How to Start Koi Fish Farming Business & Make Money

We have come across beautiful and colorful koi fish in the outdoor ponds and water gardens. They are big, with bright colors, and make any suitable garden pond or large water feature look extremely attractive. What is more attractive is that you can make a huge profit from koi fish farming.

Koi are decorative species of fish that were only found in red, white, black, and blue. However, they are now bred in different combinations of all the colors in the rainbow. Koi breeding was first done by the Japanese. In the 20^th Century, Koi breeding began in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Read: How to Start a Fish Farming Business

Nowadays, Koi is one of the most popular and favorite fishes in the world. Pet koi are available in many places from commercial farms. Considering the demand for Koi, you can go for Koi farming and earn good profits.

Here are the 7 Steps to Start Koi Fish Farming

1. Research and Planning

Before jumping into the koi fish farming business, it is advisable to do detailed market research. Learn more about koi fish varieties, market demand, and suitable farming methods. Based on the feedback, you will be more equipped to explore the gaps that exist and plan accordingly.

2. Create a Koi Fish Farm Business Plan

It is essential to write a business plan document if you are looking to build a sustainable and profitable koi fish farm. Some of the aspects your small-scale koi farm business plan must address are as follows:

• Market information
• Target customers
• Pricing strategies
• How do you plan to sell your koi fish produce?

 3. Select the Pond for Koi Fish Farming

 In the first place, you have to choose the pond for koi farming.  The ponds need not be very specialized or expensive, but you have to take special care to ensure that there is no predator to harm the Koi.

You can do Koi Farming in a small pond that can hold about four to six feet of water. But remember one thing; Koi Farming needs clean water in the pond. So, you have to make arrangements for a proper filtration system, so that clean water is available for the healthy growth of Koi.

4. The Breeding

Breeding stock is the most important part of your Koi Farming. First, you have to decide on the type of Koi you want to breed. The orange or red-colored Koi can be a good option since it yields good money.

The bigger the Koi becomes, the more money it will give you. For example, Sansai is a type of Koi that grows ready for sale in the third year. It is more expensive than Nisai, which becomes ready for sale in 2 years.

You have to get a high-quality Koi breeding stock to get good and healthy Koi for selling. Here you have to follow the age-old assumption of healthy parents giving birth to healthy children. Make sure that the breeding fish are at least 3 years old because that is their age of being sexually active.

You can start your Koi farming with two or three high-quality Koi. Breed them properly and start making your stock. In case you want to add up more Koi, you have to make arrangements to keep the new ones separate from the bigger ones.

 5. Feeding the Koi Fish

After the first step of breeding is done, you have to start feeding the Koi. This is a very important step, as you have to ensure healthy growth as well as the bright and colorful look of the koi. Give them hatched brine shrimp so that their skin and scales grow glowing.

Feeding is expensive, but you have to bear it, for the prospect of your Koi farming business. Koi need protein for growth. So, give them fish food containing about 40% protein.  Feeding properly will be gainful for you in the culling process.

Remember, the Koi needs more protein in the initial stage. As they grow up, they require less protein. During winter, as the water of the pond becomes cold, the Koi won’t need that much food as their metabolism becomes slow.

Here are some interesting points for you to remember while feeding the Koi fish.

• Feed the Koi up to four times a day and each time for about five minutes.
• Koi fish is a foodie and not at all selective. Give them small bugs and insects, plants and algae anything, they will relish.
• Koi love to eat what you eat. They prefer food like rice, cereal, lettuce, peas, watermelon, and many more.
• Try not to feed the Koi before the storm. This is because the oxygen level reduces during the rains, and the Koi need more oxygen to digest food.
• The fish of your Koi farming pond will start recognizing you as their feeder after some time. Then, they will start greeting you as soon as you come near the pond.

6. Culling

 When your Koi start giving eggs, it is the culling or selecting time for you. The Koi will give more than 500,000 eggs at a time. All of them will not hatch into little fish. You have to select from the ones that are hatched out.

There will be some fish that are not good-looking. You cannot sell them in the market. So, you have to select them and remove them from your pond and keep the ones that are good to look at.

It will not be very easy for you as a Koi farmer, but it is necessary from the business point of view. So you have to remove them as fast as you can.

7. Selling the Koi Fish

 After following all these processes, comes the final and profit-earning process for you. That is the selling of the mature Koi.

It takes some time to build up your name as a quality producer. But, with hard work and the right marketing methods, you will be able to earn a good profit from Koi farming.

Now let us focus on the price of the Koi in the market.  Big companies in Koi Farming can sell between 20,000 to 30,000 fish annually from your Koi Farm. The price of a Koi can range from $15 to $5000 approximately. So, you can calculate your returns.

For selling the Koi on your Koi farm, take some good photos of the fish.   Take many photos so that you have the option to choose. Post these photos on Social Networking sites or use any website or email to show the fish for sale.

For making a profit from Koi Farming, you can start with the common varieties like Sanke, Kohaku, Showa, and Shusui. There are other varieties too.

Read: How To Start A Tilapia Fish Farming Business

These are some of the common points for you to follow for making a profit from Koi Farming. It is a wise decision for you to start Koi Farming. You have to be a little patient and have a good idea of the fish. Then you are sure to make a good profit from Koi Farming.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much space do I need to start a koi fish farm?

It is needless to say, the space required depends on the scale of your operation. For small-scale farming, you can start with a pond of around 500-1000 square feet. However, commercial koi fish farms may require several acres of land.

What are the primary expenses involved in koi fish farming?

The major primary expenses are as follows:

• Cost of land or pond construction
• Purchasing koi fish fry or fingerlings
• Feeding expenses
• Water management equipment
• Marketing costs.

How long does it take for koi fish to grow to market size?

Koi fish generally take 2-3 years to reach marketable size, depending on factors like feeding, water quality, and genetics.

What are the common diseases in koi fish and how can you prevent them?

Common diseases in koi fish are bacterial infections, parasites, and fungal diseases. Hence, you need to take adequate measures like maintaining clean water conditions, providing proper nutrition, and regularly monitoring fish health to prevent diseases. Additionally, quarantine new fish before introducing them to the main pond.

What is the market demand for koi fish?

There is a huge market demand for koi fish. It is popular both domestically and globally. It is observed that Koi fish are more popular among hobbyists, collectors, and landscaping enthusiasts.