Transporting Your Koi
Of course, you may have to move your Koi for reasons other than illness. You may have to move it due to a new construction such as building a bigger pond or because your pond is in harms way due to some natural event like a storm. No matter how much you plan, there is no guarantee that you will not have to move your Koi for some reason or another.
With the problems that arose from recent natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, and even for everyday events such as common illnesses, it is highly important that you have some sort of plan when it comes to moving you fish and knowing how to bag and transport your Koi in the correct manner could mean the difference between their life and death.
What Equipment Will You Need
It's a good idea to make sure that you have all the necessary equipment that you need to transport your Koi on hand at all times. If your Koi is suddenly taken ill then you may not have time to take a trip to the local pet store to get what you need and even if you do, there is no guarantee that they will have it in stock an d besides which, the equipment you need to bag and transport your Koi is small and very easy to store for when you need it.
The first thing you must have to transport your Koi are proper bags. Never try to transport your fish in ordinary plastic bags or trash bags as they are not designed to transport Koi and may damage it. If you didn't keep the bags you used to bring your Koi home in then you will need to take a trip to your local pet store, just make sure that the bags you get are of a suitable size to hold your Koi.
You will also need a good supply of rubber bands, in fact you will need quite a few for every bag that you buy. Make sure that they are of a good quality as you do not want then to break or the pressure from the water to pop them off the bag whilst you are transporting your Koi.
As well as bags and rubber bands, you will also need to get a net that is large enough to handle your Koi and whilst you will never need to use the net to pull your Koi out of the water, you will need it to lead and direct your fish into the place you want them. When used incorrectly, nets have a good chance of damaging your Koi so you must always take great care when using them.
It is also a good idea to purchase a paint bucket as this is a better option for catching your Koi and has less of a chance of hurting your Koi like a net can. You must make sure that the paint bucket you buy is suitably large enough to hold your Koi.
Bagging your Koi
As long as you have the proper equipment to hand then the actual process of catching and bagging your Koi is very simple. If you have a particularly large pond then you may want to consider asking your friends to help when bagging your Koi.
You will need to use the net to guide your Koi into the paint bucket. When you have your Koi in the bucket, you can remove any excess water and begin to bag your Koi.
Ensure that you bag is leak free. Once you are certain that your bag is secure, you can place the bag over the Koi from head to tail making sire that you have enough water in the bag to completely cover it's gills. Make sure that you leave plenty of air room sin the bag so that it is not too heavy to carry. You can now place the rubber bands around the end of the bag and then keep doubling it until the bag is secure.
You can now place the bags horizontally in your transport container making sure that you do not bend your fish when you lift it. Now secure the bag so that it will not move with bumps and turns, and cover the fish so that as little heat and sun light can enter as possible.
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