Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Air Shipment

Cecil - See the discussion of Corey's pond under Types Of Fish To Choose, topic "High Maintenance" Jan 23, 04.

Corey - I have received fish by mail or courrier. Here are some hints for your situation.
1. Resign yourself that you will have to have them shipped next or same day air. Too risky for total loss with shipment of 2nd day air. Regular next day delivery (UPS or FedEX type) will cost about as much as the fish in each box. Due to this high up front shipping cost, you will have to decide just how important it is to have these cool water types instead of more economical local warm water species. Another shipping alternative that we have used (at least prior to Sept.11) is air freight. Fish are delivered to the airport by the hatchery. Airline treats them as baggage/freight items and usually they arrive the same day as shipped. You have to go to the airport and pick them up at the air freight terminal. They ship by 100 weight and you can get 1 or 4 boxes of fish shipped for one same cost (each box weighs about 20 lbs-25 lbs). This will have to be set up with the hatchery of origin. Only CERTAIN hatcheries will ship this way. Plus I'm not sure that the airlines will even still do this due to the damn terrriorism threats. You will have to do some checking/homework on this method at both ends; hatchery and airline.

2. The key to shiping fish by "mail" or next day courier is to not order very large fish. 60 to 100 fish 1.5" to 3" long can be easily shipped successfully next or same day per box when packed properly by an experienced hatchery. There is a hatchery near me that regularly shipped "boxed" fish from Ohio to California via air freight for University research projects.

3. The other VERY important item is to have fish shipped when the weather is cool, such as early spring or latter in the fall. Cooler the better. Cooler temps allow more oxygen to be in the water and the fish use less oxygen and produce less toxic waste and degredation products due to their being at cooler temps.

4. With your situation, if it was my pond, I think I would first experiment with stocking some trout especally since you seem to have an interest in them. They will grow fast from fingerlings (exp if fed trout food)and the smaller ones are usually real cheap compared to some other types. Research the closest trout seller and the prices of various sizes. You may want to stock fewer the first year or two to test overall midsummer survivals & growth. If they do not survive long term then go with the cool water types. If your description has been accurate then I think trout would make it in in the deepest, less circulated, non flow-thru areas of your pond even during the heat of summer. If you stock minnows as forage, any final surviving sport fish species will be able to utilize them.