If possible, call the airport to be sure the fish are there before you leave. We all know that most airlines are becoming less dependable every year. Be sure that the water quality parameters are within acceptable ranges in your receiving tanks. It's important to understand the process so that you can avoid stressing your fish during the beginning of the season. The process usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.
Fish produce a highly toxic chemical called ammonia.
As nitr ites become present, a second kind of bacteria, Nitrobacter, will start to grow and consume the nitr ite , converting it to harmless nitr ate. When you first put fish into your system, the ammonia will get very high, very quickly. During this period, keep stocking densities low and do lots of water changes. As the ammonia levels decrease, nitr ite levels will increase rapidly. When levels of both ammonia and nitr ite bottom out, you have a mature, fully functional biofilter, capable of processing all of the wastes from your fish.