Shipping, cold weather....

[Mugwump]

Just curious what everyone does when shipping fish/plants, etc....

If 'Other'...please explain....thanx, folks...

[P4Angels]

I agree this would be interesting to know, got to get this ready for the spring moths to do some swapping with you Jon...

[Mugwump]

I've added another poll....if you have any more inquiries?...start another....I know Frank has extensive trials to try to help determine the best way, but it'd be interesting t get everyone else's ways of doing things.....always looking for improvement.....yep...

[Frank The Plumber]

I used to import fish in from Indonesia, Christmas Island, Singapore, Hawaii, The Marshalls, Venezuela, West Africa and a lot of other sources in the early 90's. Florida shipments were a piece of cake, I had weekly incoming stocks from Florida prior to the state park of 12 boxes per week in marine just from Florida. About another dozen from the globe. I would bring in about 45 boxes per month in freshwater per month. I never went into a local wholesaler. What a PIA. I would work from 6am to 1 am Wednesday Thursday and Friday humping acclimating and dealing with the dopes at ORD. (OHare airport)

My busiest week ever I brought in 47 Florida styros and 53 Pacific cargo styros, they are the bigger styros, sold everything in the shop and followed the week with another 30 and 25 of each again. Good thing I was such a young pup at the time.

I brought in an Emperator angel that was 15" and weighed 6 pounds. One whole Pac cargo styro. Special order for a basket ball star. Never met him but he had his contacts order a lot more odd stuff including a volitian lion that was 22" from edge to edge. It was like trying to put Edwards Scissors hands into a bag of water.

Brought in feeder goldfish for about a year, 16,000 per week. Those were the hardest things you can ever bring in. Sold feeders at a buck a dozen, 1,000 dozen per week. Froze the dead ones, a buck for two dozen.

In 1991 I sold 750+ or -, 55 gallon combos. I made $6 on each. I sold 40 cases of instant ocean salt per week.

I miss my shop. Those days are gone and will never return.

[Mugwump]

That's a lot of fish, Frank.....and yep, 'young buck' type stuff humping all those containers...where was your shop??...North side somewhere?

[Frank The Plumber]

Yup. Central and Elston in Chicago. It was not a big place but busy.


The problem with taping them in the box is that they get bounced around and end up loose and against your fish bags. Even if you wrap the fish bags deep into paper the packs over heat the fish if they get up against them. With the 60 hour packs you have to pre burn them for 4 hours to get them to 150F, after that they cool down and are safe. If you do not pre burn them they will cook your box. If you use only 72's they do not put out enough heat and you will loose the box to cold. I stack in one of each, a pre burned 60 and  pre heated 72 top and bottom for a total of 4 packs. I tape the holy grail out of them. I cut a card board chunk that is a bit larger than the box bottom, I cut a couple of grooves into the foam box bottom and top edge, I rotate the cardboard into the grooves with the packs taped to them, I then tape the cardboard to the box bottom as well. I poke a couple of holes in the cardboard so the packs get air. The tape sticks better to the cardboard but poorly to the foam. You can place the bottom foam down and then a chunk of card board and then your foam sides onto that cardboard to hold it tight.

[P4Angels]

WOW frank would have love to seen that fish room.....

[b125killer]

Wow Frank sounds like you had a good business going. I still haven't shipped fish or had any fish shipped to me. So far I have been lucky and found all the fish I want close enough for me to drive. Plus I get to meet some nice people and make new friends. 

[Jdmcfast]

Holy cow frank I had know idea!

[P4Angels]

Yup. Central and Elston in Chicago. It was not a big place but busy.


The problem with taping them in the box is that they get bounced around and end up loose and against your fish bags. Even if you wrap the fish bags deep into paper the packs over heat the fish if they get up against them. With the 60 hour packs you have to pre burn them for 4 hours to get them to 150F, after that they cool down and are safe. If you do not pre burn them they will cook your box. If you use only 72's they do not put out enough heat and you will loose the box to cold. I stack in one of each, a pre burned 60 and  pre heated 72 top and bottom for a total of 4 packs. I tape the holy grail out of them. I cut a card board chunk that is a bit larger than the box bottom, I cut a couple of grooves into the foam box bottom and top edge, I rotate the cardboard into the grooves with the packs taped to them, I then tape the cardboard to the box bottom as well. I poke a couple of holes in the cardboard so the packs get air. The tape sticks better to the cardboard but poorly to the foam. You can place the bottom foam down and then a chunk of card board and then your foam sides onto that cardboard to hold it tight.

Can you get some pictures of how you do this?