Before paying for a koi, confirm the individual, its records, and the arrival plan. This checklist is for a purchase already being considered. Use the pond-readiness guide first if the receiving systems are still being prepared.
Confirm What You Are Buying
- Match the fish to the listing or selection number and current photographs.
- Record current length, age estimate, variety, and any estimated sex.
- Ask about visible marks, previous treatments, source, and holding history.
- Clarify whether a quality or disease-testing claim applies to this fish, a sample, or the whole batch.
Read the Sale and Delivery Conditions
Confirm the full cost, packing method, collection or delivery timing, and what to do if the shipment is delayed or arrives in poor condition. Review documentation deadlines before arrival. A seller's willingness to discuss a problem is useful, but no purchase policy guarantees that every fish will remain healthy.
Have the Receiving System Ready
New arrivals go to the prepared quarantine arrangement. Check water, aeration, cover, filter operation, receiving equipment, and the contact plan. Schedule someone to be present for delivery. Keep fish from unrelated sources traceable rather than combining them into one unrecorded arrival group.
Get the Correct Transfer Instructions
Tell the seller the journey duration, water conditions, and receiving setup. A long sealed shipping-bag arrival and a short local trip require different considerations; do not improvise slow mixing in an opened overnight bag. Read arrival and acclimation decisions.
Keep the Record After the Purchase
Save the receipt, listing, photographs, arrival observations, water tests, and treatment history. Use new-arrival monitoring and quarantine release checks. Delay release if signs remain unresolved, even when a planned observation period has elapsed.