Frequently asked questions
Koi that have been reserved during our trip to Japan will be available once their 12-week quarantine is completed (three heat cycles). If quarantine is completed during a cold period, we will hold koi free of charge until April. Once the water temperatures are similar to outside and it is safe to be collected/delivered we will be in contact with you to organise a koi viewing or a courier delivery date.
Japan is the origin of Nishikigoi - Koi carp. Japanese koi are the best quality koi available in the world, the colours of Japanese koi have higher quality and definition through generations of specialist breeding in Japan. Other countries that produce Koi have significantly less experience and don’t have the superior Japanese koi bloodlines or depth of knowledge passed down through several generations of breeders over the last 150 years. There are hundreds of Koi breeders in Japan, many specialise in certain varieties that have taken several decades to perfect the parent bloodline.
Appointments for our Quarantine facility will be available once fish have completed their quarantine procedure, with three heat cycles. At that point, people can then view fish at the facility by booking an appointment with Andrew or the office. Koi viewings are usually from April to mid-October, but appointments can generally be made all year.
This depends on the individual, we believe 30-40cm koi are the best size to buy, as you can see the quality and potential development at this size. However, some people like to purchase tosai (1-year-old koi of 10-20 cm) and watch them grow and develop. While other customers prefer to buy larger koi around 60cm, for an instant visual impact on the pond.
All of our Koi are hand selected from Japan, Andrew, Ben and James visit Japan every year to select koi, as they are harvested directly from the breeder’s mud ponds. We pay particular attention that every koi is hand selected with care, ensuring they are free of any damage or deformities. Every Koi must also reach our extremely high standard of quality (we never buy koi blindly ‘by the box’). This ensures our stock is of the highest quality.
Our Fully quarantined Japanese koi start from as little as £25 each and go up to several thousands of pounds. We have fish available at our store (which is open every day of the week) and also have fish available at our quarantine facility by appointment.
The Main Koi Harvest season is from Mid-October every year; we always visit at this time. So, if you have any special Koi requests please discuss your requirements prior to our departure, so we can look for ‘special requests’ whilst we are in Japan. If you wish to receive our Daily Koi purchases whilst we are in Japan please email the office (info@koiwatergarden.com) and ask to be put on our KWG in Japan email list.Where possible we will send videos via WhatsApp of any koi that we consider meet your requirements.
No, our quarantine procedure & facility has the highest CEFAS rating of any koi company in the UK. Until the koi are fully quarantined and ready, this is non-negotiable.
Body shape, bloodline (pedigree), pattern, depth of colour and uniqueness are all important considerations. We will always be
happy to discuss any koi in detail prior to your purchase.