Transporting Tropical Fish...

charliefish · Jan 24, 2006

I'm doing a product design course at A2, hoping to design a container to transport tropical fish, but there are a few things I need to ask people owning tropical fish. I own some myself, four lively clown loaches called Tom, Dick Harry n Larry, four angel fish, and a rather big algae eater! So I have some idea but cannot base my project just on my own information. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance!

1. How often do you need to transport your tropical fish?

2. Why do you need to transport them?

3. What method of transport do you use when moving them?

4. What do you do to transport your fish?
Eg. Put them into a bucket in a bin liner with oxy tablets- How do you keep the water at the
correct temperature? etc.

5.How do you ensure that the container type device the fish are kept in remains stable and upright?

6.What precautions do you take to help ensure the fish's survival during the journey?
Eg. Keep water dark to reduce stress for the fish.

7. Do you have any problems with the fish during transit?

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer! :look:

CFC · Jan 24, 2006

The best way to transport fish is bagged with pure oxygen pumped into the water and then placed inside a polystyrene box which keeps the temperature, in colder weather or for very long journeys a single use chemical heat pack is added under a layer of newspaper in the bottom of the box, this is the way fish are imported into the country and the way most mail order firms and enthusiasts who show their fish at club events transport their fish. A varation on this for fish which are likely to puncture the bag such as large catfish, stingrays and pirahna is to just line the poly box with 2 or 3 layers of plastic sheet instead of bagging the fish so should a tear occur the water doesnt drain away from the fish.
With very large fish some proffesionals use a mild sedative to dope the fish during transport but a vet should be consulted over this.

black angel · Jan 24, 2006

Ive moved around the country a few times with both tropical and coldwater. The colds are easy as you dont really need to worry about the temperature, just oxygen levels.
For the tropicals I am moving again in the next couple of months, and this time i have three tanks to move and lots of fish.

1. How often do you need to transport your tropical fish? Ive had my current lot for two years now and will be moving in the spring so this is the first time they have been moved.

2. Why do you need to transport them? Moving home

3. What method of transport do you use when moving them? In the car

4. What do you do to transport your fish?
Eg. Put them into a bucket in a bin liner with oxy tablets- How do you keep the water at the
correct temperature? etc. I will try to get a couple of polystyrene travel boxes and lots of bags from the lfs. If i cant then i will use a large plastic tub which i will blacken with bin liners,bag them up and take them that way. I cant do anything about temperature in the tub so will try to keep them warm in the car.

5.How do you ensure that the container type device the fish are kept in remains stable and upright? It will be on the back seat so should be ok as it is quite big.

6.What precautions do you take to help ensure the fish's survival during the journey?
Eg. Keep water dark to reduce stress for the fish. It will be dark, but other than that hope they make it.

7. Do you have any problems with the fish during transit? Havent so far, but they do go pale and stress out so getting them into a tank I have already set up and had running for a day or two at the other end should help.

widgetuk · Jan 24, 2006

When we used to show fish we had a wooden box with a sliding front and lined with styrofoam and in the box went the big sweet jars and never had any probs with them and we were out almost every week or two