Cross-country fish transport?

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dingusplease

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
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I'm on vacation about 22 hours from home, and I found this great lfs with free oxygen filled bags and styrofoam boxes. I brought an IR thermometer and cooler.
I've been doing research on them, but my question is can I safely transport 2 or 3 $30 fish safely over 24 hours?
Thanks!
 
The styrofoam boxes are more than enough. I always have one in my car. It is something I learned from my parents, who use them to keep frozens in the car while they continue doing their daily routine. I've seen them keep ice cream in one for an entire afternoon in the summer without issue. The fish will be fine, it'll be dark and the right temp...not to forget it will be shorter than shipping it all across the country!
 
You can but see if you can get them not to feed for a bit.

Do you have a plan with dealing with ammonia or will that not be a problem (depending on fish waste output and hardiness). I agree with Hank.
 
Thanks to both of you - I don't think I can get any specific fish to not be fed for a day, but I will keep them in styrofoam and take the free oxygen filled bags.
 
just pack them right and they'll do fine , fish get shipped cross country everyday
only difference yours wont see as much handling from truck to truck and in and out of a plane
 
Across the country, and the world. How do you think fish are shipped from Fiji and Australia to America? In the belly of planes, in bags, at least overnight.
 
Thanks everyone - four oo the five fish made it perfectly fine. The canary blenny is in a separate quarantine and seems to be unable to right himself or swim in a line. Sad to see, I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see if he shows signs of getting better, and work from there.
 
Unfortunately he seemed nearly dead this morning, but still colored and with clear eyes. He clamped on with his fangs to a sponge sitting in quarantine, and is completely immobile.

Swim bladder seems like a good explanation, just confused as to how it took hold so quickly during the 20 hour transport.

On a happier note, everyone else is super alert, hungry, and so far disease free :)
 
Sadly it died shortly after my last post. Everyone else is happy and eating, except for the wrasse, who I have not seen in 2 days. He was out about and eating from the beginning so I tend to think he's just hiding or nocturnal because of some territorial chasing from the sailfin (tang is 2.5 inches, being held until next month for a friend.)
 
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