mchambers
Former CCA member
What's the consensus on using Methylene Blue? With some of the fish at auction, the water is blue, and I assume the water has been treated with Methylene Blue. Articles suggest that it calms the fish, improves oxygen transport, and reduces ammonia toxicity.
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Never tried meth blue for shipping, but Bag Buddies also turn water blue.
Pat Kelly
CCA Member
Yeah, never heard of anyone using meth blue for shipping.
I use bag buddies
I use bag buddies
mchambers
Former CCA member
Interestingly, Bag Buddies seems to have been discontinued:
http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_conditioners.html
http://www.jehmco.com/html/water_conditioners.html
Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Well that sucks. I wonder why?
dogofwar
CCA Members
I just shipped a box across the country.
Shipped USPS Priority because it's fry, I used (individual) breather bags for the fish, and a 72 hr heat pack (plus another smaller one just in case). $26 for Priority vs. $65 for Express. It's supposed to arrive on Wed.
I filled a bucket 1/3 of the way and added 2 bag buddies (I have a whole container...got them from Kensfish.com not too long ago). Used that water for all of the fish bags.
Shipping fish is never fool proof, so I'm always nervous.
Matt
PS I've been boycotting UPS since they DECIDED to leave a box of fish in a truck at their Laytonsville facility over a long weekend vs. delivering it on time. They had a choice to get the box (i.e. deliver it on time) or lose my business forever. They chose the latter.
Shipped USPS Priority because it's fry, I used (individual) breather bags for the fish, and a 72 hr heat pack (plus another smaller one just in case). $26 for Priority vs. $65 for Express. It's supposed to arrive on Wed.
I filled a bucket 1/3 of the way and added 2 bag buddies (I have a whole container...got them from Kensfish.com not too long ago). Used that water for all of the fish bags.
Shipping fish is never fool proof, so I'm always nervous.
Matt
PS I've been boycotting UPS since they DECIDED to leave a box of fish in a truck at their Laytonsville facility over a long weekend vs. delivering it on time. They had a choice to get the box (i.e. deliver it on time) or lose my business forever. They chose the latter.
chriscoli
Administrator
Ok, so here's a follow-up question. If heat packs use up the oxygen in the box...does that defeat the purpose of using a breather bag? I mean, obviously people are doing it and the fish are arriving alive, but what are you-all's opinions?
dogofwar
CCA Members
I poke a hole in the lid of the styro near the heat pack.
Breather bags, as I understand, need very little "air" to work...
Matt
Breather bags, as I understand, need very little "air" to work...
Matt
minifoot77
Members
this is pretty close to a bag buddy i haven't used it but i will when my bag buddies are gone http://www.kensfish.com/product2888.html
toddnbecka
Members
Why not use O2 w/catfish?
Pat Kelly
CCA Member
I have read that because a lot of them come to the surface to gulp air, pure O2 could be bad for them.
msjinkzd
invert junkie
same with anabantoids.
I don't use breather bags because I am unsure of what the effect of the oxygen exchange will do to ammonia toxicity in moderately hard water. When using regular poly shipping bags, pH is driven down as ammonia is producted, making it less toxic. By allowing for o2 exchange, the pH is kept stable and if not neutral or soft, makes ammonia exponentially more toxic.
I do tons and tons and tons of shipping. I would be happy to take photos of the my process if you need further explanation. There are many strategies that work.
I don't use breather bags because I am unsure of what the effect of the oxygen exchange will do to ammonia toxicity in moderately hard water. When using regular poly shipping bags, pH is driven down as ammonia is producted, making it less toxic. By allowing for o2 exchange, the pH is kept stable and if not neutral or soft, makes ammonia exponentially more toxic.
I do tons and tons and tons of shipping. I would be happy to take photos of the my process if you need further explanation. There are many strategies that work.
Andrewtfw
Global Moderators
Perhaps you could take photos of your process and this thread could become a sticky?
toddnbecka
Members
That's one reason I use polyfilter, it absorbs ammonia, and generally keeps the water cleaner. Since the breather bags don't allow CO2 to build up the pH remains more stable as well, which should be less stressful for the critters. Another advantage of breather bags is the lack of airspace. They can be packed in much smaller boxes, and the critters have a much smoother ride w/out the airpace to slosh around in handling. Theoretically, fish packed that way could live in the bag until they starved to death.
msjinkzd
invert junkie
Todd, have you read about small fish having issues with their slime coat from the polyfilter? I cannto remember for hte life of me who was telling me that (at some convention or club I visited).
longstocking
Members
You don't use o2 with corydorus. Other catfish are fine. The reason is that corys will go to the top of the water line in the bag and breath the pure o2 which then gives them oxygen toxicity.
Other catfish it's fine.
Basically don't use pure o2 with any fish that will breath from the surface.
Other catfish it's fine.
Basically don't use pure o2 with any fish that will breath from the surface.
dogofwar
CCA Members
I have used a little (lint-sized) piece of Polyfilter in bags with fry...with no issue.
Lots of polyfilter + little water could possibly be a concentration of whatever chemical(s) are the active ingredient on the Polyfilter in a concentration that is too much for fry. Or the small fish / fry died in transit and they attributed it to the Polyfilter...
Never experienced it but someone, perhaps, did...
Matt
Lots of polyfilter + little water could possibly be a concentration of whatever chemical(s) are the active ingredient on the Polyfilter in a concentration that is too much for fry. Or the small fish / fry died in transit and they attributed it to the Polyfilter...
Never experienced it but someone, perhaps, did...
Matt
toddnbecka
Members
No, never heard anything about small fish having problems. I typically use a dime-sized, fiarlt thin chunk in about a pint of water. Never seemed to bother the endler's fry I've shipped, and any other fish are larger than those. I mostly ship BN anyway, occasionally endler's or cichlids. The polyfilter chunk is sort of tea-colored after 2-3 days in the bag with the fish, so it certainly does abosorb something.
dogofwar
CCA Members
Fish arrived in Eugene, Oregon via USPS delivery (to his door).
All fish were alive and well...box still warm...no leaks!
Matt (much relieved)...
All fish were alive and well...box still warm...no leaks!
Matt (much relieved)...