ACCLIMATING NEW KOI

Koi keeping is a rewarding hobby that everyone can enjoy! The beauty of the hobby has a wide range from a $5 koi up to a million-dollar koi. Whether your koi is $5 or 1 million dollars, there are many guidelines that both koi keepers must follow regardless of whether you're a beginner or seasoned hobbyist. The topic of this post involves the most basic practice every hobbyist should participate in, acclimation. Acclimation is an essential process everyone should practice when receiving their new koi. How do I do this?
Acclimation is the first step any hobbyist should take when bringing home their new koi. This process is when a hobbyist places their koi bag in their pond (hopefully a quarantine pond). We suggest leaving the koi in the bag for as long as possible, assuming your koi doesn't look uncomfortable. When your koi becomes acclimated in the bag (approximately 30-40 mins), grab a viewing koi bowl and pour half of the water from the bag into the bowl. Next, you will want to fill your bowl with some of the pond water. We advise that you fill the bowl with a 1:1 ratio (half of the bag water and the other half with the brand new pond water). The purpose of doing this is to acclimate your koi through the whole parameters. The first step of acclimating your koi in the bag helps the koi adjust to the temperature, by mixing the water your koi is adjusting to the water parameters and biologicals. When your new koi begins adjusting in the bowl, your koi is ready to go into its new home. You must use your hand, sock net, or plastic bag to transfer your koi safely into their new home.  When transferring your koi, it is essential you do not allow any of the bag water to get into the pond.  Koi have been sitting in the bag for hours or even days, so the hormones and waste that have been accumulated in the bag are at a very high concentration. If you pour this water into the pond, you will risk the possibility of having an ammonia spike. Hopefully, this information is useful when you begin to add more koi to your pond!

Happy Koi Keeping!