How Long Can Aquarium Fish Stay in a Bag?

The amount of time for which you can leave your aquarium fish in a bag varies according to the bag’s size, the amount of oxygen in it, the weather, and the type of fish inside.

How Long can Aquarium Fish Stay in a Bag?

Some say that fish can last 9 or 10 hours in a bag (or even a day or two in some cases).

However, it’s best for you and your fish if you stick to leaving your fish in the bag for 5 to 7 hours.

A lot of fish can stay alive without oxygen for 2 days in shallow water. The movement of the water allows them to absorb oxygen from the surface.

However, that doesn’t mean that you should leave your fish in a bag for that long. There are different factors that can lead to various oxygen consumption rates.

Thus, it is never a good idea to leave your fish in a bag any longer than you need to during transport.

Factors to Consider when Keeping Fish in Bag

Below are some factors to consider when you’re planning to keep your fish in a bag for some time.

Fish Last Longer in Bags Filled with Oxygen Instead of Air

For short durations of travel (like an hour at the most), it is acceptable to fill your fish bag with air. You are unlikely to run into any suffocation problems in that amount of time.

However, in cases that require hours of travel, it’s best to fill the bag with pure oxygen.

This can keep your fish alive for hours or even a day or two if the correct conditions are met. Try not to risk traveling with your fish in a bag for more than 5 to 7 hours though.

To ensure that your fish stay safe while in a fish bag, it is ideal for the oxygen to take up two-thirds of the bag.

Water should only take up one-third of the volume of the bag. Filling the bag with mostly water won’t give enough room for air or oxygen, and that will suffocate your fish during travel.

Shallow water is also good for allowing the oxygen in the bag to penetrate the water.

Larger Bags Can Carry More Oxygen

A larger bag means that there is more empty space – which can be taken up by pure oxygen. The extra oxygen in a larger bag means that a fish can last longer while in the bag.

The fish will also have more oxygen to keep absorbing from the surface of the water. This will prevent the need to restore the amount of oxygen in the bag by opening it over and over again.

It is best for the volume of the bag to have more than half of oxygen in comparison to the amount of water.

More Fish in One Bag will Consume More Oxygen

If there is more than one fish in one bag, the rate at which the oxygen will be consumed is greater.

If the bag you got from the store has a few fish in it, then you must take that into consideration when estimating how much time you can leave your fish in the bag for.

It’s best to get your fish out of the bag as soon as possible.

Fish Consume More Oxygen When They’re Excited during Transport

Transporting your fish can cause them to get excited, which in turn can increase their consumption of oxygen.

This means that they consume more oxygen during transportation than they do while at rest.

If it’s in your control, try and be gentle in the way you handle your new fish during the transport from the store to your home, especially if the travel time spans over a few hours.

An excessive concentration of carbon dioxide through fish respiration can become a problem for fish during long transport times.

It can decrease the pH value of the water in the bag, making the water more acidic. If this continues and is not regulated, the water can harm the fish’s health.

This is another factor that prevents fish from surviving in bags for too long.

Dead Fish Can Reduce Oxygen Content in a Bag

Dead fish in a bag also consume oxygen. Oxygen is required for greater bacterial multiplication, which, in turn, produces more toxic metabolites that can harm the living ones in the bag.

In addition to that, bacteria grow on the dead fish’s slime which decreases the oxygen content in the water as a result.

This reduces the amount of time the living fish can spend in that bag.

Temperature Affects Your Fish’s Oxygen Consumption in the Bag

When you’re taking your new pets back from the store to your home in the bag provided at the store, be sure to stay careful of the temperature of the water.

Fish can stand a moderate temperature, but if it is very hot or cold outside, the temperature of the water in the bag will either rise too high or drop too low.

This can harm your fish, causing illness or even death if met with extreme weather.

Try and travel in an air-conditioned vehicle if the weather is extreme so that the temperature is somewhat regulated.

For travel longer than 45 minutes, you can also use cold or hot packs to regulate the temperature of the water according to the weather outside.

Extreme temperatures can spell disaster for your new fish, so be wary of that each time you transport them.

Avoid Zip-Lock Bags for Transport

Often, zip-lock bags can become troublesome for transporting your fish because some may be lined with toxic chemicals that may seep into the water.

This can become poisonous for your fish, which is why it’s best to stick to using a good-quality polyethylene bag instead.

You can tie a tight knot to ensure that none of the oxygen or air escapes from the bag.

Stationary Bags Can Prevent Oxygen Absorption for Some Fish

There are some fish that can even die if the bag is stationary for some time.

The movement of the bag allows the atmospheric oxygen to penetrate into the water, making it possible for the fish to breathe.

On the other hand, other fish can move the water enough through their swimming, making this process possible even with a stationary bag.

Longer Time in the Fish Bag Means Greater Production of Ammonia

Avoid feeding your fish a day or two before you plan on transporting them. Fish can survive without food for about a week so you don’t need to worry about them dying of starvation.

The point of this is to prevent an excess of ammonia buildup in the bag due to the bacterial action on the fish’s waste.

Excessive ammonia can become a problem for the fish, but it is rare for this to become a life-threatening issue.

The buildup of ammonia can also be controlled by keeping the temperature of the water relatively cool. Don’t allow the water to get too cold, as that can become a problem for your fish as well.

Put Larger Fish in Separate Bags for Improved Safety

It’s best to get your larger fish bagged separately from any other little ones you may be buying or transporting.

This will avoid any chance of it getting into fights with other smaller ones.

Keep Your Fish in a Bag for as Less Time as Possible When Traveling

If you’re traveling with your pet fish or are shifting to a new home, you’ll have to be careful when putting them in a bag.

Wait until the last minute to pack your fish in a bag. You want them to spend as little time as possible in the bag.

That is why you must also remove it out of the bag as soon as you’re done traveling. Keeping your fish in a bag is something that should be done only when transporting.

Also, fill pure oxygen into the bag so that your fish can breathe and stay comfortable in the bag for as long as needed.

Fill Your Fish’s Bag with Pure Oxygen

Fish are often transported or shipped over large distances and travel for quite some time before they reach pet stores.

Pure oxygen is added into the bags which can help the fish last for 2 days if there aren’t any other fish in the bag.

The bags are then redone at stores so that the fish aren’t harmed on their way to your home.

If you’re unsure if the store has prepared the bag well, have them fill in some oxygen into the bag. This will prevent anything bad from happening to your fish as you transport them home.

How to Transfer  New Fish from the Bag to the Aquarium

When transferring your new fish from the bag to your tank, don’t put them in immediately.

Place the bag over the surface of the water so that the temperature slowly begins to match that of the tank.

Start off with transferring about 20-25% of the tank’s water into the bag so that the fish gets used to the tank’s water.

After a few minutes, add about half and observe if your fish still looks comfortable even after the change.

Only after you’ve let your fish gradually get used to the new water should you let it swim freely in the tank.

This whole process should take you about 20 minutes and not more.

Also read: How to Put a Betta Fish in a New Tank?

Prevent the Bag’s Water from Getting into the Aquarium

Don’t allow any of the water from the store to get into your tank.

Your goal is to keep increasing the amount of water in the bag. This should make your fish anxious enough to get out of the bag and into the tank.

Use a net to scoop it out of the bag and place it into the water in the tank.

Observe if Your Fish are Comfortable in Their New Environment

Keep a close eye on your fish’s behavior and any visible signs of discomfort.

Do they seem to be scratching themselves often on other materials in the aquarium? If yes, then there is a possibility that the water is too alkaline for them.

In that case, you should replace some of the water with fresh water. You want your fish to adjust to their new environment gradually and comfortably.

You’ll risk stressing your fishing by throwing them into a new and unfamiliar environment.

Last Few Words

How long a fish can survive in a bag is not something that’s particularly easy to answer.

There are multiple factors that affect the duration they can stay safe and healthy in a bag when traveling.

Know what these are so that you can make a reasonable estimate of how long your fish should stay in a bag.

Also, take precautionary steps like adjusting its feeding habits and its handling when you plan on transporting it. The life of your fish depends on it.

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