| The success of your pond fish has a lot to do | | | | breathe through only one gill or have redness |
| with where they come from. As always, we | | | | around their gills. If you see any of these signs, |
| recommend buying your koi from your local | | | | don’t buy this fish, and definitely don’t |
| reputable breeder rather than buying from a pet | | | | buy from that batch of fish! If one koi inside the |
| store or a national chain. Koi that come from a | | | | group has gill flukes, then all of them have gill |
| national chain usually endure hundreds, if not | | | | flukes. |
| thousands of miles of travel before they reach | | | | Next, you should look at your koi’s body. The |
| their destination. Also, koi from national chains are | | | | koi’s body should be thick, gently tapered and |
| exposed to many diseases and bacteria that | | | | well defined. The scales on the koi should be flat |
| attack their potentially weak immune systems. | | | | with no visible lesions. The fins of your koi may |
| Furthermore, national chain koi usually aren’t | | | | have some minor damage if it’s recently |
| fed or tracked for growth. | | | | been transported, or is kept in a crowded |
| If you’re wondering what kind of koi you | | | | environment. This is acceptable as long as it’s |
| should purchase, you should have an open mind. | | | | minor and there’s no redness. |
| There are many classifications of koi, with most | | | | When buying koi, remember koi coloration |
| of them classified by their colorations. To add | | | | changes as the koi matures. You may buy a koi |
| further complexity, most classifications have a | | | | with strong orange and black coloration, and in a |
| scaled (Gin Rin) and unscaled (Doitsu) version. | | | | few months, you may have a koi with red and |
| Keep in mind, butterfly koi are beautiful, but many | | | | orange. To avoid this, you can buy mature koi, |
| true koi breeders do not carry this breed. Butterly | | | | but you’ll pay much more money. Another |
| koi originated from inter-breeding with Indonesian | | | | way to avoid this is to buy koi from a breeder |
| carp and lack standard characteristics suitable for | | | | who breeds the type of koi you want to buy. |
| judging. | | | | Keep in mind that this is the most expensive way |
| No matter what variation of koi you purchase, | | | | to buy new stock, but well worth the money if |
| there are some characteristic signs you should | | | | you want a certain standard of koi. |
| look for in healthy robust fish. Also, you will have | | | | Finally, you should look carefully at the proportion |
| to consider your budget, since koi cost can run | | | | and balance of your koi. The fins should not look |
| into thousands of dollars. | | | | too big or too small. The belly of the koi should |
| First, the koi you consider should be outgoing and | | | | gently taper into the dorsal and pectoral part of |
| swimming with the other fish. Naturally, koi are | | | | the fish, and the back should be nice and smooth. |
| shy, but the healthiest koi actively swim with | | | | The face of the fish should be imposing and well |
| other fish and do not linger by themselves. You | | | | defined- not too short and not too long. |
| should also select koi that linger near the top of | | | | Many koi keepers choose to keep koi that are |
| the water as you pass, so that you don’t get | | | | considered “imperfect” by koi standards. |
| the shyest fish in the group! Also, the koi should | | | | In the end, all that matters is your relationship and |
| swim smoothly and gently. If the koi twitches or | | | | commitment to your fish. Many times, you find |
| jolts when it swims, or if the koi swims unevenly, | | | | that the ugliest fish you own is the most |
| it may have swim bladder problems (via bacterial | | | | personable and fun to keep! Unless you’re |
| infection). | | | | planning on professionally showing the fish at a |
| Second, once you think you have a good fish, | | | | convention, you should buy fish that appeal to |
| look carefully at its gills. Koi infected with gill flukes | | | | you. |