Best Way To Transport Live Fish?

[dsiegel13]

I am redoing my tank next week and part of the redo is replacing some species of fish w/ new fish that are going to be more compatible w/ the new tank design, function, and look.

I already spoke to my LFS and they agreed to take 3 of my fish and find them new homes (which is a major reason I am even doing the redo, if they wouldn't take them, I probably wouldn't change the tank up)... anyway, I have to capture them and transport them to the LFS.

As I have only taken fish home from the store, what is the best/least stressful way to bring them to the store? I am looking to keep them healthy, so all advice is much appreciated.

 

[fluttermoth]

In fish bags, the same as you bought them is the best way. When I'm moving fish, I either put them in a cool box or wrap them in a towel to keep them warm and dark, which helps to reduce stress.

 

[swanseastilo]

In fish bags, the same as you bought them is the best way. When I'm moving fish, I either put them in a cool box or wrap them in a towel to keep them warm and dark, which helps to reduce stress.

OOOOK

Take them back the same way you took them home. I have always kept a few of the big bags for that reason.

 

[StandbySetting]

I wrap mine in towels too, keeps the bags warm especially on long journeys.

 

[dsiegel13]

In fish bags, the same as you bought them is the best way.

Take them back the same way you took them home.

What if I don't have any fish bags, will a ziplock freezer bag work? or another kind of large plastic bag?

How long of an air supply will they have in a bag?

I wrap mine in towels too, keeps the bags warm especially on long journeys.

This store is only 15-20 mins from the house, do you think that is short enough not to stress them out too much w/o wrapping them up? or just in case, wrap 'em up?

 

[StandbySetting]

A brown paper bag or something similar is good for reducing stress.

 

[This Old Spouse]

20 min is no problem at all. Just follow the other advice, put them in the biggest ziploc bag you have to give them plenty of air, then put them in a paper bag or cooler to transport. We always use a cooler as it stays dark, is sturdy and if the plastic bag should break they should still be all right.

 

[coldcazzie]

In fish bags, the same as you bought them is the best way. When I'm moving fish, I either put them in a cool box or wrap them in a towel to keep them warm and dark, which helps to reduce stress.

OOOOK

Cool boxes stay cool because they are insulated, and therefore they work just as well at keeping warm things warm poly box, cool box, lots of layers of material are good ways to keep the fish warm. For 20 minutes to the shop they should be alright without, but definitely try to cover the bags to keep stress levels as low as possible. ASk the lfs for bags if you need to? Also, don't feed for 24-48 hours before

 

[fluttermoth]

Reminds me of the old joke;

'A man' goes in to Boots and was sold a vacuum flask, they told him it will keep his coffee hot all day, or if he puts some thing cold in the flask it will stay cold all day.

Next day at work on the building site he gets his flask out, his mates ask him, "What have you got there?" He replies, "It's a vacuum flask; it'll keep my coffee hot all day, or if I put some thing cold in it will stay cold all day. "Ok," they replied, "What have you got in your flask today?

'The man' replies, "Two cups of coffee and an ice cream bar."

I say 'a man' because it's normally told about Irishmen, or Greeks, or whoever the local 'stupid' sterotype is But it's still a good joke

 

[dsiegel13]

Gave away my fish today... sadness ensued. Didn't think that after a couple months I could get attached to 3 fish, but hey they were good fish, just not enough room in the tank anymore, especially w/ the new fish coming on Saturday.

Luckily my lfs is a good spot and they will put them into the general population and hopefully sell them pretty quickly to a good home, they expect to sell the Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish rather quickly as there is a regular customer that has a whole shoal of them in his tank, something like 20-30, and asks them to call whenever they get a new crop in.

I don't think they will have a problem moving the mollies either, they are bigger than anything they had in the store, so should go quickly too.

Thank you everyone for the moving suggestions, I wound up putting them in a big gallon ziploc freezer bag, then put the freezer bag in a cooler that I had with the lid open a crack (stuffed in some old newspaper to keep the bag from sliding around inside the cooler). They were freaked out at first but by the time I got to the lfs they were cool as cucumbers.