[Killietalk] Shipping fish on the Airlines

["Monty R. lehmann" <worf at visi_net>]

   Fellow Killinuts!

  I said that I would report on my trip to the West Coast Weekend.

   Here it is:

  I arrived at Norfolk Airport last friday at 5am. I had one suitcase
   and my Igloo rolling cooler (has wheels on one end) with killies
   inside. I checked the cooler and suitcase at the American Airlines
   counter. I was asked what was inside the cooler. I responded thusly:
   "Plastic bags, biological samples and plastic containers" I was asked
   if there was any dry ice or anything of that kind. I replied "no".
   The cooler was accepted without further questions. The top had four
   pieces of duct tape applied to help hold the lid on (before I took
   it to the airport).
   I changed planes in Chicago and arrive at the Hotel in Portland around
   2:30 pm. When I got to the room, I removed the tape and checked the
   killies that I had brought. No losses, including some Crenichthys 
   baileyi that have a reputation for not shipping well sometimes.

  I purchased twelve pairs of killies at the West Coast weekend. I rebagged
   all of them sunday night and added a small amount of Bausman's Fish 
   Tonic to each bag (I have used it for many years. It really helps when
   shipping or acclimating fish). I use standard 1.5 mil plastic shipping
   bags that I buy 18" long and are 4" wide. I pay around $20 per thousand
   bags. I buy them long so I can tie them together (no rubber bands needed)
  I typically use 1/2 cup of water per bag. I always double bag all fish.
   I have some larger 6" wide bags for larger fish like the pair of
   A kunzi that I brought home!

  When I checked in at the Portland airport for the flight home I was
   sent to security to have the cooler and my bags searched! But they did
   not disturb or delay anything and after changing planes in Ft. Worth I
   arrived home in Smithfield, Virginia around 8 pm after stopping for
   dinner with my wife. When I checked the fish, all were in perfect shape.
   No losses and no signs of shipping shock. A perfect trip.

         Trip report done after a Very Nice Weekend of Talking about killies
    with old and New friends!

                Regards,

                Monty Lehmann

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