ive been thinking about trying to sell fish over the net, but i dont know how i would package them, any ideas?
how to ship fish?
- Thread starter fishfreaks
- Start date
triple-bagged fish with either oxygen injected bags or water mixed with oxygen tablets/liquid and depending on how long shipping takes, ammo-chips or ammonia remover. Then place the fish in an airtight styrofoam container and then package it in a durable cardboard box. Thats GENERALLY how its done.
The art of shipping live fish has been mastered by the tropical fish industry, which ships millions of dollars worth of live fish around the world.
Before the fish are packed, many factors must be considered. Are warmwater fish being shipped to a cold climate or vice versa? What is the duration of the shipment before the box is unpacked? Are the fish aggressive, needing isolation? Do they have sharp spines which require double or triple bagging?
Techniques for shipping live fish:
1. Only ship healthy fish that have not been fed for 2-4 days.
2. If the fish are cold tolerant, such as trout, bluegill, striped bass, etc., temperatures should be lowered gradually to 60°F (the metabolic rate of the fish will be reduced).
3. Know the quality of the water the fish will be released into at their destination. The quality of your water should be adjusted slowly to the same pH, alkalinity, salinity, etc.
4. The clean water used for shipping should be held separate from the fish before packing. Salt is typically added to the water at a rate of 1 to 5 ppt (parts per thousand). That is .8 to 4 pounds of salt per 100 gallons or 3.8 to 19 grams per gallon. This reduces osmotic stress on freshwater fish.
5. Various conditioners such as zeolite, activated carbon, pH lock and ammonia locking solutions may be used.
6. Fill shipping bags 1/3 full with the pretreated aerated water and gently place fish into the bags.
7. Compress the bag to remove all air and refill with pure oxygen. The typical ratio is 1/3 water, 2/3 oxygen.
8. Double bag and seal with rubber bands, heat, etc.
9. Place the bags in insulated containers and add heat or cool packs to maintain temperature.
I got this from http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/popup.techTalkDetail/ttid/24
Before the fish are packed, many factors must be considered. Are warmwater fish being shipped to a cold climate or vice versa? What is the duration of the shipment before the box is unpacked? Are the fish aggressive, needing isolation? Do they have sharp spines which require double or triple bagging?
Techniques for shipping live fish:
1. Only ship healthy fish that have not been fed for 2-4 days.
2. If the fish are cold tolerant, such as trout, bluegill, striped bass, etc., temperatures should be lowered gradually to 60°F (the metabolic rate of the fish will be reduced).
3. Know the quality of the water the fish will be released into at their destination. The quality of your water should be adjusted slowly to the same pH, alkalinity, salinity, etc.
4. The clean water used for shipping should be held separate from the fish before packing. Salt is typically added to the water at a rate of 1 to 5 ppt (parts per thousand). That is .8 to 4 pounds of salt per 100 gallons or 3.8 to 19 grams per gallon. This reduces osmotic stress on freshwater fish.
5. Various conditioners such as zeolite, activated carbon, pH lock and ammonia locking solutions may be used.
6. Fill shipping bags 1/3 full with the pretreated aerated water and gently place fish into the bags.
7. Compress the bag to remove all air and refill with pure oxygen. The typical ratio is 1/3 water, 2/3 oxygen.
8. Double bag and seal with rubber bands, heat, etc.
9. Place the bags in insulated containers and add heat or cool packs to maintain temperature.
I got this from http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/popup.techTalkDetail/ttid/24
DO NOT add anything like ammo chips. I've shipped a ton of fish with no losses yet. First thing, you need to starve the fish for 2 days before shipping. This makes it so they don't release wastes into the bag water. You'll need 3mil thick bags, and triple bag them. 2/3 air, 1/3 water. Depending on what kind of fish your selling will depends on how many you can put in a bag. Generally a single fish per bag. You will need a cardboard box with stryofoam insert and cover for insulation, as well as a heat pack or ice pack depending on shipping temps. The onlything you should be adding to the bag water is called bag buddies, they add O2 directly into the water. Pack the bags tight so they will not move at all. Tape the heat or ice pack to the top of the stryo and put a little hole in the top so it can breath. Now comes the shipping, part, you need to pack the fish within a few hours of shipping, preferably later in the day, and get them to the shipping company within an hour of them closing. Your best option for just starting out is FedEx's over night service, its expensive, but the safest bet. Also, don't use tank water to bag the fish with, use only fresh, dechlorinated water.