Koi Quarantine Systems

One of the quarantine ponds at
Yoshida Fish Farms in Isawa

IN OUR VIEW ..... ABSOLUTELY VITAL

It has always been desirable to quarantine Koi, but nowadays we regard it as being absolutely vital to quarantine any new Koi - wherever they come from - before introducing them to the rest of your fish.

At the very least they require a period of rest to aclimatise to the new conditions they are going into and the very best water quality you can achive is what they need.

There will be no great benefit to the fish if the quarantine period starts with them being simply put into a brand new system with fresh tap water in it, so it is no good setting up a system the day beforehand.

Ideally, you will have a setup with a fully mature filter system capable of coping with the amount of Koi you intend to put into it.

This will usually mean having a full setup running permanently with some goldfish in it to keep everything matured.

The water chemistry will almost certainly be quite different in your quarantine pond to that where they have been previously. This change in water chemistry may mean that they will want to jump, so you must take precautions against this. Net it over securely!

You then need to be very vigilant. Know the normal behaviour of Koi and if, after a few days to settle in, your new arrivals are not behaving appropriately, investigate immediately. Problems caught sooner rather than later will always respond better.

Check your water quality, pH, Ammonia & Nitrite should be monitored daily. Your Koi will tolerate a pH between 6.5 to 8.5 but you should aim as close to 7.4 as you can. Only the very slightest trace amounts of Ammonia & Nitrite are tolerated but they should, ideally, be zero.

Your quarantine area should be situated well away from your main pond(s) and you should have a separate set of nets, bowls etc for each system.

Be scrupulous about hygeine, disinfect your footware and your hands when moving between ponds and all should be well.

REMEMBER ! ..... THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU JUST DO NOT WANT IN YOUR POND.

IF IN DOUBT, RING YOUR KOI DEALER - 0191 4887487.