Should I use a heat pack?

Chelsey · Oct 29, 2007

I'm getting ready to ship a duncan tomorrow and I have a 1+" thick styrofoam container. The temperatures both here and where I'm shipping tomorrow will be 65-70ish. Should I use a heat pack? I'm thinking no, but the person I'm shipping to is asking me to add a heat pack.

143gadgets · Oct 30, 2007

Chelsey said:
I'm getting ready to ship a duncan tomorrow and I have a 1+" thick styrofoam container. The temperatures both here and where I'm shipping tomorrow will be 65-70ish. Should I use a heat pack? I'm thinking no, but the person I'm shipping to is asking me to add a heat pack.

I would. That is a bit on the chilly side. Which heat packs do you have?

twon8 · Oct 30, 2007

you have to realize anything sent overnight fedex will be on a plane in cold temps. plus putting a heat pack guards you against responsibility if it doens't make it. THey can't say you didn't put a heat pack in.

143gadgets · Oct 30, 2007

coralnutz said:
Make sure that you use some crumpled up paper or something to isolate the heat pack so it's not touching the bags.

Opps... forgot to mention that. I usually crumble up some paper and wrap the heat pack in some newspaper as well.

Good luck. Hope everything works out for you.

Azurel · Oct 30, 2007

I would use one as well unless the place it is going is down south or out west. The night time temps in the mid-west and east right now are getting chilly last night here in Michigan it was mid to low 30's. So the package will be traveling most of the way at night in cold temps......I would just to be on the safe side......JMO....

Hypertek99 · Oct 30, 2007

I would the temp can change at any time and it's pretty cold at night now. Over here in the mornings we have frost and it doesn't even seem cold to me but it's cold

CherryCorals · Oct 30, 2007

I did a summer time test to see what happened to the water temp on 90+ degree days. It was amazing that the temp didn't go up at all inside the Uline container that I used. It went down 5 degrees.

I will perform the same test tonight to see what happens when I leave a bag of water outside overnight. I will post before and after temps.

Weetabix7 · Oct 30, 2007

I've done a decent bit of coral shipping lately, and I would advise you to use a heat pack, but put it at a distance from the coral with some kind of insulating or buffering material in between.
This is what I have been doing on all of the recent shipments I've sent out. I asked the customers to let me know how the temps were when they received the shipment, and in every case they've been okay.

Chelsey · Oct 30, 2007

I shipped out today and used a heatpack in a much larger than needed styrofoam box with lots of newspaper for insulation/protection. I'm used to shipping zoas with no problem, but I'm a bit nervous when it comes to a duncan

Deepwater · Oct 30, 2007

Chelsey said:
I shipped out today and used a heatpack in a much larger than needed styrofoam box with lots of newspaper for insulation/protection. I'm used to shipping zoas with no problem, but I'm a bit nervous when it comes to a duncan

THey should be fine. Ive got shipment for aussie with water as low as 65

everythng lived

shred5 · Oct 31, 2007

I voted yes but I would say no untill day time temps get in the low 60's... It is on a truck for the most time. A plane is not up in the air that long in most cases. If the water temp drops a few degrees over 14 to 16 hr period it is not big deal.

I voted yes due to the following:
He asked for it.
But it does not hurt either at this time of the year because it is cool enough the temps should not go up much. Its more of a waste of money really than anything. Most of the time if the sytro is sealed heat packs due very little. there is not enough oxygen to really let them take off. I will ussually put a small hole in the styro for a little air. When I do this I wrap a large bag around the corals just incase of a leak.

Dave