Aquarium fish by mail – some tips and tricks

Delivery of fish by mail seems at first glance a very strange undertaking, especially considering the realities of our Russian Post. However, the devil is not as terrible as he is painted, the standard delivery of a parcel between cities within a radius of 300-400 km. produced in one day, which is not critical at all.

What do you need to find out?

Before sending the parcel, check with the nearest Post office when they pick up letters on the route (usually by train) in order to bring your valuable cargo closer to this time. Also find out when the parcel will arrive at its destination in order to warn the addressee, and he arrived at his post office in a timely manner.

How to prepare a fish for mailing?

Prepare a separate tank in advance (for small fish, a regular three-liter jar will suffice) and shipping containers: a tight plastic bag, a foam box with a suitable size lid and an appropriate cardboard box.

Step 1. Place the selected fish in a separate aquarium with fresh, clean water and do not feed it for two days prior to the day of departure. Such a restriction for the vast majority of species is completely safe. Aquarium fish can successfully endure fasting for a week without any harm to health.

Step 2. Place the fish in a plastic bag half filled with water. It is recommended to use bags used in pet stores for packing fish. Purchase special pellets that form free oxygen when in contact with water, these can also be found at a pet store or ordered online. According to the instructions, add the granules to the bag in the desired ratio. Tie the package tightly.

Step 3. Place the bag with the fish in the Styrofoam box. It is like a thermos keeps the temperature, preventing heating or cooling. If necessary, add another bag of cool or warm water. Depends on the season of the year and delivery time (night or day).

Step 4. The foam box, in turn, is placed in a cardboard box. At the post office they are packed in their additional branded boxes. With the help of the Post Office staff, be sure to add labels that the package is fragile and kept upright.

Step 5. Notify the recipient about the parcel and the time of its arrival at the place.

You can send small hardy fish in this way such as Guppies, Swordtails, some Kharatsins, Killy fish and others.

natural limits

•  It is unacceptable to send fish by mail in winter and during periods when the daily temperature drops below 10 degrees.
•  It is irrational to send large fish due to the large weight, and this parcel will most likely not be accepted at the Post Office.
•  At long distances, when the delivery takes more than two days, the fish may not survive.

There is one type of fish that can be sent over considerable distances, even between continents. This is the Desert Tooth Carp, it has a unique adaptive property – its eggs can be in semi-dry peat for several months, and when they get into optimal conditions, fry appear. Karpozubik himself can fall into suspended animation, burrowing into the ground, which also makes him transportable over long distances.