Re: NANFA-L-- fish transportation

Sinclair (rjs-in-silcom.com)
Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:23:08 -0700

Casper:

Anent sloshing/leaking: I fill my Coleman coolers only a
maximum of around 2/3 full, and am wary of hard braking
and hard accellerating. For very long trips, I sometimes put
the cooler in a slightly larger tub. They're available cheap
from WalMart and suchlike.

Anent perforated dividers: I have these for one of my coolers,
but rarely use them. When I do, it's because I'm carrying fishes
that I know won't get along well in tight quarters...or are of
grossly disparate sizes (which is sort of saying the same thing).
I cut the dividers to shape from plexiglas sheets, then drilled
a bunch of 1/4" holes in them. They're held in place by little
stick-on buttons readily available at hardware stores, etc.

Anent air pumps: I've successfully used battery powered pumps
mounted on the lid with velcro strips, feeding to air stones
through standard air lines running through 1/4" holes in the
lids.

Anent temperature control in intense heat: I forgot to mention
earlier that always cool the water by putting ziplock bags of
ice in the cooler's tray a few inches above the water...non IN
the water. I've found that roadside stores, truck stops, etc.,
are willing to let me get fresh doses of ice when I explain
I'm carrying live fishes that must be kept cool. This need
not be done very often, since the water tends to hold it's
temperature fairly well once cooled. Cooler water also
appears to relax the fishes, as they're much less mobile
as compared to when in warm water.

Anyway, it works for me.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: <Prizma-in-aol.com>
To: <nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org>
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- fish transportation

> as for cooler designs...
> ive been studying coolers for the couple of years because my old coleman
> has
> internal cracks and the lid's 2 plastic hinges and drain plug recently
> snapped off. i like to wear something out before buying a replacement and
> it looks
> like im overdue. if i buy a new one i want it ideal for my usage.
>
> both of my coleman coolers have always seemed to slosh out as the area
> they
> rest in is always wet after a trip.
> ive tried to apply weather stripping to the area around the tops lip but
> that has not worked. the plastics coolers are made from are kinda
> "teflonish" so
> adhesives and silicone caulk do not stick well.
>
> what i am looking for in a new cooler is a VERY snug fitting lid, no too
> large as it must be easy for me to carry when they are half full, a
> drain...
> gotta have that ( ive modified my coleman's w/ a screen so the fish dont
> swim
> out :) and im thinking the built in wheels and handle could be nice...
> maybe. i
> also like when they come w/ a handy plastic tray but have not seen any of
> late.
>
> the ability to add or insert a perforated divider might be nice. it would
> also act as a baffle to minimize excessive sloshing. maybe the sloshing
> does not
> bother them as some have commented.
>
> i like to use soft plastic plants so fish can hide it while at rest... but
> perhaps even these are abrasive while traveling.
>
> pumping in hot summer air. this probably is not be a good idea but
> conversely you gotta have some kind of aireation. ive tried putting the
> battery air
> pump in the cooler's plastic tray. but the fish can then jump or are
> sloshed
> into the tray and die. maybe we need a submersible air pump w/ its air
> intake
> wrapped in foam inside at a top corner. probably would not work once the
> foam
> got wet.
>
> for hot days and summer transport... ive found it best to have another
> cooler of ice handy. every few hours i will fill a ziplock back full of
> ice and
> float it. this really keeps the water temp down. but i dont like the
> temperature
> fluctauting up and down several times during the day.
>
> all and all... any collecting i do... i try to do on the last day of a
> trip.
> keeping fish alive during travels can really become worrisome and
> frustrating for me.
>
> casper
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/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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