Shipping

[spongebobson]

Hello forum, Any advice for shipping guppies in this cold winter? how much water in the bag? can you put 3 fishes in the same bag? double bagging? heat pack? styrofoam box?

Thanks

Daniel

[SerLunchbox]

The best advice is wait until warmer weather. If you must ship then definately a styrofoam box with heat packs. Have enough water to fill 1/4 the bag or less and the rest with air. You want enough water for it to be able to cycle water through its gills and possibly move around.

[Tiffi]

You can also search the internet for breather bags (leave air through) and bag buddies (for food during shipping). And make sure you don't place the heater pack directly on the fishbag, that might get too hot 8O .

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by Tiffi

You can also search the internet for breather bags

May be difficult to find, as Kordon has apparently discontinued them to do slow sales.

and bag buddies (for food during shipping).

'Bag buddies' provide some oxygen and ammonia neutralisation, not food (in fact, fish should be fasted at least 24 hours before being bagged for shipping)...and bag buddies cannot be used in breather bags.

Gel heat packs require no air to work, so you do not need to provide ventilation in your styro box, whereas the regular heat packs will need a couple of small holes in the box to allow air in. The best way to ship is fish in double bags (about 1/3 water to 2/3 air, and only a couple fish per bag) inside a newspaper lined styrofoam box inside a cardboard box (standard tropical fish shipping box...can be bought or begged off most local pet/fish shops). Go with the most expedient shipping possible, and ship in the morning, early in the week to avoid delays or overnight/weekend stopovers.

[TankGirl]

It also depends greatly on the type of fish you are shipping. Some fish can handle it just fine, other fish I'd wait until warmer weather. I have used the breather bags and used the regular bags, and I don't see much difference. I can use much less water with breather bags (not for use with labyrinth fish) and save on shipping that way.

If you have a relatively hardy fish, the very best insulation is... I'm not kidding... household R-19 insulation, like the kind you put between the rafters in your attic. Owens Corning Pink Panther type, you know the stuff. Wrap your bags in that and stuff it in a cardboard box and you are good to go. I have a lot of experience using it and I gotta say it is better than styro. I'd still use a heat pack this time of year, though, depending on how close you are to the equator.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by TankGirl

... household R-19 insulation, like the kind you put between the rafters in your attic. Owens Corning Pink Panther type, you know the stuff. Wrap your bags in that and stuff it in a cardboard box and you are good to go. I have a lot of experience using it and I gotta say it is better than styro.

One of the wholesalers I have purchased reptiles from actually sandwiches fiberglas pink between newspaper inside a styro box when he ships....never had a shipment done that way come in anything but toasty....even in the middle of a Canadian winter.