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FAQ

Purchasing

  • Who do you sell to? Do you sell to the general public?

  • We offer our products for sale to any business in the pet, koi, goldfish or water-gardening industry. Sorry, we do not sell to the general public. To find a business in your area that carries Blue Ridge products, check out our Dealer Locator.

  • I own a business, but it is not in the koi and water gardening industry. Can I purchase from Blue Ridge?

  • We do sell to select businesses who have a need for a steady supply of koi and/or goldfish, but that are not positioned in the koi and water gardening industry. To see if your business qualifies, you can fill out a dealer application or contact us for more details.

  • I don’t own a business, can I purchase from Blue Ridge?

  • No, sorry, we do not sell to the general public at this time. To find a business in your area that carries Blue Ridge products, try our Dealer Locator.

  • How can I find a dealer in my area that carries Blue Ridge products?

  • Take a look at our Dealer Locator (link to DL). It will show you any businesses in your area that carry our products.

  • How can I place an order?

  • There are a few different methods for qualified customers to place an order:

    1. If you have an active account here on our website, log in with your username and password, fill your shopping cart with the items that you would like to purchase, then submit your order. One of our sales representatives will contact you as soon as possible to discuss payment terms and arrange shipping details.
    2. Take a look at our Current Availability. Compile a list of what you would like to order, and email it to staff@blueridgefishhatchery.com, or fax it to 336-784-4306. A sales representative will contact you as soon as possible to discuss payment and shipping details.
    3. Give us a call at 800-334-5257 during normal business hours. A sales representative will be happy to help you in assembling an order.
  • I’m having trouble viewing your Price List and Availability. Can you fax or email it to me?

  • Certainly. Call us at 800-334-5257 or email us at staff@blueridgefishhatchery.com to request a fax or email copy of our Price List and Availability.

  • Is there a minimum for each order?

  • Yes, there is a minimum of $300 for each order, not including shipping.

  • Can I request certain varieties of koi to be included in my shipment?

  • Yes, you can request that certain colors/varieties of koi by included in your shipment. However, we never guarantee that any certain colors or varieties will be included in your shipment.

  • Will you send me pictures of the koi that I am going to receive?

  • No, sorry, we cannot send you pictures of the koi that you will receive. To see pictures representative of the quality and variety of each grade of koi, check out Our Product page

  • What measures do you take to ensure the health of your koi and goldfish?

  • All of our ponds and holding facilities are monitored closely and treated for any health issues. Additionally, all koi and goldfish that we sell are quarantined for a minimum of 14 days before being shipped. Read more at Health and Bio-Security

  • Do you offer a guarantee on your koi and goldfish?

  • Absolutely. We offer a 30-Day No Questions Asked Guarantee on all products that we sell. For details, check out Our Guarantee.

  • Do you sell anything other than koi and goldfish?

  • Yep. We also sell a selection of fancy goldfish such as Orandas, Pearlscales and Ryukins. Check out the Imported Goldfish page for more info. We also offer a full line of “Miscellaneous Creatures” which includes Bullfrog Tadpoles, Rainbow Dace, Trapdoor Snails, Blue and Albino Channel Catfish, Plecostomus and Hi Fin Banded Sharks.

Shipping

  • How do you ship koi and goldfish? How do they stay alive?

  • All fish that we ship are packaged in multiple layers of commercial-grade plastic bags. The bags are filled with fresh well water and pure oxygen, sealed tightly with rubber bands, then secured inside of crush-proof corrugated cardboard boxes. Unlike atmospheric oxygen, pure oxygen is able to enter the water without aeration. The fish swim freely inside of the box, just as comfortable as they would be in a tank or pond.

  • How long can fish survive in a shipment?

  • Many factors determine how long fish can survive in a shipment, including packing density and ambient temperature.
    Generally, our fish are packed to survive for approximately 24 hours inside of the box. Shipments almost always arrive in less than 20 hours.

  • How much will shipping cost me?

  • Shipping costs can vary widely, and are determined by a) the shipping method you choose (UPS or Air Freight) b) the number of boxes in your shipment and c) your location. Contact us for a shipping quote.

  • How long will it take for my order to ship?

  • We offer a turn around time of less than 24 hours on most orders. If you place and confirm an order by 2 PM EST, Monday through Thursday, your order can ship the same day, and will arrive the following day.

  • Do you ship to countries outside of the United States?

  • Sorry, due to federal regulations, we are prohibited from shipping koi and goldfish outside of the United States.

  • Do you ship to Hawaii? Alaska? Puerto Rico?

  • Yes, we ship to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. Hawaiian customers will need to obtain an import permit before placing an order. Please contact us for more details.

General Koi & Goldfish Information

  • What’s the difference between koi and goldfish? How can I tell them apart?

  • Koi and goldfish may look similar, but the two are actually two different species. Goldfish were developed by selectively breeding Prussian carp for color mutations. Today, the goldfish is now considered an entirely new species from the Prussian carp. Koi were selectively bred from the common carp over many years to bring out certain colors and patterns. However, koi are still considered common carp and not a species of its own.
    There are many ways to tell the two apart, but the easiest way is to look for “barbels” or “whiskers” near the mouth. Koi will have these barbels on the lips, while goldfish will not. Also, goldfish tend to be much smaller and exhibit more variety in body shape than koi. Koi tend to have a common body shape and have a greater variety of color and pattern.

  • Why are koi more expensive than goldfish?

  • Koi tend to be more expensive than goldfish because of the extensive culling and selecting process. A single spawning will produce thousands of offspring that exhibit a wide variety of color, pattern, and quality. Separating the desirable koi from the less desirable is a tricky and tedious job.

  • Why are some koi more expensive than others of the same size?

  • Koi can be more expensive than others of the same size because of many different factors, mainly color and pattern. The colors on a more expensive koi will tend to be deeper and more vibrant. A koi that has deep red or jet black will be more desirable than a koi with fading red or light grey spots. This can also apply to the pattern of color. The pattern must be evenly distributed throughout the body, without too much color concentrated on one end or side of the koi. Usually, an expensive koi, as compared to another the same size, will have a visually pleasing and balanced pattern, with deep, dark colors.

  • Can I mix koi with goldfish?

  • Absolutely! Both koi and goldfish are very docile creatures and will not harm each other in a pond or aquarium.

  • Will koi and goldfish eat my plants?

  • Unfortunately, koi and goldfish will eat aquatic plants that you may have in your pond. However, keeping your fish well fed with fish food will minimize the amount of plant material your koi will go after.

  • How long can koi live?

  • Believe it or not, the oldest documented koi on record was a Japanese koi named Hanako that lived to the ripe old age of 226 years.

    Of course, Hanako was an extreme outlier. However, koi that are well cared for can regularly live to 20-30 years of age.

  • How large can koi grow?

  • The largest koi in the world top out at around 36 inches in length. However, many factors, including pond size and stocking density, will determine how large a koi can grow. Most koi will stop growing well short of 36 inches.

  • How often should I feed my koi and goldfish?

  • As a general rule of thumb, you should feed your koi and goldfish once per day, no more than they can eat in 5 minutes. If there is still uneaten food left after 5 minutes, try feeding less next time.

    The amount of food required by koi and goldfish will vary widely depending on the season and temperature of the water. During the spring and summer, when the water is warm and the fish are very active, they will need more food. In the cold winter water, koi can go weeks without eating.

  • When should I discontinue feeding?

  • We recommend that you discontinue feeding your koi and goldfish whenever the water temperature drops below 50 degrees.

  • Are butterfly koi a cross between regular koi and long-finned goldfish?

  • Absolutely not. Being closely related, koi and goldfish can actively cross breed. However, the resulting progeny are usually unsightly and sterile. Butterfly koi are the result of a cross between standard fin koi and a type of long-finned Indonesian carp. Many strains of butterfly koi in the industry today were started and developed right here at Blue Ridge. You can read more about our development of butterfly koi at The Butterfly Koi Story.

  • How much salt should I keep in my pond or tank? What about if I have plants?

  • We recommend keeping your salt level between .3 and .5%. However, this level of salt will be harmful to many pond plants.

  • How densely can I stock my tank or pond and still keep my fish healthy?

  • This is a difficult question to answer, and there is no single correct answer. It all depends on multiple factors, including:
    How strong is your filter system? How often do you do water changes? Are your filters fully cycled?

    Koi and Goldfish don’t mind being crowded, IF the water parameters are at the correct levels. We generally recommend two hundred gallons of holding space for one box of fish. However, they can be stocked at a higher density if the ammonia and pH levels remain consistent and healthy.

General Blue Ridge Information

  • Where are you located?

  • Our shipping facility is located in the town of Kernersville, in Central North Carolina. All of our production facilities are located within an hour drive of our Kernersville farm.

  • How did Blue Ridge get started in the koi and goldfish industry?

  • Our family got its start in the fish industry when E.W. Berry, great-grandfather to the current owners, began raising tadpoles and goldfish in the 1940’s. You can find more information at Our History.

  • What measures do you take to ensure the health of your koi and goldfish?

  • All of our ponds and holding facilities are monitored constantly for parasites and signs of health issues. Any affected fish are treated accordingly and withheld from sell until we can verify that they are healthy. Additionally, all fish are quarantined for a minimum of 14 days before being shipped. Check out our Health and Bio-Security page for more information.

  • How many people do you employee?

  • We currently employee about 15 people full time. As a seasonal business, this number can fluctuate throughout the seasons.