The Koi Acres Quarantine Program
We quarantine every fish that we import . This keeps any risk of parasites, bacterial infections and virus outbreaks at an absolute minimum. Isolating our Koi before they go on sale is one of the basic tenets of our company, we have quarantined every shipment of Koi we have ever received.
Our Quarantine Procedure
Before the Koi are even shipped, they are tested in Japan for KHV (Koi Herpes Virus), Spring Viremia of carp and Asian Tapeworm. When the Koi arrive, they are dipped in a treatment solution to remove any parasites that they could be carrying.
Checking for parasites
We provide each breeder's fish in their own tank system. Any possible disease outbreak will be confined, allowing the rest of the Koi to remain unharmed. They will remain in their separate tanks for a minimum of three weeks during the quarantine period. The water temperature in the tanks is kept at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, any dormant KHV infection will become active. It also is the optimum temperature for their immune system. Shipping is stressful and their immune systems need to be at their peak in order to fend off disease.
At three weeks we have a fish veterinarian, Dr. Amy Kizer of Lexington Pet Clinic, visit our facility. We select several Koi from each tank system to be inspected for parasites. The general health of the fish population is also surveyed.
We have the veterinarian take blood samples from a percentage of the Koi in each system. The samples are sent to UC Davis for a KHV ELISA test. The ELISA test will detect antibodies for KHV in the blood of any Koi that have been exposed to the virus.
Drawing a blood sample for the test
After the test results come back and we get an OK from the vet, the Koi are ready for their new homes!