Packing and shipping question

[Hens4Fish]

So it sounds like someone in tenessee wants to buy my green star polyps. Does anyone have advice on how to pack them? I know to put the smaller frags in a bag with water. But do I just put the 10+lbs of live rock and gsp in a huge bag of water in the box? Please advise.
Thanks,
Bill

 

[jmkarcz]

Might consider wraping it in a paper towel that wont break down in water, and add only enough water to keep it sopping wet, then double bag and pack in a styro cooler with som peanuts to keep it from moving... and tape the box well. Less water should mean less chance of leaking and cheaper freight, and I don't think staying submerged is a requirement, just wet.

J

Anyone else?

 

[jmkarcz]

Brawny was the name I was looking for...

 

[Hens4Fish]

Thanks for the reply, I was thing about going in that direction, but needed some confirmation. Those GSP are resiliant buggers. Any other people agree, disagree?

 

[jandlms]

i think I heard at a local fish store that they should be drypacked in loose sand and ground up marbles for the best shipping. Oh yeah and fragging corals is bad for natural reefs.
Sorry just had to get my sarcastic - Jeff comment in today.
jandlms

 

[kass03]

He prolly don't know Jeff lol.

Ive shipped alot of corals but usually just frags and not big rocks.

Are you shipping it USPS priority? or overnight?

What I do for priority is line the box with styro and ship in containers (besides being dbl bagged) I use ziploc containers for frags cuz they have a screw on top that don't pop off. Then wrap them in newspaper so they don't move.

Ok so for a big rock that won't work.
If it's USPS priority which takes 2-3 days they have a flat rate box you can get there for free that it might fit in. The rate is around $8 for any weight as long as it fits in that box. Dimentions 11" long x 8 1/2 wide x 5 1/2 tall.
If I ship in that box I ship my frags in 1 of those collapsable coolers like I brought your frags to your house in (like a lunchbox).
You can get those at Menards usually under $5. I like containers that won't leak in case the bag does. Those fit well in the flat rate box and I pack newspaper around it so it doesnt move.
If it would fit in there I'd pack it at least triple bagged but wrap bags around the rock also so it doesnt puncture the bag and leak.
Otherwise you should go with a styro box if it wouldnt fit in a cooler.
I've had zoa's shipped twice in wet paper towels (Jason you were here that 1 night lol) and neither time they made it so I'm not real fond of that method although others say it works.

The P.O. and other shipping places are getting to be sticklers about shipping anything with water. One reason is poor packing and they leak.

kass

 

[RCS]

Are you shipping them overnight or longer? If they're going overnight, I would just bag them up with some water and send them. A large enough styro box to keep them in would be needed, otherwise a smallish cooler will usually work as well, but your costs will increase for shipping.

I always prefer to ship in water, unless it's something that does better without, like Xenia. Zoanthids I've always found ship best in water, even 2-3 day. I've lost maybe 4-5 of over 200 shipments sent via 2-day and longer. If they're aquacultured pieces, there's no reason not to ship in water. The only downside to having them submersed is the dieoff (or the slime, as in the case of Xenia), which is much more likely on wild pieces than AC.