Joe Gatchell
Member
- Messages
- 230
- Location
- Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Hey there, anyone have a comprehensive "how to" on shipping fish?
-
Hello guest! Are you an Apistogramma enthusiast? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Apisto enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your fish and tanks and have a great time with other Apisto enthusiasts. Sign up today!
Shipping Fish
- Thread starter Joe Gatchell
- Start date
- Messages
- 2,822
- Location
- Stoughton, WI
Here is what I do for up to 1-2" fish.
1) Obtain a pharmaceutical shipping cooler with 2"+ thick walls and a tight top. Most pharmacies, especially local stores that are not big chains, will give you one. Hospitals get many, so if you know a doctor or nurse in a hospital you can ask them for a few.
2) I use breather bags because they permit more fish in less space, and the sloshing that can trap fish in seams is eliminated. For 1-2" cichlids I use the small bags and put one fish per bag.
3) Place some crumpled news paper in the bottom of the box, and keep some more newspaper ready to go on top.
4) Wrap each breather bag in a layer of paper towel and place them in the box on top of the newspaper.
5) Put more newspaper on top of the bags to fill up empty space.
6) Activate a heat pack (48 hour for Express Mail, 72 hour for Priority) and place it on top of the newspaper. If you get a heat pack that only breaths through one side, make sure that side faces the the news paper. 'Activate' means letting the heat pack heat up before putting it into the box. I usually open the heat pack when I start and set it aside. By the time I am done bagging it is ready.
7) I use the USPS Click and Ship online service to make my labels. If you are paid with PayPal, you can click 'print shipping label' and get teh same service.
8) I seal up the box with packing tape very securely. If there is not a cardboard box around the styro I do not add one. That adds weight and the pharma styros are designed to ship without a box.
9) I do not write anything on the box. Just stick that label on and tank it so the post office. I do not tell them the box has liquid or perishable items. If you use Priority Mail all you have to do is drop off the box, or your mail man will pick it up. Express Mail needs to be checked in and time stamped. You want to do this so you can get a refund on the shipping if the box arrives late.
1) Obtain a pharmaceutical shipping cooler with 2"+ thick walls and a tight top. Most pharmacies, especially local stores that are not big chains, will give you one. Hospitals get many, so if you know a doctor or nurse in a hospital you can ask them for a few.
2) I use breather bags because they permit more fish in less space, and the sloshing that can trap fish in seams is eliminated. For 1-2" cichlids I use the small bags and put one fish per bag.
3) Place some crumpled news paper in the bottom of the box, and keep some more newspaper ready to go on top.
4) Wrap each breather bag in a layer of paper towel and place them in the box on top of the newspaper.
5) Put more newspaper on top of the bags to fill up empty space.
6) Activate a heat pack (48 hour for Express Mail, 72 hour for Priority) and place it on top of the newspaper. If you get a heat pack that only breaths through one side, make sure that side faces the the news paper. 'Activate' means letting the heat pack heat up before putting it into the box. I usually open the heat pack when I start and set it aside. By the time I am done bagging it is ready.
7) I use the USPS Click and Ship online service to make my labels. If you are paid with PayPal, you can click 'print shipping label' and get teh same service.
8) I seal up the box with packing tape very securely. If there is not a cardboard box around the styro I do not add one. That adds weight and the pharma styros are designed to ship without a box.
9) I do not write anything on the box. Just stick that label on and tank it so the post office. I do not tell them the box has liquid or perishable items. If you use Priority Mail all you have to do is drop off the box, or your mail man will pick it up. Express Mail needs to be checked in and time stamped. You want to do this so you can get a refund on the shipping if the box arrives late.
Joe Gatchell
Member
- Messages
- 230
- Location
- Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Great info, thank you Ted.
