Question for people that ship corals or have them shippped often?

[Kim]

I got a coral that is supposed to be shipped this week. The warmest day according to weather.com is Wednesday with temp of 28/21 and Thursday 33/4. I was thinking of asking for shipment on Wednesday with arrival on Thursday morning.

If something is shipped fedex overnight from California and I am here to pick it up and its shipped with a heatpack, is it too cold?

I can delay shipment until next week but next week really didn't look that much better.

Anyone ship or recieved shipment in this type of weather?

 

[Aquadiva]

Short answer....

It is not the weather here, it is in the weather in Indianapolis, Memphis, and DFW (actually Alliance) that you have to worry about.

Will explain further later ....have to go now. BTW.. Hubby is a pilot for FEDEX.

 

[Aquadiva]

Where is the package originating in CA?

Next tueday Memphis should be a high around 60 and low of 50...hubby says that is warm for Memphis this time of year. The coldest place will be sitting on the ramp in Memphis. A couple hours there. That assumes you pick-up package at station here. Otherwise, it is going to bound around on a truck until they deliver it to you.

If it goes through Indianapolis...tuesday still looks the best...just not as good as memphis. Will still spend a couple of hours out in the cold. You have no control over how it gets to Boston...

check intellicast...10 day outlook....of course this can all change.

FWIW, planes leave LA for memphis and Indy around 10pm EST. Arrives in BOS around 7 am. Total time on planes and through sort....less than 10 hours. Pick-up at station usually around 8:30...You'll have your critter in less than 12 hrs.

 

[Kim]

Its actually comming out of the SF bay area. Does that change its next location?

I'd like to get it this week. Thanks for all the info on how fedex works! Its nice to know where it possibly goes to next.

I will not be picking up at the station unless I request it. Fedex usually gets here early for me anyway but I'll check and see where the closest fedex PU location is for me.

Thanks,

Kim

 

[Mike A]

Kim, in this bitter cold, I'd strongly recommend you have Fedex hold for pickup at the nearest Fedex office to you. Water loses heat pretty quickly and heat packs cool down after 8 or so hours. Fedex has a service offering that guarantees overnight delivery before 10:00am the following day. I've used this service with orders from Dr. Mac and a few other online livestock vendors. I've had the package held for pickup and as soon as the tracking number indicates it's at the office, I head over to get it asap. Never had a problem (knock on wood)....

 

[Aquadiva]

OK, that would come out of Oakland (airport code OAK). Hubby says there are a number flights going to Indy, but most are daytime, USpostal service mail. He says more than likely it will go through Memphis. Look at overnight lows for Memphis. Most freight is in by midnight, and east coast is out by 2 am arriving in BOS around 7 depending on the flight. Look for stuff like fog, snow and ESPECIALLY ice. These mess the entire and system and freight can wind up going in all different directions depending where the problem is. Totally unpredicatable.

FWIW... I NEVER (well almost never) ship overnight after Wednesday. Ship on Thursday for Friday delivery and if stuff happens (and it does...busted planes, unexpected sick pilots, more freight than expected) and stuff gets left behind. You don't want your critter sitting in Memphis or at the airport in BOS all weekend because you didn't pay for Sat. delivery.

I got some zoos in from Oregon in Nov. I wouldn't have wanted the water any colder than it was. Heat pack was barely warm. (good packing, though).
Hubby thinks that there are a lot of reasons your critter will get cold, most have nothing to do with what time of year you ship.

At altitude, (30,000 feet) the outside temp is 14F in the summer and -22F in the winter. Depending on where the critter goes in the POD (towards the outside or the inside) will be how well insulated it will remain.

BTW... I always pick-up at station. I am usually last to get mine at the house...employees lose that on-time guarantee

 

[Fingolfin]

At altitude, (30,000 feet) the outside temp is 14F in the summer and -22F in the winter.

When I flew from Chicago to Tokyo 7 weeks ago., the flight route was through Alaska. The outside temp was -50 F.

And that was COOL.

 

[Kim]

Thanks for all the info. Next week looks a little better here and about the same in Memphis. Really its not that much of a difference. We are in for some cold weather! We are getting snow wednesday night though, it said between 1-3 inches. I wouldn't think that would make too much of a difference.

I am going to think about it some more but I think I will have it shipped tomorrow for Thursday delivery.

Thanks again for everyones help.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Already been said, but I'll say it again, in really cold weather pick up at the Fed Ex office is the way to go. You can also ask the shipper to put in extra heat packs, but there is the danger it will be Too hot initially then.

 

[Kim]

Yes, I already made the decision to PU in Randolph. I believe that is the closest Fedex location to me.

 

[Cliff Tishler]

FWIW, I had 4 corals shipped 3 weeks ago and I was home to receive it from Fed-X. Bottom line 3 of the corlas did not make it. Even though they are giving me a credit I am not ordering corals anytime in the winter again.

 

[MarkO]

FWIW, I had 4 corals shipped 3 weeks ago and I was home to receive it from Fed-X. Bottom line 3 of the corlas did not make it. Even though they are giving me a credit I am not ordering corals anytime in the winter again.

Me neither.
I ordered a clam and an acropora 2 years ago in similar weather. Water temp was about 60? when I got them.
Clam died, acro survived.
BTW, Fed Ex left a package at the door a couple weeks ago. Don't know how long it was outside, but it was frozen when I opened it. (Poinsettia plant)

 

[Kim]

Just an update. I had my coral delivered today and its opened up and doing well. The water felt a little cold but my new toadstool is pretty happy I think.

Aquadiva (sorry I don't know your real name) - The fedex page said it went to Memphis and Indy last night. Does that usually happen?

 

[Aquadiva]

Glad to hear the critter is doing well.

No, hubby says that's not normal.

Possible reasons: Planes from Memphis to Boston were full
Plane from Memphis to Boston broke
Plane from San Francisco came in late.

They guarantee it will get there. They don't say how.

-Linda

BTW...whatcha get??

 

[Kim]

I got a frag of the Tyree green toadstool. Its tiny but its green. I can't wait for it to grow out.

 

[wizbos]

Can I ask how much you paid for the green toadstool and where did you get it?
Thanks Steve

 

[Kim]

I got it from New Jack over at Reef Central.