JRcichlids
Aquarium Advice Activist
where in the uk can i get some oxygen from for posting fish ?
oxygen for shipping fish
- Thread starter JRcichlids
- Start date
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Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
You really don't need it, unless you sending a lot of fish a long, long way. What you need is large enough bags, and you can use an air pump to fill them up with regular air. Should be at least 2/3 air, and enough water to cover the fish no matter how the bag is lying.
Seal up the bag tightly, and if they will be in it long, add a bit of Prime or salt. Prime will neutralize the ammonia.. salt in the right proportion will inhibit the uptake of nitrites into the blood, preventing nitrite poisoning. Commonly done by commercial shippers.
Also, double bag and maybe some packing tape across the bag bottom, to prevent any 'corners', where fish can get stuck. If it's fish with spines like a cory, triple bag.
If the UK is anything like Canada, you might not even be able to get oxygen, unless you know someone in a clinic or something. Here, you need a prescription to get it unless you are a fish store and buying huge tanks of it for that purpose, and I haven't a clue how that's regulated, though I am sure it must be. Anything involving pressurized containers is usually regulated.
So don't worry about O2.. worry about good packing and plenty of air and maintaining as even a temperature as possible. Foam insulation works pretty well, and you can get heat packs if need be.
Seal up the bag tightly, and if they will be in it long, add a bit of Prime or salt. Prime will neutralize the ammonia.. salt in the right proportion will inhibit the uptake of nitrites into the blood, preventing nitrite poisoning. Commonly done by commercial shippers.
Also, double bag and maybe some packing tape across the bag bottom, to prevent any 'corners', where fish can get stuck. If it's fish with spines like a cory, triple bag.
If the UK is anything like Canada, you might not even be able to get oxygen, unless you know someone in a clinic or something. Here, you need a prescription to get it unless you are a fish store and buying huge tanks of it for that purpose, and I haven't a clue how that's regulated, though I am sure it must be. Anything involving pressurized containers is usually regulated.
So don't worry about O2.. worry about good packing and plenty of air and maintaining as even a temperature as possible. Foam insulation works pretty well, and you can get heat packs if need be.
OP
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JRcichlids
Aquarium Advice Activist
thanks for the reply . yeah i can get oxygen easy enough but wasnt sure if it was required or not . the fish wont be sent more then about 300-350 miles anyways. i have polystyrene boxes for shipping fish and heat packs as the weather is usually cold in the U.K
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
Good then. Oxygen is nice but not essential. If you can get it without problems it sure can't hurt to add it to the bag, but lack of it is not a problem, and it really doesn't help prevent ammonia buildup. Don't have too many fish per bag.. there are some guidelines I've seen somewhere online that give some advice on how many fish of a given size to what size of bag is safest.
Best not to feed fish for at least one day, but two days starving is better, before you ship them. Then they won't be pooping in the bag and adding even more ammonia to the shipping water.
Make sure the bags are cushioned so they can't roll around in the box and ship the quickest method you can. Least time in transit is always better.
Best not to feed fish for at least one day, but two days starving is better, before you ship them. Then they won't be pooping in the bag and adding even more ammonia to the shipping water.
Make sure the bags are cushioned so they can't roll around in the box and ship the quickest method you can. Least time in transit is always better.
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JRcichlids
Aquarium Advice Activist
best option for shipping i have is next day delivery before 12am but usually arrives by 10am . so they are usually with the customer less then 24 hours after they have been posted . hope that made sense lol .
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, it made sense. I used to be a courier, once upon a time.
Sounds pretty good to me. Honestly, some fish are in transit a lot longer than that from the farms where they are raised, short of hand delivery I don't think you can do much better.
Sounds pretty good to me. Honestly, some fish are in transit a lot longer than that from the farms where they are raised, short of hand delivery I don't think you can do much better.
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JRcichlids
Aquarium Advice Activist
thanks alot for your replies i will feel alot more confident now about posting fish around the U.K . mainly african cichlids anf angelfish aswell as some livebearers 
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hope it all goes well. Good luck.
