Shipping fish

[Ken Burke]

I’ve never mailed fish before, but I’m getting ready to mail out a few to @Beardedbillygoat1975 in a couple weeks.  I’m looking for feedback on my plan:

Friday before - feed frozen food generously

Saturday - feed frozen in the am/pm, with some flake at lunch. 50% wc.

Sunday - feed frozen in the am.  Fast until shipping thereafter 50% wc. 

Monday - 25% wc

Tuesday - pack and ship in the am…

 

I have 8x8x8 boxes, and styrofoam to insulate.  But I need to buy the bags.  Temps here get to the 90s still, so curious about adding a cooling pack.  

I’m not sure if I should use breather bags or regular fish bags, and I’m not sure how many I can put in a bag.  
 

Hoping experienced shippers like @tolstoy21, @Fish Folk, and @Jawjagrrl can clue me in….
 

[Fish Folk]

I’m happy to weigh in though others may provide more help. What species of fish are you shipping? How many? What size / age?

[Jawjagrrl]

On 9/1/2022 at 9:53 PM, Ken Burke said:

I’ve never mailed fish before, but I’m getting ready to mail out a few to @Beardedbillygoat1975 in a couple weeks.  I’m looking for feedback on my plan:

Friday before - feed frozen food generously

Saturday - feed frozen in the am/pm, with some flake at lunch. 50% wc.

Sunday - feed frozen in the am.  Fast until shipping thereafter 50% wc. 

Monday - 25% wc

Tuesday - pack and ship in the am…

 

I have 8x8x8 boxes, and styrofoam to insulate.  But I need to buy the bags.  Temps here get to the 90s still, so curious about adding a cooling pack.  

I’m not sure if I should use breather bags or regular fish bags, and I’m not sure how many I can put in a bag.  
 

Hoping experienced shippers like @tolstoy21, @Fish Folk, and @Jawjagrrl can clue me in….
 

I haven't shipped any fish, but I've ordered every fish in our house over the last year with very few problems. The styrofoam does a great job of insulating - the only time I think a cool pack really was needed was my baby angels that spent 6 days in transit in a heat wave (they were also in breather bags). Aquabid has instructions on shipping fish, and Dan at Dan's Fish has an excellent video on how he ships fish from a few years ago, but I think it's still how they do it as my order arrived exactly the same way. Even individual tetras were in their own bag.

The question I would have would be added oxygen in the bags, since most of us don't have an oxygen tank just sitting in our homes? 

One tip from Dan I especially appreciated was sealing the bottom corners on the bags to eliminate that space for a fish to get stuck. He used a heat sealer, but you can also tape them up the sides. There are also bags for sale now that have rounded edges along the bottom for this reason. Also double-bagging them.

I'm going to have chili and black bar endlers ready for new homes soon, but I am a bit intimidated by shipping too.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Ken Burke]

On 9/1/2022 at 9:22 PM, Fish Folk said:

I’m happy to weigh in though others may provide more help. What species of fish are you shipping? How many? What size / age?

Angels this time.  I’m wanting to send 4 or 5 dime sized angels.  I’m in Louisiana, he’s in Oregon 

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I have only done dwarf pike and palustris puffer fry. I fast 48 hours prior to packing. 

I use #275 Corrugated cardboard box, 1 1/4" foam box inside that and a 2 mil box liner bag. 

The fish go in a  4 mil bag that i make square bottom by taping the corners i fill that with 1/3 fresh tank water put a little subwassertang or java moss in there for security and comfort and 2 cubes of polyfilter absorber. I try to divide the group into 2 or 4 bags depending on amounts. I fill the bag with air off the air pump. 

I then put that into a 2nd 4mil bag put a little air in that for an air cushion /more insulation and tape those corners as well. 

That double bag goes in the box liner bag and I seal it up. 

I havent checked the temperatures in transit but it's worked well over my "experience" of 5 shipments. I still consider myself inexperienced there and probably way over packed. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/1/2022 at 9:45 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

Even individual tetras were in their own bag.

Woah!  Thats intense!  It made me nervous because of the self poisoning but when I shipped cories I put 3 in a bag mostly because I didn't have a box big enough for individual bags. I'm impressed with him going to that length!

 

On 9/1/2022 at 9:45 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

The question I would have would be added oxygen in the bags, since most of us don't have an oxygen tank just sitting in our homes? 

It's not the same as pure o2 but I use my air pump to get the bag plump with air. 

 

On 9/1/2022 at 10:20 PM, mountaintoppufferkeeper said:

2 cubes of polyfilter absorber.

I know this is common with shipping shrimp I didn't know it helped fish. What's the use of it?  Ammonia?  Also what exactly is it and where do you get it from?

 

 

[Fish Folk]

On 9/1/2022 at 11:12 PM, Ken Burke said:

Angels this time.  I’m wanting to send 4 or 5 dime sized angels.  I’m in Louisiana, he’s in Oregon 

Ok. Here is how I'd try it...

With 5x fish, that size, I'd prefer a box the size of a _medium_ top-loading standard USPS Priority Mail box: 11.25" x 8.75" x 6" (measured on the outside edges).

I would prefer to use a single breather bag per fish. Use as large a bag as possible. The 8" x 3" LongLife breathing bag is acceptable, but larger ones are even better.

I use cheap sheet insulation foam from Lowes. I can get about 4 pieces of 2-ft x 4-ft for $10. That lasts for a number of boxes.

I custom cut every box. First I tape, then cut bottom . . . sides that interlock like Tetris pieces so they won't collapse . . . and the top. I try to ensure that it will compress nicely once the box is closed. Air can get through fine -- I never worry about that.

I tape the mailing box very thoroughly along the bottom. Sometimes boxes sit where it is wet. Tape keeps the cardboard together. I always imagine the worst case scenarios: what if its pouring rain when the mail arrives? I try to cover nearly the entire box in tape. But I definitely leave the corners open so air can pass in and out.

I line the bottom and corners of the box with paper towel. I am very liberal with paper towel use. I wrap every prepared breather bag in paper towels. I add paper towel between everything so that the bags cannot move in the box. I lay paper towel on top of the bags once packed.

With five bags, I put on each in the corners, and one in the center. Be sure each is wrapped in paper towel. Air can pass through, but I do not allow plastic to press up against plastic.

I fast the fish for at least 24 hrs -- preferably 48 hours or more -- before bagging.

I use about 50% tank water from their tank, and 50% fresh dechlorinated tap water. I add a few drops of Amquel (Kordon product) or at least Prime to each bag.

I measure out exactly 16 oz of water (the 50 / 50 mix described above), pour that into a clean specimen container, catch one fish, then pour that into a pre-labeled breather bag. (label the bag along the bottom edge first)

There should be _NO AIR_ in the breather bag. I knot and then rubber band together. Then, as described above, wrap in paper towel.

Heat packs for cold weather and cold packs for hot weather are a delicate call. I put 72-hour heat packs inside a brown paper sandwich bag, and tape to the underside of the styrofoam lid. I put ice packs inside an aquarium bag (no air) and that into a paper bag like the heat pack, taped to the underside of the styrofoam lid.

Now, depending what carrier you use, you need to be judicious how you label or declare the exterior. Just suffice to say . . . it's a terrible thing to get to the P.O. or UPS and get the inquisition because you've put "LIVE FISH!" all over the outside of your box. I just keep my head down and ship it marked Fragile / This side Up.

Almost always my fish have made it alive. Only recently did I lose two Rams in a shipment of 6x.

Keep in mind that no matter how you label it, that box is going to get treated roughly. You really don't want to know . . .

As for using thick 3-4 mil bags, pure oxygen, etc. I'll admit: I spent an obscene amount of time looking for someone to give me a whiff of oxygen last weekend to no avail. The cheapest I could have gotten anything was $320 for a tank + oxygen + regulator.

I decided to cheat and order aviator oxygen "boost" bottles (95% oxygen). I plan to ship with that this week. I'll let you know how it goes!

But never use oxygen with breather bags.

Here is a thread that shows pictures for much of what I've described above. A few things I do differently than this linked thread, but most is the same...

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Fish Folk

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

On 9/1/2022 at 9:33 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Woah!  Thats intense!  It made me nervous because of the self poisoning but when I shipped cories I put 3 in a bag mostly because I didn't have a box big enough for individual bags. I'm impressed with him going to that length!

 

It's not the same as pure o2 but I use my air pump to get the bag plump with air. 

 

I know this is common with shipping shrimp I didn't know it helped fish. What's the use of it?  Ammonia?  Also what exactly is it and where do you get it from?

 

 

I just buy wherever i can find it I use Poly-Bio Marine Poly Filter Pad and hand cut into cubes. Generally find mine online and always check COOP first personally. 

 

My understanding and experience with it is that it absorbs excess substances which cause it to change color. That color intesifies as it locks in more of that excess substance and gives me an idea of what is happening in the water when I look at it. Light Tan progressing to brown less concerning red (never seen) yellow (never seen) or light blue I get testing and assessing what is causing that. 

 

In the fishroom I put some in my filters as needed just as a visual of water conditions when desired. I also use it to remove remaining meds in the water post treatment and water changes. I have even put some in the tank to keep an eye on conditions since it changes color based off of what is being absorbed.

 

In shipping bags I just use it for insurance but it would mostly be there in case it needed to absorb ammonia and organic waste if the fasting was not quite right. I get photos of the  cubes on arrival if I'm trading with friends so I can visually assess how the fasting, packing, and shipping process might have impacted water quality for the fish on arrival to their new home. 

 

The color change for some substances it will absorb:

 

Aqua to Dark Blue: Copper or Copper salts.

 

Orange: Iron.

 

Bright Red: Aluminum.

 

Bright Yellow: Ammonia, Amines or Solvents.

 

Organic Wastes: Light Tan progressing to Dark Brown

@Fish Folk particularly those distribution hubs ....I've got some stories there pretty sure someone played soccer with a box to me before 

Edited September 2, 2022 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[PineSong]

What a great and helpful thread! 

[tolstoy21]

I've done quite a bit of experimenting with packaging and shipping over the past 2 years or so--trying various box sizes, cushioning, insulation, absorbent materials, bags, cold packs, heat packs, labeling, etc.

These are my brief (ok longish, I have a problem with brevity) thoughts on the subject at this point  I am happy to elaborate more on any point in this thread.

In the end, my personal advice really depends on how often you plan on shipping fish, but for purposes of this topic I'm going to imagine you're shipping occasionally.

Bags: I use doubled-bagged plastic bags because they are more reliable (I use pure O2 in these). But for infrequent shipping breather bags work well too. In fact, I prefer breather bags, but over a lot of shipments, I find more bag-related failures with breather bags than I do with plastic bags. (I still use breather bags for shrimp). Don't double bag breather bags and pretty much close them up as @Fish Folkrecommended.

Fish-per-bag: For me this depends on the species. For things like apistos I pack one per bag. For smaller, schooling fish like tetras, I do maybe 4 to 6 tops per bag, but this depends entirely on their size and how many i need to get in a box.  If I were shipping angels, I might do the same, but it would depend on how many I was shipping. (Caveat, I have no experience with angel fish at all, so these are guesses).  If I were shipping a couple angels, I'd do one-per-bag. With larger fish, one-per-bag. Very small, young fish, I might do three-per-bag in a larger bag. 6" to 8" wide, measured when empty.  With a single fish, you don't need a ton of water in the bag, just enough for the fish to turn around and not 'go potty' themselves to death. With multiple fish, I use just enough water that they look comfortable in terms of space.

Water-prep: I will fully admit that I don't go super crazy with fasting (usually cause I forget!). Typically, I don't feed the night before and morning of shipping.  But I ship exclusively overnight and 2nd-Day. I put a couple drops of AmQuel Plus in the bags. I use 100% clean fresh water I always have staged in a barrel (no tank water), unless the fish have special water params. Then I use their tank water. With these practices, I've not seen a huge difference between fasting vs not fasting. For longer trips, or larger fish-per-bag densities, I'd imagine the picture would change a bit. 

Packaging:  I standardize on three box sizes: 12x9x6, 12x9x9, 12x12x12.  Why, because I pre-cut all my foam inserts in bulk and those sizes give me the least amount of waste with the size sheets I cut.  What size you specifically need really depends on the size and quantity of fish you're sending. I don't put any 'live fish' stickers on my boxes (see the pics at the end of this thread), because this just causes questions and makes UPS scrutinize my packages. If you're shipping in breather bags, you need absorbent materials in the box in case of leaks. For plastic bags, just double bag and use newsprint for cushioning to fill out the empty space.

Insulation: I use 1" thick polystyrene sheets. Aside from offering insulation, these add quite a bit of structural integrity to a box. When cutting/fitting them into a box, make sure the edges of the sheets are snug and tight fit without deforming your box shape.

Heat/Cold Packs:  Heat packs are a must in cold weather. For hot weather, ice packs only work so much and I find them ineffective and only add to the weight of the package. If the temps are 90f or below in both the source and destination location, forget cold packs. If temps are going to be above 90 at the destination, or are like 100 at the shipping source, use cold packs, but only if you can guarantee the shipment will arrive before noon the next day.  If not, then expect DOAs. I tend to avoid extremes like those when I can.  Always (repeat always) tape the heat or cold packs to the box lid and leave room and packing material between these and the fish. I've lost shipments due to these coming dislodged and sitting too close to bags. 

Ok so, I guess that's it? Probably not. I always have more to say. But I'll say it in pics!  See below:

My typical box looks like this (my shipping area shown in the back):

Absorbent materials I use (pretty much just paper towel, but way thicker and I get them on big rolls).

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[tolstoy21]

On 9/1/2022 at 11:56 PM, Fish Folk said:

The cheapest I could have gotten anything was $320 for a tank + oxygen + regulator.

Yup.  This is what I eventually settled upon. But those prices for occasional shipping make that option cost prohibitive. 

I don't think one 'needs' pure O2 in a bag, but it sure does help in keeping the bag sizes smaller to get more out of a shipment. 

On 9/1/2022 at 10:45 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

One tip from Dan I especially appreciated was sealing the bottom corners on the bags to eliminate that space for a fish to get stuck. He used a heat sealer, but you can also tape them up the sides. There are also bags for sale now that have rounded edges along the bottom for this reason. Also double-bagging them.

Agree 100%.  Get rid of bag corners. If using breather bags, purchase the ones with pre-rounded corners.

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[Ken Burke]

On 9/2/2022 at 7:01 AM, PineSong said:

What a great and helpful thread! 

I was hoping.  I could have sent DM to a few people, but then I would have missed several people with experience.  I knew @Fish Folk and @tolstoy21 had experience with shipping fish, but hope we have more people like @mountaintoppufferkeepercan share their thoughts.  With the fish swap threads, I figured we may have a few people wanting to ship fish for the first time.

 

On 9/2/2022 at 7:07 AM, tolstoy21 said:

I don't think one 'needs' pure CO2 in a bag, but it sure does help in keeping the bag sizes smaller to get more out of a shipment

So if one has access to an oxygen concentrator, would that be a good option?  Is that better than a breather bag?

 

On 9/2/2022 at 7:01 AM, tolstoy21 said:

Absorbent materials I use (pretty much just paper towel, but way thicker and I get them on big rolls)

Do you have a name/source for these?

 

On 9/2/2022 at 7:01 AM, tolstoy21 said:

When cutting/fitting them into a box, make sure the edges of the sheets are snug and tight fit without deforming your box shape.

How are you cutting the insulation?

 

 

[tolstoy21]

 

I cut insulation with a foam cutting table (hot wire cutter) I got off amazon. It was inexpensive (as far as foam cutting tables go), and I don't love it and want to make my own, but it's done a very good job for me over the past couple years. They run about $100.

I get some, but not all, of my packaging supplies from ULINE. They have good prices and a HUGE selection, but they kill you on shipping. I still get the absorbents from them cause my local package supply source doesn't carry anything like it.

https://www.uline.com/Grp_39/Paper-Cushioning

Not sure what an O2 concentrator is. I use O2 from a local welding shop (in fact I need to get a refill today!).

Honestly, I love breather bags. But their failure rate got too high for me over X amount of shipments. I still use them for shrimp because I feel like a bag with air in it would be too much jostling about for them during shipping and handling.

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[tolstoy21]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:13 AM, Ken Burke said:

With the fish swap threads, I figured we may have a few people wanting to ship fish for the first time.

Agreed. I am 100% happy to share anything I've learned thus far from my experiences (and there is still more to learn) so others don't have to go through some of the trial-and-error. 

A lot of things can be learned through making mistakes (it's one of the best ways to learn and I've made plenty of them!), but no one wants to make a mistake that results in a stinky bag full of pale, upside-down, floating fish.

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[Ken Burke]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:58 AM, tolstoy21 said:

Agreed. I am 100% happy to share anything I've learned thus far from my experiences (and there is still more to learn) so others don't have to go through some of the trial-and-error. 

A lot of things can be learned through making mistakes (it's one of the best ways to learn and I've made plenty of them!), but no one wants to make a mistake that results in a stinky bag full of pale, upside-down, floating fish.

 

He he. Does that mean your happy to serve as a warning to others? (chortle, chortle)

Seriously, I’ve seen you selling on aquabid for a year or two.  Figured you would be a wealth of insight on the process.

 

[tolstoy21]

On 9/2/2022 at 11:07 AM, Ken Burke said:

Seriously, I’ve seen you selling on aquabid for a year or two.  Figured you would be a wealth of insight on the process.

Yeah, so far in 2022, I've shipped 253 packages (that's today's count). So I've had some experiences (most good; a few of them the opposite of good).

😉

[Jawjagrrl]

On 9/1/2022 at 11:33 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Woah!  Thats intense!  It made me nervous because of the self poisoning but when I shipped cories I put 3 in a bag mostly because I didn't have a box big enough for individual bags. I'm impressed with him going to that length!

My cories did have some carbon pellets(?) in their bags for that reason I suppose. They were so lively upon arrival (overnight, not 2day) they were jumping in their bags as they floated! 

[Ken Burke]

On 9/2/2022 at 9:58 AM, tolstoy21 said:

Agreed. I am 100% happy to share anything I've learned thus far from my experiences (and there is still more to learn) so others don't have to go through some of the trial-and-error. 

A lot of things can be learned through making mistakes (it's one of the best ways to learn and I've made plenty of them!), but no one wants to make a mistake that results in a stinky bag full of pale, upside-down, floating fish.

 

The apisto baenschi Inka you have posted right now is very temping. But I have too many irons in the fire just now

[Cinnebuns]

@tolstoy21 or anyone...

I wanted your thoughts on this...

The only times I've sent boxes lined with Styrofoam is when I reused ones sent to me from an order I placed. So far I haven't run out but I'm sure eventually I will. I've been looking for ways to do it myself or alternatives. 

One idea I had was dollar tree was selling these small "coolers" that basically was a box made of Styrofoam. I wasn't sure how that would work. Would I put it inside.of a box?  Could I just cover it with brown paper material?  Would this work?

Another thing I have done but isn't ideal is newspaper. It's obviously not going to keep temp as well but is better than nothing. Also can absorb water if it happens to leak. Thoughts?

Ofc ideally I would figure out how to line with Styrofoam but I'm not entirely sure it's financially viable with how often I ship. 

[tolstoy21]

@Cinnebuns  Your best bet is the following --> https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-1-25-ft-x-4-ft-R-2-65-Polystyrene-Panel-Insulation-Sheathing-6-Pack-150705/202090272

I used these in the beginning.

Don't be deceived by the picture, this is a 6-pack of 4' x 1.25' sheets. They're not 1" thick but instead are 3/4", but they work totally fine. And they won't break the bank at approx $16 per 6-pack.

On 9/2/2022 at 1:12 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Another thing I have done but isn't ideal is newspaper. It's obviously not going to keep temp as well but is better than nothing. Also can absorb water if it happens to leak. Thoughts?

Newspaper is decent as another form of insulation inside of a stryo-lined box as anything that fills up the empty space inside the box helps it hold its heat better.  Well, that's my theory at least . . .  . . because I do know that if I hold BBQ in a cooler and fill the empty void in the cooler with a towel or two, it helps keeps the food warm for a very loooooong time. So, my guess is that the crumpled newsprint in my shipping boxes also helps in that aspect. Dunno. . . . it's more speculation on my part than science.

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[tolstoy21]

On 9/2/2022 at 1:12 PM, Cinnebuns said:

One idea I had was dollar tree was selling these small "coolers" that basically was a box made of Styrofoam. I wasn't sure how that would work. Would I put it inside.of a box?  Could I just cover it with brown paper material?  Would this work?

You could also just tape the cooler shut and slap a shipping label on that, if you think it's structurally sound enough to not bust apart in shipping. This would all depend on the density of the foam.

On 9/2/2022 at 1:02 PM, Ken Burke said:

But I have too many irons in the fire just now

Know the feeling all too well . . . .

Edited September 2, 2022 by tolstoy21

[Jawjagrrl]

On 9/2/2022 at 1:12 PM, Cinnebuns said:

@tolstoy21 or anyone...

I wanted your thoughts on this...

The only times I've sent boxes lined with Styrofoam is when I reused ones sent to me from an order I placed. So far I haven't run out but I'm sure eventually I will. I've been looking for ways to do it myself or alternatives. 

One idea I had was dollar tree was selling these small "coolers" that basically was a box made of Styrofoam. I wasn't sure how that would work. Would I put it inside.of a box?  Could I just cover it with brown paper material?  Would this work?

Another thing I have done but isn't ideal is newspaper. It's obviously not going to keep temp as well but is better than nothing. Also can absorb water if it happens to leak. Thoughts?

Ofc ideally I would figure out how to line with Styrofoam but I'm not entirely sure it's financially viable with how often I ship. 

I've gotten several orders in a styrofoam container with a tight lid that fit tightly within a branded cardboard box - worked well. Newpaper has been the primary "stuffing" in almost all of my orders. I had one order take an extra day in January coming from South Dakota this way where I lost the adults, but the fry born during the trip survived. Another bad experience was when 8 SAEs were shipped in one bag that were already really underweight that were all DOA despite arriving in about 36 hours in moderate weather.
I heard recently that most wholesalers add some sort of tranquilizer in their shipments to keep the fish calm, but I don't remember what was used. 

On 9/2/2022 at 1:32 PM, tolstoy21 said:

Newspaper is decent as another form of insulation inside of a stryo-lined box as anything that fills up the empty space inside the box helps it hold its heat better.  Well, that's my theory at least . . .  . . because I do know that if I hold BBQ in a cooler and fill the empty void in the cooler with a towel or two, it helps keeps the food warm for a very loooooong time. So, my guess is that the crumpled newsprint in my shipping boxes also helps in that aspect. Dunno. . . . it's more speculation on my part than science.

A recent order I got included a sealed bag of just plain water for the insulative benefit - double bagged just like the fish. The same seller also provides info when ordering on how much space you have in the box once your order is totalled up - pretty clever as it makes it easy to sell a couple more fish. Worked on me anyway - I added some Panda Garras and a dwarf anchor cat to round out a box. Patient Spouse laughed, but they are some of our favorite additions.

[tolstoy21]

On 9/2/2022 at 6:21 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

A recent order I got included a sealed bag of just plain water for the insulative benefit - double bagged just like the fish. The same seller also provides info when ordering on how much space you have in the box once your order is totalled up - pretty clever as it makes it easy to sell a couple more fish.

So Dan's Fish?

[Ken Burke]

I’m debating about using these in stead of paper towels or news paper. It’s a little thicker, and I’m thinking it can hold more water. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082G2GJWP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[rockfisher]

On 9/1/2022 at 10:45 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

I haven't shipped any fish, but I've ordered every fish in our house over the last year with very few problems. The styrofoam does a great job of insulating - the only time I think a cool pack really was needed was my baby angels that spent 6 days in transit in a heat wave (they were also in breather bags). Aquabid has instructions on shipping fish, and Dan at Dan's Fish has an excellent video on how he ships fish from a few years ago, but I think it's still how they do it as my order arrived exactly the same way. Even individual tetras were in their own bag.

The question I would have would be added oxygen in the bags, since most of us don't have an oxygen tank just sitting in our homes? 

One tip from Dan I especially appreciated was sealing the bottom corners on the bags to eliminate that space for a fish to get stuck. He used a heat sealer, but you can also tape them up the sides. There are also bags for sale now that have rounded edges along the bottom for this reason. Also double-bagging them.

I'm going to have chili and black bar endlers ready for new homes soon, but I am a bit intimidated by shipping too.

The corners are very important. Good mention