The Koi Dealer Import Workflow: From Purchase Order to Sale-Ready Fish

By KoiQuanta Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

A typical koi import lot requires 47 individual compliance and health management tasks over 30-45 days. KoiQuanta automates every one of them. Before that automation existed, dealers completing this manually spent significant time each week just tracking where each task stood, which were overdue, and what documentation needed to be generated before the lot could be cleared. The cost of missing any of those tasks ranges from a failed audit to a seized lot.

This guide maps the complete import workflow from the moment you commit to purchasing a lot to the moment the fish are cleared for sale, with every compliance step documented in KoiQuanta.

TL;DR

KoiQuanta's compliance dashboard surfaces registration expiration dates with 60-day advance notice.
This baseline reading is the first entry in the lot's 30-day water quality record.
This package is submitted to your state fish health authority if required and retained for your 2-year records obligation.
Early detection based on parameter trends reduces treatment costs and fish stress.
Seasonal changes require adjusted monitoring schedules; automated reminders help maintain consistency.

Phase 1: Pre-Import Documentation

Before fish arrive, several compliance requirements must be addressed. KoiQuanta's import lot setup workflow captures this documentation at lot creation:

Purchase documentation. Record the supplier, purchase order date, country of origin, and species composition of the lot. This information anchors all downstream compliance records to the specific lot.

Import permit verification. Confirm that the applicable import permits are in place. For fish from specific countries or of specific species, USDA APHIS import permits are required before the fish can legally enter the country. KoiQuanta's import checklist flags this requirement and stores the permit documentation against the lot record.

Facility registration confirmation. Verify that your import facility's state and federal registration is current. Lapsed registration means the lot may be held at the port of entry. KoiQuanta's compliance dashboard surfaces registration expiration dates with 60-day advance notice.

Pre-arrival quarantine tank preparation. Confirm that the quarantine system intended for this lot is clean, cycling correctly, and at the appropriate temperature and water quality for the species arriving. KoiQuanta's quarantine tank setup checklist ensures all parameters are verified before fish arrive.

Phase 2: Arrival and Intake

Lot arrival logging. When fish arrive, create the lot entry in KoiQuanta with arrival date, fish count, species and variety breakdown, supplier health certificate details, and any accompanying documentation.

Health certificate review and storage. Review the supplier's health certificate for completeness and compliance with your state's requirements. Scan or photograph and attach it to the lot record in KoiQuanta's document vault. A health certificate stored in email is retrievable only if your email account is accessible and searchable; a health certificate attached to its lot record in KoiQuanta is retrievable instantly.

Initial health assessment. Within 24 hours of arrival, conduct an initial health assessment on a representative sample of fish: external examination, gill inspection, and ideally a skin scrape for microscopic parasites. Log findings in the lot's health record. This establishes a baseline and identifies any acute health issues that need immediate attention.

Intake water quality logging. Record the water quality parameters in the quarantine system at intake. This baseline reading is the first entry in the lot's 30-day water quality record.

Phase 3: The 30-Day Quarantine

This is where the bulk of the compliance documentation is generated. Daily tasks include:

Water quality logging. Ammonia, nitrite, pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature at minimum. KoiQuanta's daily logging interface makes each parameter entry quick and the record is automatic.

Fish health observation. Daily visual assessment of all fish, noting any changes in behavior, feeding, surface activity, or physical appearance. Any fish showing signs of disease gets flagged immediately.

Scheduled treatments. Your prophylactic and therapeutic treatment schedule - configured at lot setup - generates daily prompts for any treatments due. The dose calculator pre-fills the required amount based on your system volume. You complete the treatment and check off the task.

Mortality recording. Any fish deaths during quarantine are logged with date, approximate cause if determinable, and any necropsy findings. Mortality records are a required component of the compliance export.

Phase 4: Lot Clearance and Sale

At the completion of the 30-day quarantine period, KoiQuanta generates the lot clearance export: the complete compliance package for the lot including all water quality records, treatment logs, health observations, and mortality records. This package is submitted to your state fish health authority if required and retained for your 2-year records obligation.

Fish are then transferred to display tanks or sold directly. The lot-specific health documentation can be used to generate buyer-facing health summaries for individual fish sold from the lot.

Your dealer import compliance guide covers the regulatory framework underlying each step. The quarantine documentation guide addresses the specific record formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the step-by-step process for importing koi as a dealer?

The process runs: secure import permits before ordering; confirm facility registration is current; place order with supplier and collect pro forma invoice; confirm lot composition and receive supplier health certificate at time of shipment; prepare quarantine facility to receive the specific lot; receive fish and complete intake assessment; log lot arrival in KoiQuanta with health certificate attached; begin 30-day quarantine with daily water quality logging and scheduled treatments; maintain complete health observation record throughout quarantine; at quarantine completion, generate compliance export and submit to state authority if required; transfer fish to display inventory or direct sale.

How does KoiQuanta track the koi import process?

KoiQuanta tracks the import process through the lot lifecycle from creation to clearance. At each phase, the relevant tasks, documentation requirements, and compliance checkpoints are surfaced as workflow steps. Daily tasks generate automatic records when completed. Overdue tasks generate alerts. At lot completion, the system compiles all records from the lot's lifecycle into the compliance export automatically. The dealer's view at any point is a dashboard showing where each active lot sits in the workflow and what tasks require attention today.

What documentation do I need at each stage of the koi import workflow?

Pre-import: import permit copy, purchase order, facility registration confirmation. Arrival: supplier health certificate, lot manifest with species and count, import declaration records. Quarantine: daily water quality logs, treatment records with doses and dates, health observation logs, mortality records. Lot clearance: quarantine completion summary, compiled water quality record, treatment log export, state fish health authority submission if required. KoiQuanta generates most of this documentation automatically as you complete daily tasks, and the compliance export at lot clearance packages it in the format required for regulatory submission.

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Sources

Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA)
Koi Organisation International (KOI)
University of Florida IFAS Extension Aquaculture Program
Fish Vet Group
Water Quality Association