How to properly transport fish.
Continued…
Transportation of Cichlidae.
For the transportation of Cichlidae, specialized transport bags are used, which can be purchased in pet stores. Bags come in various sizes and, accordingly, volumes. The general standard for filling a bag is 40% water from the aquarium where the fish prepared for transportation live, and 60% pure oxygen from a cylinder. The stocking density of fish in a bag depends on the time they will spend on the way, the period elapsed since the last feeding, and the water temperature. Accordingly, the longer the fish are on the way, the warmer the water, and the less time has passed since the last feeding, the lower the stocking density should be. The requirements for the preparation and conditions of transportation of African Cichlidae are as follows:
1) Fish must be fasted before long-term (12 hours or more) transportation: fry up to 2 cm – 12 hours, juveniles 2-4 cm – a day, large juveniles – 1.5 days, adults – 2-3 days. For shorter-term transportation (up to 6 hours), fasting can be reduced to half of the specified time. Fasting is necessary to minimize the natural excretion of fish in tight transport conditions.
2) Water for transportation is taken from the aquarium where the transported fish lived, in order to avoid stress associated with transferring to water with different parameters. At the same time, the water should be as fresh as possible, with a minimal amount of dissolved metabolic waste products of the fish. That is, it is recommended to change the water in the aquarium the day before transportation, at least a day in advance. If the water for transportation is of moderate hardness (7-12° dH), it is recommended for the transportation of lake Cichlidae species to throw a pinch of baking soda into it, which will act as a pH stabilizer. Using soft water (less than 7° dH) for fish transportation is highly undesirable. Carbon dioxide released during fish respiration in the process of transportation can significantly reduce the pH level, which will certainly lead to the death of the transported fish.
3) Stocking density depends on the volume of the bag, the size of the fish, and the transportation time. In a standard 3-liter bag (dimensions 20×50 cm) with 1.5 liters of water and 1.5 liters of oxygen, you can place for 12-hour transportation: 70 fry up to 2 cm of most species (50 Lake Tanganyika fry of the same size), 40 juveniles 2-4 cm (25 Tanganyika juveniles), 10-15 large juveniles (7-10 Tanganyika juveniles), 3 adult (up to 10 cm) fish, or one up to 15 cm in size. Tanganyika species are more demanding on the amount of oxygen and stocking density, so the standards for them are somewhat more refined. For transportation for 15-24 hours, stocking density standards should be halved, for longer transportation – tripled, for transportation up to 6 hours, you can safely increase the stocking density of fish in bags by 1.5 times. Accordingly, for bags of other volumes, the given stocking standards can be applied with an increase/decrease proportional to the volume of the bags.
4) It is recommended to pour Sera Aqutan into the water for long-term transportation, which has a whole range of positive effects on the transported fish, restrains the negative processes of decomposition of organic substances that somehow appear in the water during fish transportation, thereby stabilizing the pH indicator, which is extremely critical for the transportation of African lake Cichlidae. Tanganyika Cichlidae species can die if the pH drops below 7.5. It is best to use double the dosage of Sera Aqutan indicated on the package, and in some cases even more (when large adult specimens are transported).
5) For the transportation of large juveniles and especially adult fish, it is imperative to use a double bag (nested one inside the other). The material thickness of a single bag is often insufficient – fish can damage a single bag with hard fin rays and arrive at their destination dead. For particularly large specimens, large-volume bags are used, and to strengthen even a double bag, a cushion between the bags in the form of a neatly folded two-layer newspaper is often used.
6) Fish transportation should, if possible, be carried out in complete darkness all the time. In the dark, fish feel much calmer, are less susceptible to stress, and often fall 
into a sweet slumber, which leads to a decrease in oxygen consumption – the most important element of fish life activity. Even if an attendant is traveling with the fish, they should not look into the bags to check on the fish’s well-being – this only increases the stress load on the transported fish. The denser the darkness and the less shaking on the way, the easier the fish will endure transportation.
7) It is necessary to provide as stable a temperature as possible for fish transportation. This is achieved in various ways. The most reliable is special thermal packaging, a sealed styrofoam box. In the cold season, well-insulated plastic bottles with hot water will help keep the box warm, in extreme heat – bottles with frozen water. The most convenient means of transportation are passenger transport, which provides a stable temperature for passenger transportation. In such transport, it is easiest to ensure a stable temperature in the fish transport container. In general, the temperature during fish transportation should be 2-4 degrees below optimal to somewhat slow down the life processes of the fish.
8). Bags with fish must be transported in a vertical position. Many Cichlidae species tolerate water sloshing in horizontally laid bags very poorly, which can lead to negative consequences and often to the death of the fish on the road.
9) Fish that differ too much in size should not be placed in the same bag. Cichlidae in a confined space can show their natural aggression, and large specimens can peck smaller ones to death.
Preparing fish for transportation. Using medications during transportation. 
