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returnofsid
03/08/2010, 11:49 PM
What is the best way to ship an RBTA? I've read about "dry" shipping, but would like to get some opinions from the members!!

kase
03/09/2010, 10:28 AM
no not dry shipping with rbta.

WDLV
03/09/2010, 11:44 AM
Here's what I've posted in the past....

Shipping Instructions

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I was asked by another member to start a thread with this topic. I don't know when I became the guru, but I'll give you what I've learned from my shipping experience.
BAGGING:
For overnight shipping via FedEx or similar carriers, you should start with bags large enough for the fish to easily swim in circles without touching the sides of the bag. About 50% or more of the air in the bag should be air or if you have the means, oxygen. Take care to insure that the fish still has at least an inch above and below it's body if the bag is laying on it's side 'cause God knows what happens in transit. Next twist and fold the top of the bag and tie it off with rubberbands in such a way that the bag is tight like a balloon, not floppy like a breast implant (sorry that's all I've got.) You can simply tie the bag if you're so inclined. Flip that bag upside down inside another bag of the same size and repeat the closure process. Use a sheet of newspaper to cover the perimeter of the outer bag and slide a third bag over the top of it. If you are shipping fish with spines this is particularly important and can be repeated for the top and bottom of the second bag.

BOXING:
If at all possible find a box that fits your shipment well. You can get styrofoam insulated boxes at the LFS or if they try to charge you for them you can often get them from the local pharmacist. They get insulin and other meds in refrigerated boxes that are sometimes better suited for the smaller shipments that hobbyists make.
I recommend getting the smallest box to fit your application. This will help to insure that your bag is not rattling around inside the box during shipment and will cost you less with the carrier. If your bag is smaller than the interrior of the box (vertically or horizontally) you should re-use (greener) packing peanuts or crumbled newspaper to fill the void.

SHIPPING:
IME all overnight shipping ranges from $100-$130 for a single box depending where it's going. The more you don't do yourself such as generating a shipping label, sealing the box, dropping off the box to the carrier, affixing the shipping label to the box, will cost you more. If you generate the label online then ask them to do additional services after the fact or your package is over weight, do not be surprised to see a higher bill on your credit card statement than what you were quoted.
When you ship give some thought to the weather. Most of the time it's fine not to add a hot pack or a cold pack to the box, but if you're shipping to Buffalo in January or El Paso in July, you might want to consider using them accordingly. On that matter you should always put a few layers of news paper between the bag and the heater or cold pack.

ALTERNATIVE SHIPPING:
If you're a cheapskate like me and/or have a buyer/seller who is willing to work with you you can opt for airport to airport shipping. This will get you a hundred pounds of shipping weight with as many boxes as you need shipped from one airport to the next. This is about half the cost and is great for reducing transit times and cost for bulk orders. Check with your local air freight company for pricing and availability. Plan ahead because this will take more time than the local FedEx clerk. Especially the first time.
For hardier corals like zoanthids, you can ship second day without harming the coral.

When shipping corals I have found that it is better to send unmounted frags. There is less damage to the bag, less damage to the frag and less chance of introducing someone else's hitchhikers to your system. As with all things, QUARRANTINE!!! Also when shipping corals and anemones, it is best to just barely cover them with water and add as much air/O2 as possible.

Happy shipping!

returnofsid
03/09/2010, 06:37 PM
Good write up, however, I'm looking for Anemone specific shipping advice. I do see your last sentence deals with Anemones. Thank you.

Anyone else??

Kase, thank you for your advice, BUT, do you have any reasons for your thoughts? I've actually read A LOT, from what I would call pros, who recommend shipping dry. It's said that the Anemones have a huge tendency to foul their water, which causes higher mortality rates.

The same concept applies to corals as well. Anthony Calfo, in his Book of Coral Propagation, goes into detail about his reasoning for endorsing the "dry" shipping method.

WDLV
03/09/2010, 08:22 PM
I haven't shipped many anemones but I am going to have to argue with that reasoning just a little. An anemone would foul the water by emptying it's gastrovascular cavity into the bag. Therein lies the problem. If you have no water in the bag, then you have a 100% concentration of those gastric juices surrounding the anemone for the duration of the shipment... For arguement's sake let's say for fourteen hours if you pack the box just before the FedEx Truck arives at your facility for pickup and it is delivered as a "first overnight" package. That's the best case scenario.

My logic would have to question whether it might be a better idea to dilute that with some water.

The only reason I can think of that would contradict this idea is if the shipper allowed the anemone to fully deflate before putting it in the bag. The anemone would then have no water to absorb from the bag. Not being able to partially re-inflate would prevent it from releasing more gastric juices before it arrived on the recipient's doorstep.

That's IF the shipper took the time to allow the anemone to fully deflate before bagging. Given that there's usually water in the bag when a dry shipped anemone is received, I have a feeling that's not always the case.

romanr
03/09/2010, 08:32 PM
Anthony Calfo suggested "Moist" shipping at one of the workshops I attended. But every anemone I've ever received from an on-line supplier (Liveaquaria, Bluezooaquatics, Petsolutions, etc.) has been shipped using traditional "Fish" methods and they seem to be fine. I would have to see several successful "Dry or Moist" shipments before I became a believer.

SNAKEMANVET
03/09/2010, 08:54 PM
Every anemone I have had shipped to me came in the way wdlv mentioned,which is great info.

RBU1
03/09/2010, 08:57 PM
I had several anemones shipped to me utilizing the Calfo technique. You only add a few tablespoons of water. The thought is when an anemone is sressed it will expel. When you put it in a bag with a lot of water it is expelling and taking in all that crap. The only concern is temperature so make sure you use decent heat packs to keep the cooler warm or wait till the weather gets warmer.

returnofsid
03/09/2010, 10:10 PM
From what I understand, when shipped "moist," with very little water, the anemone is most likely not to expel anything at all. In this way, they aren't floating around in a bag of their own expelled junk. "Draining" the anemone, over something such as screen material, was also talked about, giving it time to expel and totally deflate.

WDLV
03/10/2010, 11:07 AM
From what I understand, when shipped "moist," with very little water, the anemone is most likely not to expel anything at all. In this way, they aren't floating around in a bag of their own expelled junk. "Draining" the anemone, over something such as screen material, was also talked about, giving it time to expel and totally deflate.

Yeah, that seems like it would work out OK.