Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations transporting fish a long way

I have no idea on weights other than the FHM

I am getting:

200 catfish 6-8"

250 Hybrid Bluegill 4-5"

100 Hybrid Striper 6-8"

10 lbs Fathead minnows

Frozen milk jugs of pond water guarantees no chlorine/chloramine content. Well water would also work. Put them all in one cooler for the trip to where you're getting the fish from. If you can get a small piece of dry ice, put it in with the jugs to keep them frozen. Separate the jugs into each of the coolers for the trip home after discarding any remaining dry ice.

That's a good idea on the dry ice. I was likely going to drive over there the night before and stay the night and then pickup the fish at 8 am the next day.

What is the best way to acclimate them to my pond ? I know with the bags you float the bags but with coolers that isn't an option.

I am estimating they will have 25 gallons of water in each.

Should I get a five gallon bucket and dump 5 gallons of pond water in each cooler drain out five gallons, wait a little bit, repeat until I have dumped five buckets in each?

bdog, the HSB deserve extra attention. Awfully hot to be transporting them right now.

Other's with more experience may be able to tell you the weight of those fish, but each ice chest's carrying capacity should be lower with an air bubbler vs. O2.

Not that I know what I'm doing but I would take extra coolers of ice so I could add more later
(half way back) if needed,and I know I would want to get home with the fish in the daylight so I could see what I was doing putting them in the pond.

Yes, that's the way to do it, but slowly if you have cold water in the coolers. Also, add ice very slowly after you get the fish. Avoid temperature shock.

I would get there when they open so as to get back before the late
afternoon heat.

I would be tempted to get the fish in oxygen containing bags and dump the bags into the same temp water in the coolers about halfway back. As many bags as possible to fit into the coolers. Carry a lot of fresh pond water in jugs.

Also you might jump start the acclimation process by freezing water from your BOW and adding that from time to time.

Well we made the journey today. Had the whole family with me so we were not waiting at the fish place when they opened it was 9 AM when we got there and 10 AM before we were on the road.

We put 200 6-8" CC in one cooler, 250 HBG and 50 RES in another cooler, 100 HSB in a cooler, and 10 lb FHM in the last cooler. It was right at 4.5 hours until we got home and it was 101 degrees at the pond when we arrived.

1 HSB died in transit, maybe 10 HBG, about half the FHM, and 63 CC.

Overall not to disappointed given the temps and the fact I really wanted the HSB. A fish truck is stopping less than a mile from my house on Wednesday and I can pick up some more CC and FHM from them. They don't have HSB which as my main reason for the trip.

That, the fish dying, can happen to anyone with that trip.

It would not surprise me if you find a few of the HSB dead and floating in the pond over the next few days. Like Al said, it's hot to be transporting and adding to a pond right now. Hope I am wrong and the fish survive the heat. but, I do understand wanting the fish in your pond, I can relate to that