All Japanese Koi for Sale: Hand-Selected Premium Koi

550+ koi available right now

Welcome to the largest hand-selected collection of Japanese koi for sale online. Owner Tom Lai, a certified koi-show judge, personally selects every koi at the source in Japan, and we post more new listings, more often, than any other dealer. Each koi is shown on its own or in a clearly lettered group, with a high-quality video of the fish as it looks today, so you always see the exact koi that will arrive in your pond.

Every koi is KHV-free and APHIS-inspected, held in biosecure quarantine at our San Jose facility, and screened for KHV and SVC at a USDA-certified lab before it ships to your pond. See our full koi health guarantee.

Why choose ChampKoi?
  • The largest selection of hand-selected Japanese koi direct from Japan, in every size, variety, and price range
  • A high-quality video of every koi, so you see exactly what you are buying
  • KHV-free & APHIS-inspected: USDA APHIS import inspection, biosecure quarantine, and USDA-lab KHV/SVC screening on every koi
  • Live Arrival Guarantee with transparent nationwide next-day shipping (Tuesday to Thursday), never marked up
  • A family-owned business since 1998, rated 4.8 stars in Google reviews
ChampKoi owner Tom Lai in Japan purchasing Japanese tosai koi fish for sale at a Japanese breeder's koi farm.

Start here.
Which describes you?

Hundreds of one-of-a-kind koi. Tell us where you're at and we'll show you the right ones first.

Start hereNew to koiEvery koi we have in stock, priced low to high. Hardy, healthy fish that ship well and are forgiving in a new pond.Show me these Newest firstBack for moreWe post new koi constantly, and every fish is one of a kind. See what's new since your last visit.See what's new Better gradeStepping up qualityStronger body, skin and pattern from named breeders. Where hobbyists level up.Show me these Top tierCollector / showTategoi with championship potential, hand-selected in Japan. The very best koi.Show me the best

Shop by budget

There's a great koi at every price. Jump straight to your range.

Under $500 Starter $500-$1,000 Quality hobby $1,000-$2,500 Premium $2,500+ Show & collector

What makes one koi cost more than another?

Japanese judges score koi on three things, in this order. Knowing them makes every listing easier to read.

≈ 50% · Body
Conformation

The single biggest factor. A great koi is shaped like a torpedo: full volume, a strong tail joint, and a symmetrical, graceful body. Body is set for life; it can't be fed back in.

≈ 30% · Skin & color
Quality of finish

Snow-white whites, deep true-red hi, and glossy, even skin. Thick, lustrous color that's crisp at the edges is the mark of a top breeder's bloodline.

≈ 20% · Pattern
Balance & flow

A pleasing, balanced pattern, front-to-back and left-to-right, with clean edges. The part most people fall in love with first, but the smallest part of the score.

A pro's rule of thumb: buy the body first. Color deepens with age and good food, but a koi's body shape is fixed. Size, variety and breeder set the rest of the price, which is why the same variety can run from a hundred dollars to many thousands.

How much should I spend?

There's a great koi at every budget. Here's what each range typically gets you. Tap a range to shop it.

Under $500 Starter

Hardy, healthy koi that make good first fish and pond-fillers. Great value to learn on.

Shop starter koi $500-$1,000 Quality hobby

Noticeably better body and color, often from named breeders.

Shop this range $1,000-$2,500 Premium

Serious quality and growth potential. Show-capable koi from respected bloodlines.

Shop premium koi $2,500+ Show & collector

Tategoi with championship potential, hand-selected in Japan. The very best koi we offer.

Shop the best

Buying koi online, made simple

The questions we hear most, answered.

Do I really get the exact koi in the photos and video?＋
Yes. Every listing shows the actual fish you'll receive, photographed individually or in a clearly lettered group where you choose your letter. The high-quality ~30-second video shows exactly what that koi looks like right now, not a stock photo or an old shot.
Will my koi arrive alive?＋
We ship overnight in oxygenated boxes and back every koi with our Live Arrival and 14-Day Health Guarantee. If a koi arrives dead, or is lost to shipping stress or a health problem within 14 days of delivery, you choose a replacement, store credit, or a refund of its price. Shipping is never marked up, and any overage is automatically refunded.
How many koi can my pond hold?＋
A safe rule of thumb is about 250 gallons per adult koi (or ~10 gallons of water per inch of fish). A 1,000-gallon pond comfortably holds around four adult koi. Overstocking is the most common beginner mistake, so when in doubt, add fewer and enjoy watching them grow.
What size koi should I buy?＋
Younger koi (tosai, ~6-8″) are affordable and grow fast, so you get to watch their color develop. Larger koi (nisai/sansai, ~10-20″) already show more developed body and color and make an instant impact in the pond. Both are great, and it comes down to budget and patience.
Why is one koi $150 and another $15,000?＋
Four things: size, quality (body, skin and pattern), variety, and breeder. A larger fish with excellent conformation from a famous Japanese bloodline commands far more than a young, simply-patterned pond koi, even in the same variety. See the quality breakdown above.
Do you sell koi by auction?＋
No, on purpose. Every koi here carries a fair fixed price based on its body, skin, pattern, size and breeder, set by a certified koi-show judge. There are no timers to race, no sniping, and no bidding war pushing the price past what the fish is worth. When you check out, the koi is yours. Curious how the two ways of buying compare? See koi auctions vs fixed prices.
When will my koi arrive?＋
You choose the arrival date in your cart: Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays. Koi that have finished quarantine can arrive as soon as two days out, which gives us time to locate your koi, health-check it, and pack it carefully. Fall Harvest koi listed before they finish quarantine ship from their Quarantine Completion Date (QCD), so they can arrive no earlier than the first Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday after it; the calendar in your cart enforces this. We ship overnight the day before your date, so your koi arrives safe and healthy on the day you picked and you can plan to be home to receive it.
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