transport fish
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Fish can also remain in transport bags for a long time. One hour, for example, is no problem. Sometimes fish are also sent in transport bags, whereby the transport takes longer than 24 hours. Fish are in bags or boxes much longer on their way to the dealer.
However, too many fish must not be packed in one bag. The exact number depends on the species and size of the fish.
The ratio of water to air in the transport bag should be 1/3 water to 2/3 air. In the case of very long transports lasting several hours, oxygen tablets can be added to the water.
A few crumbs of activated charcoal can also be put in the fish bags to bind toxins that can occur after long periods of transport.
Mailed catfish should never be transported in a bag with other fish. At least some armored catfish species secrete a toxin when stressed, which can stun or kill other fish.
Bags are best placed crossways when the opening is sure to be sealed. Due to the larger water surface, there is a better gas exchange between water and air.
The fish should be brought to the aquarium as quickly as possible. Bumpy paths should be avoided.
containers for transporting fish
All containers that are large enough and waterproof are suitable for transporting fish. These include the typical transport bags from pet shops, but also simple buckets with lids.
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With older buckets, the inside of the bucket can be quite rough. Panicked fish can injure themselves. Therefore, bucket should be done with a large plastic bag, such as a rubbish bag.
New plastic detergent boxes, eg from drugstores, have a well-fitting lid. They are inexpensive and have the advantage of being rigid to protect the fish well. They also fit in thermal bags when it’s cold or hot.
Normal freezer bags can be used. They have to be checked carefully for leaks because they are often not completely leakproof.
With freezer bags, there is a small risk that fish could get trapped by the tips of the bags if they are kinked. Eg when putting down the bag or when the bags are put in boxes or bags. If care is taken, it is not a big problem. Special fish bags are therefore rounded.
Freezer boxes can also be used instead of freezer bags.
Transparent plastic tanks with, for example, 20 to 30 liters of water, which are available in any well-stocked pet shop, can be used if the cracks in the plastic lid are sealed.
To do this, a narrow strip of cling film is stretched over the edge of the basin and only then is the lid put on. Such containers can be easily clamped and fixed in the footwell on the passenger side in the back of the car with the front seat.
In this way, for example, ancistrians survived a 6-hour drive without any problems.
Insulate transport containers against cold and heat
Newspaper is wrapped around the transport bag as insulation in cold or very warm weather. Everything is put in a shopping bag.
Medium-sized, sturdy cardboard boxes with lids are also suitable. The inside of the box and lid is lined with Styrofoam that is about 2 centimeters thick.
There are also ready-made styrofoam boxes for transporting fish. Butcher shops may also have small Styrofoam boxes that are very stable and even have recessed grips.
The fish bags can simply be put in an insulating bag or insulating box or cooler bag. For longer transports, an insulating blanket from the first aid kit can be wrapped around the bags beforehand.
Transport fish in the dark
If fish are transported in clear bags or containers, they should be wrapped in newspaper.
In addition to insulating the transport bag, the newspaper also has the important advantage that the fish are not aware of the environment because it is dark in the bag. It is actually bedtime for the fish. There is no stress because shadows can fall on the bag from above. The fish still calm down best when it is dark.
The long sloshing in the water is already stressful for the fish. If the bags are not darkened, there is also a constant change between light and dark. Shadows from above are the typical signs of a predator. The fish would like to flee, but cannot get away. So you have additional enormous stress. The stress of catching and moving, getting used to new water values, etc. is enough.
Some sensitive fish have already died because of light transport. Or after a few days apparently from an unknown illness. It is then often assumed that the fish were bought when they were already sick.
Always wrap the transport bags with fish in newspaper. No matter what time of year.
How the transport bag is closed
- When the water with the fish is in the bag, place the transport bag on a table. Stand the edge of the bag up.
- Quickly snap around the bag entrance with one hand and squeeze the bag entrance to squeeze.
- Normally enough air is trapped in this way. Otherwise start all over again.
- Loop a rubber band around the pinched area.
- When the first layer of the bag is closed, fold the resulting lump, ie the rubber ring bulge at the top, down again. So that the bag is practically doubled.
- Wrap the rest of the rubber ring or another rubber ring around it again
To blow into the transport bag or not to blow?
Exhaled air has less oxygen than unbreathed air. However, humans consume very little oxygen when they breathe. The data vary between 4% and 17% oxygen that people consume when breathing. With the wag there are then 21% oxygen in the bag, with blowing about 17% percent. The difference is negligible.
So there is still enough oxygen in the transport bag when the bag is blown open. Otherwise, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation would not make sense in an emergency. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from person to person is of course meant, not from fish to person.
You shouldn’t smoke or eat doner kebabs beforehand.
In the case of longer transport routes, however, every oxygen particle can make sense. Some professional fish transporters and even some aquarium dealers therefore put pure oxygen in the bags. Care must be taken that there are no surface animals or suckers in the bag. If these are then out of the water, burns can occur.
For some fish species not only pure oxygen is bad, but also overpressure. Possibly labyrinth fish belong to it. The transport bag should therefore not be inflated too tightly. Not much more air in the bag anyway. Instead, the bag is better filled with a little less water.
Sedative for fish transport
To minimize the stress of transporting the fish, water additives such as JBL Acclimol can be added to the transport bag. It is unclear whether these remedies really work or are just a placebo for the aquarist. In any case, the experience with it is good.
Vitamin B1 is also an anti-stress agent. Vitamin B2 is found in water conditioners. Some retailers therefore put a splash of water conditioner in the transport bag.
Tips for transport and moving
- Take as much water as possible in additional bags or containers from the retailer. It is best to take enough water from the breeder with you so that you can keep the new fish in it for a whole day if necessary. The new water can then run in very slowly
- Drain the fish and water from the transport bag into a dark tub. Connect the oxygen diffuser and pump in the tub.
- Slowly pour water from the aquarium into the tub. The adjustment should last for hours or a whole day even if the temperatures are roughly the same. In any case, the fish needs much longer until it has really adjusted to the new water. The greater the differences in water quality, the longer it takes to adapt.
- Before placing the fish in the aquarium, turn off the aquarium lights and leave them off until the next day.
- Only feed the fish a small portion one day after transfer. Never feed immediately after transfer.
- It is best to let the breeder give you the first meals for the fish. This makes feeding in the Aquarim easier and doesn’t cause the fish any transition problems. Red mosquito larvae are real garbage eaters. A favorite food of red mosquito larvae are blue-green algae, which are sometimes not entirely non-toxic. This could be one of the causes of problems often described after feeding red mosquito larvae.
Do not feed immediately after transfer
Fish should not be fed immediately after being transported and transferred to a new aquarium. become. Digesting food is a physical strain. The oxygen curves over the course of the day speak volumes here. In addition, there are numerous regulatory mechanisms that can be affected in the course of an implementation campaign. Whether it’s a well-conditioned fish just struggling with the new water, or a completely emaciated animal. The physical strain associated with digesting and turning food can be fatal to both.
In commercial fish farms for the food industry, large numbers of fish are moved. Since it is relatively complicated to adjust the water with 4mm hoses in the transport tanks of a truck, it has to be done much faster.
At least one company tries to adapt the original water to the future water long before transport. This is essentially limited to oxygen, carbon dioxide and temperature.
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A week before the transfer is fed generously. One day before the transport is not fed. is. After the transfer, they don’t feed for another day. Then fed a quarter of the usual ration. The target ration is then gradually increased over a week.
With this procedure, there are only minimal losses during and after transports or relocations. Previously, the feed intake was used to test how healthy the fish were immediately after transfer. This has cost the life of several fish. The outbreak of various infections after the transfer was only linked to this feeding after a long search. At first, introduced pathogens were thought to be the cause.
If you buy directly from the breeder, it is certainly not a problem to proceed as suggested above. If the fish are transported through many stations and stored temporarily, the fish are often very emaciated. If you buy such fish at all and starvation becomes a danger, light food and very little of it should be fed. Here, too, the rations should be increased slowly over the course of the day.
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