Shipping Fish

[guppymonkey]

A friend is moving to Texas soon and she can't bring her betta on the car ride. She just doesn't feel it would survive in the car for a week. I was wondering if bettas can be shipped in breather bags. I usually use those when I am shipping my fish but I have never shipped a anabatoid before. Can they be shipped in breather bags? I have read that bettas gills do not provide enough oxygen intake by themselves and that they need to breathe atmospheric air to survive.

 

[xJake]

The only way to ship it would be overnight or else you have about a 90% chance of ending up with a dead betta. Couldn't she just take it along in the car with some dechlorinator and food and do water changes at truck stops/hotels? It would be fine as long as she kept it out of direct sunlight.

 

[guppymonkey]

So bettas are not good in breather bags? Most times when people say that fish have to be shipped overnight they are exaggerating the risk. I usually ship fish by priority mail. I am going to assume that answer was because of the lack of air space in a breather bag?

 

[xJake]

Is someone going to be there when the fish arrives? If not, 5 days on a doorstep will leave you with a dead fish. Also, what do you mean by breather bag?

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

I'm assuming he means a bag with a large airspace included?

 

[xJake]

I'm assuming he means a bag with a large airspace included?

That's what I thought but I wasn't sure.

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

They make oxygen tablets to put in the bag as well, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that doesn't really help a betta out too much?

 

[guppymonkey]

Kordon breather bags. All the good breeders use them to send fish. Its an oxygen permeable plastic. The oxygen can flow in and CO2 can go out so you don't have to worry about the fish running out of oxygen. My worry is that with breather bags you fill the entire bag up with water (they have to be completely full to work properly). With bettas being an labyrinth fish and needing to breathe air from the top and not just through their gills like other fish would having no air space end up killing the fish even though there is plenty of oxygen in the water?

Breather bags are very common if you buy fish from a private breeder. Its the best way to ship fish. If you google kordon breather bag you can find a lot of information if you are more interested. They are much better for shipping fish, you don't have to worry about the fish suffocating on the trip.