often than not, people don’t realize that the average koi will live 25-35 years. When kept as a pet, though, koi fish have been known to live even more than 200 years. Yes, your koi fish could outlive you.

Even at an average lifespan, 25 years is a long time to care for an animal. The chances that your circumstances will change during this time is about 100%. Your abilities to maintain a stable pond environment will likely change, and you want to find a new home for your majestic friends to continue living out their lives.

Because of the high value of koi fish, it’s also very common for individuals to inherit or be gifted koi. Perhaps, as the receiver of this gift, you’re less than thrilled about the new responsibility. Koi ponds require a significant amount of attention. We often rescue koi and goldfish and remove ponds from people who have inherited them or received them as gifts.

Of course, just like humans, koi grow and reproduce. Koi can grow to be very large, up to 2 or 3 feet at times. This can make a small pond overstocked and create a poor environment for the fish. When your pond is filled with too many koi, it’s time to find a new pond for some of them.

The Best Way to Rehome Your Koi

When done ethically and responsibly, rehoming your koi fish can be a satisfying and enriching experience. You care about the long term care and health of these beautiful animals. Finding the right method is key.

Three Things to Consider

• Safe catch
• Proper transport
• Appropriateness of new “forever” home

Safe Catch

Safe catch is vital for koi. Stress can kill or seriously harm the health of these animals.

• Avoid feeding your koi for 4 days prior to rescue date to minimize toxins in the water during transport.
• The net should be high quality tight nit and large enough to scoop up the fish. (Not regular fishing nets)
• Drain the pond appropriately to avoid having to chase the fish, causing unnecessary stress but leaving enough water to for koi.

Proper Transport

• The transport water should be from the pond itself, if possible. If this is not possible, make sure the water is at as close top the same pH, and at the same temperature as the current pond. Add 3 grams of sea salt per liter to reduce stress of transport.

Appropriateness of New Home

To find an appropriate new home, you’ll be considering gifting your koi, selling your koi, or surrendering your koi to a rescue. The choice is a personal one. Here’s some things to consider when rehoming your koi…

Selling Your Koi

Likely, you’ve spent time choosing the best breed, coloring, and shape of your koi, and caring for your fish. You’ve also spent a good amount of money purchasing your koi and pond materials, but understand it’s not likely you will recoup your investment. You want to sell your koi fish for the best price, but more importantly, you want their new home to be just right.

Start by placing an ad online. There are several listing providers. Craigslist is a good resources for finding new buyers. When you place your ad, be sure to provide good photos and plenty of details about your fish and pond environment.

Whether you’re gifting or selling, it’s good to vet the potential new owners.

You’ll want to know:

• What size is the new pond?
• How many fish are in the pond?
• Do the new owners understand how to recognize illness and treat illness in the fish?
• What steps have they taken to ensure the fish are safe from predators?
• Do the new owners have a proper filtration system?
• What does their current pond look like?

It’s always a good idea to follow up with the new owners. If you find a new home for your koi, being a knowledge resource for their new parents can be a great value for them.

Koi Rescue Organizations

An established koi rescue group in your area is a valuable resource to take advantage of when you need to get rid of your pond or re-home some koi. A rescue will understand the best practices for catching, transporting, and rehoming. Also, if a local rescue group is unable to help you in your timeframe, they may be able to refer you to another option within the koi enthusiast community.

We are a koi rescue serving Southern California. If you’re local, and would like more information from our volunteers about surrendering your pond, or adopting koi, please get in touch with us. If you’re outside our area, we may be able to refer you to someone in your area.

Be well.