Im going to buy a few koi in a couple of weeks from a farm about 50 miles away from where I live. ( Chesterfield in Noth derbyshire if anybody from the uk is interested ). He has thousands to pick from ranging from 2-3" upwards. Im just wondering are the younger fish as hardy or am I better spending a little more and getting around 5-6" ones?
fish age
- Thread starter steve s
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fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Small koi are a little less hardy at first and moving them can be stressful, BUT, Starting off small gives them more room to grow, don't put as much load on the filter and they seem to adjust faster once settled in. It's a toss up.
Yes I thought as much. Its a tough call considering my past with koi. When in transit is it best to have them in a cardboard box thats sealed so they cant see anything. I know the majority of animals are less stressed when they cant see?
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
It may help some, I have shipped them in boxes and not in boxes or bags and really not noticed much difference, Key things to remember and think about. Go straight home, make you fish stop your last stop, Keep the temp as stable as possible, Don't leave in a heated car, don't leave them in a car with AC on high., Try if possible to bring them home with one or two fish in a bag, the more fish in a bag the more ammonia and the faster the water will spoil. If they have oxygen to put in the bag get it! even if only ten minutes away, reason being, you never know what might come up, (flat tire, detour, accident etc.) This will give you extra time if something happens and you get delayed on the trip home.
I like having a cooler with me when I'm buying fish, This keeps them insulated, keeps them for rolling around and possibly puncturing a whole in the bag, and if for some reason the bag does get a hole in it, You can pour the fish in the cooler and keep them there until you get home. However I don't recommend starting off putting them in the cooler with out bags. that is just a backup plan in case something happens, the bags have the oxygen in them and they are cushions that will help prevent injuries.
I like having a cooler with me when I'm buying fish, This keeps them insulated, keeps them for rolling around and possibly puncturing a whole in the bag, and if for some reason the bag does get a hole in it, You can pour the fish in the cooler and keep them there until you get home. However I don't recommend starting off putting them in the cooler with out bags. that is just a backup plan in case something happens, the bags have the oxygen in them and they are cushions that will help prevent injuries.
When I am selling Koi, I always advise folks to bring a cooler, that way, the fish cannot jump out if startled during the drive home.