How to ship fish plants inverts and corals

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Mgamer20o0

BobsTropicalPlants.com
Staff member
Jun 4, 2003
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www.bobstropicalplants.com
Hello Everyone
Thank you all for your insight in this matter.I have a question?Do you need a permit or license to ship live fish from state to state.Or city to city?I'm talking about small livebearers like guppies, mollies, and platys and such.
no though check each state for restricted plant and fish life.
if you dont mind me asking you MG but about how much does it cost you to package up the fish in the box with the bag/styrofoam and all that stuff does the cost of shipping pay for that?
just depends. the stryofoam if bought at home depot lowes and cut down for the 7x7x6 box works out to be about 50 cents per box. the bags are not to much. i bought the o2 tank and regulator thats a large one time cost. plus there is shipping and this time of year heat packs too.
 

austinpetemo

AC Members
Sep 25, 2007
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Newton Falls, OH
ok so to actually package the fish actually comes out to a relativly low price
 

REDKAHUNA

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Mar 4, 2009
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Last year I shipped 352 boxes of fish. I lost 26 fish total out of more than 1000. I dont starve them for 48 hrs. I do not feed them the night before or day of shipping. I package the fish 1/4 water 3/4 air from my pump, I leave a hose running to aleveat pressure so I fill the bags with it. I double bag the fish and use 12x5 inch bags I know this sounds long but you are then able to tie a real knot in both bags. I put 2 -3 per bag at 1 inch or so. Adult fish go into overly large bags 4-5 per bag. Overnight shipping adult and expensive fish. 90% of my shipping is Priority mail. I do not reccomend rubber bands or wire ties etc.. I have recived fish this way. The bags slowly deflate with most of the stored air releasing into the box. I also have recieved more dead fish than most some due to importing but most in bags with rubber bands or wire ties. This is my 3rd year of shipping fish and have shipped a total of 800 + boxes with less than 50 dead fish. Just my thoughts and how I do it.

When shipping I use insulation 1/2 that is used in houses as most of the lining. I have used other stuff foam etc. all seem to work well the insulation I find less messy than stryfoam.
 
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BettaFishMommy

finkids make me happy :-)
Mar 17, 2008
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Sherry N.
great article, but the invert section doesn't cover shipping snails.......
 

leoslizards

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Jan 20, 2007
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great article, but the invert section doesn't cover shipping snails.......
I was about to say that.

I have a couple mystery snails I have to ship and was wondering how? I remember receiving some in the mail a couple of years ago. They were individually wrapped in damped newspaper and placed inside a ziplock bag with plenty of air. Does this sound correct?
 
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