Goldfish can be shipped at 1 pound per gallon in summer and 2 pounds per gallon in winter. Fish should be held in vats at least 24 hours prior to transport. Young goldfish less than 3 inches are very soft and delicate to handle. Minnows are successfully hauled with agitators and pure oxygen at 1 pound per gallon during cooler months and 0.7 pounds per gallon in summer. Tropical fish Tropical fish are usually starved for 48 hours prior to transport-ing.
Some species can tolerate lower temperatures.
Loading rates are 0.4 to 0.7 pounds-per gallon. Water hardness above 100 ppm is preferred. Tilapia of 9 pounds per 1,000 fish can be shipped in plastic bags at up to 5 pounds per gallon at 60 F for 24 hours. Striped bass and its hybrid Striped bass and its hybrids can be grown in either fresh or brackish water, but these fish are very sensitive to handling and should always be moved in water whenever possible. Recent studies indicate that fry 5 to 30 days old are not as sensitive to netting and light shock as previously believed.