How To Pack and Ship Corals

There comes a time when you just have an abundance of corals; you have traded with all your friends and the local fish stores are already stock with you cool frags. Well its time to consider shipping your corals. 

When I first ventured into the idea of shipping it seemed very intimidating too me, but I figured everyone was doing it, why couldn’t I. I searched through Google but really didn’t come up with many good sites and how to’s on the subject. So I decided to contact some of the best sellers on Reef Central and ask them for their advice.

Basic tools and supplies that you will need

• Cardboard box(es) – For shipping the coral in.
• Insulation foam – you can get this from Home Deport or Lowes in the insulation department. They usually come in 4’ x 8’ sheets. In the summer I use ½ pink foam and in the winter I use 1” pink.
• Measuring squares – Small right angle square and a framing T-square, both can be purchased from HD or Lowes
• Tape measure – Just your regular tape measure or ruler.
• Shipping tape - Make sure you get clear shipping/packing tape, not duct tape or the tape with the strings in it.
• Foam peanuts – Get this from Walmart or look through some old boxes your previously received shipment in. I have all mine in a garbage bag so I have it on-hand when needed.
• Shipping bags – 3m or 4m thickness, I use 3x12, 4x12. I have always used TB Aquatic for my bags (http://www.tbaquatics.com)
• Zip lock freezer bags – 1 gallon freeze bags.
• Box cutter and/or blades for cutting the foam
• Sharpie or other black marker – for marking the box and frag bags
• Rubber bans - Walmart

Additional tools:

• A digital or baby scale – for weight your package
• A bag heat sealer – for sealing your bags

Step 1 – The Life of a Box

Go to FedEx or UPS and get some flat boxes, they usually run anywhere from 2 to 4 dollars a box. I prefer to use 8x8x8 boxes when shipping up to 20 coral frags. For 1 to 5 corals I use a 6x6x6.

Since you receive the box flat, simply put the box together, tape everything together. The idea here is to tape over any possible entry from the outside elements.

From this:

To This:

Step 2 – Who Cut the Foam?

Typically you get a 4’ x 8’ sheet of pink or blue insulation foam from Home Depot or Lowes. Use a sharp box cutter to cut this into more manageable sizes.

Since I typically use 8x8x8 boxes I cut these into 8” strips. I also do 6x6x6 so I will also cut a few 6” strips.

Use a framing square to make continual cuts that are as straight as possible, the straighter the cut the better the seal. Additionally some use a table saw to cut the foam.

Note: I have since been using an acrylic blade on a table saw, this works out even better. I can usually get about 10 to 15 boxes done in about 30 minutes now.

Step 3 – Inside Your Inner Box

Now with your strips cut into 6” or 8” strips you want to make an insulation box inside your cardboard shipping box.

Use the smaller speed square to make quick work of this.

You are going to need a top, bottom, 2 long sides and 2 short sides. For an 8x8x8 box using 1” foam, the measurements are something like this:

• Top and Bottom – 8” x 8” (although I cut my top a little smaller like 7 7/8ths by 7 7/8ths.
• Long Sides (2) – 8” x 6”
• Short Sides (2) – 6” x 5 7/8ths” (a little wiggle room.

Start by adding the bottom section into the cardboard box. 

Next the two long sides, followed by the short sides

Finally put the top on to make sure it fits, if it fits remove it till later.

At this point, if your cuts where off a little you can use shipping tape or duct tape to “seal” any of the spaces between the joints.

Tip:
Some shippers will always seal the inside of the box with tape.

Step 4 – Its Prime Time

The next step involves priming the work. What you are doing is setting everything up so you don’t have to scurry around looking for all the parts later on.

Get a 1 gallon zip lock freeze bag and place it in the new foam inserted box.

Pick out enough shipping bags for what you are going to need to ship. I am assuming you have already fragged your corals so get an idea of what size bag you are going to need.

Tip
I like to write the names of the frags on the bags at this point. It helps me keep track of what frags I have bagged and what needs to be bagged. This helps when you are doing 10 or more frags in one shipment. When you run out of bags with names on them, you are finished.

Example Bag Sizes