Heat Packs for Shipping

Stixbaraca · Jan 20, 2007

After a recent incident where a long term heat pack didn't quite make it, I wanted to start a thread to discuss the various brands and hour lengths that people were using as well as where they get them from and the success or failures they have had with them!! I figure it's winter, and the trades are still going strong so why not...

For a long time now I have been using "UniHeat Small Pet Shipping Warmer". They are rated for "continuous warmth anyplace, anytime Lasts up to 40 hours" Average temp of 108 F with a maximum of 135 F. They list specific instructions on the back for tropical and marine fish, so I figure they are the right tool for the job. I just ordered the 60 hour version today. UniHeat makes 20, 30, 40, 60, and 72 hours versions. I buy mine from WWW.KensFish.com under the shipping supplies. http://www.kensfish.com/shippingsupplie.html Here is a pic of the 40 hour packaging.

organism · Jan 20, 2007

I get mine from www.rldtheheatsource.com, very good prices and larger quantities there too

JGoslee · Jan 20, 2007

I also get mine from Kens Fish. You can't beat the price.

dickie52 · Jan 20, 2007

I have been buying the 72 hour packs on eBAY and have been happy with them. They are made by UniHeat and provide an average temp of 100*

da6d2003 · Jan 20, 2007

What instigated this post was yet ANOTHER sps debacle(sp) between me and stix. 2 frags of one of my favorites and a nice little ORA tort.(damp shipped per previous post):mad: There were also a few paly frags in the package and the jury is still out on their survival.(wet shipped)

I shipped out 4 packages (insulated boxes or coolers) on wednesday using Heat factory 40 hour air-activated warmers, wrapped in newspaper. all overnight air.

Jessiegirl- cold pack /cold water animals probably ok.
Pookstreet- water cold but pack was warm (don't know how animals are yet)
Stixbaraca-everything was cold(sps rtn , palys unknown yet)
RC trade-worked fine

It looks to me as if Heat Factory is inconsistient to say the least. All heat packs were prepared at the same time and in the same way.

What should I have done differently?

Let's try to learn something from this one too folks.

bryan · Jan 20, 2007

Any different feel in the packs...tough to describe, but if they already feel chunky, they are dead. Same with any brand. I've used HF brand for 6 years and never an issue aside from 1 "dud" out of every 40-50 packs.

You left plenty of air "ins and outs" meaning you didn't use a sealed styro cooler?

Any how, just thinking outloud before I hit the course, good luck!

Peace!

oh, and PS on the damp ship SPS...really only good for single branch frags where the papaer towel can remain in constant contact with all sides.

As always, just my opinions based on my experience, YMMV.

da6d2003 · Jan 20, 2007

I know what you mean bryan about the chunky feeling. These were definately not chunky.

The sps I sent were basically simple frags. Stix will have to let us know how they looked when he got them. Whether or not good contact was being made.

Azurel · Jan 20, 2007

I have been using heat factory since fall and have had no issues as far as I know. I also use paper towel to wrap them and not news paper cause the paper towel will let air through.

Stixbaraca · Jan 20, 2007

The heat pack felt fine when I got it (not hard as a rock)...just not warm. They all came in a hard style cooler which was taped shut. The frags were cold to the touch and held their color while they were unwrapped from the paper towel. About 20 or so minutes after placing them in tank they went completely white.

dickie52 · Jan 20, 2007

One of the small problems that I see with the damp shipping......

With water ship you can slowly bring the temp back to match the tank it is going in.

I had some damp ship arrive the other day and really wasn't sure it the temps were equal or not.....

Again just my 2 cents......

surfn · Jan 20, 2007

JGoslee,
hows that stuff doin that I sent you? aside from that one bag breaking...doh!

next time i ship i was thinkin about just wrapping up the coral in a damp paper towel, then tossing it in the bag. then pouring in some water where just enough covers the wrapped up frag. that way there is water in there, so the frag is thermally insulated better. and plus its protected a little better from sloshing around inside the bag with sharp tips that may puncture it.

cool website. i love those 3" wide bags like JGoslee sent me. those are PERFECT frag shipping bags. PERFECT!!

i'm gonna have to order me some stuff from there. great site!

JGoslee · Jan 20, 2007

surfn said:
JGoslee,
hows that stuff doin that I sent you? aside from that one bag breaking...doh!

next time i ship i was thinkin about just wrapping up the coral in a damp paper towel, then tossing it in the bag. then pouring in some water where just enough covers the wrapped up frag. that way there is water in there, so the frag is thermally insulated better. and plus its protected a little better from sloshing around inside the bag with sharp tips that may puncture it.

cool website. i love those 3" wide bags like JGoslee sent me. those are PERFECT frag shipping bags. PERFECT!!

i'm gonna have to order me some stuff from there. great site!

Everything you sent made it. Here's a pic of the frag that lost all the water. It was basically just damp.

surfn · Jan 20, 2007

yeah, i think that was the blue/green milli. although when i *rescued* it from a friend he said the LFS he got it from said it was pink. lol

how was the water? cold? was the heat pack still warm? first time i've used those heat packs. just picked them up from walmart.

bryan · Jan 20, 2007

My thought, and maybe someone else can chime in, but from what I learned talking with the reps for the heat packs is they must have a supply of oxygen to remain active. A taped cooler doesn't provide enough air exhange for this...hence the dead heat pack.

I think thats the only thing that went wrong there...damp shipping I've done for so long that I don't think the issue lies there.

Peace, Bryan

pookstreet · Jan 20, 2007

da6d2003 said:
Pookstreet- water cold but pack was warm (don't know how animals are yet)

David, they all seem to be fine as of yesterday. The only thing that hasn't opened yet were the polyps on the large disk. At least the NG are fine

The pack wasn't chunky either but still a bit warm. Do you know if the box I sent you was warm or cold?

I myself have used the UniHeat heatpack for a few years now and haven't had any real problems yet. As Bryan mentioned, air needs to get inside to make the heat packs work. I typically use 20 hour packs for overnight shipment, but sometimes 40 hour packs. For Priority, I always use the 60 hour packs.

JGoslee · Jan 20, 2007

surfn said:
yeah, i think that was the blue/green milli. although when i *rescued* it from a friend he said the LFS he got it from said it was pink. lol

how was the water? cold? was the heat pack still warm? first time i've used those heat packs. just picked them up from walmart.

Heat pack was still warm. The water was room temp. Yeah that milli is bright pink now.