Anybody Got any good tips for aquashella?

[Tony s]

Hi guys. Taking my wife and daughter to aqaushella this weekend. This is a first convention for us. of any sort for fish related things. I was just wondering if you any tips. especially on how you keep fish alive for 2 days there, or if that's possible.  or what's the best way to transport around dry goods.

[Jovius]

I'd get a 5g bucket and bring a seasoned sponge filter and run the setup in the bathtub of my hotel room. I'd ditch the 5g bucket there for the trip home in bags. I would also recommend getting the fish on the last day you are there if you can. As far as dry goods, just put stuff in a tote bag.

[Odd Duck]

I take an insulated tote bag.  If you get plants, make sure they get bagged if they aren’t already.  Some vendors will have them in trays of water for better visibility and less blending with the crowd / other vendors.  You’ll need them bagged.

Depending on your drive, you may want to leave fish in the bags if they can bag them in oxygen.  Some sellers will have them in tanks and most will hold them for you (at least they will at the Dallas show) so you can pick up on the second day.  If they have fish already bagged, they were likely bagged they day before or very early the morning of the first day.  These would almost certainly have been bagged with oxygen and should be fine until you can get them home if your drive isn’t too long.  Take a cooler or fish box to keep the fish a decent temp.  It’s normal for fish to do fine with 2 day shipping bagged in O2.

[Tony s]

On 7/30/2024 at 11:27 PM, Odd Duck said:

Some sellers will have them in tanks and most will hold them for you (at least they will at the Dallas show) so you can pick up on the second day.

Thank you! If they would do that then that’s tremendously helpful. My main worry is you buy the fish you want, and then what do you do with them. My daughter (9) restated our main rule buying fish. You buy fish, you have to go home. 🤣 works for everywhere else, but not really for here.

[Odd Duck]

On 7/30/2024 at 10:44 PM, Tony s said:

Thank you! If they would do that then that’s tremendously helpful. My main worry is you buy the fish you want, and then what do you do with them. My daughter (9) restated our main rule buying fish. You buy fish, you have to go home. 🤣 works for everywhere else, but not really for here.

Smart cookie!

[gardenman]

The Poly-Filter pads are often cut down and inserted into bags for longer-term transport of fish as they're extremely good at absorbing ammonia and other waste products. If the fish aren't bagged when bought, bringing along some Poly-Filter pieces and having the bagger add them to the bag could be all that's needed. 

I've seen videos of people with containers of whatever sort holding fish in a hotel room until they can make the trip home. Portable air pumps, dechlorinators,  and something like Prime to detoxify any ammonia that builds up are good to pack if that's an option for you. Fish are pretty tough and have been transported all around the world since the 1800s. The first public aquarium opened in 1850 and there was no jet flying the fish to it back then.

I'd recommend some extra bags to have on hand should a bag start to leak. Nothing's much scarier than realizing your bag has a leak when you're still a ways from home. (Keeping a few spare bags in your car is always wise also.) This is especially true if you're inclined to buy fish with sharp spines, barbs, etc. that could puncture a bag.