Can't believe the fish bag used in lfs and used for so long!

[gu2high]

When shopping fish in lfs, I can't believed the bags they use. It has two corners on the bottom. When small-size fish scooped in, fish is stressed and tend to run into the corners. When the store people do the packing, they lay bag bottom on the table and the bag corners are bent and fish get squashed. I have to ask them be careful but still get unfortunate sometimes - some store people said, 'I have been doing it for many years.' I know the squashed fish will be dead at home in 1-3 days, although you can't see the wound outside the fish. I lost 3 neon tetras and 1 cory that way I think.

Can't they make round bag without the corners or other kind of plastic containers? The cost of bag or container should not be much compared to the price of fish.

 

[SeanMurphy]

The fish places around here all use those same bags, but I've never seen them squash the fish. When I buy the occasional plant and fish at Walmart (who has a fantastic set up here, very few dead fish and very clean setups), the bag is never put down at any time. The guy scoops and plops, then hands you the bag which you take to the cash yourself, and I never put it down until I'm home and it goes floating in my QT tank.

The LFS store also uses those bags, but when the bag is laid down on the counter, they lay it on it's side, instead of on it's bottom. I never realized why until I read this post.

 

[Regen311]

It actually makes me a bit nervous myself. I've bought fish as far away as an hour, and when I'm the only one in the car, it's a bit stressful. I usually try to hold the bag up a little bit. I'm always scared to lay it down. I guess a solution would be to bring your own bag or container to transfer the fish to for the drive home, but I'm thinking that might stress the fish out quite a bit. It's a tricky situation. I always feel bad taking the fish home. I once bought 3 cories, 5 gold barbs and a couple white clouds to add to the lone white cloud I had, adn the guy tried to put them all in the same bag. I thought that was a BIT ridiculous, considering bags cost, what, a few cents?

 

[hsherman1986]

I had a guy try to put 3 4" firemouth's in one bag.

I have found that if they double bag, that eliminates the corners for the fish to go try to hide in (if they do it right). I usually ask them to double bag my fish, and only put 3-4 fish in each bag (depending on the size of the bag, and the size of the fish)

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The places that we go to always lay the bag down on the sides. No reason to be scared of doing that. When they tie off the bags it usually doesn't leak. When we transport them home we always lay them on their sides in the car.

 

[slroo]

I had that happen when I bought some tiny little cories. The girl set the bag down and one of their tails got caught in the corner. He wiggled free, but his WHOLE tail came off! Right up to the peduncle! It eventually grew back, but is now misshapen. It's the only way I can tell him apart from the others now!

 

[7Enigma]

If you only saw me with my fish you'd think I was drinking in the car or crazy.

I buy my fish from a LFS about 10minutes from my house. They use the same bags and I always hold the bag up for the salesperson but don't want them to put the fish down. The first time I bought fish they were great UNTIL it came time to ring me up. They DROPPED the bag into a paper bag, and that was the last time I decided to have them handle the fish after being bagged. Now I politely ask for a paper bag and keep the fish myself.

My wife normally comes along (we bring my daughter) and she drives home. I sit in the passenger seat and keep my arm up in the air to act as a shock absorber for the bag of fish. About 2/3rd's of the way home my arm starts to hurt, but I think its worth it to prevent the shock of hitting bumps/etc. in the road.

I have found the most important times to be careful with fish are with bottom dwellers. The BN pleco, cory's, and Oto's are by far the easiest to be damaged since they naturally dive for the lowest corner in the bag. This is also a pinch point if the bag was to be set down upright, and its why I hold the bag the whole ride home.

I'm just waiting for a cop to pull us over thinking I'm drinking in the car....

 

[cabezon]

I was wondering why my LFS put the bags into the brown bag knot first.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

If you only saw me with my fish you'd think I was drinking in the car or crazy.

I buy my fish from a LFS about 10minutes from my house. They use the same bags and I always hold the bag up for the salesperson but don't want them to put the fish down. The first time I bought fish they were great UNTIL it came time to ring me up. They DROPPED the bag into a paper bag, and that was the last time I decided to have them handle the fish after being bagged. Now I politely ask for a paper bag and keep the fish myself.

My wife normally comes along (we bring my daughter) and she drives home. I sit in the passenger seat and keep my arm up in the air to act as a shock absorber for the bag of fish. About 2/3rd's of the way home my arm starts to hurt, but I think its worth it to prevent the shock of hitting bumps/etc. in the road.

I have found the most important times to be careful with fish are with bottom dwellers. The BN pleco, cory's, and Oto's are by far the easiest to be damaged since they naturally dive for the lowest corner in the bag. This is also a pinch point if the bag was to be set down upright, and its why I hold the bag the whole ride home.

I'm just waiting for a cop to pull us over thinking I'm drinking in the car....

LOL OCD a little 7E


I just lay mine on the flat side on the passenger seat where i can see them. Have yet to have an injury or death to bag trouble during transportation.

 

[7Enigma]

With all the trauma they probably suffer from native waters to supplier to LFS I figure I can give them a little break. I also don't want them getting sea-sick and puking up any small meal they had.

 

[SparKy697]

I take one (or more) of those Glad containers that I use for fish only with me. I usually know what I am going for and how many containers I need. I ask the lfs people to please put my fish in the containers then I can stack the containers up in a plastic cooler with a handle. That way the fish are not subject to drastic temp swings between the building and car. The fish are also kept in the dark which I feel is less stressful to them. It is a bit cumbersome, but I think it is a good way to transport my new fish.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

I actually do that at times as well Sparky...use the glad tupperware. Especially when trading in.

 

[theotheragentm]

My friend that got me into aquaria told me to hold the bag with fish up during the drive, not resting my arm an anything in the car. That way they don't feel the shocks from the bumps as much. After doing that a few times and driving the thirty minutes home, I gave up on that It's quite a workout. The fish get to sit on a sweatshirt in the front seat.

 

[7Enigma]

SparKy697,

Sounds like a good idea! I do keep the paper bag over the plastic one when transporting to keep it at least somewhat dark, and I keep the office where the tanks are dark and the tank lights off during acclimation. When I first added my Oto's to the main tank they had (I'm sure) a harrowing acclimation as the tiger barbs where trying to get into the bag after them! That's when I figured its best to do it in the dark!

 

[plecoperson]

I once wrapped a fish bag in a dog coat. Velcro-ed it up nice and tight. Really confused my husband when I got home.....toasty fish, though.

 

[neilanh]

you guys are nuts.

What I do is get a couple friends, and we pick up my tank and put it in the back of my SUV. I go to the store, pick out what I want, and put them in the tank. So much easier than worrying about those crazy plastic bags.

 

[Stephen]

The LFS should tie the corners off with rubberbands so that there are no edges.

Some of the better LFS here tie corners off with rubber bands, wrap the sides around some newspaper and then double-bag. This helps especially with fish that have a tendency to bite through the plastic containers. When it comes to plecos though, it's pretty much bring your own container.

 

[shelleygirl]

I live in Sydney Australia and every time I've purchased fish they always put it into bags with pre-sealed corners.

I'd have to agree that bringing your own container is a better option plus environmentaly friendly.

 

[Purrbox]

Just have them double bag your fish and the corners are eliminated.

Basically the fish are bagged as normal in the first bag. Then the top rubber banded side of the bag is put into the bottom of the next bag. Rubberband the second bag snuggly and the corners have been eliminated. Place in a paper bag or cooler and the fish are kept calm in the dark for the trip home.

 

[DepotFish]

I always watch to make sure the corners don't fold in when I set the bag down, I've had fish trapped too.