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Transport cooler

White is nice shorty.. I use black rubber with waterproofed plywood tops and hauling fish in sunlight raises water temps too much. White should be best for that if exposed at all. Nice!

Black sure keeps the fish calmer. I use 5 gallon buckets to transfer fish between ponds and I can sure tell the difference of putting them in a light colored bucket compared to black. They are docile in black, go nuts every time they see movement in the white.

So I suppose the ideal container would be white outside and black inside.

Do you have aeration fixed up in that cooler Shorty?

I've been trying to come up with something cheap to use to haul a few fish once in a while. Thought about one of the totes we get crop oil in but they are pretty big. Bigger than I would need most of the time.

I use black buckets around the pond too, the fish do stay calmer. The picture is 150 quart cooler with holes drilled through the cup holders on the lid to run the lines for air stones through, one air stone on each end, it's insulated so it keeps the water a consistent temperature on a long trip. It stays dark with the lid closed and latched. The picture is from when I picked up 82 4-6" SMB from Hartleys' and drove them 6 hours back to my place.

A true labor of love....

Do you need to use O2 tanks or just fish tank bubblers?

Just bubblers. Keeping the number of fish being transported small and not letting the water get hot is key.

Shorty,
I sent you a private message if you don't mind I need your help.
Also, I am planning a trip soon, 4 hours to pick up some full grown Hybrid Bluegill. I saw this picture you posted in June and was wandering do you use any ice to keep your water cooler? I am going to buy a 56qt cooler and install some bubblers too.
I can't wait until Sep to stock them because I have 4 inch baby Bass to get rid of.

Ice and salt are good if you have long drive, keep in mind you will need to temper the water temps back up before releasing the fish into your pond.

Shorty, can you fill us in on type of salt and how much? Thanks

The most common readily available salt is iodine free grocery store salt. No iodine. Add salt (non-iodine) 0.67 oz per gallon of water. 1/2 oz / gal will also work. I would cool the water down too much because it takes longer to temper them back to pond temperature. IMO in mid summer when water is warm do not overcrowd them in the hauling tank. More or too much water is always better than too little water volume.

I use solar salt when moving fish, but I go through a lot more salt than a regular pond owner.