How to Transport Fish Over Long Distances
People love tropical fish not less than other pets. This article is dedicated to the issue of transporting fish over long distances. Any aquarist sooner or later faces a problem of how to transport aquarium fish. Novice aquarist faces a short move right after the purchase of fish in a pet store, however, a short time transportation is not that complicated if compared with the transport of a fish over long distances. That is not that hard to implement, but how will your pet look like and feel at the destination point – that is the main question. And since you are interested in your aquarium fish, then the issue of transportation is of prior importance for you.So, how to transport a fish over long distances? First, you should consider the transport container. It is optimal to use an ordinary plastic bag. It is recommended to use a package of thick polyethylene as it is difficult to break or damage such a package, that, of course, increases the chances of a successful transportation. You should pick up the package taking into account the fact that the longer the distance is – the larger will be the package.The second important issue is the filling of a container for your pet transportation. Package to transport a fish should be filled with 1/3 of water and 2/3 of air, or preferably with oxygen. If fish breathes atmospheric air, such as bettas and other labyrinth species, then you should not fill the bag with pure oxygen as fish may get burned. In case when fish breathes atmospheric air, the bag for transporting should be filled with atmospheric air containing oxygen at the rate of 2/3 of air and 1/3 of pure oxygen. To create such a relation just add some oxygen to the air in the container before closing it.When fish are transported over long distances, the container should not be overcrowded with them. Density of fish in the bag for transport must be reduced as much as possible. The more time the fish is kept in the package, the less their number should be in it. Ideal option is one fish per one package. The fact is that if a fish dies during transportation, its body begins to decompose, rapidly spoiling the water, so the death of only one fish in a bag for transportation can cause the death of all the fish contained in this package.The third important issue is the temperature control. You should ensure temperature stability, regardless of the time of the year. A special plastic container – thermos, which can be stacked with packages for fish is of a great help. Such thermal containers are made of plastic and are suitable for fish transportation over long distances, they maintain stable temperature and thus, help to avoid sudden temperature fluctuations.