Due to a recent mis-hap that involved poor preparation and bagging, I lost several hundred dollars in fish & shipping. I thought that perhaps a primer on the proper technique(s) to bag and ship fish might be a good idea to help prevent others from ending up in a similar situation.
- Don't feed the fish for 48 hours prior to shipping. This clears out their gut and reduces the amount of waste that collects in the bag(s) during transit. There are some exceptions such as baby Cichla that shouldn't go so long with no food but for the most part this is a good rule to follow.
Make sure the bag is big enough to easily house the fish. The fish doesn't need excess space but should certainly be able to easily lay in the bag without being bent in half.
I use enough water to cover the fish by at least 1.5 to 2 times. The bag should be large enough so that once the water is added it only takes up approximately 25%-30% of the bag's volume leaving the remainder to be filled with oxygen. Make sure that no matter how the bag is positioned the fish is covered with water. We don't want a fish box to be set on it's side leaving half the fish out of water!! You can't trust shippers to read the "This side up" notations on the box.
- Concerning the bags, I always get the thickest bag I can find and then at least double bag them. For larger fish with nasty spines such as large cichlids, I will even tripple or quadrupple the bags. Even bags as thick as 1 mil should be double bagged. The extra protection is worth it. Don't risk losing a prized fish to save a few pennies. I will sometimes place a sheet of newspaper in the bags seperating the inner bags from the outer bags. This gives even more pierce protection and helps to insulate against heat and/or cold.
Use a HEAVY duty rubberband. We don't want this snapping in transit!
Individually bag the fish. If a fish is going to poke a hole in a bag you are better off losing just that one fish as opposed to losing all of them because they are in the same bag. Certainly smaller fish without spines are OK to multiple bag but remember that you still run the risk of losing all of them if something goes wrong with that bag.
Kordon sells a product called "breathable bags". These bags work well if the fish are small and the threat of spines and sharp teeth are not a worry (most cichlids under 2" should be fine). The bags have microscopic holes which help transfer air in and out of the bags without them leaking. These are fantastic for shipping small fish.
- The box that the fish are placed in should be styro for insulation purposes but only needs to be large enough to maybe wrap a sheet or two of newspaper around the fish bags. There should not be a lot of excess space that allows the bags to bounce around and slosh back and forth. If there is excess space fill it with crumpled up newspaper or bubble wrap.
Tape the lid shut well. I usually place the styro in cardboard but i have received fish over the years that were in just the styro. Notate on the outside of the box which side should be up and that it should be kept between 65 - 85 degrees. As mentioned earlier, most baggage handlers don't necessarily pay attention but it can't hurt. That way if you go to pick up the box and they've left it out in the weather you may have some recourse if everything is cooked or frozen.
- Be preparred to use heat packs in bad weather. And don't be cheap. Heat packs run about .99 a piece. If it's a large box use 2 or 3. 1 heat pack in a 24 x 12 x 12 box is not going to cut it, especially if it is very cold. Remember, heat packs aren't meant to maintain a perfect temp but rather to avoid a complete crash and prevent the temp from dropping to a deadly range.
Keep in mind that heat packs need oxygen to work properly so don't seal them in a plastic bag or wrap them tightly in newspaper. This cuts off access to oxygen and they deactivate becoming worthless. With that said, you don't want the heat pack lying directly on the fish bag either.
Affix the heat packs to the underside of the box lid. Don't lie them on the bottom. If a bag does leak and gets the heat packs wet they become useless. Now you have a box of dead fish instead of just a single dead fish who's bag leaked.
- For oxygen I've used a simple air pump to fill fish bags and shipped fish overnight with no issues. Certainly the type of fish you're shipping will determine if this is appropriate. Shipping a convict with atmospheric oxygen would be perfectly acceptble IMO and I have done so on a number of occasions given that the bag is a bit oversized for the fish.
On the other hand, fish that come from oxygen rich waters, such as riverine species, would best be shipped with pure O. As far as where to obtain pure O, if you ship a lot you can rent an O tank from most gas suppliers. If it is just now and then, a local pet store that you deal with may let you bag fish. You can even buy small O tanks that are good for bagging just a few fish.
I know I'm going to get responses to the effect that "I've never lost a fish" or "I never tripple bag my fish". That may be all well and good but it only takes one bad incident to wish you had.
Concerning the shippers:
AirBorne = HORRID. In 3 tries I have never had a good exeperience and will never use them again.
USPS = You get what you pay for. I find that 25% of the time they either are late or flat out lose your shipments. Their tracking capabilities are rotten. This is one of the cheapest routes but is also highly risky. Do not use this if you absolutely cannot afford to lose a shipment!! I have also heard that the USPS can confiscate your shipments if they think there are live animals in the package and you'll never hear from them again.
UPS = Not bad. Their tracking capabilities are excellent and they have a good delivery percentage. They are expensive but slightly less so than FedEx. I would not hesitate to use them.
FedEx = VERY expensive!! They also have excellent delivery percentages and excellent tracking capabilities. They are, in my experience the easiest to work with and the best at getting the job done. Just be preparred to pay out the nose. $90 - $100 from coast to coast for 10-15 lbs.!!
If anybody has anything to add I'll be more than happy to add it into this post. I'll also be more than happy to answer any questions that I may not have answered. There are a lot of great hobbyists here and sure more can bea added.
- Don't feed the fish for 48 hours prior to shipping. This clears out their gut and reduces the amount of waste that collects in the bag(s) during transit. There are some exceptions such as baby Cichla that shouldn't go so long with no food but for the most part this is a good rule to follow.
Make sure the bag is big enough to easily house the fish. The fish doesn't need excess space but should certainly be able to easily lay in the bag without being bent in half.
I use enough water to cover the fish by at least 1.5 to 2 times. The bag should be large enough so that once the water is added it only takes up approximately 25%-30% of the bag's volume leaving the remainder to be filled with oxygen. Make sure that no matter how the bag is positioned the fish is covered with water. We don't want a fish box to be set on it's side leaving half the fish out of water!! You can't trust shippers to read the "This side up" notations on the box.
- Concerning the bags, I always get the thickest bag I can find and then at least double bag them. For larger fish with nasty spines such as large cichlids, I will even tripple or quadrupple the bags. Even bags as thick as 1 mil should be double bagged. The extra protection is worth it. Don't risk losing a prized fish to save a few pennies. I will sometimes place a sheet of newspaper in the bags seperating the inner bags from the outer bags. This gives even more pierce protection and helps to insulate against heat and/or cold.
Use a HEAVY duty rubberband. We don't want this snapping in transit!
Individually bag the fish. If a fish is going to poke a hole in a bag you are better off losing just that one fish as opposed to losing all of them because they are in the same bag. Certainly smaller fish without spines are OK to multiple bag but remember that you still run the risk of losing all of them if something goes wrong with that bag.
Kordon sells a product called "breathable bags". These bags work well if the fish are small and the threat of spines and sharp teeth are not a worry (most cichlids under 2" should be fine). The bags have microscopic holes which help transfer air in and out of the bags without them leaking. These are fantastic for shipping small fish.
- The box that the fish are placed in should be styro for insulation purposes but only needs to be large enough to maybe wrap a sheet or two of newspaper around the fish bags. There should not be a lot of excess space that allows the bags to bounce around and slosh back and forth. If there is excess space fill it with crumpled up newspaper or bubble wrap.
Tape the lid shut well. I usually place the styro in cardboard but i have received fish over the years that were in just the styro. Notate on the outside of the box which side should be up and that it should be kept between 65 - 85 degrees. As mentioned earlier, most baggage handlers don't necessarily pay attention but it can't hurt. That way if you go to pick up the box and they've left it out in the weather you may have some recourse if everything is cooked or frozen.
- Be preparred to use heat packs in bad weather. And don't be cheap. Heat packs run about .99 a piece. If it's a large box use 2 or 3. 1 heat pack in a 24 x 12 x 12 box is not going to cut it, especially if it is very cold. Remember, heat packs aren't meant to maintain a perfect temp but rather to avoid a complete crash and prevent the temp from dropping to a deadly range.
Keep in mind that heat packs need oxygen to work properly so don't seal them in a plastic bag or wrap them tightly in newspaper. This cuts off access to oxygen and they deactivate becoming worthless. With that said, you don't want the heat pack lying directly on the fish bag either.
Affix the heat packs to the underside of the box lid. Don't lie them on the bottom. If a bag does leak and gets the heat packs wet they become useless. Now you have a box of dead fish instead of just a single dead fish who's bag leaked.
- For oxygen I've used a simple air pump to fill fish bags and shipped fish overnight with no issues. Certainly the type of fish you're shipping will determine if this is appropriate. Shipping a convict with atmospheric oxygen would be perfectly acceptble IMO and I have done so on a number of occasions given that the bag is a bit oversized for the fish.
On the other hand, fish that come from oxygen rich waters, such as riverine species, would best be shipped with pure O. As far as where to obtain pure O, if you ship a lot you can rent an O tank from most gas suppliers. If it is just now and then, a local pet store that you deal with may let you bag fish. You can even buy small O tanks that are good for bagging just a few fish.
I know I'm going to get responses to the effect that "I've never lost a fish" or "I never tripple bag my fish". That may be all well and good but it only takes one bad incident to wish you had.
Concerning the shippers:
AirBorne = HORRID. In 3 tries I have never had a good exeperience and will never use them again.
USPS = You get what you pay for. I find that 25% of the time they either are late or flat out lose your shipments. Their tracking capabilities are rotten. This is one of the cheapest routes but is also highly risky. Do not use this if you absolutely cannot afford to lose a shipment!! I have also heard that the USPS can confiscate your shipments if they think there are live animals in the package and you'll never hear from them again.
UPS = Not bad. Their tracking capabilities are excellent and they have a good delivery percentage. They are expensive but slightly less so than FedEx. I would not hesitate to use them.
FedEx = VERY expensive!! They also have excellent delivery percentages and excellent tracking capabilities. They are, in my experience the easiest to work with and the best at getting the job done. Just be preparred to pay out the nose. $90 - $100 from coast to coast for 10-15 lbs.!!
If anybody has anything to add I'll be more than happy to add it into this post. I'll also be more than happy to answer any questions that I may not have answered. There are a lot of great hobbyists here and sure more can bea added.
