Taking discus to US in luggage: possible?

[DiscusBR]

Hi everyone,

Some of you know my 80g wild Cuipeua discus tank and the more than 50 fry I got after my first successful breeding experience. Others also know that I will be moving from Rio de Janeiro do New Orleans in July. I always thought I would just sell my stock before travelling, but I have become very attached to the fishes. I am therefore considering taking the adults and may be some juvies with me. This would of course demand a lot of paperwork with Brazilian and US authorities. I wanted to ask for advice: Is it feasible? Has anyone done it before? Is there any information you could share?

Thanks in advance.

[Etek]

I know you can't just take fish over any border to US even if you're driving. You can send fish to yourself but you will need a license from wildlife fish and game. It's the same one transhippers get. I kinda looked into it years ago thinking I could save myself money on getting my fish and making money on the side. Just didn't have time and space to actually make it profitable. Anyways..the license isn't crazy expensive if I remember correctly. Alternatively you can see if anyone is willing to accept a shipment of fish from you then send them to you in NO. Maybe sponsors here that send and receive wilds here? Good luck with it and congrats on the move. One crazy city to another lol. Oh and any further posters can correct me if I'm wrong about the tran shipping license..it's been awhile and I'm sick :)

[Altum Nut]

Hey Mauro,

My advise would be to talk to Hudson or any other importer in Brazil and see if they can ship them to your new location when it's time.
You might also check with NJ Discus Rod or Bob as they have a contact in Brazil as well.
I would suspect that gathering paper work would not be as easy as people think.

just a thought,
...Ralph

[DiscusBR]

I know you can't just take fish over any border to US even if you're driving. You can send fish to yourself but you will need a license from wildlife fish and game. It's the same one transhippers get. I kinda looked into it years ago thinking I could save myself money on getting my fish and making money on the side. Just didn't have time and space to actually make it profitable. Anyways..the license isn't crazy expensive if I remember correctly. Alternatively you can see if anyone is willing to accept a shipment of fish from you then send them to you in NO. Maybe sponsors here that send and receive wilds here?

Thank you, Eric. I cannot send the fish to myself. Only a handful of companies are authorized by the government to ship wild discus out of Brazil. As far as I know, only three: Hudson's H&K, Yamamoto's WB Sabby and Vitor Hugo's Santarem Discus.


Good luck with it and congrats on the move. One crazy city to another lol. Oh and any further posters can correct me if I'm wrong about the tran shipping license..it's been awhile and I'm sick :)

Thanks and yes, those are two crazy cities :) And I wish you a full recovery to whatever sickness you have.


Hey Mauro,

My advise would be to talk to Hudson or any other importer in Brazil and see if they can ship them to your new location when it's time.
You might also check with NJ Discus Rod or Bob as they have a contact in Brazil as well.
I would suspect that gathering paper work would not be as easy as people think.

just a thought,
...Ralph

Thanks, Ralph. The shipping route is a nightmare, compared to the personal luggage option. As I explained, only a few companies can ship wild discus out of Brazil. All these companies are very far from Rio. I would need to ship the fish from Riio to an exporter hatchery, the exporter would need to ship the fish to a SD sponsor with the proper licenses, and the sponsor would then need to ship the fish to me in New Orleans. Besides the logistics nightmare, that would be very expensive. I want to know if and how I can take the fish in a styrofon box in my personal luggage when moving back to New Orleans.

[joanstone]

It seems like it must be possible. We just had a speaker at our local club who's gone collecting rainbow fish three times, bringing fish home with him each time. People that go on these fish trips do it frequently I'd imagine. I could inquire about that from the speaker that we had if you'd like or put you in touch to ask him.

[DiscusBR]

It seems like it must be possible. We just had a speaker at our local club who's gone collecting rainbow fish three times, bringing fish home with him each time. People that go on these fish trips do it frequently I'd imagine. I could inquire about that from the speaker that we had if you'd like or put you in touch to ask him.

Thanks. Yes, I would definetely be interested in hearing from him. Thanks for the offer.

[Altum Nut]

The only problem you have is Discus need way more water when shipped compared to little rainbows.
You have some time till mid 2013 but good luck and hope it works out for you.

...Ralph

[joanstone]

Not sure if it will help but, I've emailed him and will let you know.

[DiscusBR]

Bump.

No more experiences or information on this issue? No SD member has brought discus in the luggage to the US?

I have a different but related question. What if I bring only my confirmed pair, instead of the 7 adult discus? Can I keep a confirmed wild Cuipeua discus pair, say, in a 55 gallons tank? Will a pair be happy by itself in such a tank? Or can they might eventually "break up" and become aggessive?

[joanstone]

I just sent you a PM.

[DiscusBR]

I just sent you a PM.

Thanks a lot Joan!