Handling and transporting koi

Transporting koi can be very stressful for them, and stressed koi are very vulnerable to disease, so they need to be handled with care.

Transporting koi can be very stressful for them, and stressed koi are very vulnerable to disease, so they need to be handled with care.

Koi have a protective mucus membrane all over their bodies which wards off diseases and parasites, and if this is removed, it leaves them very vulnerable. So be careful never to touch your koi with dry hands.

When catching koi, it's best to use a specialist koi net. It's shallower and wider than other nets, which stops the koi getting bent too much when you lift it out of the pond. If your koi are very big, it's best not to try and lift them with the net at all, but rather use it to put them straight into the bag underwater, or into a bowl which you can use to lift them out of the water and into the bag.

To transport your koi, you will need to put each one into a plastic bag containing just enough water (water taken from the pond) to cover the fish – and plenty of air. Then put that bag in yet another bag, just in case of mishaps. Then put that bag into a cardboard box. This protects the bag, helps keep the temperature stable in transit, and creates a dark environment, to help keep the koi calm.

Having some air in the inner bag is important, because it will provide a supply of oxygen. If you're going to be transporting your koi for longer than an hour or so, you'll need to use pure oxygen rather than air – you can buy or hire tanks for this from your local dealer. You don't need anything fancy to seal the bag – a good strong rubber band will do.

When you get to the other end, take the koi out of their boxes, and place the inner bag into the pond, floating it on the surface in a shady area, to allow the water in the bag to adjust to the same temperature as the pond. Sudden changes of temperature are very stressful for koi, and a sudden change of 5 degrees C can really hurt the koi, so allow plenty of time for the temperature to adjust – at least half an hour. Then you can release them into the pond. Be careful not to put the old pond water from the bag into the new pond – if need be, put both water and koi into a bowl at the side of the pond, lift the koi out and put him in the pond.

If you're adding koi to a pond which already contains koi, then you're probably going to want to put them into quarantine before you release them.

Some extra tips:

• If you're going to be transporting your koi a long way, cut down on their food for a couple of days beforehand. This will reduce the amount of waste that they produce in the bag, which means a healthier water environment for them.
• If you can transport them in a cool environment, it will slow their metabolism – again, this will reduce the waste they produce. But always be very careful with changing temperature – sudden changes are very stressful for koi and can make them very ill.
• Take plenty of extra bags with you just in case the worst happens!

Here are some good links for more info on transporting koi:

• Bagging, moving and transporting Koi and other pond fish, at pond-doctor.co.uk.
• Transporting large koi at Koi Cymru: this article has photos, which is very helpful.