Many people would agree that having a Koi pond sets up a calming atmosphere that can rid you of stress. With their majestic color pattern and graceful swimming style, who wouldn’t smile at their sight?
However, your first Koi pond wouldn’t remain as your regular one. There will always be times when you need to move the fish out of the water for various reasons.
This article will guide you on how to get Koi out of a pond and the things that you’ll have to consider while doing so.
Equipment You’ll Need in Catching Koi From the Pond
Catching Koi with your bare hands isn’t much of a good idea. For one, Koi fish are smart swimmers, and they’ll often manage to slip or jump away from your grasp.
The second reason is that these fish are prone to stress. Carelessly chasing after them might prompt you to handle them roughly, causing them to suffer injuries.
The equipment list below will help you procedurally catch and move Koi out of the pond.
- Koi sock net
- Pan net
- Plastic bag
- Box containers
- Submersible pond pump (optional)
How To Move Koi Out of a Pond
Whether you’re moving your Koi because you need to clean the pond or you’re transferring them to a new pool, there’s a clear-cut way of catching them and getting them out of the water.
Here is a procedure on how to properly move Koi out of the pond.
Netting Koi
When netting a Koi, it’s important to coax it into the net rather than chase it around. Even if you have no plans of pursuing them, rough and abrupt movements may alarm them.
Since you wouldn’t want to stress them out, it’s essential to stay as quiet as possible when you’re netting them. Be very careful with your pan net and use slow movements when moving it closer to the Koi that you want to catch.
Place the net behind or slightly below the Koi, but don’t urgently lift them out of the water. Instead, have the pan net guide the fish to the sock net to avoid the chances of them leaping off.
If you don’t have the sock net, you can sink an open plastic bag in the pond and use the pan net to coax the Koi into the bag along with the pond water.
You can also consider doing the netting right after sunset to avoid casting your shadow over the water and frightening the Koi fish.
If you’re having trouble catching the fish with a net because the pond is quite deep, you can try using a submersible pond pump. This will drain the water from the pond and make it shallow enough for the Koi to be visible and easier to catch.
Putting Koi in the Container
Once you’ve successfully caught a Koi with a net, you can transfer them to a container with either clean acclimated water or the same water as the pond. Make sure that the container has room for the fish to breathe and have a cover at the ready to prevent it from jumping out.
If you’d rather let it remain in a plastic bag with water, secure the top with rubber bands.
If you’re traveling with the Koi, however, you still need to put the bags in a solid container, such as a plastic bin, or directly move them to a fish transportation tank.
Remember to solute three grams of non-iodized salt per liter of water added into the container, as well as include dissolved oxygen. This is to control the Koi’s stress due to the change in environment and transportation.
What to Consider When Transferring Koi to Another Pond
It’s not easy for a Koi to be transferred to a new environment. Transporting, from moving Koi to bags to urgently welcoming them to a new pond, tends to stress them out.
This may cause them to experience symptoms of Koi Disease. This is why you need to be aware of the factors that you need to consider when transferring Koi to another body of water.
Water Condition Differences
If the Koi are accustomed to the previous pond’s water condition, they wouldn’t be able to adjust quickly to a new water environment. This is because there are considerable differences in water temperature, pH, and chlorine amount between the two pools.
So before you can acclimate your Koi to a new pond, make sure that the current one has the same water quality as the past pool. If it’s recently filled, you can let the water sit for three days to a week to ensure that the pond has a normal water temperature.
You can measure it with a water thermometer. The perfect temperature for a Koi pond is between 60 to 68° Fahrenheit.
Depending on whether your pond is under sunlight or shade, the best pH for your Koi is between 6–8. Meanwhile, the chlorine level in the pond should remain lower than 25mg/L.
Koi Quarantine Importance
Putting your fish in quarantine for a few days to two weeks before you can move them to a new pond is mandatory.
For one, the Koi will be able to rest its transport exhaustion and stress away in a quarantine tank. Two, you can protect them from possible pathogens in the pond that can take advantage of the fish’s current weak state.
Putting your Koi in a quarantine tank will also give you a chance to examine their body and whether or not they acquired an illness due to the stress. If this is the case, adding a salt solution to their quarantine water will help them get back to their health.
Acclimating Koi
Koi’s adjustment to the new pond usually takes time. Even if you think that the pond is ready to be introduced as your Koi’s new habitat, you still need to follow a few steps to acclimate them to the environment.
These steps include:
- Putting the Koi inside a bag
- Letting the bag float within the pond for 15 minutes to equalize the temperature of the water
- Add pond water inside the bag and let it float for another 15 minutes
- Remove the Koi from the bag using a net and carefully add it to the pond.
Final Thoughts
Getting a Koi out of a pond is not a very easy job. There are risks that exist and things you should consider in order to avoid these.
However, with a net at hand, a container ready, and great care for the Koi’s well-being — you’ll be able to use this article as a guide on how to get Koi out of a pond properly.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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