any shipped sps in damp newspaper
- Thread starter johnvu713
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masterswimmer
New member
wakefreak33, do you use a specific brand of paper towel?
This information is all very helpful. Thank you all for divulging your secrets.
Russ
This information is all very helpful. Thank you all for divulging your secrets.
Russ
masterswimmer
New member
No need to use FEDEX, try USPS. They've been great for me.
Thanks for the correction.i had read of someone doing test runs of wrapping the coral in a wet paper towel then sucking all of the air of the bag--almost like vacuum packing and they had said it worked pretty well
That would be disastrous as no air availability means no oxygen supply! Acros are animals, do not forget.
Eric mentioned the ziploc to create and maintain a moist environment within the package. Also, he mentioned of an inexpensive temperature probe typically used during commercial shipment of meats to obtain the shipping temperature (for study purpose).
That would be disastrous as no air availability means no oxygen supply! Acros are animals, do not forget.
Eric mentioned the ziploc to create and maintain a moist environment within the package. Also, he mentioned of an inexpensive temperature probe typically used during commercial shipment of meats to obtain the shipping temperature (for study purpose).
jwalters103
Active member
corals get oxygen from water, not air. where can one find stats on amount of oxygen in a bit of water versus amount of oxygen a tiny frag would use in a given amount of time. its not an argument you can make without the facts in front of you.
masterswimmer
New member
I just shipped some frags to someone in Tx. I shipped them both ways, standard in a bag with water and another frag wrapped in saturated paper towel placed in a sealed poly shipping bag. Hopefully the delivery arrives tomorrow (as planned) and I can post some results.
I've been curious about this method since I first read about it. I hope to be able to report a successful experiment.
Russ
I've been curious about this method since I first read about it. I hope to be able to report a successful experiment.
Russ
Years ago I experimented with shipping frags packed in macro algae. I shipped to Florida, Georgia, Massachusets and California. One guy lost everything(so he says). Same guy left them sit on his doorstep in the middle of winter for many hours though.
The other guys had good success. Only two of them returned shipments and they survived and did well for me.
I used spaghetti macro, put the frag in the middle of the algae and didn't even seal the bag. Just folded it over. I think I was able to get a dozen frags in a six by six box. I do not remember the shipping cost but it was years ago. Just to give you another option.
The other guys had good success. Only two of them returned shipments and they survived and did well for me.
I used spaghetti macro, put the frag in the middle of the algae and didn't even seal the bag. Just folded it over. I think I was able to get a dozen frags in a six by six box. I do not remember the shipping cost but it was years ago. Just to give you another option.
comatose
Active member
Try this thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=719592
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=719592
masterswimmer
New member
coma, good thread, thanks for the link.
I'm just crossing my fingers at this time. It is what it is right now.
Russ
I'm just crossing my fingers at this time. It is what it is right now.
Russ
jwalters103
Active member
i didnt even think about it before now, but i work at a seafood restaurant and we get live lobsters, oysters, clams, and mussels shipped to us regularly. the lobsters are only wrapped in seaweed and damp newspaper and the bivalves are all shipped dry, yet all make it alive and mange to live in our walk-in for at least a day, and sometimes several. all of these animales breathe through gills and are only able to obtain oxygen through water, not the air, yet they all stay alive without access to water for at least 2 days.
masterswimmer--please post your results, id be interested to see what happens as im sure everyone else is too
masterswimmer--please post your results, id be interested to see what happens as im sure everyone else is too
ViPeR_930
Active member
I hope you are at least aware that the algea is actually consuming oxygen. Normally in a well-lit environment plants will release oxygen as a product of photosynthesis. But in a dark environment, such as a shipping box, photosynthesis stops but cellular respiration and the use of energy still occurs, thus pulling O2 from the water and releasing CO2.
Horace
New member
I think the main theory is behind this is the conentration of a gas dissolved in a liquid, is exactly proportional to the air around the liquid. So if you have plenty of oxygen in the bag, and you keep the coral damp, the oxygen from the bag will constantly replenish the damp surfaces of the coral which allows it to breath just fine. The key is the surface of the coral (or gills) must stay wet, and the surrounding air must contain sufficient oxygen or it will die.
masterswimmer
New member
Frag shipping: The Fantastic Journey
Frag shipping: The Fantastic Journey
Frag shipping: The Fantastic Journey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As many of my fellow RC members have done, I've traded and sold frags with folks around the country.
I met a guy on another board, that wanted to buy three frags from me. Pink Birds Nest, ORA A. Tort & Monti Dig. He asked me if I can ship to him overnight Express. I checked the USPS website with both of our zip codes and it said only Post Office to Post Office (10am guaranty). I informed him that I could not guaranty door to door. He let me know he was located only 6 miles from the Mexican boarder and he doesn't get door to door from anyone in less than two days.
With this information, I agreed to ship PO to PO overnight guaranty. I added a twist to it. I asked if he had a digital camera. He said he did. I asked if he'd be willing to conduct a shipping experiment and document it with photos for me. He agreed.
The experiment was that I was to ship him the three above corals in the standard way, double bagged in water. However, I wanted to try an Eric Borneman and Anthony Calfo endorsed method as well. I wanted to ship him one each frag of the A. Tort and the Monti Dig. free of charge. I chose those two because they are heavy slimers and the Birds Nest isn't.
The theory postulates that these corals slime heavily because they are exposed to air during the day for sometimes up to 6 hrs and the slime coat is a UV protection that keeps the coral moist as well. The shipping method is to saturate a paper towel and wrap the frag in it. Then place the frag in a sealed plastiic bag to create 100% humidity.
Well I packaged everything up on Wednesday for Thursday delivery to his post office. I double bagged the frags in water, wrapped the frags in wet paper towels, enclosed all bags in a larger bag, put them in a reusable Coleman Cooler (instead of cardboard with styrofoam), surrounded the corals with styrofoam, added a heat pack, and went to the post office.
Here's where the fantastic journey actually starts. I like to get my shipments into Express mail as close to 5pm as possible to shorten the shipping time as much as possible. When I got to the post office, the clerk said they can't guaranty any less than two day shipping! I explained what their website said and she consulted with the postmaster directly with me. They said the websites have been known to be incorrect. They also said it was possible to get there overnight, just no guaranty.
I had no choice at this time, I commited to the guy in Tx and off it went. Well the delivery did not get there overnite the way I had hoped. At that time I spoke to the Tx dude and explained everything. He was very cool and said that's what is expected in deep south Tx. Obviously at this point I was not thrilled of the prospect of having the corals die.
On the second day he calls me and tells me that the PO called him and said the cooler arrived. He took pix, and said EVERYTHING I packed survived the two day shipment! We were both ecstatic. I actually expected everything to perish.
The corals in the water were probably in a toxic soup from sliming for almost 40 hrs of shipping, in 90 degree south Tx heat no less. And the frags wrapped in paper towels I'd have figured would have just died from lack of submersion.
The experiment was a success in shipping in saturated paper towels. This translates into lower shipping costs (salt water weighs 8.5 lbs per gallon) and healthy corals on the other end!
I hope this little experiment goes a long way for all of us.
Paper Towel method of shipping:
#1: mounted ORA A. Tort Blue
#2: mounted Monti Digitata
Traditional shipping, via water filled bag:
#3: unmounted Pink Birds Nest
#4: unmounted ORA A. Tort Blue
#5: unmounted Monti Digitata
Keep in mind, these frags took two days to get to their destination.
This pic was taken IMMEDIATELY after placing frags in tank, no time elapsed. The colors look great.
Russ
Frag shipping: The Fantastic Journey
Frag shipping: The Fantastic Journey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As many of my fellow RC members have done, I've traded and sold frags with folks around the country.
I met a guy on another board, that wanted to buy three frags from me. Pink Birds Nest, ORA A. Tort & Monti Dig. He asked me if I can ship to him overnight Express. I checked the USPS website with both of our zip codes and it said only Post Office to Post Office (10am guaranty). I informed him that I could not guaranty door to door. He let me know he was located only 6 miles from the Mexican boarder and he doesn't get door to door from anyone in less than two days.
With this information, I agreed to ship PO to PO overnight guaranty. I added a twist to it. I asked if he had a digital camera. He said he did. I asked if he'd be willing to conduct a shipping experiment and document it with photos for me. He agreed.
The experiment was that I was to ship him the three above corals in the standard way, double bagged in water. However, I wanted to try an Eric Borneman and Anthony Calfo endorsed method as well. I wanted to ship him one each frag of the A. Tort and the Monti Dig. free of charge. I chose those two because they are heavy slimers and the Birds Nest isn't.
The theory postulates that these corals slime heavily because they are exposed to air during the day for sometimes up to 6 hrs and the slime coat is a UV protection that keeps the coral moist as well. The shipping method is to saturate a paper towel and wrap the frag in it. Then place the frag in a sealed plastiic bag to create 100% humidity.
Well I packaged everything up on Wednesday for Thursday delivery to his post office. I double bagged the frags in water, wrapped the frags in wet paper towels, enclosed all bags in a larger bag, put them in a reusable Coleman Cooler (instead of cardboard with styrofoam), surrounded the corals with styrofoam, added a heat pack, and went to the post office.
Here's where the fantastic journey actually starts. I like to get my shipments into Express mail as close to 5pm as possible to shorten the shipping time as much as possible. When I got to the post office, the clerk said they can't guaranty any less than two day shipping! I explained what their website said and she consulted with the postmaster directly with me. They said the websites have been known to be incorrect. They also said it was possible to get there overnight, just no guaranty.
I had no choice at this time, I commited to the guy in Tx and off it went. Well the delivery did not get there overnite the way I had hoped. At that time I spoke to the Tx dude and explained everything. He was very cool and said that's what is expected in deep south Tx. Obviously at this point I was not thrilled of the prospect of having the corals die.
On the second day he calls me and tells me that the PO called him and said the cooler arrived. He took pix, and said EVERYTHING I packed survived the two day shipment! We were both ecstatic. I actually expected everything to perish.
The corals in the water were probably in a toxic soup from sliming for almost 40 hrs of shipping, in 90 degree south Tx heat no less. And the frags wrapped in paper towels I'd have figured would have just died from lack of submersion.
The experiment was a success in shipping in saturated paper towels. This translates into lower shipping costs (salt water weighs 8.5 lbs per gallon) and healthy corals on the other end!
I hope this little experiment goes a long way for all of us.
Paper Towel method of shipping:
#1: mounted ORA A. Tort Blue
#2: mounted Monti Digitata
Traditional shipping, via water filled bag:
#3: unmounted Pink Birds Nest
#4: unmounted ORA A. Tort Blue
#5: unmounted Monti Digitata
Keep in mind, these frags took two days to get to their destination.
This pic was taken IMMEDIATELY after placing frags in tank, no time elapsed. The colors look great.
Russ
jay24k
Active member
Shipping even for retailers is not cheap by any means. I'm not part of a retailer but I do work at a city who ships ALOT of UPS stuff. We do get a discount but I can tell you right now, even at our special rate, we do not get to ship out at 28 to 22 bucks for an overnight box. For regular consumers, overnight can be from 45 to 65. For coral places, they will get a percentage off generally from 10 to 20 percent dependent on volume. I don't even think most would even have that huge of a volume. Saying most make money off of it isn't completely fair to them.
masterswimmer
New member
jay, where in my post did I say that most make money off of shipping?
jay24k
Active member
Nothing against you masterswimmer.
This was the quote from John about retailers jacking up the shipping. My statement was most online vendors are either free with purchase or right around 40 dollars which is about right. Average overnight is about 50 to 60 easily. Take 20 percent off which is a dang good discount and now it is 40.
This was the quote from John about retailers jacking up the shipping. My statement was most online vendors are either free with purchase or right around 40 dollars which is about right. Average overnight is about 50 to 60 easily. Take 20 percent off which is a dang good discount and now it is 40.
jgleach
New member
I tried a similar shipping experiment as masterswimmer just a couple days ago. Basically, I shipped 12 frags, 8 were shipped in water, and 4 were wrapped in wet paper towel. I would also like to note that due to the box size and number of frags, the 4 "experimental" frags were all placed in the same bag and sealed full of air. The shipment arrived in about 24 hours from the time I packed it up and it was reported that all frags arrived alive. I am hoping to get an update on their condition.
Jeff
Jeff
