Frequently Asked Questions

All live fish are packaged in thick plastic shipping bags. The bags are filled with pure bottled oxygen and water from a deep-well aquifer. The bags are tightly secured with a rubber band, and then placed into a sturdy corrugated-cardboard box. When necessary, an ice pack is added to prevent overheating. The box is sealed with packaging tape and a UPS shipping label is applied. The box then remains in a 62 degree holding room until UPS arrives to pick up all shipments for that day.

Yes, it is safe. Although there is always inherent stress to the fish as a result of the shipping process, the stress is minimal and the risk to the health of the fish is very low. Over 98% of all fish we ship ultimately arrive at their destination healthy and ready for their new pond.

We have an exclusive arrangement with UPS to offer you the lowest shipping costs possible. We use UPS only. No other couriers will be used.

Shipping costs for Koi and Pond Goldfish are flat rate as follows:

$30 Per Shipment – North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia

$40 Per Shipment – District of Columbia, Delaware, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia

$50 Per Shipment – Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachussetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississipi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

$60 Per Shipment – Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

$75 Per Shipment – Alaska, Hawaii (HI residents must possess a valid import permit from the Hawaii Dept of Agriculture, Plant Industry Division

No, you do not have to pay shipping for each individual fish. Any number of fish can be combined into one shipment, and you still pay only once for shipping.

All fish are shipped using one-day service, and will arrive the day immediately after shipped. Most Next Day Air shipments are guaranteed to arrive by 10:30 AM. Some rural areas of the US will only be guaranteed to arrive by End Of Day. To find your guaranteed arrival time, use the UPS Calculate Time and Cost tool for a package originating from zip 27284 and shipped Next Day Air.

Fish food is shipped UPS Ground, and transit times will vary from 1-5 business days, depending on your location.

Most UPS Next Day Air shipments are guaranteed to arrive before 10:30 AM in the delivery time zone. Some UPS Next Day Air shipments to rural areas of the US are only guaranteed by End of Day. UPS Ground shipments are guaranteed by End of Day.

To find your guaranteed arrival time, use the UPS Calculate Time and Cost tool for a package originating from zip 27284 and shipped Next Day Air.

Absolutely. Our industry-leading 14 Day Worry Free Guarantee covers all live fish that we sell.  If your fish dies, for any reason, during the first 14 days after arrival, then you will receive a full refund.  You must provide a picture of the deceased fish in order to receive a refund.  You can go to your My Account Page to notify us of your DOA and begin the refund process. We do not refund your shipping cost.

You are covered for up to 14 days after the package was delivered, and you will be refunded. Fish that die after the 14 day guarantee window has passed may be refunded at the discretion of Next Day Koi.  We will not refund your shipping payment.

At our discretion, we will refund you for fish that you are unsatisfied with. Go to your My Account page to notify us of your problem and request a refund.

Yes, we ship to all 50 states of the US. We do not ship to Puerto Rico or any other US territories, commonwealths or protectorates.

Hawaii residents must possess a valid import permit from the Hawaii Dept of Agriculture, Plant Industry Division.

No, under no circumstances do we ship to Canada, Mexico, or any other country outside of the US. No exceptions.

No. In order to insure that packages are delivered on time, there is no signature required. However, we strongly recommend that you are home to accept delivery and unpack the fish as soon as possible.

Quarantining new koi means to keep them in an independent system, completely separated from your main pond. During the quarantine period, any possible health issues should become apparent.

We guarantee live delivery and full satisfaction. However, the responsibility for maintaining the health of the fish after delivery has to be shared by the customer. We request that you follow the recommendations listed below:

1. Learn what is required to successfully maintain healthy fish. There are numerous websites available covering all aspects of ponds, filtration, water parameters, koi, koi health, etc.

2. Quarantine new arrivals for 2 weeks at a minimum temperature of 75 degrees F. Some fish diseases are not apparent at cooler temperatures. We cannot accept responsibility for conditions created by mixing new fish with existing fish.

By purchasing from our website, the user agrees that Next Day Koi is not to be held responsible for any previously existing fish in a given environment, nor the cost of medications, materials, consultations, or any other costs incurred by the user.

Koi from Hazorea Aquatics and Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery are quarantined in completely separate holding facilities. All of our koi are quarantined for a minimum of two weeks before being listed for sale. All koi are monitored closely for any signs of health problems during that time. If any health problems become apparent during quarantine, the affected koi are treated accordingly.

No. Under no circumstances will we combine eBay items into a shipment with web items. No exceptions.

No, we do not operate a retail location.

No, sorry, we do not offer local pickup.

You can reach our office at 800-351-6851. Office hours are 8 AM to 4 PM EST, Monday through Friday.

Everything that is currently available for sale is listed on this site, or listed on eBay. If there is a particular fish you are looking for, and you do not see it listed online, we do not have it in stock.

Most of the Koi and Butterfly Koi that we sell are too young and immature to be accurately sexed.  Some larger Koi will be sexed, and the sex will be stated in the title of the listing.  Any stated sex of a fish is our best estimation and under no circumstances is the sex guaranteed.

For bio-security reasons, we never, under any circumstances, bring koi, other than those from our suppliers, into our facilities. We will never take your unwanted koi.

Your user account is created during the checkout process of your first order.  You cannot create an account before you complete checkout of your first order.