Hi all,
I ve just bought an Igloo Quick Cool cooler 100 qt to transport minnows from a friend's pond to mine (1 hour trip).
Considering that it will never be totally filled with water, that I'll put in an aerator, a bottle of iced water and "Sure-life please release me" powder, I'd like to ask you how many pounds of minnows (mostly BG) I can safely transport for an hour travel with outside temperatures about 85 °F?
Another question, I don't remember where but I read that it's possible to replace the Sure-life powder with normal table non-iodized salt. Is it true? What percentage should be put? Does it depend on the fish transported?

Thank you

Use salt for transport
Common table salt is widely
used in fish transport. It should
contain no iodine. The concentration
of salts in the blood of most
fish is 1 to 1.2 percent. Adding
salt to the transport water
reduces the mineral difference
between the water and fish blood
which lessens the effects caused
by this osmotic imbalance. Salt
is added to make solutions of .05
Transport truck used to load live catfish.
* Louisiana Cooperative Extension
to 1 percent (500 to 10,000 ppm),
depending on the species of fish.
This is equivalent to 0.4 to 8
pounds of salt per 100 gallons of
water. Use the lower rates on
freshwater fish.

http://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/2013/09/...ading-Rates.pdf

In those temperatures, I wouldn't haul more than 1/2 pound of fish per gallon of water, and I would also use an ammonia neutralizer if the fish weren't purged for 24-48 hrs before transport.

Thank you very much esshup!

If you have his water which is where the minnows are and your only going an hour and you have an aerator to the cooler... you should be able to go a long ways. Heck I know I transported 5 pounds of shiners in a 60 quart cooler with Air for 2 hours no problem....

It doesn't really say in your post but if your putting these fish in a trunk or in a back seat something other then a truck I would make sure you seal the edge of your cooler. That water will slosh around a lot more than you think.... Just FYI....

RC

Thank you RC51 for your contribution.
I've already transported LMB in my back seat with a big plastic tub with a not sealing lid. The result was gallons of water everywhere in the car and a terrible stink for days.
"5 pounds of shiners in a 60 quart cooler with Air for 2 hours no problem..." means I can transport 10 pounds of 2-3" minnows in my 100 quart for an hour. That's good. Fresh snacks arriving for my LMB

Would almost 100% agree with this guy! lol

One thing that would help with the splashing issue is to put in some large, clean (not soapy) sponges in the water containing the fish. Sponges dampen wave action.

Though the sponges may not be good for much else after soaking in fishy water, that's better than having the fishy smell in your car.

And yes, I speak from bad experience!

Anything to dampen the wave action. Even 1 or 2 short 2x4 blocks of wood is what I have used in the past.

If the container is pretty water tight, fill 'er up and no wave action.....