Loaches Online Forum

Does anyone have experience shipping large clown loaches? There is a nice shoal of loaches for sale in another state, approx. 30 loaches ranging in size from 5"-12". I am trying to find a way to ship them here, vs. flying down and driving them back. Any suggestions?

You might also ask this at Monster Fish Keepers.
Perhaps some local stores would have some hints?

How far are they traveling? What are the temps? Daytime/Nighttime.

I would stop feeding them for several days.

Individually double bag them with oxygen. 1/3 water, 2/3 air.

Place the bags in a styrofoam box. Use the smallest box all the fish would fit in. Or pick boxes you can fit 6-8 fish in separate bags in. If they are in a very hot place, ship with ice packs. If super cool, ship with heat packs. Place a bit of newspaper between the pack and the bags of fish. You are trying to regular the temp, but raise or lower the temp. If you are using a heat pack, make sure there is oxygen in the box, or the heat pack stops working.

If within reason, I would drive and pick them up, Put the bags in coolers in the car, and keep the car 78-80 degrees. I think that would be the safest way. If it is within a couple hundred miles, I would use large rubber maids, battery operated air pumps and 6-8 fish per rubbermaid. (No bags)

I know some people have put pieces of almond leaf in the bag to help the fish cope.

Careful using anti ammonia aids, because many of them reduce oxygen, and the bag can run out.

Have the tank cycled and ready before the fish arrive, but I am sure you know that. Please post pictures of your new brood once they arrive.

starsplitter7 wrote:How far are they traveling? What are the temps? Daytime/Nighttime.

I would stop feeding them for several days.

Individually double bag them with oxygen. 1/3 water, 2/3 air.

Place the bags in a styrofoam box. Use the smallest box all the fish would fit in. Or pick boxes you can fit 6-8 fish in separate bags in. If they are in a very hot place, ship with ice packs. If super cool, ship with heat packs. Place a bit of newspaper between the pack and the bags of fish. You are trying to regular the temp, but raise or lower the temp. If you are using a heat pack, make sure there is oxygen in the box, or the heat pack stops working.

If within reason, I would drive and pick them up, Put the bags in coolers in the car, and keep the car 78-80 degrees. I think that would be the safest way. If it is within a couple hundred miles, I would use large rubber maids, battery operated air pumps and 6-8 fish per rubbermaid. (No bags)

I know some people have put pieces of almond leaf in the bag to help the fish cope.

Careful using anti ammonia aids, because many of them reduce oxygen, and the bag can run out.

Have the tank cycled and ready before the fish arrive, but I am sure you know that. Please post pictures of your new brood once they arrive.

Thank you for the suggestions... I am worried out bags, the larger loaches, their subocular spines?

I worry about the same thing. The spines. You could think about adding a calmer to the water like hypno. I don't know how it does with loaches. Just an FYI fish can appear dead when you use it, and when you put them into fresh water they bounce back.

Or maybe you could buy disposable "tuperware" and tape the lids on. Then stack the containers in the styro.

Larger bags are made with thicker plastic, so they are less prone to being punctured by fish spines. To make extra sure they don't get punctured, the bags could be doubled up, with a layer of newspaper in between the bags. This way, if the inner bag does get punctured, the newspaper will protect the outer bag from any further punctures. Both bags must be fully tied up.

There are also types of bags that breath oxygen through the plastic. These bags don't need any air inside them. BUT, they need to be carefully packaged in boxes so that there is adequate air movement around the bags from outside the box.

If the fish you are after are within a day's drive, just go down one evening and get them. Drive down after work one day, have a good sleep at a motel, wake up, have a good breaky, collect the fish in the morning, and drive home so that you are back by the evening and can re-home them.