My LFS just got a nice 10" koi that someone brought in because it out grew their aquarium. It's a nice black and white that would make a nice addition to my pond. Problem is my pond is ice covered and I won't be able to add fish until probably around the middle of april or so when the water warms up a bit. I have an empty 29 gallon aquarium up stairs that I could put it in but I have that ready to put some goldfish in shortly and my ten gallon tanks are too small. I have a place where I could set up a 30 gallon aquarium in the basement. It's an old musty basement and the temp. down there is 58 to 62F. If I do that I would have to go out and buy a 30 aquarium and set it up. With an aquaclear 70 with a cycled sponge from my aquaclear 70 in my 55 gallon aquarium. I think I would also have to put in a heater so the water is around 70F when I get the koi and lower it slowly over a couple days. Until the temp. gets down to basement temp. It feels like a lot of work to get things ready plus I'm leaving for Florida on Feb. 7 and I'm going to be gone for 5 days. I wish I knew if they would have it for a while. I'd like to wait to get it but I don't know if they will have it long. I've seen simular koi for sale for $300.00. This one is only $29.00. I could also get a 100 gallon stock tank and put it down the basement. I would have to make room and I'm not sure how to set up a filter for it.

I want it. But I'm not sure where to put it. It will only be in the house for about 2 1/2 months then it can go into my pond.

A tank that small would probably kill it. Cant you get a really big rubbermaid?

The big rubbermades that I've seen are only 39 gallons. If I went bigger I would have to buy a 100 gallon stock tank. The aquaclear won't fit on the side of the rubber ones. They do have medal stock tanks that a aquaclear would probably fit on but I don't know if the medal stock tanks would be good for fish.
Then what about heating before adding the koi and how do you tell if the fish is having health issues that need to be treated if it's not in an aquarium?

It would have been nice if they didn't get the koi until april. Then I could have just bought it and put it in my pond.

With all of your ifs... it would probably be a good time to pass up on this koi. For one it will be months before you can add it to your existing pond. Two...koi do not do well when kept alone, especially for that amount of time. Three...Even with an established filter, a koi of that size(which is small) can trash it. Meaning ammonia spikes, nitrites, the whole ball of wax. And all of this happening when you are away.
So you can buy a so called $300 fish for $30 and stress it out big time for months. Sounds like a recipe for disater.
Remember. There will always be other koi and the appropriate time to add them to your collection. Now just don't seem right.
Just my two cents for what it is worth.

Getting it now would stress me too. The problem is that most of the koi at the pet stores are ugly. In the last 4 years I've only seen 3 nice koi. This is the third. Now may not be right but time but it's rare to see a koi that I like. Even rarer to see a koi that I want. (Not counting koi on the internet).

I have a koi in a fifty five gallon he is doing great... I also have one in a 200 gallon pond outside it doesnt affect them that i see they act as of any other fish.... i think it would be fine if you put it in their till april but only if its by itself.

Levi

You understand that is so cruel to do to a koi. They need 200-250 per koi at a minimum. I just built a 750+ pond that will only be holding 3 at its max.