Ask before you buy.... Here are some questions you should ask a koi dealer before you buy any koi.
1. Do you quarantine koi when they come onto your premises before they are ready for sale?
2. How long do you quarantine them for before putting them up for sale?
3. Is your quarantine system completely isolated?
4. Can I see your quarantine system? (A good quarantine system will have more than adequate volume of water with plentiful supply of oxygen to help stressed fish).
5. Is there a mature filtration system on the quarantine system?
6. How often is the water quality checked and water changes made?
7. During quarantining do you raise the temperature to 22-24C? And how long for? Proper quarantine facilities prevent health problems significantly. If you're looking to protect your existing stock from becoming infected with parasites, bacterial or viral infections you should make sure that you have a proper quarantine system in place. You should also make sure that your koi dealer does too! Donąt be afraid to ask some simple questions that will allow you to buy with confidence. Please remember: quarantine systems cannot give 100% guarantee that the fish it contains are free from any infectious disease or parasite. However, the longer that a fish is kept in a quarantine system, the greater the chances that even the most dormant disease will eventually begin to become stimulated. Look before you buy... Although you may see a koi in a photo or on a web page it always pays to see it swimming in a tank before you part with your money. It's also a good idea to view koi in natural light and your dealer should be happy to allow you to take the koi outside in a bowl for a better inspection. You should look closely at the overall condition of the koi you are buying:
1. Does it swim normally with use of all its fins? Clamped fins could be an indication that the koi is infested with parasites, is cold, stressed or generally under the weather.
2. Does it go for its food in a ravenous manner? A healthy koi will be hungry!
3. The dorsal fin in particular is the fin which will give you the best indication of health or similar - is it erect and not clamped down to the body?
4. Look at the eyes - they should be clear and not sunken into the head. Also eyes can be greatly protruding which can be the condition of exopthalmia or 'dropsy' which can have many causes. It is sometimes a precursor of something more drastic and such koi are to be avoided.
5. In general, the shape should be good, like a plump torpedo. Avoid koi with bumps or bulges.
6. Watch the way in which the koi swims - it should 'glide' through the water using all its fins for stabilisation and mainly its tail for propulsion. Beware of the koi that swims with its fins clamped or uses exaggerated whole body movements.
7. Avoid koi with any visible signs of damage. If you're really keen to buy a fish with a minor aliment, reserve it and leave it at the dealer's premises until it's fully healed.
8. Use your common sense. Is the dealer's premises well kept and
clean? First impressions are important as good husbandry and a clean facility give an indication of how the koi are looked after before you buy them.
