Unusual Transport Practice

[LauraFrog]

So I bought a new platy today, and it was an hour in the car to get it home. I was a bit apprehensive about taking it such a long way in a little plastic bag, and I didn't know the people in the LFS because it's nowhere near home. But there was this magnificent platy and I HAD to have it and - and - and - you get the drift, I made more mess than the six un-housetrained puppies drooling all over the floor.

So after arranging things with mum to buy fish and go straight home, I told them I wanted it and did they think I'd get it home okay. So the woman put as much water in the bag as she could and then right before she tied it up dropped a tablet in there. I got a sneak look at the bottle and I'm baffled. It seems to be some kind of water treatment, and it also contains a 'fish calmer' - I have no idea what that was but I'd say very low dose of some kind of generic fish anaesthetic, judging by the behavior of the fish (sitting on the bottom of the bag and doing nothing in particular, no interest in its surroundings. Was darting around display tank, very active. Is now darting around my tank, very active and obviously very healthy.) I'm just curious, never seen anything like it before. The girl said they usually put some in if the person buying the fish has to take them a long way.

I don't care, because at the end of the process I have another fishie and it's happy and healthy and beautiful and beautiful and beautiful and _snap_ I've just never seen anything like it before. I've only ever seen liquid water treatment. Is this routine?

 

[cuticom]

They treated the bag for just an hour drive? I've dragged some of my poor goldies all over the country side in their bags since we don't have any good stores near us, they generally spend 3-4 hours in the bag with no effects.

I've heard of oxygen tablets, but not a "fish calmer"...

 

[LauraFrog]

I think the girl was a bit worried - I'm talking chain store pet shop in large shopping complex, not a specialist aquarium, so no way to inflate the bag with oxygen or anything like that. I usually go in, you know, poke around at cute puppies and kittens, drift up the back and glance at the fish - but I mean GORGEOUS platy. I wouldn't normally go for the whole chain store thing but I had to rescue that fish. Once she fills out a bit she will be magnificent, she is amazing as she is. She's got a slight tear out of one fin, I just noticed, and she is pretty thin, but I can fix that no trouble. I don't think she's too assertive but if she's not getting enough food I'll put her in a breeder net with some flakes of her own for a few minutes. I've fattened fish up like that before and it's worked.

I think the main problem is that they way up to my place requires the crossing of a pretty treacherous range road. It's curvy and twisty and two-lanes most of the way. I was sitting in the backseat with the plastic bag wrapped in a blanket and I kept it as steady as I could, but it slopped around enough. The 'fish calmer' only wore off after we were past the windy bit, which was good, because it stopped the fish flying around the bag in a mad panic and using up all the oxygen, but she got over it so that I didn't end up introducing a doped fish into the aquarium - I was worried about that when I saw her go floppy, probably not a good idea.

It worked, whatever it was. How do these 'oxygen tablets' work?

 

[jakeroberts]

i have never heard of tablets that make the fish calmer

 

[raptorrex]

would an O2 tablet not have the effect of calming the fish? more O2 would mean the fish would need to move less to breath. not sure on this its just a thought.

 

[CathyGo]

Do a search on bag buddies. I have to head out the door otherwise I would post the info.

 

[Chris_qld]

Bag Buddies <<<Link

Can't seem to find ingredients though. Just says contains water conditioner with 'fish calmer'.

Protects customers' fish by reducing stress, promoting slime coat, removing chlorine and chloramine, neutralizing harmful metals and adding beneficial electrolytes. Plus, with the added fish calmer, fish stress is further reduced. Just one tablet in fish bag water also releases oxygen into the fish bag and ensures fish arrive home safely, in quality condition and better overall health.


Would be interesting to find out what this 'fish calmer' is.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Bag Buddies <<<Link

Can't seem to find ingredients though. Just says contains water conditioner with 'fish calmer'.

Protects customers' fish by reducing stress, promoting slime coat, removing chlorine and chloramine, neutralizing harmful metals and adding beneficial electrolytes. Plus, with the added fish calmer, fish stress is further reduced. Just one tablet in fish bag water also releases oxygen into the fish bag and ensures fish arrive home safely, in quality condition and better overall health.


Would be interesting to find out what this 'fish calmer' is.

It sounds a lot like StressCoat dechlorinator, this dechlorinator contains aloe vera and apart from doing the usual stuff of a dechlorinator like removing chlorine and heavy metals and stuff, it also creates an artificial slime coat on the fish (i think the aloe vera helps heal the fish and replace the natural slime coat), which is handy for fish which have been physically damaged in transport or in fights with other fish etc and whose protective slime coats are damaged (making the fish vunerable to diseases and parasites).

According to this site;

"Essential electrolytes are lost through breaks in the skin and slime coat, causing dangerous stress. Open wounds and abrasions caused by handling, netting, and breeding behavior are readily attacked by disease organisms, resulting in further stress and death of fish.

Stress Coat is a special patented formula that replenishes slime coat. It also has Aloe Vera, nature's own liquid bandage. This formula eases stress and promotes the healing of damaged fish tissue.";

http/www.watergardendepot.com/subcat528.html


I personally use the Api brand of Stress Coat dechlorinator;

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stress-Coat-Water-Co...VQQcmdZViewItem

.

 

[ICEEGRL]

bag buddies active ingredients are chlorides of sodium and potassium, and clove oil.
questions... 1-800-357-7104
I got this info from my bottle.

 

[Samphire]

Ok, call me stupid (many people do) but if a fish can survive overnight in a sealed bag and box for postal delivery, would they not be ok in a bag and water for a few hours car journey? Just wondering as I want ex husband to bring me some fish up from Worstershire.

 

[starrynightxxi]

i imagine they'd be fine. and actually, less water than air is better for them i think the rule of thumb is 1/3 water, 2/3 air, but could be wrong. haven't shipped anything except for the 45 minute trip to or from the store.

 

[Tolak]

I buy & sell fish on a regular basis that have been bagged 12+ hours. Fast for 24 hours before bagging, 1/3 water, 2/3 air, no O2. Out of a thousand bags at an auction you might see 3 or 4 floaters, out of thousands of fish. There is no reason to add anything to the bag for a 1 hour trip, the best thing to do is keep the bag in a dark place, darkness has a calming effect on fish.

The sloshing of water is actually a good thing, as long as it isn't taken to an extreme, as it aerates the water. When I double bag for auctions I invert one bag into another, this eliminates any corners the fish may get trapped in. This means every bag gets turned upside down, and not slowly when I have a couple dozen bags at 6am. The fish get transported in an older truck with some serious truck springs, so they get bounced around a bit. Twisting bumpy roads won't bother the fish much, as long as you don't get in a serious rollover accident the fish will be fine.