We receive many inquiries from pond owners interested in adopting some of our rescued koi. We care deeply about the beautiful living jewels entrusted to our care and we are committed to finding them new forever homes. If you would like to attend one of our special hosted koi adoption events then please submit a completed Koi Adoption Request below. Please note we do NOT ship koi, so please do not submit a Koi Adoption Request unless you are actually able and willing to attend a hosted koi adoption event in Victorville, CA. Once your adoption request is approved, we will contact you via SMS text to notify you when an adoption event has been scheduled so you can schedule an appointment to attend.

Visit us on Instagram for samples of currently available koi.

Have questions?  Click here for more information about koi adoption.

Koi Adoption Request

Note: If you do not submit a complete Koi Adoption Request below then you will NOT be allowed to adopt koi from us. Our goal is to ensure our rescued koi are provided only to suitable forever homes so this form is required.

Name *

Email Address *

Phone Number (Cell#) *

A quarantine tank, also known as a QT is highly recommended for any koi keeper. Any new koi should first be added to your QT for a minimum of 4-6 weeks before they are added to your main pond. Do you currently have a QT? *Yes, I already have a quarantine tank.No, I do not currently have a quarantine tank.

A proper koi pond should have a minimum pond depth of 3 feet but deeper is always better. Aquascape design ponds are typically less than 24" deep and too shallow for koi. Is your koi pond at least 36" deep? *Yes, my pond is at least 3 feet deep.No, my pond is not at least 3 feet deep.

A proper koi pond should include a bottom drain. Without a bottom drain your pond can quickly become unhealthy for koi for a variety of reasons. While a bottom drain is highly recommended, not having a bottom drain does not exclude you from koi adoption. Does your koi pond have a bottom drain? *Yes, my pond has a bottom drain. No, my pond does not have a bottom drain.

A proper koi pond should not have a floor covered with rocks or gravel as this creates unhealthy water quality for koi. This is common for Aquascape design ponds. Is your koi pond floor covered with rocks and gravel? *Yes, my pond floor is covered with rocks and gravel.No, my pond floor is not covered with rocks or gravel.

A proper koi pond requires sufficient koi pond filtration. A waterfall filter and skimmer filter alone are not sufficient for koi. This is common for Aquascape design ponds. Does your koi pond have sufficient filtration for Koi? *Yes, my pond includes proper koi pond filtration.No, my pond does not include proper koi pond filtration.

Please tell us about the current filtration setup on your koi pond.

A proper koi pond requires sufficient aeration. A waterfall alone does not provide sufficient aeration for koi. A dedicated pond aerator pump is required. Does your koi pond have a dedicated aerator pump? *Yes, my pond includes a dedicated aeration pump.No, my pond does not include a dedicated aeration pump.

Please tell us about the current aeration setup for your koi pond.

A proper koi pond requires a UV clarifier. This is the only 100% effective way to prevent green water caused by algae blooms, which can be dangerous for koi. Do you currently have a UV clarifier installed on your koi pond? *Yes, my pond includes a UV clarifier.No, my pond does not include a UV clarifier.

Please tell us about the UV clarifier currently installed on your koi pond.

Overstocking your koi pond can be extremely dangerous. How many koi do you currently have in your koi pond? *

Koi can grow to well over 3 feet in length so larger ponds are ideal. How many approximate gallons is your current koi pond? *

One large koi can produce as much waste as over a 100 small koi. Please provide information about the sizes for koi currently in your pond.

Southern California Koi Rescue does NOT ship koi. We make our rescued koi available for adoption exclusively to Southern California hobbyists. *

I understand that Southern California Koi rescue does NOT ship koi.

The ONLY opportunity for private hobbyists to adopt koi from Southern California Koi Rescue is to attend a special hosted onsite koi adoption event in Victorville, CA. *

I am willing and able to attend a special hosted onsite koi adoption event in Victorville, CA.

While a tiny fraction of typical dealer cost, koi adoption is not free. Much like your local animal shelter, a nominal rehoming fee applies for all adoptions. These rehoming fees help to offset some of our costs for the various free services we provide while also helping to ensure our koi are placed into suitable forever homes only.

I understand that koi adoption is not free and that a nominal rehoming fee shall apply for all koi adoptions.

What pond fish / pond pets are you interested in adopting from Southern California Koi Rescue? (check all that apply)

Koi FishGoldfishAlbino Channel CatfishBlack Channel CatfishAquatic Turtles (Red Ear Sliders)

If deemed necessary would you be open to allowing Southern California Koi Rescue to inspect your koi pond onsite in order to confirm it's suitability as a new forever home for some of our adoptable koi?YesNo

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Frequently asked questions about koi adoption:

Below are some commonly asked questions about koi adoption from Southern California Koi Rescue.

Where do our rescued koi come from?

We offer our onsite koi fish rescue services completely free of charge, often driving hundreds of miles in order to save these precious living jewels from private ponds and corporate water features located throughout Southern California. These koi are made available to us by their previous owners for a wide variety of reasons. Occasionally we are also called upon to rescue koi fish located well beyond our typical service area.

How can I view photos of currently available adoptable koi?

Please visit our Adoptable Koi page for a sample of some of the rescued koi we currently have available for adoption. This page is updated as frequently as possible. We also commonly share photos and videos of adoptable koi via our social media accounts.

What is the koi quarantine procedure followed by Southern California Koi Rescue?

We quarantine all rescued Koi for a minimum period of 4-6 weeks before they are made available through adoption to properly vetted new forever homes. Our rescued koi are commonly scoped using a microscope to identify any parasites. All rescued koi are treated with 3% salt along with appropriate medications to treat any parasites identified during scoping. As a precautionary measure, prazi treatment is also commonly applied during quarantine to help guard against typical parasites found in koi.

What is the typical quality of koi available from Southern California Koi Rescue?

The vast majority of Koi we rescue are not show quality fish.  In fact, most of our rescued Koi are standard pond grade fish only. But these Koi were extremely valuable to the pond owners who entrusted them to our care, and therefore they are also extremely valuable to us. When we do rescue koi of significantly higher quality these premium grade koi are also made available for adoption to properly vetted forever homes once they have completed quarantine. You can view a sample of currently available koi on our Adoptable Koi page.

How can I adopt koi from Southern California Koi Rescue?

If you wish to adopt any rescued koi from us then you must submit a completed Koi Adoption Request form. Once your request has been approved you will be notified when we have new koi available for adoption.

How much does it cost to adopt koi from Southeyyrn California Koi Rescue?

If you are looking for free koi then please look elsewhere. A nominal rehoming fee is required for all koi adoptions. This rehoming fee helps to offset some of our operating costs for the various free services we provide. We generally make many large koi available for only $50 each. Quantity discounts and other promotions are also commonly made available. Our rehoming fees are a tiny fraction of the actual retail value for many of the beautiful large living jewels we make available for adoption at our special hosted adoption events.

I have an Aquascape design pond. Can I still adopt koi?

Our sole mission is to find suitable new forever homes for the beautiful living jewels entrusted to our care. For this reason, we strongly prefer to make our rescued koi available for rehoming to proper koi ponds only. Read our assessment of Aquascape design ponds here.