Shipping Fish

Hello, I am just getting my clowns to a size that is ready for the market. I am researching the art of shipping fish.
-What are the best breather bags that you have seen used or use yourself?How do you seal the bags?
-What size styro lined box is the best for a pair of 1" clowns?
-Is overnight by 10:30am the "only" option? I don't want to risk longer but is 10:30am or 3pm both acceptable?
-Is it best the skip feeding for 24-36 hours?
-Any tips or walkthroughs that you would like to share?
 
I know at least one person on here has shipped a ton of fish so I'm just looking for some advice. I really appreciate the help in increasing my knowledge of shipping my prized fish. God Bless.

These are the bags I've heard of but I haven't used then: http://www.novalek.com/kordon/breathing_bags/index.htm
 
Delivery times would probably depend on where you're shipping to and the weather. I haven't shipped a lot yet. I'm sure Kathy and a few others can chime in.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Thanks Tal. Some quick research did direct me to these bags. Although, the only time I've had fish delivered(from Doni) they came in bags without any markings on them. So, I'm sure the people that ship often have tried a few of the brands out there. I'm just not sure of the best ones. These Kordon bags are pretty cheap on ebay, only about $1 per bag. Thanks again Tal.

I'll see if I can dig up some info this weekend too.

http://www.fishtalpropagations.com/#!home/mainPage
"Making captive breeding easier."

Does breathable bag helps?  The styrofoam box are very air tight to begin with.  There aren't much air that you can circulate.
 

That sound great. You da man.
 

I'd imagine it is similar to a heat pack in the need for a small hole to be made to allow fresh O2 into package.

Method to ship up to 100 fish.  For fewer fish use smaller boxes. And smaller bags:
Materials:
Large standard styrofoam fish shipper with cardboard box surround, can be acquired for free from LFS.
Amquel, and StressGuard. A couple drops in each bag of fish.
One large plastic garbage bag to line box.
Oxygen from a tank.  Your LFS can help you, or you can get a tank and regulator from a local welding supply.
Fish shipping bags. I get them from Gulf Coast Plastics.  The quarter sized bags fit 4 to a box, are square bottom, 2 mil, have no pockets inside that the fish can head in to and suffocate.
Rubber bands, small, I use two at a time always.
Packing tape
FEDEX clear sticky envelope to attach Fedex Label: free from FEDEX
FEDEX label. Generate online for a small discount.
Knowing the closing time of the FEDEX Standard Overnight acceptance center (usually not a Kinko's) closest to the airport.
Magic Marker or labels that say Live Tropical Fish
Summer:  small Freezer Packs (check with LFS). Winter: hand warmer packs.
Some newspaper to wrap them in.
 
Water the fabulous fish have been growing in
 
Method: 
Take the large styro out of the box.  Make sure it is intact. Use packing tape to secure the bottom of the carboard box.
Line the styro with the large garbage bag. 
Insert one fish shipping bag into another one--it can be a larger size.  I have larger ones that are cheaper than the sealed square bottom ones, so use them on the outside of each bag assembly. Roll down the top so that both bags function as a unit, and don't seem so deep.  Make a total of 4 of these.
Put 4 bag assemblies into the plastic lined box.
Add about 2 inches deep of water the fish have been growing in, to each bag assembly
Add a couple drops of Amquel and StressGuard each to each bag assembly.
Add 25 fabulous young fish to each bag assembly.  If fish are larger than inch and quarter, add fewer fish per bag.
(I herd them into a plastic shoe box and then catch them in a small plastic cup to avoid using nets.  Sometimes if they are really tame, I can get them in my hand.)
 
For each inner bag, evacuate the air, and fill the bag to within 1.5 inches of the inside top rim of the styro with oxygen from a tank. You will pinch it closed with your hand.  Make sure it fits in the box with room to spare.
Twist twist twist, form a rosette, and rubber band with 2 x 2 bands. Repeat twist, rosette, band with the outer bag of each assembly.  Repeat twist rosette band the big trash bag. 
Temperature control: 
Check the night time temp of the place you are sending to, as well as the FEDEX hub they will be sent to.  In my case, St. Louis is my home, if the Fedex label number starts with an X, it is going through Memphis, if it starts with an N, it is going through Indianapolis.  If you are closer to a different hub, you will have to figure out the code for yourself. 
 
  
In cold weather, if the night time temp is 70, use a heat pack.  For every 10 degrees colder than 70F, add 1 and a half more heat packs.  Round up. Although in general, it is better for the fish to be a little cool than too hot. 
Wrap cold packs in 2 layers newspaper and tape to the lid of the styro so they form an even layer , on the inside of the styro, of course.  For heat packs, tape only the edges of the packs to the inside lid of the styro, or tape the edges to a piece of carboard that fits the top inside of the styro. Heat packs need exposure to air.  Do not cut a hole in the styro, however. There is enough air inside.
Tape the styro lid on the box all the way around the seam
Insert the styro box into the carboard box.  Tape closed well. Add stickers or indication of direction of top, and that Live Tropical Fish are inside.  If not you will freak out the shipper who hears something moving inside :O  !!!!!!
Stick the FEDEX envelope to the top of the box, insert the shipping label, and drive it to the airport FEDEX station nearest you BEFORE THEY CLOSE!
 
In summer in St. Louis, the weather is very hot, but if they travel in the evening and overnight and are picked up before the heat of the day, they should do well.  Mostly they are inside anyway.  You never know, however, how long they may be sitting on the tarmack in the event of a flight delay, or a backup at the baggage facility.
 
I try to minimize the amount of time fish spend in the box.  I take the fish to FEDEX in the last hour they are open.  I have experienced a flight delay where the fish were not delivered overnight, but the next day.  All fish survived. Hopefully, if you have this problem, you will also have the same result.
 
 Good luck, and happy shipping!

 

 
 

I cheated, I drove my fish over to A&M had them ship it for me. LOL.

they must like you.

Thank you Kathy!

I see this is an old post but... Any new thoughts?
Thanks
Mark

 
Couple of points to add:
 
If the are you are shipping is really hot, have the shipment "held at the local FedEx Facility" and have the person receiving go pick it up.  That also can get you the fish quicker since they won't hit a truck for delivery.
 
Use buffered ClorAm-X rather then stress guard.  Its a 1:2 punch, removes ammonia as well as keeps Ph right.  We don't have ours on the market, but Hikari has a buffered ClorAm-X on the market and readily available.  In shipping trials, it was the one that performed the best IIRC (I need to hunt those down again).
 
If you use too many, or too large of heat packs, they will strip all the O2 and deactivated until more O2 is present (when you open the box).

i would like to start this by saying i am not affilated with any manufacturer nor do i wish to be!
 
Kordon makes a great product i have been using them for over 15 years now shipping fish and inverts
 
A gentleman took their product one step further and has made it much more widely useable for fish/inverts that can be a little nippy or have spines
 
i am preparing to switch to this myself as it allows for the bag to be made for the fish being shipped and is much thicker.
 
You can use a food sealer to make a water tight balloon from the film and there is no questions about tampering and such.
 
http://www.aquabid.com/cg...hipping&1357344016
 
Again i dont endorse anyone or anything i simply am showing you how i am proceeding starting soon as my current stock of breather bags runs out

I am extremely skeptical of breather bags.  They have been known to leak, and one leaked on me to point of almost killing an expensive fish I bought.  I like the idea, but I'm from Missouri, and you would have to prove to me that they won't ever leak, or I'll never use them.  I do ship fish with some regularity, and I need to be certain they won't leak, or FEDEX won't like me anymore...
 
I would think that with 15 years shipping with them, you might have experienced some leaks, too!

check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
http://kathysclowns.com
Captive bred clownfish and more
(Wholesale to the trade.)

This would be a great youtube video. I think I'll go google what a rosette is. Great information Kathy.

 
I use Standard Shipping: Hold at FEDEX facility all the time.  Costs 10 bucks less usually, but the fish aren't driven around all day in the back of a truck, and I can get my fish, get them acclimated in the morning, and not be late for work.
 
I would love to see the data on the buffered ClorAm-X trials!

check out Kathy's Clowns, llc website:
http://kathysclowns.com
Captive bred clownfish and more
(Wholesale to the trade.)

FWIW we have our own breathable bags.  We got off the Kordon ones a few years ago.  Our new ones are very puncture resistant.  We have not had a bad bag or rapture since swapping.  With the Kordons we would have to test every bag prior to using.  Now we don't have to worry.
 
Problem with breathable bags (and this is coming from someone that did quite a few trials with them while running a wholesale facility) is keeping the bags separated enough to allow O2 to enter.  The bags have to be clear of each other to allow difusion.
 
Kordon does not, and did not, hold the corner on breathable bags by any means.  This technology is used every day with products you purchase.  Finding the right difusion ratio is key.

I used Kathy's instructions as my guide when shipping my Bluestripe Pipefish to Dan last year.  Worked like a charm.  The fish arrived in beautiful condition (according to Dan), at the right temperature, and there wasn't a single loss.

i have had a bad batch of bag
 
gresh you guys gonna start selling them?

I've been pushing them to.  What sizes would you like to see? 

personally i use 3 main bags a small medium and a large depending on what im shipping
 
Of course a lot of times the bags are not near what i would like and i end up bagging in a much larger then needed bag for what im shipping costing me more in the long run
 
I would love to see
 
 
3x5
6x10
and 10x12
 
would be awesome!

OK, those three are on my list already, good deal  
 
I'll bring it up again at the next production meeting.