Keeping a Koi fish pond in your garden is a wonderful idea. These beautiful fish look absolutely stunning as they swim about, and it can be quite a relaxing sight.
However, what most people don’t realize is that koi fish are quite hardy.
They have a long lifespan, and you might find your pond quickly becoming overpopulated.
If you’re looking for a way to get rid of your koi fish, remember that rehoming it is the best solution. It is the most ethical choice and will keep your fish safe.
5 Ways to Get Rid of Koi Fish
The best way to get rid of your koi fish is to send them off to a new home.
This home should be thoroughly vetted to ensure that the new owners will take care of the fish.
Here are the best options for rehoming your koi fish.
Offer Them to Friends or Family
To start with, you should ask around in your friends’ circle and talk to family members. See if anybody is interested in adopting the koi fish from you.
Since you already know your family and friends well, you can easily talk to the most responsible ones. This way, you won’t have to worry about whether your fish is taken care of in their new home.
Family members with children are generally quite keen on having fish as pets. Koi fish can offer them educational value and teach their kids how to be responsible.
However, you should make sure that they have a large enough pond to home your koi fish.
Get in Touch With Koi Hobbyists
This is another great way to rehome your koi fish. You can ask around in online forums and reach out to fish collectors in your area.
There will be plenty of people who are willing to take the koi fish from you.
It saves them money from having to buy the fish for themselves and allows you to get rid of your koi simultaneously.
These people also have acquaintances and plenty of knowledge about keeping fish.
They can guide you on how to take better care of your pond and offer valuable advice for other fish that you have.
Talk to Your Local Pet Store
You can also reach out to your local pet store.
Talk to the shop owner or the manager and ask them if they’re accepting koi fish. Most pet stores do take in surrendered fish from their owners.
If they refuse to take your koi fish, you should ask them for references. Pet stores get plenty of traffic from people who are interested in buying or adopting koi fish.
So, the owner or manager will be able to get you in touch with these people. You can also request them to put up flyers in their store to help you find people to hand over your fish to.
Auction Out Your Fish
This method encourages you to take advantage of the internet to host an auction for your koi.
There are numerous social media platforms that allow you to hold auctions. These auctions can be for anything, be they used furniture, old jewels, or even koi fish!
Simply make an account on one of these websites and start an auction. Since people enjoy keeping koi fish in their ponds, you will probably get numerous bids from people.
You can then choose the highest bid, somebody living nearby, or even the person with the best pond. This gives you control over where your koi fish is rehomed to.
Talk to Koi Rescue Organizations
It is always the best idea to hand off your koi fish to trustable people. You might not always find family or friends willing to take on the responsibility.
In this case, you should consider talking to Koi Rescue Organizations in your state. Koi fish are very popular among fishkeeping enthusiasts and you can find these rescue organizations or koi owner’s clubs nearly everywhere.
They work tirelessly to ensure that koi fish are ethically rehomed and not just dumped in nearby water bodies. They can also guide you on the best ways to transport and take care of your koi.
How to Catch and Transport Your Koi
Now you know that rehoming your koi fish is the best, most ethical way to get rid of them.
You’re probably wondering how to remove your koi fish from the pond and how to transport them.
Before you get started, it is important to thoroughly plan out the relocation process.
Start by understanding that you can’t just use a net to scoop out the fish. Chasing your koi around with a net will make them stressed out. This can risk their health and cause them to get sick.
A better way to do it is to drain some of the water in your pond. This makes the fish easier to catch.
Be sure to use a high-quality net and guide them into the transportation vessel using it. Don’t scoop them out or trap them in the net.
Moreover, before you start the netting process, make sure they have an empty stomach. It is best to stop feeding your fish a day before the rehoming day.
This prevents the water in the transportation vessel from becoming saturated with waste. The waste could cause your fish to get sick, so you should be very careful about this.
Talking about the water, it is important that the transportation vessel is filled with normal pond water. You can simply use the water in your pond.
However, if you’re filling the vessel with any other water source, make sure it has the same pH as your pond water. The water temperature should also be the same at around 50*-80*.
Your transport vessel should be rigid and sturdy. You can also add some salt to the vessel to help your fish overcome any stress. Adding three grams of salt for each liter of water is enough.
Also read: How to Catch Aquarium Fish without a Net (5 Easy Alternatives)
Important Thing to Consider When Giving Away Your Koi Fish
You now have many options to consider when it comes to rehoming your koi. You also know about the best way to ensure smooth and stress-free transportation for your fish.
Here are some important things you should keep in mind when you rehome your koi.
Think of What’s Best for the Koi Fish
Before you give your fish off to anybody, be sure to assess their knowledge and capabilities.
It is best to hand over the fish to somebody who is already experienced in keeping koi. These fish aren’t meant for first-time owners.
You should also ask them about the size of their pond. This will help you ensure that your fish gets a large enough space to live in.
Ask them about any other fish that will also be sharing the pond. You should then research the fish and see if they are compatible with koi fish.
Ask the potential new owner what they plan to feed the koi and how frequently. Question them on why they want to keep koi fish and what steps they will take to keep them safe from predators.
All of this information will help you find the best owner for your fish.
Regular Follow Ups
Once you have rehomed your koi, it is your responsibility to follow up with the new owner. The process of rehoming can be difficult, and your fish could be under stress.
It is your ethical responsibility to offer tips and guidance to the new owner. Help them understand how to best take care of your fish and what their preferred environment is like.
Do your best to stay available to answer any questions. This is the best way to ensure your fish stays healthy and happy in their new home. It will also offer you peace of mind.
Don’t Expect Money Back
Depending on the breed and parentage of your koi, a collector might be willing to offer you top dollar for your fish.
However, it’s not a good idea to set a price for your koi.
Since you’re looking for a good home for your fish, your priority should be finding the right owner. Instead of looking for someone to buy the fish from you, try to find responsible people for your koi.
Don’t Dump Your Koi in Natural Water Bodies (Lakes/Rivers)
Dumping your unwanted koi in natural bodies of water can be disastrous to the environment.
People often think that fish belong in the water, so it doesn’t matter what water body they enter. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Introducing a new species of fish, like your koi, to a water body can damage the entire food chain. It can cause smaller fish populations to be depleted.
Moreover, your pond fish can introduce numerous diseases and parasites to these shared ecosystems. This can cause the natural wildlife existing in them to get sick and die.
Koi fish can also become an invasive species and grow their populations quickly.
Due to their hardy nature, they would end up competing with wild fish communities for food and space.
Therefore, the best way to rehome your koi is to send them off to another pond with koi. Make sure you aren’t disrupting any food chains and give them to people who can take good care of them.
Good luck in getting rid of your koi fish!
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