Shipping fish?

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PartyHacks

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2019
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Hey guys. I have been shipping fish for nearly 2 years. Looking for more wisdom, as I feel like what I do now may not be the best method.

Right now, I am using 10x10x10 corrugated boxes with 1" foam surrounding, filling cracks with spray foam.

I do 75% air in the bag and 25% water. No oxygen concentrator or tank so just room air.

I use tap water similar to temperature of tank water. I usually do a couple of drops of prime.

Any thoughts on things I can do better?
 
I mainly use FedEx boxes, 11x11, 14x14 and 16x16, for Southwest I use my import boxes, already have styrofoam in the boxes. I don't use spray foam; it's not needed to fill the cracks. In the winter, I use the styro with newspaper, cardboard paper, blankets from the exporter shipments, poly, etc. and several heat packs with a hole cut in the top piece of the lid to let oxygen in to keep the heat packs going. In the summer I do the same hole but it's to help make sure the box doesn't overheat should the box be left outside in direct sunlight, etc. I use oxygen that I get from the local welding store. I always use more oxygen than water, never know when there will be a delay so always use the biggest bag possible. If I have one small fish like 3" for example, it will go out in an 11x11, and I will use the biggest bag possible to fill up all the space. Sometimes I have a little smaller but the rates I get, I can use 11x11 for the same price as a smaller box and up to 16x16. Rarely do I have a Doa, but it happens with everyone due to weather, delays, handling of the box, stressed fish, etc. I've shipped stingrays to Alaska on a 4 day delayed FedEx trip and arrived perfect, same for the golden fire eel, but I shipped 4 Zebra plecos to Toledo, several hours from me and they all but one were DOA, make no sense sometimes. I shipped some fish to Hawaii, 2 day trip due to their inspections and the fish was fine. I also don't use Prime or any other additives. Fish are purged depending on their size from 4 days to 2 weeks and I do a water change on their tanks the day before. I never use tap water, I use 100% tank water to ship the fish in. You don't want to use water with different water parameters into the fish that is being shipped.
 
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