Koi are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ornamental descendants of carp. They come in a variety of colors and fin morphs while being hardy enough to adapt to outdoor ponds. Koi may be plentiful, but it is important to make sure that you are purchasing your koi from a reputable source. If the pet stores variety no longer interests you, investing in koi from an online breeder is the next best option.
Fortunately, many popular koi breeders can give you the type of koi forms you are looking for. Most of the koi will be under fancy names and display vibrant colors that do not compare to any pet store-quality koi.
This is a complete guide to inform you of some of the best places to purchase rare and colorful koi online!
The 9 Best Places to Buy Koi Online – Reviews & Top Picks 2021
1. Blackwater Creek Koi Farms Inc – Top Choice
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi, goldfish, and products
Blackwater Creek Koi Farms is run by koi and goldfish enthusiasts who have degrees in Aquaculture and have over three decades of experience with fish in both retail and wholesale. They offer some of the best quality American bred koi. The farm has an 11-month growing season which allows them to produce koi all year round. The koi fish have been imported from Japan as well as the farms own cultivated stock.
All the koi and fish in their care have been tested for the KHV virus and SVC is tested in all koi stock twice a year. It is for this reason that Blackwater Creek Koi Farms is our top choice. Not only do they stock a variety of koi, but they also have high-quality goldfish for sale. Butterfly, standard fin, and goldfish are sold during the year and no fish imports were conducted since 2002. This means that the koi and goldfish they sell are guaranteed to not have any harboring diseases from external sources.
Great care is taken to ensure that the koi are healthy and have a live-on-arrival guarantee. Various care sheets are also placed on the website to inform you on the best way to care for their koi and experience the notable benefits this koi and goldfish farm has to offer. The koi are shipped overnight through FedEx and are delivered right to your door. This is beneficial because the koi will arrive with minimal stress from shipping due to the short delivery period.
Pros
- Koi have been tested for KHV and SVC
- Live on arrival guarantee
- Care sheets are made available on the website
Cons
- Pricey
- Delivery is not available to most states
2. Kodama Koi Farm– Best Value
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi and products
Kodama Koi Farm imports and raises some of the highest quality koi from Japan. They specialize in Nishikigoi koi who are raised through strict quarantine procedures so that they are free of diseases when they are shipped to the buyer. They sell small and jumbo koi from a family farm in Niigata breeders. Aside from quality koi, they also sell koi pond supplies, educational books, koi food, and care sheets to help you raise the koi. Their koi farm was established in Miyoshiike Co, Ltd. The farm only ships the healthiest and best stock of their Japanese Nishikigoi within the United States.
The amount of money you pay to get a healthy koi stock shipped to you makes the Kodama Koi Farm our best value for money. The shipping fee alongside the original price of the koi fish makes a worthy price for what you are receiving.
Pros
- High-quality koi
- Best value for money
- Koi go through strict quarantine procedures
Cons
- Only able to ship within the United States
3. Kloubec Koi Farm – Premium Choice
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi
The Kloubec Koi Farm has a good variety of butterfly koi fish, koi food, and pond products. All the koi are bred through a knowledgeable American koi breeder and is one of the largest koi farms in the USA. The butterfly koi are raised on an 80-acre farm in Amana in Iowa. All of their koi are hand-selected so that they can ensure you are getting a good, bodied koi with your desired choice of pattern and coloration on the koi. All of the koi originate from koi farms in Japan and consist of the Kohaku, Showa, Sanke, Asagi, Shusui, Gin Rin, butterfly, and many other koi varieties.
The Kloubec Koi Farm quarantine all the koi before they are even placed up on the website for sale. Due to the high variety this koi farm has to offer, they are our premium choice.
Pros
- High variety
- Quality Koi
- Affordable
Cons
- Unable to ship out of the USA
4. Koi to the World
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi
Koi to the World offers a huge selection of koi to stock many customers koi ponds. All of their koi are fully quarantined before being available for purchase on the website. The koi come from the Blackwater Creek Farm which was our top choice on this list. They ship throughout the United States and delivery occurs overnight and the koi will be delivered to you the next morning. They also sell goldfish and products. The main types of koi available for sale to the public are butterflies, standard fin, assorted, and baby koi. All of the koi come in a variety of colors and finnage morphs.
Pros
- Good customer care
- High-quality koi
- Sell goldfish
Cons
- Expensive
- Some koi is not always available
5. 168 Koi Farm
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi
The 168 Koi Farm has some of the largest selection of premium koi on the market. They raise a large variety of different koi colors, finnage, and patterns. The koi available on their website are all high grade with a guarantee of their quality. 168 Koi Farm sells koi all year round and has a live-on-arrival guarantee. They make the website easy to navigate so that you can effortlessly find the type of koi that you are looking for. Browsing is made easy for customers by various links on the website with visual labels such as the bestsellers, most popular koi, and new arrivals. They are easy to contact and are very transparent when it comes to helping and informing customers about their koi selection. A bonus is that this koi farm offers free shipping anywhere in the Philippines.
Pros
- The website is easy to navigate
- Good customer care
- Large selection of high-quality koi
Cons
- Not able to ship to many states
- The koi are pricey
6. Genki Nishikigoi Koi
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Not specified
- Quality: Good
- Variety: Koi
Genki Nishikigoi Koi is a direct importer of top-quality Japanese koi fish and Thai goldfish. They also sell pond equipment and dry goods for koi and goldfish. They blog the Japan koi shipments and the JPD koi and goldfish food to show what their shipments look like. The website also has a detailed quarantine sheet. One of the noticeable aspects of Genki Koi is that they take individual pictures of the koi they are selling from a bird’s eye view. The koi are also grouped on the website so that it is easy to navigate what koi you are searching for. Although their koi is expensive, it is worth the quality koi you will receive.
Pros
- High-quality
- Good customer care
- Sell both koi and goldfish
Cons
- Expensive
- Koi sell out fast
- Minimal colors available
7. Rain Garden
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Good
- Variety: Koi, goldfish, and products
Rain Garden is well-known for selling amazing goldfish, but they are also enthusiastic koi breeders. All the koi are raised on their farm in Hakipu’u in Oahu. The website hosts a large amount of fish care and acclimation and quarantine procedures for when you receive your koi. They also sell a variety of tropical flowers and goldfish. The owners are easy to contact so that you can inquire about any issues or questions effortlessly. Stream-lined carp descendant fish are their mainline in sales. This includes goldfish like the Wantonai who are perfect for ponds with koi.
Pros
- Wide range of shipping states
- Good customer care
Cons
- Low variety of koi to choose from
- The website is difficult to navigate
8. Optimum Koi
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Yes
- Quality: Excellent
- Variety: Koi and products
Optimum Koi is a South African koi producer who has an excellent range of high-quality koi. They also sell koi and other fish products to keep your koi healthy. The healthiest stock is only placed for sale on the website, and they offer expert service. The koi are kept in good conditions on the breeding farm, and it is a family-owned business with owners who have over 20 years of experience in aquaculture. They also help with the construction of koi ponds and do koi health consultations. The products and koi are affordable and only the best stock is placed on the website for sale.
Pros
- High-quality koi
- Sell products and pond construction
- Affordable
Cons
- Only shipped within South Africa
- Low variety
9. Giobel Koi Center
- Live upon arrival guarantee: Not specified
- Quality: Decent
- Variety: Koi, goldfish, bettas, and guppies
The Giobel Koi Center is a koi farm that bred a variety of koi. They are transparent with their koi care and have various social media to show the customers what kind of conditions and care the koi are receiving. Alongside koi fish, they also sell goldfish, bettas, and guppies. The farm is located in the Pagadian branch. They are also bloggers who produce a wide variety of koi selections. The website is difficult to navigate and choosing the koi you want to sell is not on the main webpage. They do have good customer care and care for the fish well. There is not much known on their koi stock for sale but contacting the website directly will allow you to receive first-hand information on the koi they have for sale.
Pros
- Wide selection of fish for sale
- Good customer care
Cons
- Poor selection of koi
- Website is difficult to navigate
Buyer’s Guide
Considerations When Purchasing Koi Online
Purchasing fish online can be a fun yet challenging experience. You may be faced with the worry of any delivery and health issues once you have purchased the koi fish from the online website. These considerations should be considered before you make a purchase:
- The location of the breeders
- The delivery fee and duration of delivery
- The quality of the koi fish
- Customer communication should be good with the suppliers
- The koi fish should be pre-quarantined at the koi farm before placed on the website for selling
The Best Online Koi Fish Sellers
Our best choice for online koi sellers is chosen regarding how the seller operates and the amount of stock and prices they offer.
- Blackwater Creek Koi are our top choice due to their price range and the health of their koi fish.
- Kodama Koi Farm offers the best value for money regarding the type and quality of koi you will receive.
- Kloubec Koi Farm the premium choice for their variety of koi fish available for sale on the website.
Tips When Purchasing Koi Online
You should always feel comfortable when purchasing online. This means you should establish a connection with the sellers before you make a purchase. The seller should be willing to communicate effectively with you and help you with any questions you may have.
It is best to always read the warranty section of each koi sellers’ website. You want to be able to get a refund or replacement if your koi fish arrives sick or deceased within a few hours of delivery. You will then need to send a video or clear picture as proof to the seller.
Reading customer feedback on the website can also give you a good indication of what you can expect when working with the koi seller.
The Advantages of Buying Koi Online
- More color and pattern selections
- Better genetics
- Reduced risk of health issues
- Quarantined on the farm before shipping
- Healthy stock
Koi Importers and Breeders
Koi breeders sell fish that is locally bred on their farms. This means the koi fish are much less likely to be carrying any pathogens and diseases found in large chain pet store stock. They will also have good knowledge of the genetic linage the koi fish is coming from and will be able to determine if any genetic issues are present in their stock.
Koi importers work with koi farms usually in a different region. They then sell their healthy stock to customers. The bonus of purchasing from koi importers is the large selection of colors and patterns the koi come in. Nearly all types of koi are available from koi importers, including rare ones.
Conclusion
Online koi shopping can be made easy once you get the general idea of the importer or breeder you are buying from. The top pick out of all 9 categories is the Blackwater Creek Koi Farm who is quite a popular koi distributor. The next favorite has to be Kodama Koi Farm since they have such beautiful koi selections that are guaranteed to catch your eye. Buying koi fish online is becoming more popular and seems to be a better approach to acquiring healthy koi fish.
Featured Image Credit: Piqsels
Sarah Psaradelis is an avid young writer with dual passions for literature and animals. She enjoys sharing knowledge of animal care and helping others. Sarah has over 8 years of writing experience and is currently studying veterinary science. She resides in South Africa with her supportive partner who shares the same love for animals. She takes care of 25 fish, aquarium snails, dogs, and rodents. When she is not writing, she is researching animalsl or instructing a sports pole dance class. Sarah is a passionate vegan activist and animal rescuer pursuing her path to make the world a better place.
