The Puffer Forum

... that shipping fish is a little cruel? Yes, you pay money to have it shipped next day, but you are never 100% certain that it will get there, and not get lost somewhere in the massive towers of boxes. You don't know how the box is being handled, and you don't even know what conditions the box is being left in (freezing cold or burning hot). It seems to me that so many people freely ship fish without thinking of the consequences of what could happen. That's just my .

Thoughts?

All wild caught fish (95% of fish in the hobby) are transported in boxes to different LFS around the world?!

It's kind of a toss up for me. yes cruel because you really don't know what happens, and they do travel in their own waste, also I can't have fish shipped unless it's close because it is never over night all the way up here...
but on the other hand, If they didn't get shipped to stores, I wouldn't have any fish in my area.
Now if you have a reputable shipper that you know will prepare them well, ship them early and on good days, it is much safer. plus that $60 you pay for shipping does mean they have to be gentle with your package or they would get fired, right?

I guess I am neutral.

If its done correctly, not at all.

Good shippers will fast the fish for a day or two so their waste isn't polluting the water. They will also know exactly what time their local FedEx sends their trucks out, and wait until later in the day to package the fish and then get it over to FedEx so it spends the least amount of time possible in the package and waiting around for the truck/plane to be loaded.

Then, on the buyer's end, if you have the option, choose to have the package held at the counter instead of delivered.. this means you can go pick it up ASAP in the morning, as soon as the truck from the airport is unloaded, instead of the fish riding around in a hot cargo van all day. Otherwise, make sure you are there when the truck comes.. often sellers indicate they don't want the package left on a doorstep exposed to weather conditions and the local stray dog population

So yes, shipping can be an excellent, low stress way to get fish from one place to the other, if its done correctly. Proper packaging is key though, heat or cooling packs, lots of styrofoam, strong box, proper bagging, pure oxygen, etc etc..

On the other hand, it can go very wrong.. I had a shipment of SAE's come the week I specified to the seller that they were NOT to ship, that I'd be out of town (they were supposed to ship the previous week but were out of stock). Fed Ex refused to leave the box without my signature, they wouldn't accept my friend's signature, after several phone calls back and forth my friend got her sister to pretend to be me and answer the door and sign for them (the delivery guy had already met my friend and knew she wasn't me). The fish spent I believe 6 days packaged up, and believe it or not, one was still alive and is still alive to this day!

So I guess its the people that make it good or bad.. I'd rather get a fish shipped properly from a good fishkeeper with good practices than go buy a fish locally from someone who's kept it in bad conditions.. I've even ordered in special rainbowfsih species from a breeder in Hawaii.. that's just me of course

Well with working in a store for about 16 months now and visiting wholesaler and getting fish delivered directly ive seen things go wrong with nearly an entire box arriving dead or almost dead. If things are done correctly its fine but unexpected things can happen bags can burst with the changes in pressure such as planes etc... When fish come from UK wholesalers things are usually fine but its when they come from oversea's that problems can occur. There is a lot of money to lose too when it goes wrong you maybe able to claim back on the fish but its the freight that you cant get back and thats the main bulk of the money somtimes its as much as £90-£100 to get one box shipped, youve gotta add a fraction of that to the fish that you sell etc...

Reputable seller do everything they can to make sure the fish they send you are stressed as little as possible- they don't want to be replacing dead fish or refunding money. UPS on the other hand doesn't give a d@mn if you paid for Saturday delivery, called twice when you didn't get the package by noon or that the box says "Live Fish" on it. Kicker was my phone number was on the box under my name. They were gong to leave the fish int he box until Monday (in the office they claimed - it was 90F out) and see if the driver could find my apartment then (I live in town and they had just delivered to my husband 3 days before). Raised enough of a stink to get the driver to go back to the terminal and meet me so I could get my fish. He is fine but I don't trust UPS anymore. I now ask they ship FedEx.

UPS is generally not the way to go when shipping ANYTHING. I have found on many accounts that they mishandle things and don't really care about the shape of your package.

lilgirlkat wrote:UPS is generally not the way to go when shipping ANYTHING. I have found on many accounts that they mishandle things and don't really care about the shape of your package.

Very true. We get our crickets delivered by them, and I can't tell you how many times they've arrived with holes in the crunched-up boxes and crickets escaping all over the place.

I'm always wary about getting anything live shipped to me. Especially after UPS threw a parcel containing concert tickets into my driveway one snowy evening and my father almost snowblowed it to shreds!
Unfortunately, I live in the smallest state in the US, and sometimes the only way for me to get what I want is to have it shipped.

thats very good..... its just awesome....... thanks for the info.

eh
i dont think its cruel
its probably not the ncest thing
but thats how the fish business in tho
at least for me
(work with pondss)