BREATHABLE
BAGS...
THE MODERN METHOD OF MAILING FISH
by Norm Ruebsamen
WAKO
Fish
and hobbyists can both ‘breath easier’ with the advent of breathable bags.
These bags really do allow oxygen to permeate the plastic. Not only
do they let good air in, but they let the bad air out. According
to the Kordon website: Carbon dioxide exits the bags at 4 times the rate oxygen
enters the bags, thereby constantly purging the water of toxic carbon dioxide,
and allowing oxygen to replace it in the water. Breathable bags function
well when packed in conventional styrofoam
or corrugated boxes. Foam and cardboard boxes have a high rate of
breathability, even if these containers are sealed with tape. Air is normally
over 20% oxygen, which is over 200,000 ppm (parts per
million). Fish normally have only about 4-14 ppm
oxygen available to them in water. It takes only a small amount of air passing
through the packaging materials to sufficiently oxygenate the water in
breathable bags.
Standard
fish bags made of polyethylene have no mechanism to allow the passage of gasses
through the bag wall. When using these “barrier” bags, oxygen must be added to
the bag prior to sealing. Once the supplied oxygen is used up there is no more
available. Toxic carbon dioxide builds up in the water, displacing the
oxygen.
There
are many other advantages to using breathable bags. Because it is not necessary
to add a large amount of air to the bag they take up less room in the box when
shipping. Also, no air means no “sloshing” sound to
alert postal workers. In addition, breathable bags are reusable with proper
care.
HOW
TO SHIP FISH USING BREATHABLE BAGS
I bag
fish individually, one fish per bag, and then tie both bags together with a rubberband. With standard fish bags, one would put the fish
in a small amount of water and a lot of air. With a breathable bag you want to
fill it full of water leaving just enough room to tie it. Seal the bag with as
little airspace as possible. Fish adapt readily to the lack of an airspace and it is not needed. It is best if there is no
air pocket in the bag so that there is no water movement, keeping the fishes
calmer.
Breathable
bags can be sealed using any of the current methods: rubber bands, twist ties,
knots, etc. If you are dealing with a large volume of fish a bar type heat
sealer is an excellent way for fast efficient sealing. These bags are more
difficult to label so you must be sure that your label is waterproof (can be
attached to the top with a rubberband). Breathable
bags should not be shipped inside a larger liner bag. The barrier effect
of the outer bag would prevent the breathable bags from doing there thing.
IMPORTANT
STEP
Wrap
each bag loosely in newspaper. The newspaper allows the bag to “breathe” and
also absorbs leakage. These bags tend to “sweat” during shipping. And as
you know, if any moisture comes through the box, it will more than likely be
confiscated. When packing my shipping container I wrap each bag in newspaper
and then separate them with loosely packed peanuts or flat pieces of corrugated
cardboard or layers of newspaper, so that as much bag surface area as possible
is exposed to the air in the shipping container.
TRADING
KILLIFISH ABROAD
Don’t
be afraid to acquire killies from people in other countries. With the use
of the internet you can make contact with hobbyists all over the world and
bring in species that are new to our area.
The
number one rule is: Don’t be greedy. Don’t try to bring in 15 - 20 pairs of
fish. Simply find a species you really want and try for 2 - 3 pair.
You will find that the smaller shipping box will draw much less attention when
going through customs. If your mailman can stamp ‘small packet’ on your box, its in the right size range.
Breathable
bags allow for the use of much smaller boxes. I always use a styro with an unmarked outer cardboard carton. Styros are too suspect and draw unwanted attention when
traveling in and out of the
One
other point, if you are receiving fish from abroad and your contact does not
have access to breathable bags, its a great idea to mail him some bags in which
to ship your fish. Your fish will arrive much healthier and in better condition
and losses will be minimized.
ACCLIMATING
FISH
Do not float breathable bags in
your aquariums.
The bag will no longer breath when immersed in water
and the fish may actually suffocate. Also as the temperature inside the bag rises so does the ammonia level. Ammonia levels of just .02 ppm could harm or even kill your new fish. It is better to
gently pour fish and water to a plastic container. Slowly add aquarium
water to acclimate the fish. When the fish are acclimated to the water and
temperature of their new tank, net the fish and transfer them to the
aquarium. Discard acclimating water. Never add shipping or acclimating
water to your tanks. You could be adding contaminants and unwanted guests. Keep
fish in the dark until they get accustomed to their new surroundings.
Don’t worry about feeding your new fish for at least 3 hours.
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