For any major aquarium move, the key to success is to plan ahead. Don't wait until the last minute for anything. Make sure that you have your bags, rubber bands, oxygen supply, boxes, tape, insulation, packing water materials (Sea Salts, AmQuel, Antibiotics), have the fish cleaned out, substrate and decorations cleaned, and capture nets or cups. A couple of extra 5 gallon plastic buckets always come in handy, too.
Many of you that may be planning a short distance move, say an hour away, you are propbably asking yourself, "Can't I just put the critters in a bucket or trash can?" Well, yes you can, if done wisely. However, in our opinion this can lead to potential problems such as fish fighting because they are confined in a small area together, water splashing out of the bucket depriving the fish of needed water and making a mess in your car, or the bucket turning over dumping all of your prized critters on the floor. These are just a few unhappy senarios, but you get the drift.
Your LFS doesn't just hand you a fish in a cup or small pale of water and send you on your way. For the love of your critters take the time to pack them to insure that they make the trip safely, even if you are just going a short distance.
Bag Preparation
You will probably need several different sized bags for your shipment. We used about ten different bags, from 6" x 16" to 24" x 28" when we were shipping commercially. We bought them by the case from a distributor in Honolulu. However, you will probably be able to find used (or new) bags at your LFS. They might charge a few cents each, but it is worth it. The bags should be minimum 2.5 mil thickness. For the larger, spinier fish like Surgeons, Triggers, etc., we used a triple layered 3 mil bags.
Different kinds of fish need more or less room in a bag, and more or less water. Keep in mind that it isn't so much the "water" that ensures a good "ride" for the fish, it is the column of O2. Most fish will do well in a bag that they can comfortably turn around in, depending on the length of the trip. Just enough water to keep them covered while swimming upright, plus and extra 1/2" of water in the bag is all that is needed. However, for larger more active fishes, like Wrasses, Triggers and Groupers as examples, they need more water coverage.
Make an "envelope" of newspaper, using about two or three thicknesses, to put between the bottom 1/3 of the bags. If a fish spine pokes through the first bag (and this happens alot), the newspaper will help stop the spine from going into the second or third bag, helping to retain the water. Even Wrasses can poke through a bag. Their pectoral fins contain a sharp spine. The other thing to consider are fishes that have sharp teeth, like larger Wrasses and Triggerfishes. Many times they will try and bite through a bag, so the use of a newspaper liner is wise.
Tape the bottom of the bag, eliminating corners that the fish can wedge themselves into. To do this, insert your hand into the prepared bag (before you put the water in), positioning it upside down on your hand. Using your index finger, stick it into the bag corners (one at a time) forming a point. Fold the corner inwards toward the center creating a triangular shape. Using two inch clear or brown packaging tape, tape the corners to the bottom of the bag. The bottom of the bag should look like the diagram (above, right). Can you imagine doing this to 200, 400, or 600 bags at one time, on a weekly basis over 10 years? Been there-done that, but it was well worth it! It dropped our shipping mortality rate to almost zero once we starting doing this within our first 6 months of business.
Use Oxygen when you gas your bags for shipping. It might sound difficult to find, but it isn't, really. Nearly all shops that do auto work have an acetylene torch. You can use this quite nicely. It won't be "hospital grade", but we used this kind of O2 for years with great success.
Buy a small supply of a good quality Size 64 rubber bands. You will need at least two for each bag. You will also need a supply (one for each box) of large bags trash bags (35+ gallons). These will be the final insurance against a total leakage that floods the back of your car, or the airline cargo bay.
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