Southern California is the center of the USA koi keeping hobby. Whether a pond owner resides near San Diego, anywhere close to Los Angeles, or in Orange County chances are excellent they are never more than a few hours’ drive away from a reputable koi dealer with thousands of beautiful Japanese koi available for viewing in their sale tanks.
While buying quality koi fish from a koi dealer is not cheap, in our opinion these beautiful living jewels are well worth every penny – if, of course, hobbyists can afford them. Unfortunately, purchasing quality koi fish direct from a traditional koi dealer can often be cost-prohibitive for many hobbyists. We hear this sentiment expressed most often by hobbyists specifically seeking to acquire large koi fish for their ponds.
While Japanese koi fish are relatively hardy, to thrive, large koi require large, properly designed koi ponds. For this reason, large koi fish should never be kept within shallow water gardens (Aquascape design water features) or indoor aquariums. One large koi can produce more waste than hundreds of small fish, therefore a proper koi pond must also include sufficient koi pond filtration to ensure optimal koi fish health.
When advanced hobbyists relocate or close their ponds, they often reach out to their local koi dealer for help. Because these reputable koi dealers cannot accept fish returns due to limited quarantine facilities available, these hobbyists are often referred to contact Southern California Koi Rescue, a registered nonprofit animal rescue specializing in large Japanese koi fish for further assistance.
After completing a comprehensive quarantine process lasting several weeks, many of these large Japanese koi fish are ultimately made available for rehoming to approved hobbyists through private adoption. Much like when you adopt a new puppy from your local animal shelter, a nominal rehoming fee is charged for every koi adoption. While a tiny fraction of typical koi dealer wholesale cost, these minimal fees do help to offset some of our costs for the services we provide.
