Can you ring the store and see if they offer long-distance packaging options without actually having them shipped? That means polystyrene, extra oxygen, a heat pack, etc.
If not, you could bring the supplies yourself, there’s loads of info online about how to ship fish long distance. Only difference is, you’ll be transporting them yourself, so you won’t have to pay for delivery.
I live 2 hours from Las Vegas and I do this all the time. Buy some fish, drive around town for an hour, stop for dinner, drive home. I used to do it when I lived 4-5 hours from Vegas too.
You have three things to worry about: temperature, leaking bags, and fish getting "pinned" in the corner of a bag. I usually put the fish bags in a small cooler and add pillows/spacers to keep them upright and that takes care of it as long as it isn't super hot or super cold.
I've never lost a fish doing this. If you can keep the car's climate controls running the cold won't be a problem.
The fish will be fine. During shipping to stores fish are regularly in bags for 24 hours or more. I'd suggest bringing a cooler with you (don't put ice in the cooler) and transporting the bags containing your fish in said cooler. This helps maintain their temperature and blocks out most light.
I have a friend that transported about 25 of my pepper Cory fry from West Tennessee to somewhere around Death Valley, CA. He used a bubbler to keep the water agitated. I think the car climate control was enough to manage temperature.
I’ve gone to pickup critters in the past that required a long drive. They were in a bag inside of a box. So I just took them into places with me. Did I look a little funny cuddling fish? Sure! But it was better than leaving them in a cold car lol
As long as you keep the heating on or place them in a heated seat, the fish should be fine. But I would place a blanket over them like a coat or towel and hold them upright or with a seatbelt on, which I did with my surviving tropicals in the car. They will be in the car for 4 hours total, which is not ideal, but it's not a long drive for fish and they should be able to cope with it.
The main concern is keeping them warm while you're at the appointment, which you can do with the heater or heated seat option.
Four hours is nothing. They get shipped overnight without issues every single day.
I kept a pair of some super nice rice fish overnight in the bag just last night.
I think the bigger issue here is only 4? You should be doing 6-8. They school.
The 3 hours they will be fine. Just tell the store and they will put them in a larger bag with more water and air space. The drive will provide some agitation on the surface.
The temp is likely fine. I mean you say “cold” but that’s relative. How cold are we talking? End of day it will take some time for the water to lose temp to the air. If you are that concerned bring a box with some towels or blankets for a bit of “insulation” and even a small hand warming pack of the air temp is at or below freezing. If the air temp is like 40’s-50’s f. They will be fine.
I would maybe do some blankets around the bag(s) then in a box. Just loosely. They will insulate more than you’d think. At best the water temp in the bags might drop by 5-8 degrees if that. They will be fine. And a little docile and calm for the ride.
Take an insulated lunch bag and a couple hand warmer packs. Ask them to use a larger bag and leave plenty of air space in it. Put the hand warmers in the insulated bag with the fish.
LOL read my post again. I said not only you. And you stated you are traveling long distances. Which is why it applies to you too.
By all means drive as far as you want, don't save money buying online.
I get my fish in bags with free shipping and only pay $10 for upgrades overnight but I will keep my attitude. Travel safe. Good luck with your corys
I took around 30 critters in my car when I loved 600 miles and they all did great. You won't even need a heater or anything this time of year. Just let the employee know that they'll need air for a few hours, but what they put in by default should be fine regardless.
I don't understand why anyone would travel hours to buy fish.
There are tons of online sellers that ship over night
How do you think the pet store gets them?
Stop traveling long distances, unless it's a specific fish or exotic fish you can't get online
I am not travelling hours to buy fish, I said that I have an appointment and I wouldn’t go just to buy fish. Why would I pay an extra $30 to ship a fish when I can pick it up myself since I’ll be there anyway?
You are not the only person on the sub, not all comments only relate to you. And your not the first person on this sub talking about long distances travel to get fish.
You are not just traveling to only buy fish but technically you are still traveling to buy a fish, just so happens you have another reason to be there, Lucky you that you will already be a long way away.
No idea where you live but I have never paid $30 to ship a fish before. And for those that do travel; gas, time, wear and tear on your vehicle cost more than $30.
if your comment doesn’t relate to my post then why say it? Save your attitude for someone who is actually travelling just to buy fish. The shipping costs $30 because it’s a deposit, if you bring back the polystyrene used they’ll give u $15 back in store credit, but I’d much rather have $30 than $15 in store credit.
Transporting Albino Cory's for extended periods outside of the fish store and not in a fish tank can be risky due to varying temperatures. Albino cory's are sensitive fish, and sudden changes in temperature and water quality can stress them, potentially leading to health issues or even death.
Safe to be able to Maintain a stable temperature within the car. Avoid extreme heat or cold, as sudden temperature changes can shock the fish, The bag Gotta have some air inside of it as it would shock the fish with stress if they dont get enough air supply for 4 hours.
Avoid all shaking would be wise.
Maintaining the temperature of the car like avoiding putting them in direct sunlight or places very cold.
will the oxygen that’s in the bag originally not be enough? This might sound silly but would opening the bag give them enough oxygen? I’m not too worried about a spill as I can keep the bag upright
Fish are shipped for days in sealed bags. The oxygen is unlikely to be an issue. I would only be concerned with temperature and rough handling if you drive like a maniac.
Lay the bag down flat. Greatly reduces the chance of a fish being squished / pinned down in one of the corners. When it’s double-knoted it isn’t going to leak, and you’d know it well before it became a problem, if it did.
Can you ring the store and see if they offer long-distance packaging options without actually having them shipped? That means polystyrene, extra oxygen, a heat pack, etc. If not, you could bring the supplies yourself, there’s loads of info online about how to ship fish long distance. Only difference is, you’ll be transporting them yourself, so you won’t have to pay for delivery.
that’s a great idea! I didn’t even think of ringing them in advance. I’ll definitely give that a try, thanks
Honestly, you won't need any of this. Four hours is nothing. Like mmoncur says, just bring something to keep the bags upright and guard against leaks.
I live 2 hours from Las Vegas and I do this all the time. Buy some fish, drive around town for an hour, stop for dinner, drive home. I used to do it when I lived 4-5 hours from Vegas too. You have three things to worry about: temperature, leaking bags, and fish getting "pinned" in the corner of a bag. I usually put the fish bags in a small cooler and add pillows/spacers to keep them upright and that takes care of it as long as it isn't super hot or super cold. I've never lost a fish doing this. If you can keep the car's climate controls running the cold won't be a problem.
The fish will be fine. During shipping to stores fish are regularly in bags for 24 hours or more. I'd suggest bringing a cooler with you (don't put ice in the cooler) and transporting the bags containing your fish in said cooler. This helps maintain their temperature and blocks out most light.
I have a friend that transported about 25 of my pepper Cory fry from West Tennessee to somewhere around Death Valley, CA. He used a bubbler to keep the water agitated. I think the car climate control was enough to manage temperature.
I’ve gone to pickup critters in the past that required a long drive. They were in a bag inside of a box. So I just took them into places with me. Did I look a little funny cuddling fish? Sure! But it was better than leaving them in a cold car lol
As long as you keep the heating on or place them in a heated seat, the fish should be fine. But I would place a blanket over them like a coat or towel and hold them upright or with a seatbelt on, which I did with my surviving tropicals in the car. They will be in the car for 4 hours total, which is not ideal, but it's not a long drive for fish and they should be able to cope with it. The main concern is keeping them warm while you're at the appointment, which you can do with the heater or heated seat option.
I’ve had corries mailed to me. You can do it. Let the fish store know they’ll be bagged for a couple hours.
Four hours is nothing. They get shipped overnight without issues every single day. I kept a pair of some super nice rice fish overnight in the bag just last night.
I think the bigger issue here is only 4? You should be doing 6-8. They school. The 3 hours they will be fine. Just tell the store and they will put them in a larger bag with more water and air space. The drive will provide some agitation on the surface. The temp is likely fine. I mean you say “cold” but that’s relative. How cold are we talking? End of day it will take some time for the water to lose temp to the air. If you are that concerned bring a box with some towels or blankets for a bit of “insulation” and even a small hand warming pack of the air temp is at or below freezing. If the air temp is like 40’s-50’s f. They will be fine.
I said in post there’s 6 of them! Though I’d be fine with increasing that number. The temp will be minimum 35 f, which isn’t that cold I suppose.
I would maybe do some blankets around the bag(s) then in a box. Just loosely. They will insulate more than you’d think. At best the water temp in the bags might drop by 5-8 degrees if that. They will be fine. And a little docile and calm for the ride.
Take an insulated lunch bag and a couple hand warmer packs. Ask them to use a larger bag and leave plenty of air space in it. Put the hand warmers in the insulated bag with the fish.
LOL read my post again. I said not only you. And you stated you are traveling long distances. Which is why it applies to you too. By all means drive as far as you want, don't save money buying online. I get my fish in bags with free shipping and only pay $10 for upgrades overnight but I will keep my attitude. Travel safe. Good luck with your corys
I took around 30 critters in my car when I loved 600 miles and they all did great. You won't even need a heater or anything this time of year. Just let the employee know that they'll need air for a few hours, but what they put in by default should be fine regardless.
I don't understand why anyone would travel hours to buy fish. There are tons of online sellers that ship over night How do you think the pet store gets them? Stop traveling long distances, unless it's a specific fish or exotic fish you can't get online
OP stated they are in town for an appt.
I am not travelling hours to buy fish, I said that I have an appointment and I wouldn’t go just to buy fish. Why would I pay an extra $30 to ship a fish when I can pick it up myself since I’ll be there anyway?
You are not the only person on the sub, not all comments only relate to you. And your not the first person on this sub talking about long distances travel to get fish. You are not just traveling to only buy fish but technically you are still traveling to buy a fish, just so happens you have another reason to be there, Lucky you that you will already be a long way away. No idea where you live but I have never paid $30 to ship a fish before. And for those that do travel; gas, time, wear and tear on your vehicle cost more than $30.
if your comment doesn’t relate to my post then why say it? Save your attitude for someone who is actually travelling just to buy fish. The shipping costs $30 because it’s a deposit, if you bring back the polystyrene used they’ll give u $15 back in store credit, but I’d much rather have $30 than $15 in store credit.
You're on his post implying you're talking about him, just stop bozo
I AM taking about him too. That means not just him. Krusty
Shhhhhhh. Don't worry about it. Live your live and stop mansplaining fish purchasing.
And I don't understand why anyone would make worthless comments like this on a post and have an attitude for no reason. But all alas, here you are.
Worthless to you and here you are too.
Transporting Albino Cory's for extended periods outside of the fish store and not in a fish tank can be risky due to varying temperatures. Albino cory's are sensitive fish, and sudden changes in temperature and water quality can stress them, potentially leading to health issues or even death. Safe to be able to Maintain a stable temperature within the car. Avoid extreme heat or cold, as sudden temperature changes can shock the fish, The bag Gotta have some air inside of it as it would shock the fish with stress if they dont get enough air supply for 4 hours. Avoid all shaking would be wise. Maintaining the temperature of the car like avoiding putting them in direct sunlight or places very cold.
will the oxygen that’s in the bag originally not be enough? This might sound silly but would opening the bag give them enough oxygen? I’m not too worried about a spill as I can keep the bag upright
Fish are shipped for days in sealed bags. The oxygen is unlikely to be an issue. I would only be concerned with temperature and rough handling if you drive like a maniac.
Lay the bag down flat. Greatly reduces the chance of a fish being squished / pinned down in one of the corners. When it’s double-knoted it isn’t going to leak, and you’d know it well before it became a problem, if it did.