how to keep corals alive for 48hrs on the road?

[dragonfisher33]

the title says it all. due to the location of my home and the nearest reputable lfs, all corals that i get need to stay in a cooler for about 48hrs before getting into my actual tank. in the past, i have had some success in putting each coral(mainly softies and lps) in their own separate bags and fill the cooler with water and temperature controlled by a heater. but i have had the worst experience with SPS. those sps usually bleach or peel away. i know some online retailers sell sps and i wonder what their trick is. what is the best way to keep a sps alive while on the road?

1) would putting the sps in a bigger bag help?
2) what about the oxygen level in the bag?

any advice is appreciated.

 

[Dav3]

I would use a battery operated air pump and put an air stone in a container with the corals to provide water circulation.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Why not just order off a website and get over night shipping? Sps are way to sensitive for this IME.

 

[54seaweed]

have the pet shop overnight them to you once you get home plus they would be insured via fed ex

 

[Sniperhank]

48 hours is hard with sps, but doable depending on how sensitive the sps is. I had 2 send 2 day air. The milli didn't make it, but the setosa did. The key is more water to supply as much oxygen as possible...but to drive that far makes it harder to control the light and temp in your car. Just try to get them shipped. If not, there are many sites with good summer deals going right now that should fit the bill I'd think.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i do think about just ordering them online and what-not, but seeing is believing. sometimes the colors of the corals just aren't the same in person vs pictures. also i like the idea of picking out the biggest frag among the frags. furthermore, this LFS is really reputable and known in state that i'm in. it doesn't make sense to buy a $50 coral and then pay another $30-$40 for overnight shipping.

 

[Sniperhank]

That's why I buy two 50 dollar corals to get 'free' shipping.

 

[dragonfisher33]

That's why I buy two 50 dollar corals to get 'free' shipping.

from where?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

If it takes you 2 days to drive to and from this lfs aren't you using $35 in gas?

Edit: most online retailers give doa reimbursement and some have 2 week guarantees

 

[dragonfisher33]

If it takes you 2 days to drive to and from this lfs aren't you using $35 in gas?

Edit: most online retailers give doa reimbursement and some have 2 week guarantees

there's actually a personal reason why it takes about 48 hrs from the moment when i purchase the coral to when i place them in my tank. but most of the time, it's actually just corals sitting in my GF's room until i head back to my own place, which is far away from hers.

i have tried one of the online retailers from Florida and i can't believe how i was treated. i got an email from them that they can no longer do business with me because i have had so many troubles with them from corals dead within hrs of in my tank to website glitch that caused my order to disappear.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i'm so tempted of setting up a 10gal frag tank in her room just to keep the corals alive.but she's not the biggest fish keeping hobbyist and a cooler of corals is already pushing the limit, so.....

 

[PB_Smith]

My first thought was if you are using a cooler in the first place, why the heck are you keeping them in bags for the trip???

Why not just go the next step and convert the cooler into a portable frag tank?
Get a converter for the car so you can plug in equipment, add filtration, heater if needed.
it would be brain-dead easy to plumb the cooler if needed, you can silicone/glue racks into it to keep the coral stable in transit, etc., etc.
Honestly, why not convert the cooler into a "nano tank", I can't imagine it would be that difficult, only getting enough power while driving may be an issue, but I doubt it.

Then you may even have more "personal" time with the girlfriend, and that's always a good thing.

 

[Smoothmullet]

Checkout reef gardener she's honest and has nice stuff.

 

[treemanone2003]

i'm so tempted of setting up a 10gal frag tank in her room just to keep the corals alive.but she's not the biggest fish keeping hobbyist and a cooler of corals is already pushing the limit, so.....

Wow. Tough decision. I had it like that before. My dog and I lived very happily together after she left.

 

[TheTodd]

I think the cooler conversion is the answer or do online. I've got almost all my frags online (eBay) from two fairly local sellers and have had zero problems.

 

[dragonfisher33]

Wow. Tough decision. I had it like that before. My dog and I lived very happily together after she left.

oh this one is a keeper alright, just not when it comes to fish keeping