ive decided these actions are important to success...
minimal handling.
cool, cold and clean water. ( i dont like water changes during travel as this
alters temp and chemistry ) i float zip bags full of ice in the cooler, not a
lot just a couple handfuls.
air powered filtering.
i used a cartridge filter on my last trip... the kind w/ the charcoal and
ammonia remover powered by an airline. i figured this would help w/ any waste
buildup. it also has the filter pad for the bacteria to grow on. bg pointed out
to me and i agree the native water has plenty of bacteria in it to establish
the filter pad... hopefully fairly quickly.
mark b pointed out to me that running an airstone into the cooler is pumping
warm air into the cooler. i cant decide if the trade off is a positive or
negative. perhaps if the battery air pump was placed inside the cooler but all the
ones i have and seen are not waterproof from the sloshing that iccurs while
driving.
i also put soft plastic plants in the cooler to provide cover and cushioning.
some fish are just plan sensitive. i was able to bring several inland and
brook silversides home from arkansas... the inlands were collected in a hot
drying pool along the arkansas river... they were the only fish alive in this big
pool. so much for their "frailty". anyway i got them all the way home,
surviving about 5 days in the cooler. when ready to transfer them i did a very slow
trickle water change to my established 55 gal aquarium and they all went belly
up within the 1 to 2 hour process. jeez.
i did get most of the ark fish home ok but i lost my tn shiners and rosefin
shiners from a recent trip. gone for 11 days to arkansas i think 1 or 2 fish
died and the tank collapased from the fouling of the water. as soon as a fish
dies or looks to die soon... remove it pronto.
dead fish takes all the joy from this hobby.
casper
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