Yep--I am lucky it was you sending it. I noticed you used the thicker pink stuff. My problem with that is the pink stuff only comes in the huge pieces 4'x8'. The stuff I use comes in strips so I can store a lot of it more easily.

Also--I hate to make the box and ship on the same day. My garage usually has a couple weeks' worth of boxes---pre-made. It's a never ending process.

if i leave boxes around, my dogs end up peeing on them.

not to mention i don't ship as much as you bro.

shoot me a PM if the package doesn't arrive on time

we'll go duke it out with the guys in brown.

YOU ARE A CORAL GOD!

I just got it--and --- best case scenario--more on that later.

First off---Excellent packaging. We have gotten 6 inches of snow--and it's cold---AND---the water in every bag was warm. No leaks! But definitely the "schtank" of acro!

The sunset is unreal!!! Holy crap! It's burning a whole outta the tank! Thanks for the freebies too!!! You are the man.

The Brown dude said "this one should be free"--he said I would have to call and file a claim but that he tagged it as "Late not due to weather"--so it should be free!! That was a big ol box---Great job man. Thank you so much!

Alright - someone's gotta ask - what the hell's the deal with all y'all and the snotty kid avatar?

Put the damn butt-robot back on!!!

Its propably his kid. Parents find it funny when there kid has a runny nose and wants help cleaning it up. Heh.

No, its not marks kid. or else, wouldnt it be weird since I have the same avitar?

Great thread, I'm going to be starting shipping some this year and this will be a great resource!!

Mvite Mark or someone else mark? And I was thinking the Mvite was itallian >_>

Yea, I ment Mvite, lol

Wow hes Asian...I would have never guessed =o

no no, mvite isnt asian. lol he is... mark... itialian I would guess, from the fat cat he keeps around

YOU ARE AN EVIL VILLAN MARK!!! I KNOW THIS!!! DONT THINK I DONT KNOW!!!

Itallians making asian babies, how our technology is advancing!

Back to the topic gang!!

This past 2 weeks---from PA---where we had temps in the 5-20 degree range--along with some nasty snow---

I shipped to Washington State
I shipped to Massachusetts
I shipped to Texas
I received from California
I shipped chaeto to NY

All of these shipments were using the primitive method pictured earlier and had 100% survival rates. I shipped LPS, SPS, zoas and rics.

If any of these hot shots like Prop or adin are EVER going to post pics, their methods will probably increase your odds of survival.

What I am sayin' folks---Is DON'T LET THIS WEATHER HOLD YOU BACK!! Your coral is DYING to get into someone else's tank. Facilitate the move---Make a trade---or just tell someone they are special, by sending them a clump of zoanthids or a stick of montipora!!!! (PM me for my addy)

I am headed on vacation for a week--but I am OPEN AND WILLING FOR ALL TRADES when I get back! I am especially looking for acanthastrea!!!!

C'mon folks---let's get ready to put some thermoses and boxes in the air in the next few weeks!! Who needs the LFS when we have each other!!!!

I know people! My mailbox is open 24/7 drop something in there preferabally pulsing xenia. =D

So mvite, you wanna try your luck shipping to Canada? It's a great topic though, wish I could convince a few of the guys in Ontario to ship...

That's an interesting question--eh?

I see many sellers on ebay offering shipping to Canada from the states--but I have to believe that it's against customs regulations and such.

Has anyone here shipped from the states to Canada or vice versa?

i tried too ship stuff to my cousin, but the guy at the post office said i couldn't.

im sure customs would love to see a wet package with live things in it. I remember reading a story about someone who sent moss balls to someone over seas and it got destroyed. If it were me, I wouldn't try sending a package over a boarder that has live fish in it.

One thing i may start to ship but one thing that is in the way is that in the winter its cold not a problem but in the summer it gets to a 100F every day thanks to global warming So any sugestions?

-Mac

Consider this in the summer. The package will be shaded, within the truck, and moving consistently. So i really dont feel there is as much need for concern in the summer as in the winter.

Thats just my un-educated non-shipping yet opinion. let me know how i did?

I say be mindful of high heat---but you are insulating. Insulation works for cold and heat. I try to get consistent temp for the coral--whether it's slightly high or slightly low.

I haven't had problems with consistent shipping to AZ and such---People squawk a little---one guy was like "you didn't even use a cold pack!" and I was all "are they alive?" and he was all "well, yes".

how does shipping in warm weather differ from cold? same except use cool pack? how do we know when to use a heat/cool pack?

I don't think that it really does---as long as it's not steadily 95 degrees. Insulation will protect from heat as well as cold.

I advise that you "JUST SAY NO" to cool packs. As for heat packs--communicate with your recipient and see what the temps are. Right now---I am East Coast---and I use a heat pack with every shipment, no matter where they are going. Come Spring, you may not want to use heat packs to the South or extreme West.

The thing is---you are basically "maintaining" temp when you ship. Heat packs won't have a HUGE effect on temps unless you use only a small amount of water--or more than one heat pack.

By the way, where's Propagator's Breathing Bags instructions or adin's super special shipping???? You guys are lame!!!

I just got a bunch of kordon breathing bags today......

Now I need to find out how to use them, cause I have a bunch of stuff I am going to sell in the next week or so......

Come on Prop!!! What's the deal and how do you like em???

I just got the scoop on shipping with Fedex.

In order to be "allowed" to ship coral/fish, etc with Fedex, you need to have a special approval level as an account holder. To gain the special approval, there are several forms to be filled out. You also need to submit your shipping container and materials to Fedex for inspection and approval.

After you are approved, you are permitted to ship corals/fish. But---they aren't guaranteed at all.

So--remember---DON'T TELL THEM IT'S CORAL!!

Remember kids---THINK SPRING SHIPPING!!

We are gonna do some mass frag swappin' once the winter lessens in the East a bit!!

Yep some sort of East/West trade Its super hot in California, I wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt and turned on the AC

Bastards, it was like 7 degrees here yesterday, not accounting for windchill.
Warming up though, it's 12 right now.

Mark, do you know if usps has the same policy as fedex?

What does it matter though...Does UPS actually ask you and checks what your shipping? But if you want to be the good citizen I guess you have to read the rules. I've had many shipments come to me by USPS (live shipments) I'm pretty sure they wont care.

But heres what they say about live shipping:(USPS)

Mailing Live Animals
Anyone shipping live animals must call the District Expedited Services Office (ESO), which coordinates and clears such shipments. The ESO will tell you where to drop off your “live” shipment and notify the accepting office.

The availability of a drop-off site may vary depending on transportation or the retail site’s ability to handle large volumes. The ESO tries to make acceptance points for live animal shipments widely available and ensure protection of the lives while in the postal system.

With the September 25, 2006 inception of live animal mail transport on the FedEx Network, the number of retail outlets available for live animal acceptance increases significantly. Transportation on commercial carriers continues to be available. For more FedEx network details:

Fedex

Well---here's my understanding--but---I have the cooooolest, I mean cooo ooo oooolest Post Office around. The ladies there are the greatest to me--I get super personalized service. (Not that personalized...) But the Post Mast(ress) tells me that "water" and "tadpoles and fish" are allowed to be shipped. She has no problem with it. They actually check out my ebay stuff all the time because they are amazed at the places that I have shipped coral.

When I look deeper into it myself--I see that USPS doesn't allow "perishable items" --- I think that would cover stinky dead coral.

If you pay at the counter--they are gonna ask if there are any liquids. You should tell them that it's water--and then they will ask what it is. I have just said "rock" or "additives" (they are additives, right?)

Thats what I told the guy at USPS. I said, Additives for saltwater aquariums, and he had no problem, lol. I figure rock would be ok to ship, and technically... there is (most of the time) more weight from rock than coral

ha, too bad. Beaurocracy broads... sexy.

I'll prob just lie to their faces.

I use the following materials and perform the following actions for every thing I ship:
( Happy Mark? LMAO !!)












[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/DuaneJ/Shipping%20method%20photos/Image13.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/DuaneJ/Shipping%20method%20photos/Image14.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/DuaneJ/Shipping%20method%20photos/Image15.jpg[/img]
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[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/DuaneJ/Shipping%20method%20photos/Image17.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/DuaneJ/Shipping%20method%20photos/Image18.jpg[/img]

I'm bidding on 30-60 hour heat packs right now.
If you enclose the heat pack with styrofoam how does the heat pack get air to work? Do you just put some broken styrofoam sheets to enclose the box?
My boxes.

gotta open it a lil before you put it in. then there is usually enough air within to keep it going

Exactly
Even if you didnt it would still heat up just slower.
The box is not air tight. No matter how well you fit the styro it isnt air tight.

& fellas any one who tells you they have more than $6.00 bucks in shipping supplies they are using on your shipment is full of crap.
The only boxes that cost $6.00 retail are the white parishable boxes that have molded to fit styrofoam liners with air tight lids.
They are $3.00 each wholesale, maybe less.

aaahhh, yes! I love you guys. I've been trying to figure this out for weeks!
how do I save a thread?

I dunno?
I gues just copy the link and save it in your notes field located in
"Mt Controls".

I know this might sound stupid, but I have been shipping some of my smaller frags in thermos, but they always leak, does anyone have a photo of a thermos they use b/c I cant find one thats cheap or thats leak proof

Ship it in a thermos with a fish bag.

Thanks Prop!!! Very nice!

Now if adin ever comes back he might show us some of his magic too!

mvite, you have any corals/zoos for sale right now? what's your ebay account name?

awsomeaquatics is his, lol i spend much time looking at it

Does anyone know if it is ok to ship from the US to Puerto Rico? I just got an inquiry today.

I worry about AK, HI and Puerto Rico.

I've shipped to AK and HI--no prob---but I don't like to do it--I am afraid that I am doing something that is not allowed!!!!

probally some sort of customs embargo

AK and Hawaii are cool but Puertorico isnt. Customs is fairly tight there.
I am fairly certain you need a cites permit to ship there too.
I ship to Alaska and Hawaii all the time.
Alex ( I forgot his username on here! I think its nautulis?) Is the last person I shipped to in Hawaii. Its exporting from hawaii that makes you run into trouble.

I get the same guy about 2 times each month asking me the same question about shippin gto peurtorico on Ebay ! LOL!!
Every time its the same answer, but the poor guy keeps on asking any ways.
SEVERAL people from Germany about three time a week LOL!
When I get set up for it and a little bigger it will be worth it but right now the permits needed arent worth the hassle of a couple frags here and there.

Great subject. I have yet to ship my first coral, all my sales or trades are with local reefers. Reading this, I think I'm going to expand. I only have Zoa, Palis, GSPs, Kenya Tree, Caps and of course Xenia.

Question: Have any of you send Xenia successfully? By reading it seems to be a poor shipper.

Thanks!

they usually are, i hear. they slime ALOT, and its toxic. but some people have luck shipping them as well.

Try wrapping them in a wet paper towel if they are zoanthids. They will be fine if your shipping next day.

I got my xenia shipped to me. The guy glued the frag rock onto the bag (with the xenia on the rock of course) and it was unslimy when I got it, and was expanded withing one hour. It was a pom pom xenia, if that helps you.

I just received a package with a method i had not seen until now.
He cut the Styrofoam on to little squares and poked the frag plug through the hole.
Then put a rubber band around them this allowed the frag to float upside down and hardly ever rub on the bag.
i thought it was genius myself