Moving KOI safely: transport vats and pond covers from Durban
KOI breeders across KZN and Gauteng rely on welded, food-safe PVC vats for transport and holding. Here is what goes into a vat that will not leak or contaminate.
KOI are not cheap fish. A single award-quality specimen can fetch six figures. Losing one in transit because of a split seam in a transport vat is a bad day for everyone. This is why KOI breeders do not use generic water containers for transport or holding. They use purpose-built vats.
We have been supplying KOI vats to KZN and Gauteng breeders since the mid-2000s, when a Hillcrest breeder asked if we could build something that would not poison his fish. The answer was yes, and the product line has grown from there.
Welded, not stitched
The single biggest distinction between a proper KOI vat and a cheap water container is the seam. A stitched seam has holes, and holes leak. Under the pressure of 500 to 2000 litres of water, a stitched seam will weep. Over a four-hour transport run from Durban to Johannesburg, that weep becomes a flood.
Our vats are RF-welded 900 gsm food-safe PVC. The welder heats and bonds the PVC into a continuous sheet with no stitch holes. When the seam is right, it will outlast the rest of the vat. When the seam is wrong, we notice in QC and redo it. This is not a corner to cut.
Food-safe PVC matters
Standard PVC has plasticisers that leach into water over time. For a pool cover, that does not matter. For water holding live fish, it matters a lot. Our KOI grade PVC vats use food-contact approved material with SABS documentation on request, which is what your aquaculture insurer will want if something ever goes sideways.
Sizes that actually work
Most breeders want one of two configurations:
- Holding vat: 2 to 3 m diameter, 0.8 m depth. Sits in a shaded area on the farm, used for quarantine or show prep.
- Transport vat: shallower and wider, sized to fit a specific trailer bed. 3 to 4 m long, 1.5 to 2 m wide, 0.5 m depth, with optional bird netting for the drive.
We do not sell one-size-fits-all. Every vat is cut and welded to the dimensions you need. Send the internal dimensions of your trailer or the footprint you have available, we build to it.
Pond covers and shade
A vat is one half of the problem. Outdoor ponds in SA need shade and bird protection. We supply bird-proof netting cut to pond shape, and shade panels in standard shade percentages. Both are cut on site or in the factory and dropped off with fixings.
For commercial hatcheries, we often combine a pond net with a full custom cover for winter, so the pond is usable year-round.
Transport logistics
From our Durban factory we deliver anywhere in SA. For KZN breeders we often drop off and help fit the first vat into the trailer. For Gauteng and beyond we courier with written fit instructions and a WhatsApp line for questions.
Lead time
A standard 2 m holding vat is 3 to 5 working days if we have the PVC in stock. A custom transport vat with bespoke dimensions and net cover is 5 to 10 days. For shows with hard deadlines we prioritise ahead of the queue if you give us enough notice.
Phone or WhatsApp
Fish transport is one of those jobs where a five-minute chat beats a twenty-message email thread. Tap the WhatsApp button or visit the KOI vat product page for the spec range.