Problems with shipping fish?

[the loach]

I'm sorry for your loss. We may indeed hope they froze first, as freezing may have been a more gentle death as dying of ammonia poisoning. Fish will not survive in a little bag for 6 days, no matter the temperature.

I'd like to keep them as well, but the wild form:

Those used to be called green or brass barbs in the 70's/80's. Haven't seen them anywhere for at least over 20 years. Yes, if you see the original colors you wonder why you need to breed another gold colored morph....

 

[FishAddict74]

I'm sorry for your loss. We may indeed hope they froze first, as freezing may have been a more gentle death as dying of ammonia poisoning. Fish will not survive in a little bag for 6 days, no matter the temperature.

I'd like to keep them as well, but the wild form:

Those used to be called green or brass barbs in the 70's/80's. Haven't seen them anywhere for at least over 20 years. Yes, if you see the original colors you wonder why you need to breed another gold colored morph....

That is nice looking!!

 

[FreshyFresh]

I just received my replacement gold barbs. So far so good. ~10degF today and I've been nervous because the fish shipped out on Wednesday AM and it's Friday afternoon. The heat pack felt about done and the bag water felt very cold. One more day in FedEx's hands and these poor little guys would have been ice cubes too.

So far so good. I ordered 5 and I think they seller gave me 7. They vary in size. Most are small w/ one or two larger ones. They're color is very faded at the moment and they scattered into the tank.

Seller tells me they once had an order get lost / mixed up, etc, and the fish lived 2 weeks in the bag. Must have been a heck of a bag and some super fish. My ~7 little barbs shipped in about a quart of bluish tinted water. In a heavy plastic bag w/ printed contents label. The bag was stapled shut & wrapped in packing paper. The little box was lined with foam. The heat pack weighs nearly what the bag did.

I am definitely done with mail-ordering fish in the dead of winter. Stress at too many levels. LOL

 

[FishAddict74]

I just received my replacement gold barbs. So far so good. ~10degF today and I've been nervous because the fish shipped out on Wednesday AM and it's Friday afternoon. The heat pack felt about done and the bag water felt very cold. One more day in FedEx's hands and these poor little guys would have been ice cubes too.

So far so good. I ordered 5 and I think they seller gave me 7. They vary in size. Most are small w/ one or two larger ones. They're color is very faded at the moment and they scattered into the tank.

Seller tells me they once had an order get lost / mixed up, etc, and the fish lived 2 weeks in the bag. Must have been a heck of a bag and some super fish. My ~7 little barbs shipped in about a quart of bluish tinted water. In a heavy plastic bag w/ printed contents label. The bag was stapled shut & wrapped in packing paper. The little box was lined with foam. The heat pack weighs nearly what the bag did.

I am definitely done with mail-ordering fish in the dead of winter. Stress at too many levels. LOL

Glad they arrived alive ?I’m also glad I live somewhere warmer lol it’s 55 here and I’m cold. Are you putting them in a QT tank? Cold temps can weaken their immune system. I’ve had fish arrive cold a couple times and I QT them and dose furan 2 for a week.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Your shipper is not well enough educated. He should have put different heat packs into the box. He should have at least added a 20-24 hour one and then at least another 60 hour one if not 72 hours. The short term ones heat fast too full capacity and then its downhill from there. the longer term ones take longer to reach capacity, but then they stay there for a lot longer in their rated life.

Good shippers also know that the more extreme the temperature against which they must protect, the thicker the inner box insulation should be. I can ship fish in 1/2 inch thick foam in fair weather but will use at least 1 inch thick, or more, in very cold temps. I never ship using cold packs. Most of the fish I ship can take very warm water- think in the mid 90s for many, some even higher. Only bad heat waves will stop me shipping.

In better times I could ship Priority and Express mail and not worry about temps. The USPS does not leave mail in the trucks parked at the PO over night. they are brought inside (or they used to be when I was shipping that way). I also used to have fish send to my PO Box. The folks at my PO would phone me if a box came because some many fish were coming in and out.

Times change *sigh*

 

[FreshyFresh]

I don't know how to tell, but the seller/shipper tells me the heat packs he uses are 72hr ones. It's fairly big 4"x6" maybe? I tossed it and it's now covered in coffee grounds.

The styrofoam lining the box is 3/4" thick. The box is a 7"x7" square.

TwoTankAmin, there's probably very few shippers anymore that would take the time and care you would. Maybe for some really high dollar stuff.

No QT. They went right in the tank with the new weather loaches from the same outfit.

 

[FishAddict74]

I don't know how to tell, but the seller/shipper tells me the heat packs he uses are 72hr ones. It's fairly big 4"x6" maybe? I tossed it and it's now covered in coffee grounds.

The styrofoam lining the box is 3/4" thick. The box is a 7"x7" square.

TwoTankAmin, there's probably very few shippers anymore that would take the time and care you would. Maybe for some really high dollar stuff.

No QT. They went right in the tank with the new weather loaches from the same outfit.

They’re probably ok, just watch for signs of a bacterial infection like a swollen eye or discoloration of the eyes or body.
What TwoTank described is how almost all my fish I order are packaged, but I also only buy more rare and more expensive stuff, so maybe you’re right about that.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am no different than every member here who grew in the hobby over the years and continues to do so. The first fish that bred in my tanks which got sellable babies from were common tank strain LF BN. Ultimately I was over run. It took me until CatCon 2014 to het rid of the final 40+ for about $65 bucks to a single buyer from a fish store. One cannot profit from low dollar fish as a hobby breeder.

But I still took the same care when I shipped those BN selling for a few dollars/fish. For one, I do not want to kill fish. Next, I do not want people to receive dead fish. Finally, I take pride in keeping healthy fish and selling the same. My only problem is I got too old to want to keep doing it. And if there was any doubt, Covid put an end to it.

It is not the price of the fish that matters in shipping well, it is the attitude of the sender that determines how things are done.

 

[FreshyFresh]

It took me until CatCon 2014 to het rid of the final 40+ for about $65 bucks to a single buyer from a fish store. One cannot profit from low dollar fish as a hobby breeder.

Do you think there's profit in marine fish and more rare stock?

I'm always amazed at one of my LFSs that's been in the same family and building for 40+ years. They sell some reptiles, furry critters and birds too, but he's got quite a few tanks for a small shop. His fish would be run of the mill stuff to many's standards, but many he sells for $2-3/ea. I dunno how he even breaks even. A newer, LFS a bit closer to me sells standard affair for 2-3x that.

As an example, I just spent ~$45 all in to have 7 gold barbs 2-day delivered to me. I paid for 5 so I got quite the deal. LOL

 

[the loach]

For one, that family might own the building by now and no longer has to pay rent or mortgage, which could make quite a difference.
And then to think the wholesale price of golden barbs is like 60 cents...