Re-homing Koi?

[Deleted]

Has anyone had to re-home koi fish? What should I be thinking about?

MIL is currently in the hospital. It's not a serious as it could be but once again at age 78 it's time to have the talk about moving closer to us.

One of the latest issues is who is going to take care of my fish? Seriously, I was starting to worry that she might want to set up a fish trust.

@anne81 has seen her yard. We're talking about a Disney-land set up of waterfalls and ponds. While it would be fantastic if whoever winds up buying her house takes the fish, I suspect someone is going to plow the set up into the ground because of the drowning danger to a young child (5 bedroom 4 bath 3000 sq.ft. 2 level house).

While this isn't an immediate need I want to be prepared when the time comes. Anybody have experience finding a new home for Koi? There's probably a dozen of them.

Thanks!

[HoneyBBQ]

*insert Doxie joke here*

[Green Eyed Lady]

I'm sure glad nobody suggested a koi fry.

[raeoflyte]

Who did she buy them from? My guess is that person/company will buy them back and resell them.

Otherwise I'd list them on Craigslist and let people know they have to catch them themselves.

Good luck!

[Green Eyed Lady]

Netting the Koi
The easiest way to stress a Koi out is by chasing it around the pond for an extended period of time with a net. Never chase a Koi with a net. Ever. They should be coaxed into the net. Koi have a tough time swimming backwards. The easiest way to cath a Koi is to keep the net in front of it at all times. Try to anticipate your Koi's next maneuver so you can keep the net in the correct position. The Koi will try to swim around the net. Once you get the Koi in the net, take care as you near the surface of the pond. The Koi in the net may attempt to jump out as a last resort to escape.

Moving the Koi
When moving a Koi a short distance, either a bag or a waterproof container that's filled with enough water to cover the Koi may be used. There should be a cover to prevent the Koi from jumping out. If the water perimeters in the new pond are similar in to the old one (ie temperature, pH, ), there shouldn't be any need to acclimate the Koi.

Stop feeding the Koi for a week before are moved a long distance. It will slow their metabolism and it will prevent them from fouling the water with their waste while they are in the bag. Koi can be moved long distances with either a car or by being shipped on an airplane. They should be placed in bag that's filled with pure oxygen and sealed with a rubber binder. The Koi should be kept cool while in the bag, overheating them will make them burn through their oxygen fast. Riding in a car will keep them cool for the duration of the trip.

If you have them transported on an airplane, they should have an ice pack placed in the box that the bag sits in. The ice pack will keep the water cool on if they get stuck on a hot tarmac.

[Green Eyed Lady]

How to acclimate once moved:

How to Acclimate:
Float the bag in your pond for 15 minutes to equalize the temperature.
Open the bag and add 30% of your pond water.
Float the bag for 15 more minutes.
Open the bag and add 30% more water.
Float the bag for 15 more minutes.
Scoop your new Koi out of the bag with your hand or a net and add it to your pond.
Discard any water in your bag in your yard or a drain pipe. Do not put the water in your pond, it can have stray parasites or bacteria in it that you wouldn't want to introduce into the pond.

[NancysSummerSip]

May 28, 2013 11:26:44 GMT -5 Green Eyed Lady said:

I'm sure glad nobody suggested a koi fry.

Hey, they taste like chicken, yanno.

Is there a public garden or park that has a suitable pond? I'd check with the county or city department of parks, to see if they know of a spot.

[dannylion]

Koi can be very valuable.  You might want to have an expert check them out and make suggestions.  Is there a botanical garden of some size in your area?  Most of the fancy botanical gardens around here have koi ponds.  Maybe if you could find a place like that, they would take them.  At least you would know they were probably getting proper care. 

[Blonde Granny]

Since I'm 68 and a grandmother, I am allowed to say this: Oh, the selfish unthinking things we do to our kids when we give no thought to the problems we can cause/leave for them.

<rant over>

Granny who has made sure she's making it as easy as possible on her only child.

[Deleted]

May 28, 2013 11:54:16 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

Since I'm 68 and a grandmother, I am allowed to say this: Oh, the selfish unthinking things we do to our kids when we give no thought to the problems we can cause/leave for them.

<rant over>

Granny who has made sure she's making it as easy as possible on her only child.

Thank you Blonde Granny. I suspect you know what a painful process we are going through.

[Opti]

Hopefully you can find a good home for them close by to where she lives. If there is a local
Koi society they might be able to help. Local parks and gardens are a great idea. You could also approach pet stores that sell Koi to try to find responsible people who currently have ponds.


Moving them now or September would probably be best weather-wise. I hope everything works
out for you, the Koi, and grandma.

[Blonde Granny]

I certainly do HB....been there/done that/and still somewhat pissed about it. 

And believe me, it only gets worse when other family members start second guessing everything you're doing and every decision you are making, but won't lift a finger to help.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Throw them down the sewer so they can become Teenage Mutant Ninja Koi!

[midjd]

If I weren't across the country I'd volunteer to take them. I love fish.

We've had to rehome a few of our more aggressive ones, and the local pet store has always been very helpful - as Opti said, they seem to know who has good facilities and who might be in the market for some new koi.

[Wisconsin Beth]

This seemed topical...

from jsonline.com

Thief makes off with 8 koi fish from UW-Madison Botany Gardens By Lydia Mulvany of the Journal Sentinel May 28, 2013 12:08 p.m. | University of Wisconsin-Madison police are searching for a thief who has absconded with eight koi — ornamental carp worth a total of $1,600 —from a pond at the University's Botany Gardens.The fish went missing between Thursday afternoon, May 24 and Friday morning, May 25. Some of them had been living in the pond for more than 10 years and are a foot-and-a-half long, according to a release from UW-Madison police. The fish have grey, yellow, red, blue and orange scales, and some are
speckled with all five colors. Anyone with information can call UW-Madison police at 608-264-COPS.

[Wisconsin Beth]

May 28, 2013 12:29:41 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Throw them down the sewer so they can become Teenage Mutant Ninja Koi!

But, but, but they'd need a master to teach them the ninja part.  And I can't see Splinter taking on Koi. 

[dannylion]

So it looks like the University of Wisconsin-Madison might be in the market for some koi. 

[Deleted]

Sorry to hear your MIL is in the hospital, Bonny. Her yard is amazing but I think you're right about it being plowed into the ground.   When we purchased our home (2300 sq ft, 5 bedroom) it had two large ponds in it with koi larger than cats.   We insisted the owners deal with the koi and we filled up the ponds since we were planning on having children.

Maybe this group will have an idea of where you can donate the koi when the time comes:

www.oregonkoiandwatergardensociety.com/

[doxieluvr]

May 28, 2013 11:21:11 GMT -5 @bonnap said:

Has anyone had to re-home koi fish? What should I be thinking about?

MIL is currently in the hospital. It's not a serious as it could be but once again at age 78 it's time to have the talk about moving closer to us.

One of the latest issues is who is going to take care of my fish? Seriously, I was starting to worry that she might want to set up a fish trust.

@anne81 has seen her yard. We're talking about a Disney-land set up of waterfalls and ponds. While it would be fantastic if whoever winds up buying her house takes the fish, I suspect someone is going to plow the set up into the ground because of the drowning danger to a young child (5 bedroom 4 bath 3000 sq.ft. 2 level house).

While this isn't an immediate need I want to be prepared when the time comes. Anybody have experience finding a new home for Koi? There's probably a dozen of them.

Thanks!

I have always moved the fish when I have sold a house.  You could contact a local pond store to see if they would take them from you. 

If the fish are near the MD area, I would be willing to take them for your mother. 

[doxieluvr]

It is possible to have a fish pond and children at the same time. I grew up in a house with one. I have had one for years and have two children. 

Ponds am be a wonderful teaching tool. My kids have learned about raising fish, healthy Eco systems and empathy for animals. My son is 2 1/2 and actually participated in this years annual  inventory and pond cleaning. He was in charge of holding the frog and gathering baby snails. 

[Deleted]

doxieluvr,

Thanks for your comments. MIL is in the Portland, OR area.

As I said in my orignal post, my preference will be to have them convey with the house. And I really hope that when it's time to sell the house that a buyer will love what she's done and keep it as-is. But I'm a pratical person and recognize that someone will look at what she's done and (rightfully) shudder at the effort and cost to maintain what she's spent some $200k on.

The ponds and waterfalls take up the entire upper yard which is outside the kitchen. I think someone with small children will avoid it all together but depending on what else is on the market (right now there's nothing for sale) I could see someone buying the house and demolishing the Disney landscape and restoring it back to a lawn/play area within mom's view.

[genericname]

Hi Bonny - I re-homed (actually sold) my koi last year when we filled in the fish pond. It had come with the house, and since I had experience keeping fish, we didn't make a fuss over the fish pond. Fast forward to an active toddler, a five-foot deep pond, and a busy mommy and we decided the easiest way to stay sane was to fill in the pond and sod over it since our backyard is so small.

First, I contacted several of the pond stores around the area that we frequented to see if they were interested in the fish. No interest whatsoever. Next, I placed an ad on craigs list with pictures of the big boys (several were verrrry large). I was contacted by an out-of-area koi dealer who came to the house, caught them all, brought all of the equipment to move them, and paid me $150 for the pleasure of taking them off my hands. So my advice is, go with craigs list and hold out for a dealer to contact you. I stated explicitly in my ad that the buyer/freebie receiver would be required to catch and transport them. I really didn't expect any cash, so that was just a bonus. I let the pond guy who came and got them set his price. I just wanted them gone.

Hope that helps!

Edited to add: spring or fall are the best time to move outdoor fish. Things are just too hot and their metabolism speeds up in the summer so you have a bunch of waste to deal with. Now is a good time, or wait until it cools off in your area.

[Abby Normal]

May 28, 2013 14:52:50 GMT -5 @bonnap said:

doxieluvr,

Thanks for your comments. MIL is in the Portland, OR area.

As I said in my orignal post, my preference will be to have them convey with the house. And I really hope that when it's time to sell the house that a buyer will love what she's done and keep it as-is. But I'm a pratical person and recognize that someone will look at what she's done and (rightfully) shudder at the effort and cost to maintain what she's spent some $200k on.

The ponds and waterfalls take up the entire upper yard which is outside the kitchen. I think someone with small children will avoid it all together but depending on what else is on the market (right now there's nothing for sale) I could see someone buying the house and demolishing the Disney landscape and restoring it back to a lawn/play area within mom's view.

Bonny-  Try the Zoo, the Japanese Garden or the Oregon Garden.  I know there are a few other places that have ponds but those are the first that come to mind.

[genericname]

I would advise against contacting any type of botanic garden/zoo/public display aquarium. I worked at accredited zoo for several years as an aquarist, and I can tell you they will nicely say "thank you, but we have no room" to your face, but behind your back they will degrade you as a crazy hack trying to unload their unwanted fish on an already overpopulated zoo. You would not believe how many calls we fielded turning away "donations" of people's unwanted fish, birds, and reptiles (usually because they grew so big they outgrew their enclosures and/or became dangerous to the family, not usually someone in your situation, Bonny). The mammals, not so much.

[Deleted]

genericname,

Thanks for your tips. Yeah, I'm expecting some push back from commercial folks. She takes good care of the fish but I can see dealers being leery about taking fish back due to a concern about diseases, et cetera.

@anne81,

Yeah, she seemed genuinely shocked when I told her that the ponds and waterfalls were likely to limit the customer base willing to buy the house.

[Abby Normal]

May 28, 2013 15:38:50 GMT -5 genericname said:

I would advise against contacting any type of botanic garden/zoo/public display aquarium. I worked at accredited zoo for several years as an aquarist, and I can tell you they will nicely say "thank you, but we have no room" to your face, but behind your back they will degrade you as a crazy hack trying to unload their unwanted fish on an already overpopulated zoo. You would not believe how many calls we fielded turning away "donations" of people's unwanted fish, birds, and reptiles (usually because they grew so big they outgrew their enclosures and/or became dangerous to the family, not usually someone in your situation, Bonny). The mammals, not so much.

Nice to know they think people are crazy, but  I see your point. I was thinking more along the lines of " My mother is making her final arrangements and we are trying to figure out what to do with the Koi in her pond.  Would xxx organization be interested, or do you know of someplace that might be?"  I hardly see that as a reason for ridicule. 

[doxieluvr]

As I said, contact a local pond store. They may take them, quarantine them and then rehome the fish.

Bonny,
i really do think you are over thinking the resale value. I know in my market, ponds are appealing to new home buyers. 

I look twice at listings with a pond because buying a house with a pond will make the logistics of moving easier.

[Deleted]

May 28, 2013 16:17:34 GMT -5 doxieluvr said:

As I said, contact a local pond store. They may take them, quarantine them and then rehome the fish.

Bonny,
i really do think you are over thinking the resale value. I know in my market, ponds are appealing to new home buyers. 

I look twice at listings with a pond because buying a house with a pond will make the logistics of moving easier.

Doxie,

I will contact her dealer when the time gets closer.

 And I wish I could post a picture. We're not talking about a simple little backyard pond. We're talking about 1500 sq.ft. of ponds, waterfalls, artifical mountains six feet tall. I think her water bill in the summer is over $300 mth plus the landscaper and "pond guy" to keep everything going. This isn't a first time homebuyer house. Whoever is going to look at the house is going to ask about how much it costs to operate. It's going to be a special person who is willing to spend that kind of money to keeping it all going. And demolishing it and hauling out some the rocks and boulders she had put in isn't going to be cheap either.

[Deleted]

May 28, 2013 12:26:40 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I certainly do HB....been there/done that/and still somewhat pissed about it. 

And believe me, it only gets worse when other family members start second guessing everything you're doing and every decision you are making, but won't lift a finger to help.

I know. My MIL was so awful and critical of her younger sister who oversaw the care of their father. And he lived to 102!

She couldn't figure out why same younger sister didn't want to move in with her and live in her basement. And funny...no other family member will do the same.

After the last stint of caregiving I did for her (about 1.5/yr ago) I told DH I would never do that to myself again!

In comparison, my mother was a saint. It was only 5 weeks of intense work but she was so grateful. And I was so grateful to have the time with her. I don't think you understand the issues of elder caregiving until you've done it.

[Abby Normal]

You might contact the Northwest Koi Club and see if they can give you ideas.