Methods For Shipping Corals

[steelhealr]

Many TFF reef members have express interest in trading or swapping corals. It might helps us here to list some ways of doing so. Below is a list of various ways to ship your livestock. Feel free to post your own methods if you have done so before.

Packing Methods

Stryrofoam insulation and box

Corals are usually double-bagged and placed in a styrofoam container with a small heater pack. Sometimes, wet newspaper is also placed inside

Thermos

A small plastic thermos is very inexpensive. The coral is placed into the thermos and filled with sea water. The thermos is then placed in a box with packing for protection. Avoid glass thermos' which can break.

Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid has small clear containers that can be used instead of clear plastic bags.

Shipping Methods

The various carriers have different methods of shipping including overnight, next day, 2 and 3 day priority shipping.

USPS

I have heard some say to not use USPS if you are telling them it is live stock. They will not ship it unless it can go on a non-stop flight, which may mean that it sits for hours before the next flight is available. Thermos method can be used with 2 day priority and can save lots with shipping costs. Ricordea are nearly indestructible and would most likely have a high survival rate with 2-3 day shipping.

Fedex

Fedex is probably the most reliable for overnight shipping but is not cheap. If it's next day, ship zoos on damp paper towels, save on shipping costs by eliminating the weight of the bagged water. However, you must weigh the risks of the loss of the zoos.

UPS

Live animals will only be accepted for transportation when shipped via UPS Next Day Air service, and such shipments will only be accepted Monday through Thursday.

UPS Shipping Policy with live animals

This is a very basic thread. Feel free to build on it. SH

 

[steelhealr]

Feel free to post your methods. SH

 

[Redstratplayer1]

Shipping the pro way RC thread on how to bag,box and ship coral

 

[steelhealr]

Very good...uh...er...outside link. I didn't see that. SH

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd like to share this little tid-bit although I dont have a pic so you'll have to imagine it for yourself. If the coral is attached to a rock, or is itself a stony coral, a fantastic practice to get into is the use of styrofoam INSIDE the bag to help keep the coral underwater. Basically just rubberband the coral to a small styrofoam chunk and put that in the bag. Because the coral is heavy and the styro floats, the specemin is forced to stay underwater during the trip. Furthermore, the coral will "bob" in the bag since it is floating against the styrofoam. This bobbing will aid in oxygen supply to the coral by basically creating a mini-current inside the bag. This method is what almoast all major US distributors use when shipping their corals to the LFS and survival rate has gone way up using this method.