Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose What is the maximum allowable drive time?

10# of 2"-3" Bluegill could be transported for 6+ hours in a 150 quart igloo cooler, with the micropore diffuser set-up like George used for the HSB (with flow control valve with pressure set @ 45-50 psi), and the appropriate salt/chemical cocktail (ask the hatchery what they use to treat the water to haul fish). You will need to have an O2 meter to check O2 levels 15 min after the fish go in the cooler, again another 15 min, then again in 1/2 hr and if the O2 doesn't need a big adjustment, then you can go an hour. Make sure the water temp is in the low to mid 60's too.......

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You need to drill a hole in the lid to allow the O2 hose to get inside. The lid needs to be locked down. Don't transport in your car trunk, water WILL splash out. Besides, this thing will weigh around 350 pounds with fish and water.

Fishinrod, that was just the tanks that I had in the truck. Now multiply that by 3x for what's on the trailer........ I can haul close to 1,200 gallons of water, 1,300 if I push it.

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Then you have to get the 1/4" hose, and all the brass fittings/hose clamps to make it work. Then basically double those supplies because you need to have at least one extra of everything to ensure that you aren't stuck somewhere when something goes wrong. It's only $$$ after all.

OK, thanks. That's basically the same 150 quart rig I posted earlier, so it looks like we're thinking alike. The only difference is that I use a Premier 4700 regulator/flowmeter. It's cheaper than buying both($175), and it's already set up for micro bubblers, so just twist the knob and you're good to go. TPWD and BassCat boats did tests for low lift boat livewells, and the 4700 running on a M15 O2 tank, like I carry in the Igloo, should last 30 to 35 hours at 0.1 SLPM.

As far as chemicals, I use salt and clove oil. Like you said, always have duplicates of fittings and clamps.

Oh, I forgot. I always carry a pink bucket to move fish that I net out of the cooler. Nobody ever steals a pink bucket.

"Oh, I forgot. I always carry a pink bucket to move fish that I net out of the cooler. Nobody ever steals a pink bucket."

There is this dude who steals ladie's luggage at airports......and then wears their clothes.

Unfortunately I need to adjust my flow rate down to .1 SCFH at times or the O2 levels are too high. What has your O2 levels been say 1.5 hours after loading the fish at 0.1 SLPM, and what water temp are you hauling at?

Scott, I wish I had something to tell you, but I don't. Evening water temp was 84.5, so probably upper 70's in the morning. We can comfortably move fish for a couple of months, and put them in ponds that are within a mile of here. I don't have any O2 numbers because I don't have a monitor. If my big pond went south, I'd have no way to correct it anyway.

That Point Four micro bubble diffuser I use in the ice chest is small, but it can be daisy chained if needed.

I could just see him at Todd's fish shed.

I thought you had a meter. If you are moving fish in those water temps you are probably safe. Cooler water temps and you might have too much O2 in the water, that's why I have to run 50% the O2 volume that you do if I have a light load in a tank.

Not that it is ideal, but you used to be able to mail order fish half way across the country next day and second day air. Very few places still do this due to regulations, but many fish have been stocked that way over the years. Anyway have to believe with a little care and planning you should be substantially better than bouncing around in a ups truck for 2 days.

This video shows fish stocking using "same day air".

They claim that the fish have a 95% survival rate!

You Tube Video - Aerial Fish Drops

....with a stolen pink bucket to boot...

If he has a pink bucket, I hope it’s stolen.

Pink is the new black

Back in June I had 100 3" perch shipped UPS overnight from Zetts, 50 in a bag, each boxed with a couple cooling bags. They were in transit about a day and the outside temp was low 80's, but higher in the UPS trucks. Only 2 out of 100 seemed DOA. It certainly can be done with small fish, large fish are another matter.

Esshup had mentioned Point Four bars accidentally flipping over, which they do. Here's what I do, and I learned it from digging around Todd's haul tanks. My Ninja skills were better back then. Each bar has 2 holes on the ends, so I just riveted 1' piece of 3/4" pvc to each end.

Nice solution!

I especially like that you marked it "MINE", so nobody would steal it.

I can't for the life of me remember why I did that. I did that years ago.

If you marked it years ago, AND you still have it, then clearly your strategy worked!

Like this?

I have a 10:58 AM text that says different.

Well, it's Red faded to pink. LOL

I get it now....

Nice clean diffusers. I bet they have that new leather smell.

Question for the experts: Do the fish enjoy their transportation more if you place one of those automobile pine tree air fresheners in their water tank?

I use a piece of 1/8"-3/16" Lexan that I zip tie the diffuser to.

I had 14 LMB 12" to 14" in 7 bag 90min drive and I did released them really good and they were in perfect condition, But I had 12 of them death in first 48 hours. The reason was the lake temperature was high. about 3 months later when weather get cool, I did get 2 of them for the test and both survived. So in my experience putting them in bag with pure oxygen is fine, But the lake water temperature is very important, You dont want them have thermal shock.