PhoenixKoiRescue.com
How to catch koiBackyard Ponds -- Easiest method is to drain the pond so only a few inches of water left. I know that sounds excessive, but after one or two dips in the pond with a net, the fish get skiddish and start hiding everywhere they can. If there are only a few inches of water in the bottom, you can just scoop them up. If you want to be extra gentle when you net them, don't lift out of the water, slide a plastic tub underneath while in the water then lift out with the tub. Or use a sock net - it looks like a tube with a ring on the end.
Wild ponds -- I have tried just about everything, and the most effective method is to have a group of people drag a seine net across the pond, after it has been drained to leave about 12" of water. The best seine net we have used is a 7' tall x 100' wide net, but they are expensive. Bass Pro sells a 4'x25' net for around $37, you can join 2 of those together and they work good. Using a cast net is also effective, but takes skill to use the net. If the pond is not being drained and you are attempting to catch a single koi on your own, then using some wonder bread squished on a hook. For more info in carp angling, see CarpAnglersGroup.com
Handling Koi
Koi were not meant to be handled by humans, and their fins are delicate. They also have a tendancy to suddenly flick their bodies while you are holding them. There are proper ways to hold koi by hand, but it takes skill and I do not recommend it for the novice. Small koi can be lifted safely in a net, but larger koi need to be lifted in water, or with a special sock net. You can use a net to bring them near the surface, then slide a rubbermaid container under them so you scoop both the koi and some water at the same time, and the koi never leaves the water. A sock net looks like a tube with a ring the end. They go in one end, are lifted while in the middle, and slide out the other end when going into the new water.
How to transport koiNothing kills koi faster than changing the water temperature, or changing the ph too quickly. That causes them to go into shock, and they may not recover from it. A beer cooler ice chest is the best thing to use for transportation, it keeps the water temperature fairly stable and has a lid so they won't jump out. Use the water from the source pond. If the water is very poor quality, then use 50% new water that has been dechlorinated. Make sure the lid is on tight, the koi will try to jump out while driving down the road. A bubbler or sprayer helps oxygenate the water, but you can do short trips without them. The hotter the water gets, the less oxygen it holds, so the hotter the water, the more need you have for oxygenation equipment. Also there is a product called "stresscoat" which you can add to the water, it helps calm the koi.
How to introduce into your pond
The best way I have found to introduce them is to use water from the source to transport them to your home, then do water changes from your pond into your cooler. Over the course of 30 minutes, scoop some water from your pond and put it into the container, then scoop some of the container. The amound you scoop depends on the size of your cooler, you are looking to change about 10% every 5 minutes. This seems to acclimate them in a more gentle manner. There may be better methods out there, this is just the one I use.
Koi tend to jump when first introduced into new ponds!!
You need to check on them every 15 minutes for the first few hours you have them. They are frightened by the new surroundings and may jump in an attempt to get back to where they came from. A big help is to put lots of stuff in the pond for them to hide in, and to have lots of things floating on the surface to give them cover. One big thing you can do is suspend a bed sheet over part of your pond so they can swim into the dark area and hide.
Koi CPR
If your koi starts floating on it's side, and stops moving it's gills (or if jumps out and you found it on the ground), you can revive them. Gently move them back and forth in the water to get the water flowing over their gills, and hold them in a water current. If you have a small pump available, then hold their mouth near it to get the water flowing over their gills. I have a small 66 gph pump that I use in their mouth, and have successfully revived fish that appeared dead. Seems to take 30 to 90 minutes to revive a koi.
Feeding
It depends on their body weight and temperature. Figure what 1% to 2% of their body weight is, then feed that amount (dry weight) of koi food per day. And for optimum growth, you should split up the feedings to atleast 2 feedings per day. If you can split it into 5 feedings per day, they can process the food much better.
After the water temp drops below 56F degrees, cut their food in half.
When below 46F, stop all feeding.
They go into a hibernation like mode and won't eat. The uneaten food will quickly ruin your water quality.
Koi weight in ounces per length in inches
Here are the typical weight of koi per their length. You can put something in the pond that you know the size of, and when they swim by, you can estimate their length.
6" 2 oz
8" 4 oz
12" 16 oz
18" 56 oz
24" 134 oz
28" 212 oz
A more accurate way to figure the weight of your fish is to put them in a tub of water. Mark the water level, then remove just the fish. Mark it again, figure how much water they displaced, and presto you know how much they weigh. (they have almost the same density of water)
Homemade Food
I have seen a number of large healthy koi that were fed regular koi pellets PLUS large amounts of table scraps. I have become convinced that feeding your koi fresh foods is essential, because processed & dried foods seem to destroy the nutritional value of the ingredients. There are lots of recipies on the internet of how to make your own koi food.
For the food I make, I take koi pellets and run them thru my blender dry, this makes a powder. I set that aside, then blend up a bunch of vegetables to make what looks like a milkshake. I then mix that by hand with the powder, plus wheat germ, wheat flour, corn meal, and other random stuff to thicken it up. I keep enough in my frig for 1 week, then freeze the rest. Not very scientific, but my fish like it.
Are rescue koi healthy?Some yes, some no. Ironically the koi that came from the scottsdale golf course ponds were examined by a vet at the koi seminar, we did scrapings and gill clippings and both showed that the koi were without parasites and very healthy. The vet said the reason for that is because in a natural pond, mother nature has a balance for everything and there are organisms that feed on the parasites, which attack koi. We also took scrapings and clippings from koi purchased as Walmart - and those fish were covered in parasites. The reason being is that they have a central filter system that supplies all the tanks, so if one fish has parasites, they all get the parasites.
Should you quarantine new fish?
Yes, you should, and every koi pond owner should have a quarantine system (QT) which includes a tank such as a 150 gallon (or larger) stock tank or play pool, net cover, filter, circulation pump and/or other aeration device. It is the expectation that the final owner perform the quarantine period and treat any sickness or parasites. This is because a person who does urgent pickup rescues might have to distribute fish quickly in order to free up tank space so they can go get more koi. What type of quarantine procedure the final owner does is up to them. There are many suggested quarantine procedures, and to be honest most of the rescue koi do not get quarantined. The reason we have had such a small amount of disease and parasite problems is because rescue fish come from individual ponds which have been isolated for years, and the koi's natural defenses have fought off any problems. Also a short transport from one pond to another is far less stressful than shipping a fish with air cargo.
Still there is a threat that new fish will introduce something to your pond that will kill your other fish. You know how all humans carry strep throat, but we only get sick from it rarely? Koi develop immunities to parasites and diseases and can become carriers, but not exhibit the symptoms themselves. With this in mind, some people suggest that you introduce a new koi to your pond atleast once a year just to make sure some new bugs get in there, so it helps boost the immunity system of your other koi - kind of like how nurses are the healthiest people because they are constantly exposed to different viruses and bacteria. Other people say that is the worst thing you should do and all koi should be quarantined for a year or more. Its a highly argued issue, and I don't have a difinitive answer.
One thing for sure, if you notice wierd behaviour in your fish like one is isolating itself, or wierd spots, you should make an attempt to figure out what is wrong and determine if you need to treat it. See the Koi Diseases and Parastites
Other Ways Parasites & Diseases get into your pond
Birds transmit many things in and out of your pond. They stand in the water, dip their beaks, splash around etc. Parasites often stick to the birds, then when they go to the next pond, the parasites get dropped off. Other animals such as raccoons do the same.
Predators that will eat your fish
Herons roam all over Phoenix and can clean out your pond in a day or two. They spot your fish from high in the air, land in your yard and then walk into the shallows of your pond. They stand motionless till the fish forget they are there, then snatch the one which comes close. To defend against these, you can build your pond with straight drops to the walls atleast 2' deep, and 3' is better. Bird netting, trip wires, motion activated water squiring, fake alligators and other things are suggested. Raccoons are aldo heavy predators, they wander into the shallows and wait for the fish to swim close. Those deep walls help prevent those too.
Pond Club Meetings
Phoenix koi rescue is just a notification list and organized way to find homes for koi. If you would like to join a pond club, there is already a great pond club here called the Greater Phoenix Pond Society which I belong to. Very inexpensive to join, lots of great members, monthly meetings, and a friendly atmosphere. So visit their website PhoenixPonds.com to join the pond club.
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