How to ship bulky large corals??

deftonead · May 4, 2020

How are some of you guys packing/securing large, bulky corals? Like lobos, trachys, and really anything large... Are you guys just dropping it in a big bag and shipping or is something being placed in the bag with it to keep it from moving around the bag and possibly popping it. I've never received anything large in the mail before so im not sure how its being packed. I have some things that I would like to ship.

deftonead · May 5, 2020

24 hours and nothing... hmm

DangerDave · May 5, 2020

I haven't done this. I I was going to, I'd find a way to secure it inside of the bag so it doesn't move around.....

Good luck and let us know what works!

Dave

Lowell Lemon · May 5, 2020

In the past the shippers used heavy Guage plastic bags to cradle the specimen and placed them into a double or triple bag. 1/2 to 1/3 filled with water rest oxygen. Then surrounded the specimen with news paper or styrene pellets to prevent movement. I would receive up to 2000lbs. of airfreight at a time including rock, fish, and assorted inverts. Very few losses per shipment. Don't know if that helps.

Reefnjunkie · May 5, 2020

Lobos, trachys, torches etc any LPS for that matter I wrap in a plastic piece as mentioned above and then that goes in the main shopping bags- I use 2 bags 3mls each and for LPS usually a 8x12 or something, they get shipped with more water and oxygen is an option without an oxygen tank.
The air in the bag isn’t really helping but more or less allows the piece to move around a lot more.
I tend to remove that top “air” so there is minimal space in the bag of trapped air- it’s not providing oxygen IMO.
Depending on the size of coral some bags will have a quart of water while others a couple, really depends on the size of coral.
No sense skimping on water to deal with DOA

IME/O

vetteguy53081 · May 6, 2020

I have done this. for lobos, scoly, trachy, etc, it needs to packed in a triple thick fish bag fully submersed, The idea is to place the bag in the box, then fill with water to properly fit in box. Surround bag with packing peanuts or air pillows for stability. On the cover wraps 1-2 heat or cold packs in thin layer newspaper and tape to the cover lid and tape up box.
Triple bag will prevents full puncture and insulate coral.
MAKE SURE TO MARL LIVE FISH OR CORAL ON ALL SIX SIDES OF BOX.
For large delicate such as Monti, place bag/liner in box, place coral in water and place Bubble wrap around, under and above the coral and agitate to see if it moves. If so, add more bubble wrap until steady and finish with same above. I am 11 for 11 in shipping coral without issue.

@Hemmdog . . . . re: Monti

Hemmdog · May 6, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
I have done this. for lobos, scoly, trachy, etc, it needs to packed in a triple thick fish bag fully submersed, The idea is to place the bag in the box, then fill with water to properly fit in box. Surround bag with packing peanuts or air pillows for stability. On the cover wraps 1-2 heat or cold packs in thin layer newspaper and tape to the cover lid and tape up box.
Triple bag will prevents full puncture and insulate coral.
MAKE SURE TO MARL LIVE FISH OR CORAL ON ALL SIX SIDES OF BOX.
For large delicate such as Monti, place bag/liner in box, place coral in water and place Bubble wrap around, under and above the coral and agitate to see if it moves. If so, add more bubble wrap until steady and finish with same above. I am 11 for 11 in shipping coral without issue.

@Hemmdog . . . . re: Monti

How do you heat the water with this method?

vetteguy53081 · May 6, 2020

Hemmdog said:
How do you heat the water with this method?

For small boxes- Hand warmers. for large boxes- Foot warmers

vetteguy53081 · May 7, 2020

As I described, Like this:

Casket_Case · Jul 22, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
For small boxes- Hand warmers. for large boxes- Foot warmers

I can’t tell if that was a joke or if you were being for real I feel like it could go either way XD sorry, I’m trying to warm a small cooler while I drive some six hours back home and I was wondering if two hot hands would work XD

vetteguy53081 · Jul 22, 2020

Frigus Reef said:
I can’t tell if that was a joke or if you were being for real I feel like it could go either way XD sorry, I’m trying to warm a small cooler while I drive some six hours back home and I was wondering if two hot hands would work XD

Two hands would work and foot warmers are larger and last longer

Casket_Case · Jul 22, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Two hands would work and foot warmers are larger and last longer

Thanks! I put a gallon bag of warm beach water (86°) under the three bags of critters to help keep them warm and I have a net and paper towels on top of them to keep the heat in and then I’ll add hot hands on top of that later on...