Post by MADMIKE on Nov 11, 2006 9:51:51 GMT -5
First you need to know how to condition the fish. Start by culling the fish, or separating the fish from the community or species tank, two days before they are to be shipped. DO NOT feed the fish for those 48 hours. If you do the fish will pollute the bags with waste. Be sure that you are only shipping healthy strong fish. Use a proper size bag for the size of the fish. You can buy bags at your LFS (Local Fish Store). Also make sure that you use thicker bags for bigger fish, and always double bag. If the fish you are shipping are aggressive, you will need to individually bag them. Fry can be bagged together, providing that you can tell them apart.
When you go to bag the fish, use only enough water to cover the fish, the bag should be about 1/3 water and 2/3 air (if even that much). Never blow into the bag, I see fish store employees blow into bags and fill it with carbon dioxide, this is considered a major no no! It is always better to use oxygen. Most hobbyist don't have access to it, and regular air is fine, but if you are shipping long distance (say over 4 days), you might want to consider going to a Petsmart or some other LFS that uses oxygen, and use there's. When you tie the bag, leave a little room for air to expand in the higher elevations. You don't want the bag to explode.
You can also add water conditioners if you desire. Ammonia absorbents are also okay to add. Your LFS most likely sells medications, such as Acriflavine or Methylene blue. But none of these are necessary, and I have never used them in shipping fish.
After you have properly labeled the bags, you can put them in the shipping box. The box should contain at least 1" thick styrofoam to keep the water from quick temperature changes. You can buy these at the hardware store. If there is room left in the box, after all the bags have been added, you need to add newspaper to hold everything in place. Most people will send a few extra fish to cover any losses that may occur. Or if you are overstocked or need to make some extra space send a few extra fish.
You are now ready to take the fish to the Airport or Post Office.
www.fellowshipofthefish.com/chat.htm
To discuss Fish, shipping of Fish and other related conversations in a friendly relaxed environment.
aquascienceresearch.com/ship-shape.html
SHIP-SHAPE - is a dry, powder chemical mixture containing agents which control ammonia accumulation, inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, replace lost or damaged skin-slime, and to generally reduce stress among transported freshwater and marine fishes and invertebrates. Unlike the SHIP-SHAPE (TM) FW (for freshwater) and SHIP-SHAPE (TM) SW (for salthingyer) SHIP-SHAPE (TM) does not contain any physiologically active electrolytes or buffers. This allows it to be used where electrolytes and/or buffering are not needed.
www.novalek.com/kpds.htm Kordon Breathing Bags: KPD-74
GENERAL INFORMATION ON KORDON'S BREATHING BAGS:
The Kordon® Breathing Bag represents a new approach to the problems of shipping live fishes and other aquatic animals over long distances or for extended time periods. The product development staff at Kordon, teamed with plastics chemical engineers, have taken a technology first developed in space/military research and refined it to produce the bags being offered today. The Breathing Bag allows the transfer of simple and complex gas molecules through the plastic wall of the bag -- carbon dioxide and oxygen in particular, as well as other gases - providing a true "breathing" bag in place of a "barrier" bag. As long as there is a normal breathable atmosphere outside the Breathing Bag, the animals inside will not run out of oxygen. Carbon dioxide exits the bags at 4 times the rate oxygen enters the bags, thereby constantly purging the water of toxic carbon dioxide, and allowing oxygen to replace it in the water. Kordon has shipped millions of bags (termed "Sachets") of living foods (tubifex worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, glass worms, etc.) for aquarium fishes using the Breathing Bag technology.
More information by Kordon on their site at Under Aquarium Accessories/Breathing Bags at the provided link.
sss-web.usps.com/cns/landing.do Online USPS Postal Postage Printing and payment and Free Postal Pickup.
library.kcc.hawaii.edu/external/ctsa/publications/shipping/shipping.htm
mermaiden.net/Betta/shipping.php
fishenthusiast.com/salthingyer/miscellaneous/shippingfish.html
www.uniquaria.com/articles/shipping.html
When you go to bag the fish, use only enough water to cover the fish, the bag should be about 1/3 water and 2/3 air (if even that much). Never blow into the bag, I see fish store employees blow into bags and fill it with carbon dioxide, this is considered a major no no! It is always better to use oxygen. Most hobbyist don't have access to it, and regular air is fine, but if you are shipping long distance (say over 4 days), you might want to consider going to a Petsmart or some other LFS that uses oxygen, and use there's. When you tie the bag, leave a little room for air to expand in the higher elevations. You don't want the bag to explode.
You can also add water conditioners if you desire. Ammonia absorbents are also okay to add. Your LFS most likely sells medications, such as Acriflavine or Methylene blue. But none of these are necessary, and I have never used them in shipping fish.
After you have properly labeled the bags, you can put them in the shipping box. The box should contain at least 1" thick styrofoam to keep the water from quick temperature changes. You can buy these at the hardware store. If there is room left in the box, after all the bags have been added, you need to add newspaper to hold everything in place. Most people will send a few extra fish to cover any losses that may occur. Or if you are overstocked or need to make some extra space send a few extra fish.
You are now ready to take the fish to the Airport or Post Office.
www.fellowshipofthefish.com/chat.htm
To discuss Fish, shipping of Fish and other related conversations in a friendly relaxed environment.
aquascienceresearch.com/ship-shape.html
SHIP-SHAPE - is a dry, powder chemical mixture containing agents which control ammonia accumulation, inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, replace lost or damaged skin-slime, and to generally reduce stress among transported freshwater and marine fishes and invertebrates. Unlike the SHIP-SHAPE (TM) FW (for freshwater) and SHIP-SHAPE (TM) SW (for salthingyer) SHIP-SHAPE (TM) does not contain any physiologically active electrolytes or buffers. This allows it to be used where electrolytes and/or buffering are not needed.
www.novalek.com/kpds.htm Kordon Breathing Bags: KPD-74
GENERAL INFORMATION ON KORDON'S BREATHING BAGS:
The Kordon® Breathing Bag represents a new approach to the problems of shipping live fishes and other aquatic animals over long distances or for extended time periods. The product development staff at Kordon, teamed with plastics chemical engineers, have taken a technology first developed in space/military research and refined it to produce the bags being offered today. The Breathing Bag allows the transfer of simple and complex gas molecules through the plastic wall of the bag -- carbon dioxide and oxygen in particular, as well as other gases - providing a true "breathing" bag in place of a "barrier" bag. As long as there is a normal breathable atmosphere outside the Breathing Bag, the animals inside will not run out of oxygen. Carbon dioxide exits the bags at 4 times the rate oxygen enters the bags, thereby constantly purging the water of toxic carbon dioxide, and allowing oxygen to replace it in the water. Kordon has shipped millions of bags (termed "Sachets") of living foods (tubifex worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, glass worms, etc.) for aquarium fishes using the Breathing Bag technology.
More information by Kordon on their site at Under Aquarium Accessories/Breathing Bags at the provided link.
sss-web.usps.com/cns/landing.do Online USPS Postal Postage Printing and payment and Free Postal Pickup.
library.kcc.hawaii.edu/external/ctsa/publications/shipping/shipping.htm
mermaiden.net/Betta/shipping.php
fishenthusiast.com/salthingyer/miscellaneous/shippingfish.html
www.uniquaria.com/articles/shipping.html