Transporting fish 3-6 hours

[48 year-old rookie]

Looking for advise to safety transport 5-6 shell dwellers (Multies). I will be picking them up from a private breeder about 3 hours from my home. I am meeting them so no idea how long they may have already been placed in bag (assuming just standard air in bag) but have a 3 hour drive home.

I have a usb air pump if recommended. Can I simply open the bag once or twice doing transport or should I set up a bucket with an air stone?

thank you for any advise

[Daniel]

Fish regularly travel 3 - 5 days in fairly small bags, so a few hours will be okay. If you are still concerned, you could put them a larger volume of water, say a 1/3 filled 5 gallon bucket with lid.

[FrozenFins]

Depends how its packed,

-If its in a breather bag, don't worry about it they will be fine.

-If its in a normal fish bag with 1/3 water 2/3 air/ oxygen I expect they would be fine. I have had fish in those bags for longer.

-You could always just put the fish in a bucket and add an airstone, all though they may not even need an airstone I have had fish in a bucket for 4-5 hours at a time, with a towel over top of them. Make sure if you add a lid to the bucket there is some holes in the lid for air movement.

[Levi_Aquatics]

I agree with @Daniel . I have transported 4 in plecos in relatively small bags for 4 hours with no problems. 

[ChefConfit]

I wouldn't do anything special.  As said by @Daniel, @James Black and @Levi_Aquatics they should be fine in the bags. Fish usually go several days in bags with little to no negative effects. 

If it will put you at ease though you can fill a 5g bucket a 1/4 to a 1/3 full then add an air stone with your USB air pump and a lid or covering to prevent splash. 

[Hobbit]

I agree with everyone that you don’t have to do anything special.

That said, I still use a USB air pump when bringing my fish 1.5 hours to my LFS to sell. The fish are in a gallon bag with the top open, and I use use a T splitter and a valve to control the air flow to a medium bubble. I set the bag in an insulated box.

It’s totally overkill but I do it anyway because it makes me fee better. 😁

[HardeepTheLondoner]

I wouldn’t worry it’s anything below 24 hours. Just keep the bags wrapped/dark so they aren’t too startled/moved around and hopefully the bags can maintain some heat.

Just in case things go pear-shaped (breakdown etc), take a bucket with you and the USB air Pump. Also a bottle of Prime if you have it. Then you’ll be fine for a week!😂😂

[Brandy]

I recently ordered some fish online. They were in normal bags, may or may not have had pure oxygen in the bag, not sure. They were lost in the mail for 10 DAYS. Given the lack of poop in the bag they had been well fasted before.

They arrived and were skinny but otherwise fine, and 5 days later they have fattened up. 

I do not recommend this plan, but I am offering it as reassurance.

[48 year-old rookie]

Thank you everyone!