Fish in a ziplock bag

TexAgReefer · Oct 14, 2019

I need to take a fish to the LFS for store credit. I leave for work about 5:30 and the store doesn’t even open until 10.

Will the fish be ok in about 1/2 gallon of water? Obviously they spend a lot more time in as much or even less water when shipped from online vendors but I won’t be pumping any extra oxygen in the bag.

Should be ok though right? It’s a very fat and healthy clownfish.

MERKEY · Oct 14, 2019

I'm not an expert...I believe the fish will be ok if it has the right amount of oxygen in the bag with water. Please dont blow into the bag that's co2.

acer · Oct 14, 2019

Yep, should be fine as long as temp is kept in good range.

Peace River · Oct 14, 2019

Based on what you described the fish should be fine. My concern is the ziplock coming open.

AdamB · Oct 14, 2019

Ziplock should be okay . I’ve seen the commercial lol! My LFS double bags all the coral and fish I buy I will save the outer bag just in case .

motortrendz · Oct 14, 2019

Just double bag it you'll be ok maybe put it in an insulated cooler to maintain temp longer.

TexAgReefer · Oct 14, 2019

MERKEY said:
I'm not an expert...I believe the fish will be ok if it has the right amount of oxygen in the bag with water. Please dont blow into the bag that's co2.

Haha right.

TexAgReefer · Oct 14, 2019

motortrendz said:
Just double bag it you'll be ok maybe put it in an insulated cooler to maintain temp longer.

I’ll double bag and put it in a lunchbox.

SDK · Oct 14, 2019

Also don't feed the fish for 48 hours (or as much time as you have if less). Fish waste will be what fouls the water quickly, although it's probably just an extra layer of certainty if you are talking about only a few hours.

A big Tupperware with a lid will be more manageable and less likely to pop open. If your work environment allows you to keep it inside with you, you can pop the lid off every hour or so and fan some fresh air in...

Old Fritz · Oct 14, 2019

MERKEY said:
I'm not an expert...I believe the fish will be ok if it has the right amount of oxygen in the bag with water. Please dont blow into the bag that's co2.

Actually interesting thing about that. Unless you're holding your breath most of the air you exhale will be oxygen. Human lungs are really inefficient and studies found that if we breath in air that is 20% oxygen the air we expire is about 15% oxygen and 4% carbon dioxide (obviously the carbon dioxide isn't good as in average air co2 levels are 0.04% so that extra co2 isn't ideal). However I believe fish have a more efficient system to extract oxygen. This part will be paraphrasing since I can't remember the source. But I think water only holds like 8% dissolved oxygen however fish are able to extract 80% of that whereas humans can only extract 25% of the oxygen from the air.

Anyways long story short just because you breath into a bag doesn't mean you'll kill your fish

Source: https://www.normalbreathing.org/patterns-oxygen-extraction/

MERKEY · Oct 14, 2019

Old Fritz said:
Actually interesting thing about that. Unless you're holding your breath most of the air you exhale will be oxygen. Human lungs are really inefficient and studies found that if we breath in air that is 20% oxygen the air we expire is about 15% oxygen and 4% carbon dioxide (obviously the carbon dioxide isn't good as in average air co2 levels are 0.04% so that extra co2 isn't ideal). However I believe fish have a more efficient system to extract oxygen. This part will be paraphrasing since I can't remember the source. But I think water only holds like 8% dissolved oxygen however fish are able to extract 80% of that whereas humans can only extract 25% of the oxygen from the air.

Anyways long story short just because you breath into a bag doesn't mean you'll kill your fish

Source: https://www.normalbreathing.org/patterns-oxygen-extraction/

The issue isn't just oxygen it is the nitrogen in the release which is in the %70 percentile. That is the harmful stuff to fish and in an enclosed area it can be deadly.

No breathing into the bag wont kill your fish but in an extended period of time could do harm.

KStatefan · Oct 14, 2019

MERKEY said:
The issue isn't just oxygen it is the nitrogen in the release which is in the %70 percentile. That is the harmful stuff to fish and in an enclosed area it can be deadly.

No breathing into the bag wont kill your fish but in an extended period of time could do harm.

Earths atmosphere is about 78% Nitrogen

MrWheelock · Oct 14, 2019

I would do a tupperware in a cooler, peek in now and then if the fish looks like it needs air scoop the water and pour back into the container to oxygenate the water.

MERKEY · Oct 14, 2019

KStatefan said:
Earths atmosphere is about 78% Nitrogen

Just quoting his post and what the rest of the expeld molecules in our breath are. And yes you are correct.

MERKEY · Oct 14, 2019

MrWheelock said:
I would do a tupperware in a cooler, peek in now and then if the fish looks like it needs air scoop the water and pour back into the container to oxygenate the water.

He is leaving it for hours so wont be able to oxygenate it. But yes good idea!

MrWheelock · Oct 14, 2019

MERKEY said:
He is leaving it for hours so wont be able to oxygenate it. But yes good idea!

Leaving it where? I didnt see that mentioned.

MERKEY · Oct 14, 2019

In his original post sounds like he is dropping it off to his LFS at 530 and it doesnt open until 10.

I could have misunderstood tho...

MrWheelock · Oct 14, 2019

I wouldn't advise that, at least not unless the neighborhood is nice and the temperature isnt crazy different from what the fish is typically kept at.