How to transport a lot of fish?

[FishHobby99]

In plastic bags inside a chilly bin or cooler box. Pack them just like they would be from your local LFS. Pack about 4-6 fish per bag. If you go to your LFS they may sell you some bags

It's not that hard to transport fish. I do that so often. As already mentioned overhere, use plastic bags. We have certain rules overhere, which aren't followed by many. But overhere, it's officially a one third water and two third air. Breathing into the bag won't hurt for a little while. But I don't prefer this for the air you breathe out doesn't contain that much oxygen anymore. If you're running for a certificate of fish health care in my country, breathing into a bag is a big taboo.
You can also use a bucket. And preferably with a lid like this one:
View attachment 147652
Works perfectly as well.
The number of fish in a bag or bucket, depends on the size and behavior of those fish.

The bags used commercially wise are available in different sizes. But most stores use just two sizes. I myself have different sizes of fish bags at home. In the segment that I'm active in, we prefer to bag one fish in one bag, depending on the kind of fish. This goes mostly for goodeids. But there are also breeders who put also other livebearers as one specimen in one bag.
View attachment 147653
But be sure that the temperature stays stable. A cooling box or a styrofoam box would be great to put those bags in. And there are also heatpacks that you can use.

That’s similar to my 5 gallon buckets. The LFS actually refused to sell me bags, saying buckets & coolers much better for multiple fish. I wasn‘t seriously considering bags anyway, just wanted to see if he had any additional insights. Cooler worked out very well. Took a while to set up their tank, that big canopy one with the sump. So they had the decent sized aerated cooler until we added the sand & water etc.

 

[FishHobby99]

It's not that hard to transport fish. I do that so often. As already mentioned overhere, use plastic bags. We have certain rules overhere, which aren't followed by many. But overhere, it's officially a one third water and two third air. Breathing into the bag won't hurt for a little while. But I don't prefer this for the air you breathe out doesn't contain that much oxygen anymore. If you're running for a certificate of fish health care in my country, breathing into a bag is a big taboo.
You can also use a bucket. And preferably with a lid like this one:
View attachment 147652
Works perfectly as well.
The number of fish in a bag or bucket, depends on the size and behavior of those fish.

The bags used commercially wise are available in different sizes. But most stores use just two sizes. I myself have different sizes of fish bags at home. In the segment that I'm active in, we prefer to bag one fish in one bag, depending on the kind of fish. This goes mostly for goodeids. But there are also breeders who put also other livebearers as one specimen in one bag.
View attachment 147653
But be sure that the temperature stays stable. A cooling box or a styrofoam box would be great to put those bags in. And there are also heatpacks that you can use.

And yes, the small fish I’ve purchased online arrive in the bags you describe. In a styrofoam cooler in a padded box. The packaging & shipping costs as much or more than the fish.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I doo not transport fish in buckets in a car. They get sloshed around and may get banged into the hard side of the bucket. I have been shipping and transporting fish for many years. I use bagsm styros and never use oxygen. I breed a and sell some very expensive plecos. So losing fish to poor packing is not an option.

As for blowing into a bag -->

How much CO2 do we exhale compared to oxygen?

The gas exhaled is 4% to 5% by volume of carbon dioxide, about a 100 fold increase over the inhaled amount. The volume of oxygen is reduced by a small amount, 4% to 5%, compared to the oxygen inhaled.

from Wiki

I do this when the time in the bag is 12 hours or less. When I ship, I use an air pump to inflate the bag. The key to packing is in five things:
1. No matter what position the bag is in the fish must be able to stay submerged.
2. The width of the bag must be greater than the length of the fish going into it.
3. There must be at least 50% air or more if as long as it meets condition #1.
4. The bag must be knotted and/or rubber banded to seal it to the greatest possible extent.
5. The basgs must not easily moce arounf in a bpx. Add padding material to prevent this and to secure the bags in place. Even crumpled newspaper works.

Also, when shipping I normally add a small piece of Poly-Filter to the bag.
https://www.poly-bio-marine.com/

I have shipped fish get delayed and take over 4 days to arrive and all the fish were alive.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Also, when shipping I normally add a small piece of Poly-Filter to the bag.
https://www.poly-bio-marine.com/

I have shipped fish get delayed and take over 4 days to arrive and all the fish were alive.

Very interesting finding out about the Poly-Filter, not something I’ve ever used or heard about.

Good bit of information to learn about.

 

[emeraldking]

And yes, the small fish I’ve purchased online arrive in the bags you describe. In a styrofoam cooler in a padded box. The packaging & shipping costs as much or more than the fish.

That's the thing about shipping. Shipping costs can be way more than the price of those fish.

I doo not transport fish in buckets in a car. They get sloshed around and may get banged into the hard side of the bucket. I have been shipping and transporting fish for many years. I use bagsm styros and never use oxygen. I breed a and sell some very expensive plecos. So losing fish to poor packing is not an option.

As for blowing into a bag -->

from Wiki

I do this when the time in the bag is 12 hours or less. When I ship, I use an air pump to inflate the bag. The key to packing is in five things:
1. No matter what position the bag is in the fish must be able to stay submerged.
2. The width of the bag must be greater than the length of the fish going into it.
3. There must be at least 50% air or more if as long as it meets condition #1.
4. The bag must be knotted and/or rubber banded to seal it to the greatest possible extent.
5. The basgs must not easily moce arounf in a bpx. Add padding material to prevent this and to secure the bags in place. Even crumpled newspaper works.

Also, when shipping I normally add a small piece of Poly-Filter to the bag.
https://www.poly-bio-marine.com/

I have shipped fish get delayed and take over 4 days to arrive and all the fish were alive.

If I ship fish by courier (domestic and abroad), I use breathing bags. That will give way less stress to the fish during shipment.

 

[FishHobby99]

I doo not transport fish in buckets in a car. They get sloshed around and may get banged into the hard side of the bucket. I have been shipping and transporting fish for many years. I use bagsm styros and never use oxygen. I breed a and sell some very expensive plecos. So losing fish to poor packing is not an option.

As for blowing into a bag -->

from Wiki

I do this when the time in the bag is 12 hours or less. When I ship, I use an air pump to inflate the bag. The key to packing is in five things:
1. No matter what position the bag is in the fish must be able to stay submerged.
2. The width of the bag must be greater than the length of the fish going into it.
3. There must be at least 50% air or more if as long as it meets condition #1.
4. The bag must be knotted and/or rubber banded to seal it to the greatest possible extent.
5. The basgs must not easily moce arounf in a bpx. Add padding material to prevent this and to se the bags in place. Even crumpled newspaper works.

Also, when shipping I normally add a small piece of Poly-Filter to the bag.
https://www.poly-bio-marine.com/

I have shipped fish get delayed and take over 4 days to arrive and all the fish were alive.

That's the thing about shipping. Shipping costs can be way more than the price of those fish.

If I ship fish by courier (domestic and abroad), I use breathing bags. That will give way less stress to the fish during shipment.
View attachment 147675

Yes! And I will never understand why I can’t purchase fancy guppies locally. That’s why I got my 5 males on eBay. the seller was an experienced hobbyist of many years. Very nice man.

A few of the fish I transported in the cooler were 6” long. I can’t imagine bagging those big boys.

 

[MiacCroFiche]

This is how I transported 20 cichlids & catfish from ~ 2 hours away (4 hr round trip). They went into a 12.5 gallon Coleman Cooler that had 2 battery operated air bubblers attached. The coolers were the previous owner’s suggestion. The local fish store said to use 5 gallon buckets with lids. I did that to move 2 axolotls on a 6 hour round trip.

All animals were transported using water from their original tanks. Hauled home an additional 45 G water for the fish & 20 for the axies, all in covered buckets. They run $5 each at Lowe‘s.

I want to thank you. We tried it your way ….5 gallon bucket with a top and bubbler and it all went down without a hitch!

we wanted to make that tank up nice for our Corey pandas until we realized that we were getting rid of the Dalmatian Mollies adults…..unfortunately there are about twenty fry in there now.

 

[MiacCroFiche]

It's not that hard to transport fish. I do that so often. As already mentioned overhere, use plastic bags. We have certain rules overhere, which aren't followed by many. But overhere, it's officially a one third water and two third air. Breathing into the bag won't hurt for a little while. But I don't prefer this for the air you breathe out doesn't contain that much oxygen anymore. If you're running for a certificate of fish health care in my country, breathing into a bag is a big taboo.
You can also use a bucket. And preferably with a lid like this one:
View attachment 147652
Works perfectly as well.
The number of fish in a bag or bucket, depends on the size and behavior of those fish.

The bags used commercially wise are available in different sizes. But most stores use just two sizes. I myself have different sizes of fish bags at home. In the segment that I'm active in, we prefer to bag one fish in one bag, depending on the kind of fish. This goes mostly for goodeids. But there are also breeders who put also other livebearers as one specimen in one bag.
View attachment 147653
But be sure that the temperature stays stable. A cooling box or a styrofoam box would be great to put those bags in. And there are also heatpacks that you can use.

Wow!

 

[MiacCroFiche]

Glad to hear that! Colin T told me how to transport that way in 8/21.

The guy at the fish store said that we were very “professional” in the way that we took The fish to their shop.. after a good laugh we had to admit that we had help.

 

[FishHobby99]

We moved some relatively big fish. A few 6 inches long. I couldn’t imagine shoving them into plastic bags. Besides, it took time to set up this big tank with a sump pump at our place.

 

[MiacCroFiche]

We moved some relatively big fish. A few 6 inches long. I couldn’t imagine shoving them into plastic bags. Besides, it took time to set up this big tank with a sump pump at our place.

Yeah……we put the transport off for weeks because we thought that it would be a mess but it was easy.

 

[itiwhetu]

Be careful not to promote this method. If this were seen as the correct method for transporting fish, then all the importers and distributors would use it. You got away with it this time, what would have happened if you had an accident or needed to brake in a hurry to avoid someone?

 

[MiacCroFiche]

Be careful not to promote this method. If this were seen as the correct method for transporting fish, then all the importers and distributors would use it. You got away with it this time, what would have happened if you had an accident or needed to brake in a hurry to avoid someone?

That’s true. But we had way to many for the tank and the shop was 7 miles/ 10 minutes away. We took a chance that’s for sure.

Be careful not to promote this method. If this were seen as the correct method for transporting fish, then all the importers and distributors would use it. You got away with it this time, what would have happened if you had an accident or needed to brake in a hurry to avoid someone?

 

[MiacCroFiche]

That’s true. But we had way too many for the tank and the fish store was 7 miles/ 10 minutes away. We took a chance that’s for sure. We live in a tiny town, I had the bucket in the front seat under my legs and there was not a lot of traffic at the time either. We truly lucked out.

 

[FishHobby99]

Yeah……we put the transport off for weeks because we thought that it would be a mess but it was easy.

I also moved a big 90 gallon tank in a huge canopy & stand. The stand concealed a 20 G sump. Lots of other equipment. Colin T’s moving tanks etc tips were outstanding. I never even heard of a battery operated bubbler until Colin mentioned it & lucky for me the Walmart down the road had several different types.

The owner suggested the Coleman Cooler. The trusted local fish store said to use covered buckets that cost $5 at Lowe’s, Walmart etc. Then I saw several YouTube videos of people transporting fish using the same methods. One by a guy who is often mentioned at TFF & has invaluable videos on several fishy subjects. He did all buckets.

We moved the 2 pink axies in one bucket & attached 2 bubblers. All went swimmimgly.
.