Ordering Discus Online

[Nate4e]

Has anyone in colder climates bought fish online and have them delivered in winter. I'm in Minnesota where it can be -30 outside and was wondering if anyone has any issues receiving discus when it's extremely cold out? I know they are packaged in insulated containers and with heat packets, but I was curious if that's enough in an unheated delivery truck/plane.

[Phillydubs]

Hey Nate and good question! You should really check with and coordinate with the sponsor you are purchasing from. All the sponsors I have dealt with ( most of them!) Have always been very mindful of the weather conditions. Hot or cold. Any extreme weathers can cause issue and will make any good seller cautious.

That being said, i suggest you talk to them and say hey what can be done to make sure that these are shipped as safely as possible. The other answer, and one that I'm sure you don't want to hear if you are ready to order fish is you wait! You may simply just have to suck it up and let the arctic freeze pass and then order so your investment can be protected.

I live in the North East and I have received shipments in fairly chilly weather and also fairly hot weather. I've also had suppliers delay or tell me to wait because the weather was supposed to be bad, either temperature wise or bad weather condiotns like snow ice, hurricanes etc.

A few other quick tips:

Some say or suggest doing an airport pick up. Not sure how far you are from your local airport but if they offer southwest cargo or something you can get the fish a lot faster that way and with not as much handling and error that can occur.

Second is to let the box stay at the local FED Ex. once it arrives and go get it yourself. I actually like this idea and thankfully my fish come to my warehouse where I have a good relationship with many shippers and get packages here a few times a day. But moving forward I may start doing that. Again less hands on the box and in bad weather its not riding around in the back of a cold truck.

[CammieTime]

Has anyone in colder climates bought fish online and have them delivered in winter. I'm in Minnesota where it can be -30 outside and was wondering if anyone has any issues receiving discus when it's extremely cold out? I know they are packaged in insulated containers and with heat packets, but I was curious if that's enough in an unheated delivery truck/plane.

I live in Maple Grove Minnesota and had fish delivered to me this past Tuesday Fed Ex Priority overnight. Unless you are in way northern MN or we are experiencing a polar vortex, you should be fine as the temp will mostly be above 10 degrees F in which I have had zero trouble receiving fish in winter. The key is to be home when Fed Ex drops off the package so you can immediately get it in the house. If the weather will be sub zero on delivery date, I recommend telling the shipper to hold off on delivery a few days until it warms up.

[Hart24601]

I have had plants and fish delivered in winter (Iowa) rarely an issue. Be very careful about the hold at facility. I instructed them to do this once and the facility in Des Moines has a no livestock holding policy... I know not all places have this but be sure to check! So instead of delivering by 10:30 the store wouldn't take them and the package missed the regular truck. They survived but were delivered very late and it wasn't winter.


Also be very conscious of winter weather. Storms delay shipments frequently. FedEx will not deliver here if there is 1" of snow, UPS is better, but that is just Des Moines. Just a heads up!

[CammieTime]

Also be very conscious of winter weather. Storms delay shipments frequently. FedEx will not deliver here if there is 1" of snow, UPS is better, but that is just Des Moines. Just a heads up!

Yes - If a storm is brewing delay the shipment.

[Hart24601]

Yes - If a storm is brewing delay the shipment.

And also keep in mind storms at the major carriers shipping hubs! I have had more delays because of bad weather at a hub when it's totally fine here but I forgot to check the route as a lot of times they over shoot where you live to a hub then fly back.

[Nate4e]

Thanks for all the info! If it was extremely cold out, I'd wait to order, but I just wanted to make sure I don't I have wait for summer before getting any in the mail.

[Willie]

I just got two nice discus from Ryan last week. On the day it arrived, the day temperature was -7F (no, that's not wind chill).

The best way to handle this is to have the discus held at the FedEx office, the UPS office or the Post Office. That way, it does not go into the back of an unheated truck, drive around all day and then get dropped on your door step. My discus was held at the FedEx office at the airport. I picked them up when the office opened and drove straight home. When I opened the box, the heat pack was still warm to the touch. The water in the bags were ~80F. The discus went into their own quarantine tank and ate food that I fed that evening.

Good luck, Willie

BTW: If you don't have a quarantine tank ready, the rest don't really matter.

[Neptune]

Plan a weekend in Chicago??

[Kyla]

i've gotten multiple air shipments in the winter. it can get to -40 here. almost every discus has survived shipping. there was one shipment held up at a connecting airport. the bags came in COLD and we lost a couple of those fish.

we wait at the airport for arrival, and bring the fish directly home. our supplier is really good about checking weather in connecting airports and if there is any chance of delay they are flexible to hold off on shipment. thats happened several times, better to be safe than sorry.

a good supplier will work out all the kinks beforehand. and every fish we lost in transit was replaced for us. if ur seller is good, you wont have anything to worry about.

[Kyla]

the simply discus sponsor section contains vendors which have been vetted by the site, they are ur best bet if u r thinking of having discus shipped.

[Hart24601]

I just got two nice discus from Ryan last week. On the day it arrived, the day temperature was -7F (no, that's not wind chill).

The best way to handle this is to have the discus held at the FedEx office, the UPS office or the Post Office. That way, it does not go into the back of an unheated truck, drive around all day and then get dropped on your door step. My discus was held at the FedEx office at the airport. I picked them up when the office opened and drove straight home. When I opened the box, the heat pack was still warm to the touch. The water in the bags were ~80F. The discus went into their own quarantine tank and ate food that I fed that evening.

Good luck, Willie

BTW: If you don't have a quarantine tank ready, the rest don't really matter.

I just want to say again if anyone missed it, be sure to check at your local UPS or Fed ex holding place to make sure they will hold fish or lizards or w/e. The ones in Des Moines do not, (either UPS OR FedEx but post office will) and if the package says live animals they will put them on the truck and they will miss the normal 10:30am delivery and be on the truck all day!

I just wanted to bring that back up for anyone who reads this calls 1st because it will really mess up your day...

[CammieTime]

the simply discus sponsor section contains vendors which have been vetted by the site, they are ur best bet if u r thinking of having discus shipped.

Agreed. Having a quality seller goes a long way with this problem. I only buy from sponsors and I received two phone calls on my delivery day this week from the sponsor wanting to make sure the delivery went through when Fed Ex missed the initial 10:30AM delivery time. The sponsor contacted Fed Ex for me. Turns out Fed Ex was just a couple of hours behind due all the christmas deliveries.

[RogueDiscus]

There are also a few of us experienced hobbyists here who don't do the volume that would support being a sponsor, but who have made the commitment to doing it right. :) You can check their iTrader rating and comments. I'd probably avoid -30 and I watch weather patterns, but I've shipped across country twice this month and am doing it several more times in the next few weeks.

[Willie]

Maybe it's obvious, but discus should be shipped early in the week. If there's a delay, the shipment will not get stuck over the weekend. I once picked up angelfish on a Saturday from the post office 2 minutes before the location closed.

What experience has taught is that you need to do your homework beforehand. Arrange for early shipment. Provide clear directions on hold, be sure they agree to hold, provide phone numbers, then PICK UP YOUR FISH AS SOON AS IT ARRIVES.

I will often take pictures of the box, unopened and opened, to show the shipper how their packaging fared during transportation. It'll only help everyone at the end. I only buy fish from the SD sponsors, all of which have been extremely professional about shipping.

What to do if you can't pick up the fish immediately? Don't place the order.

Willie