How to ship large corals?

[PicassoClown04]

So I have a lot of experience shipping small corals; zoas, single head hammers, clove, etc. That’s pretty easy you just stick a deli cup around the plug and put it in a bag. But how do you ship larger corals like trachys, elegance, lobos, multi-headed euphyllia, etc?

 

[Brandon3152134]

Large corals dont do well being shipped. Even in a larger container they usually arrive half dead and dont last long past that unless fragged up and even then only a portion of the frags survive.

 

[PicassoClown04]

My friend has a medium sized trachy that I’d like to buy so that’s mostly why I’m asking. I also have a few elegance frags that I need to sell too. LFS have to get them somehow? I’m sure there’s a good way to do it, I just don’t know how

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Bump

 

[hds4216]

My friend has a medium sized trachy that I’d like to buy so that’s mostly why I’m asking. I also have a few elegance frags that I need to sell too. LFS have to get them somehow? I’m sure there’s a good way to do it, I just don’t know how

I have received multiple large pieces, including an elegance and a Duncan with about 20-25 heads. Both totally successful. I don’t really believe that large corals don’t do well shipped. Properly bagged, there’s no reason they wouldn’t. You can try to emulate AquaSD - they get a styrofoam cooler and put heat packs. The coral is in bags with a piece of plastic in the bag with a hole cut through it, and the coral is in there.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

I have received multiple large pieces, including an elegance and a Duncan with about 20-25 heads. Both totally successful. I don’t really believe that large corals don’t do well shipped. Properly bagged, there’s no reason they wouldn’t. You can try to emulate AquaSD - they get a styrofoam cooler and put heat packs. The coral is in bags with a piece of plastic in the bag with a hole cut through it, and the coral is in there.

Specifically we are wondering about shipping a trachy.

 

[hds4216]

Specifically we are wondering about shipping a trachy.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with this. I’m sure it’s possible, tons of companies ship trachies. Good luck! It’s probably not much different from shipping an elegance or something.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Unfortunately, I have no experience with this. I’m sure it’s possible, tons of companies ship trachies. Good luck! It’s probably not much different from shipping an elegance or something.

So there’s a chopped open plastic bag wrapped around the coral kind of cushioning it while it’s in the bag? Similar to how a monti would be shipped? I’ll look into that method, thank you!

 

[Thespammailaccount]

So I have a lot of experience shipping small corals; zoas, single head hammers, clove, etc. That’s pretty easy you just stick a deli cup around the plug and put it in a bag. But how do you ship larger corals like trachys, elegance, lobos, multi-headed euphyllia, etc?

 

[PicassoClown04]

So would they be floated upside down similar to euphyllia or wrapped in/cushioned with a torn plastic bag to keep the coral from slamming into the sides of the container?

 

[UnderseaOddities]

So I have a lot of experience shipping small corals; zoas, single head hammers, clove, etc. That’s pretty easy you just stick a deli cup around the plug and put it in a bag. But how do you ship larger corals like trachys, elegance, lobos, multi-headed euphyllia, etc?

How large are we talking medium sized ones I've cut the top off gallon jug or pop bottle and stuck slate tile into a piece of styrofoam and then go to lfs and have them give you a large livestock shipping bag and ask them if they can fill it with oxygen(also ask if they have a ³/4 inch cooler or 1inch cooler you can buy(if not buy one online at bait shop or hardware store),make sure to poke a few air holes in styrofoam cooler for air exchange and expansion ,after the bag is filled up ready to go and coral is nestled in piece of styrofoam and bag is filled up go to pet store get 2 72hour heat packs tape one to lid and one to bottom,double bag coral bag with garbage bag(helps with photosensitivity) then put in preferred filling(newspaper bubblewrap peanuts etc etc) then put it in a cardboard box;go to local FedEx or ups location if it's a sensitive lps or sps keep in contact with customer and see if they want it held at ups or FedEx location or sent to local airport for holding or straight up overnighted to house or business after that ask fedex or ups about appropriate labels(they will print them up for you) then they will throw your parcel on the scale, mark liquid, perishable and live animal they have special boxes(say this side up) pay for overnight shipping... they will take your package print you out a receipt, then contact customer with a picture of recipt and then send tracking #


For stony coral imo I dont like using containers if they're glued to a rock I pop em off and re glue to a large plug and stick in styrofoam when shipping to prevent inversion or bouncing around, if it's something super large like a chalice or monti or acro colony I would just double bag it and try to finagle it to the middle of container and put softies on the outside edges or corners if it's a single order for a large colony you can bag it like normal and then put in a few empty bags filled with saltwater to act as a cushion during shipping


Personally elegance wall type hammers and smooth skin acros haven't shipped well for me until I tried the second method which was recommended by nic Culver at eyecatching corals

 

[Thespammailaccount]

So would they be floated upside down similar to euphyllia or wrapped in/cushioned with a torn plastic bag to keep the coral from slamming into the sides of the container?

No clue have never shipped a coral I thought about placing a hole in the bottom and sticking the plug in then wrap with rubber band or zip tie to secure but have no clue never tried

 

[PicassoClown04]

How large are we talking medium sized ones I've cut the top off gallon jug or pop bottle and stuck slate tile into a piece of styrofoam and then go to lfs and have them give you a large livestock shipping bag and ask them if they can fill it with oxygen(also ask if they have a ³/4 inch cooler or 1inch cooler you can buy(if not buy one online at bait shop or hardware store),make sure to poke a few air holes in styrofoam cooler for air exchange and expansion ,after the bag is filled up ready to go and coral is nestled in piece of styrofoam and bag is filled up go to pet store get 2 72hour heat packs tape one to lid and one to bottom,double bag coral bag with garbage bag(helps with photosensitivity) then put in preferred filling(newspaper bubblewrap peanuts etc etc) then put it in a cardboard box;go to local FedEx or ups location if it's a sensitive lps or sps keep in contact with customer and see if they want it held at ups or FedEx location or sent to local airport for holding or straight up overnighted to house or business after that ask fedex or ups about appropriate labels(they will print them up for you) then they will throw your parcel on the scale, mark liquid, perishable and live animal they have special boxes(say this side up) pay for overnight shipping... they will take your package print you out a receipt, then contact customer with a picture of recipt and then send tracking #


For stony coral imo I dont like using containers if they're glued to a rock I pop em off and re glue to a large plug and stick in styrofoam when shipping to prevent inversion or bouncing around, if it's something super large like a chalice or monti or acro colony I would just double bag it and try to finagle it to the middle of container and put softies on the outside edges or corners if it's a single order for a large colony you can bag it like normal and then put in a few empty bags filled with saltwater to act as a cushion during shipping


Personally elegance wall type hammers and smooth skin acros haven't shipped well for me until I tried the second method which was recommended by nic Culver at eyecatching corals

Thank you so much!! This was the answer I was hoping to get. I did plan on buying one of those disposable styrofoam coolers like you said, I didn’t think about the garbage bag wrapping idea though. I’d imagine the trachy is around 4-5” long? Here’s a picture

 

[UnderseaOddities]

@footgal for euphylidae(hammers,octos,torches,bubbles) you can use a Tupperware container with holes drilled in(invert in styrofoam ) then put that in a medium sized livestock bag and double bag it

 

[PicassoClown04]

@footgal for euphylidae(hammers,octos,torches,bubbles) you can use a Tupperware container with holes drilled in(invert in styrofoam ) then put that in a medium sized livestock bag and double bag it

So in this case, the Tupperware container would do the job of a deli cup?

 

[UnderseaOddities]

Thank you so much!! This was the answer I was hoping to get. I did plan on buying one of those disposable styrofoam coolers like you said, I didn’t think about the garbage bag wrapping idea though. I’d imagine the trachy is around 4-5” long? Here’s a picture

For that one I'd go to dg buy a gasket tote (5 x 6 inch clear container) and get a piece of styrofoam invert upside down(cut styrofoam to lid size) drill holes in side of container and free float in large livestock bag(if u go to lfs I'm sure they would be more than happy to help )

 

[UnderseaOddities]

So in this case, the Tupperware container would do the job of a deli cup?

Yup stony corals cant be smacked around during shipping any breakage is bad ime (bjs stn rtn) from getting damaged during shipping

 

[UnderseaOddities]

Imo the best thing to do is eye it as far as containers go you want enough room for sweeper tentacles to drop without getting damaged atleast an inch around each side

Small corals you can use pee test cups or deli cups

Medium corals can be shipped inverted in 2l pop bottle or 1g jug

Large corals can be sent in tupperware drilled or small gasket totes

Or double bagged centered in middle and cushioned with extra empty bags of plain saltwater to reduce shock

 

[PicassoClown04]

Imo the best thing to do is eye it as far as containers go you want enough room for sweeper tentacles to drop without getting damaged atleast an inch around each side

Small corals you can use pee test cups or deli cups

Medium corals can be shipped inverted in 2l pop bottle or 1g jug

Large corals can be sent in tupperware drilled or small gasket totes

Or double bagged centered in middle and cushioned with extra empty bags of plain saltwater to reduce shock

Thank you!!!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Woohoo we got some answers! I was worried I’d be driving the coral to you @footgal