Our family koi farm has a very rich history and appreciation of Nishikigoi. Their safety is of the utmost importance.
We love two things above all else:
- Raising the healthiest, most beautiful koi
- Uniting koi with new homes and enthusiasts
It is our job to ensure that koi arrive safely and we take extra effort in our packaging to keep the koi happy and healthy.
Shipping koi can be a challenge and confusing, so we want to give you some more information on our processes along with an overview of our costs for sending koi to you.
Due to the stress on our koi, we have always had the highest quality shipping processes in place. Sending our friends across the ocean is a careful process from beginning to end. These living jewels can live over 50 years and, like humans, long travel can be stressful and exhausting!
We want to thank our customers for their commitment to the health and well-being of their koi, it would sadden us to think that our lovely fish would go to a home where their well-being is not cherished as a family member’s would-be.
Lower costs on shipping means a greater possibility to harm or kill our precious koi.
We are thankful that you all understand this by choosing Kodama Koi Farm vs. businesses that offer lower costs and potentially cutting corners at the risk of the koi’s health.
Increased costs coming from UPS, have required us to make adjustments to our shipping fees for small, medium and large boxes. In this article, we would like to make sure you understand the costs and the importance of extra effort in our shipping process, so let’s take a moment to go over our fees and process.
Kodama Koi Farm’s main goal is, and always will be, ensuring your koi arrive safe and healthy!
UPS USA Koi Shipping Costs by Box Size
Please use our box calculator for estimates on shipping cost based on your koi sizes
* This is a guideline and we reserve the right to adjust the number of koi that are shipped together for any reason we feel might affect the safety of the koi!
Prices include UPS and minimum cost of boxes, plastic bags etc.
Note: Additional $25.00 per box for Saturday delivery.
UPS insurance is 6% of the koi’s value and an additional cost.
Why High Quality Koi Shipping?
Shipping a living being comes with a great responsibility. Just like you and me, travel is tiring for koi, but because they live and breathe in water, it is especially time sensitive.
Over many years, we have developed detailed processes to follow and ensure shipping Koi works best. If you are bidding on several koi, we would like to work with you to help save you shipping costs while still keeping your koi safe and comfortable. If unsure costs, please call or email us to confirm shipping costs or ask any specific questions, before purchase.
Oxygen levels can get low, so Koi need to get from here to there fast while leaving some cushion for any unforeseen delays. That means both you and us have to be strict and not push delivery or pick up to the last minute, which could put our friends in danger.
1 Week Prep Time – If you have a specific date that you want your koi by, remember we need about 5-7 business days before we ship to prepare the fish. Most importantly, we will stop feeding so their travel is clean of waste and keeps the water fresher for breathing. This is similar to when you go to surgery, and it is NOT negotiable for the safety of the koi.
High Quality Packaging – The products we use for shipping are high quality and what we have learned over many years will lead to the safest delivery of koi. Rather than trying to offer the absolute lowest cost, we have chosen to offer the best in koi packaging and take extra care to manage water conditions, temperature and delivery time.
Kodama Shipping Options
Review our FAQs for more details on shipping. Here are the most important parts for you to understand.
Shipping is paid for separately after checkout. We encourage purchasing insurance. You may contact us prior to confirm the costs of a certain set of koi you want to order.
- Email: info@kodamakoifarm.com
- Phone: +1 (833) Koi Love (1-833-564-5683)
We have THREE SHIPPING OPTIONS:
- UPS – US Mainland and Canada
- FedEx Interisland – Hawaii Only
- Air Cargo – US Mainland
UPS: Ships directly to your door, with most areas having a delivery time by 12:30. We ask you to make sure someone is available to immediately open the koi package and start the onboarding quarantine process and any other process to introduce your fish to their new home. Be especially aware that they are not left in the sun or other hot areas as it will decrease the oxygen faster.
Insurance: For only 6% of koi value you may purchase koi insurance in case of death or injuries during transit.
Shipping Tracking: UPS ships directly to your door. Your shipment is delivered from Hawaii via UPS Next Day Air. In most cities and locations, UPS delivery usually arrives by 12:30 pm; but can vary based on location. Delivery time for some rural areas may be different. Please check the estimate arrival time with UPS (1-800-PickUPS). You will also receive your tracking number via email from UPS directly on the day your koi ships.
Saturday UPS Delivery: There is an additional fee of $25.00 per box for Saturday deliveries. The Saturday delivery option is not available in all areas. There is some risk when opting for Saturday UPS delivery. Shipping delays are rare, however it does happen from time to time. A shipping delay may result in your koi not arriving until Monday. Because of this possibility, we highly recommend that you purchase UPS insurance for these deliveries.
Holding Koi & Boarding Services: Yes, we can hold koi while you bid on others.. We understand it is important that you combine your winnings to save on the shipping cost. Therefore, farm can hold your Koi for up to 30 days from winning date with a koi health guarantee. During this period, please bid and find companions for your shipment. Contact our office by email or phone within 3 days to let us know of your intentions. Purchase the koi online or call and provide us with your credit card number to confirm your winnings. If you would like to board your Koi (for example during the winter), this is offered only on a case-by-case basis and pond availability. If approved, the cost is $50/Koi per month (fees are non-refundable). If a Koi becomes ill, we will treat it at no additional cost to you. NO replacements or refunds will be offered if a boarding Koi loses its color or dies/
Koi Health Guarantee: We guarantee the health of your koi while it is on the farm during the holding period. We will guarantee the life of koi for 24 hours from the packing time, provided that koi is shipped out within the holding period. Shipping problems rarely occur, but they do happen, so we highly recommend insurance. If you experience a problem with your delivery, please contact us as soon as possible by phone or email. Please also send photos of your koi if they are sick or dead and packaging if it is damaged. This will help expedite any claims and provide possible koi treatment solutions if necessary. For more information about koi health guarantee please click here.
No Returns / Only Store Credit: We do not accept returns for koi, all koi sales are final. Keeping our koi and facility as clean as possible is critical to assure delivery of clean and healthy koi to our customers. Therefore, once the Koi leaves our farm and has experienced other waters, we do not allow any koi to come back for any reason. Avoiding cross contamination is the best practice.
Review our FAQs for more details on shipping.
Start Shopping for Koi
We have many different ways you can Shop for Koi Online from our farm.
Choosing by breeder, price range, variety, or just finding a beauty that catches your attention is how we generally recommend people buy koi. If you are not sure, you can always send us a koi request form and we will try to find the koi you are looking for. Use these links to view koi on our website:
- Main Koi Search Page – Start Here!
- Search Koi By Niigata Breeders
- Search Koi By Varieties
- Search By Fixed Price Koi
- Search By Auction Koi
- Search All High Quality Koi
- Request a Koi
Thank you for your support of our family business and your dedication to helping us raise happy, healthy, and beautiful koi for the world to admire.
If you have any more questions not answered in our FAQs, please give us a call or email before you purchase to ensure we are all on the same page about shipping options.
