‘Tis The Season – Giving Koi As A Gift

Believe it or not, live Koi, Butterfly Koi and Goldfish are quite the popular holiday gift amongst pond and aquarium enthusiasts. What could be more exciting for a Koi or Goldfish keeper than a surprise box of beautiful swimming jewels showing up on their doorstep?  

But before you hit submit and place that order to be shipped to your favorite fish keeper, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Does the Recipient Have Room?

Everyone’s pond or tank space is limited, and some keepers are particularly picky about just how many Koi or Goldfish they will allow into their pond. And for good reason. Filtration, aeration and water quality are all crucial elements of keeping a happy and healthy pond or tank, and overloading the system with fish can cause problems.  

Before you send some fish off to your recipient’s house, be sure to take careful consideration of their available space. Some keepers have multiple tanks or ponds and are constantly taking in new fish and rehoming others, loving the constant thrill of seeking out new fish.  These sorts will almost certainly appreciate the surprise arrival. Others may have a very small pond and a careful balance of fish. If your recipient falls in this category, perhaps a NextDayKoi.com gift certificate may be your best course, allowing them to choose the perfect fish when the time is right.

What Types of Fish Do They Prefer?

When you get right down to it, there can be a dizzying amount of options. Of course, there are Koi or Goldfish.  And then with Koi you have either traditional standard fin Koi or the luxuriously flowing Butterfly Fin Koi.  And then you have a few dozen varieties with several sub-varieties in some instances.  Does your keeper friend prefer a Doitsu Ochiba Shigure Butterfly Koi, or a Gin Rin Hariwake Standard Fin?  The permutations can quickly become overwhelming.

If you know your varieties and options, and have your thumb on the pulse of what your fellow keeper is in to, then you’re all set. NextDayKoi.com offers Koi and Butterfly Koi, with categories broken down by all the most common varieties.  Searching for that perfect combination is a snap.

If you don’t know the difference between your Kumonryu and your Matsukawabake, then a gift certificate may again be in your best interest.

Quarantine Setup

Another crucial piece of information is your recipient’s quarantine procedures and setup.

Any Koi farm or Koi dealer worth their salt will always recommend that hobbyists should quarantine new arrivals for a minimum of 2 weeks before adding their new pets to their main pond or tank. This advice goes for all fish, from all sources. No fish from anywhere in the world are without risk.

But, let’s be real. Not everyone quarantines. Some are beginners and haven’t yet come around to the importance of quarantine. Some know the risks and view not quarantining as an acceptable risk. Some folks just flat out don’t have the space to set up an extra recirculating system for quarantine.

Before sending off the gift of Koi to your favorite Koi club member, make sure you take into consideration their quarantine procedures and setup.  If they eschew quarantine, you probably don’t have too much to worry about in this regard. If they do quarantine, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is their quarantine tank circulating and cycled?
  • Some keepers will only set up and run their quarantine tank when they know they have new arrivals on the way. If your recipient doesn’t have their quarantine tank setup and running, then you may leave them with a tough decision when their unexpected new arrivals show up on the doorstep.
• Are they currently quarantining any other fish?
  • It’s possible that your recipient already has other fish in their quarantine tank. If this is the case, they would likely be reluctant to add any new fish in the middle of quarantine. Again, a gift certificate might be the safest bet.

Will They Be Home?

With an order from NextDayKoi.com, you can always select the exact day that your purchases will arrive.  But will your recipient be home to accept the package?

In the vast majority of cases, UPS will leave a Koi shipment on the doorstep if the recipient is not home.  And in most of these cases, the fish will be just fine, particularly during the holiday season when temperatures are cool.

That being said, having someone at home to receive the shipment and get the fish into a recirculating system as soon as possible is optimal.  If you’re going to send Koi as a gift, try your best to plan the arrival for a day you know that your Koi keeper bud will be home.

The gift of Koi can be perfect for the right keeper, but there are several considerations to make before placing your order.  After all, the welfare of the fish should be the top concern.  Consider a gift certificate if you are unsure if Koi are the proper gift.  Or contact us for help getting your gift order just right.

Happy holidays!