Shipping?

[GuppyandDiscus]

I am seriously considering to begin shipping fish. However, I have just a couple of questions, where to you get your oxygen and stryofoam boxes from? I found a few boxes, but they were either really big, or really expensive. Thanks! (Sorry if this is the wrong section for posting this)

 

[fishhead0103666]

I've gotten a few fish from other fish keepers online and they mainly just used Styrofoam cut to fit the box. Like get one big piece of styrorofoam and cut out 6 pieces and make a box inside the shipping box to protect the fish.

 

[Gourami Swami]

You can do that, or you can get cheap Styrofoam coolers they make for the beach, those work as well and only cost a couple dollars

 

[duanes]

Many fish markets (food type fish) get their fish in styros, so may be a good source (you may need to make them smaller).
You can also buy sheets of styrofoam insulation from hardware stores and cut them up to shipping box size.
Air (oxygen) tanks are available from commercial gas distributors.
They bring you (or you pick up) a large canister, and pick it up and replace when used up.
It is also good to get to know and work with an airline in your area.
Where I lived before, Milwaukee airport was a SouthWest hub, and dropping boxes at their main office was easy for same day airport to airport delivery.
A great and economical way to send multiple boxes. Some require inspections and a permit (adding to cost)
There are also regional shippers that can make life easy.
In the midwest, SpeeDee delivery would pick up boxes at my door, and cost was usually around $20 to ship a per box overnight within their midwest area of half dozen states.

 

[duanes]

Depending on time of year, and where you are, and where the fish are going to go, you will also probably need to invest in lots of heat packs. Although you expect fish to arrive in 24 hours, if that's the shippers agreement, with weather and other delays, it sometimes takes longer, so the 4 day heat packs are good insurance.
I sent a package from Milwaukee to Utah, that was supposed to take 24 to 36 hours, and it ended up taking 4 days +, due to weather, and time on the truck after landing.
If you use the USPS, and a package arrives late, you can recover shipping costs, but with some of the other shipping companies, this is not available.

 

[GuppyandDiscus]

Thanks everyone!