Getting ready to ship some snails, how to?

[Meredith]

I have never mailed anything alive through the mail. The snails I am mailing are ramshorn. Can I just put them in moist paper towel+bag in a box, or do they need to be in water? I was planning on shipping them priority usps (2 day) Will that work?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I moistened a newspaper and folded the snails into the newspaper. Basically I cut a newspaper section in half, put the half into a big bowl and poured tank water onto it to get it wet, dropped in the snails, folded up the newspaper, and put it in a zip lock bag. I had some snails sent to me via usps and it took about 4 days to get here. No ill effects. In fact, I would still have them if my barbs wouldn't have eaten them.

 

[Meredith]

What about the ink in the newspaper?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I didn't have any problems with the ink when I received them.

 

[Meredith]

Ok. Uh, do you think I could use those grocery store ad things that come in the mail or should it be just regular news paper?

 

[Jchillin]

Paper towels work just as well, probably even better. Just make sure that whatever you use is fully saturated with water. Don't forget about filler mass to keep the package stable.

 

[Meredith]

Paper towels work just as well, probably even better. Just make sure that whatever you use is fully saturated with water. Don't forget about filler mass to keep the package stable.

Here is another for "you might be a fish geek" you see the word filler, you READ the word filter. I just kept thinking, they don't need my filter media...

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Jchillin]

Here is another for "you might be a fish geek" you see the word filler, you READ the word filter. I just kept thinking, they don't need my filter media...

Now that is funny.

 

[Macrosill]

I read filter as well, I guess I am fully consumed by my newest hobby.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I also read filter and didn't pick up that I read it wrong until you pointed it out Meredith. lol

 

[Thebluyak]

yeah i got some snails the other day with just a wet paper towel and a plastic bag, all surived, came from TX to NC in 2 day shipping

 

[willowthepoet]

I'd go for FedEx instead of USPS.... almost all of the packages i get through USPS are so beat up... i recieve stuff that's been broken in shipping all the time, even if it's marked as fragile, so the postal service might not be the best for live stuff. I do a lot on ebay, and FedEx seems to keep packages the most intact.