by Howard Norfolk
Original to Aquarticles
Aquarticles

How do you regard the fish you are bringing to the club auction?
- They are nuisances using up space in your tanks and you’ll be glad to get rid of them.  It would also be nice to make some extra cash by selling them.
- They are living creatures whose fate rests entirely in your hands.  They are about to have the most stressful day of their lives, and you hope they will go safely to a good new home.

Without getting overly sentimental, perhaps if you lean towards the second attitude your fish will be happier, their new owner will get more enjoyment from them, and, deep down, you will be more satisfied.

So with these thoughts in mind, consider the following when taking fish to be sold at the club auction:

1. Do your regular partial water changes a day or two before the auction. You don’t want your friends testing your water and finding it in its usual disgusting state, do you?   Check that all the fish in the tank(s) are healthy and free of any hint of disease.

2. Acquire some suitable fish bags. Food or sandwich bags are usually too thin, and Ziploc bags come open too easily and will not be allowed in the auction.  Perhaps your best source is to beg or buy some bags from your favourite aquarium store.

3. Catch the fish with as little stress as possible, and carefully place them in your bag, together with enough of their own water to fill the bag about one quarter full. There should be enough water to cover the fish when the bag is on its side, but otherwise oxygen is more important than water. A little "Stress Coat" or similar conditioner could be added to the water.

4. Fill the bag with air. Don’t blow it up like a balloon, but rather keep your mouth a short distance from the bag, so that you fill it with oxygenated air rather than your own expelled carbon dioxide. Alternatively, use an air pump with hose to fill the bag.

5. Fasten the bag securely. If the bag is long enough you may be able to tie a knot in the bag itself.  Otherwise twist the top, double it over, and use a rubber band, like they do in the pet stores.  Take extra care over this – you may not be as good at it as the pet store people, and your bag will be getting a lot more handling than theirs do. Do not use metal twist ties - they can burst yours or other people's bags.  Make the bag quite taut like a balloon – this will make a small amount of water sit better on the auction table, and will help to avoid the possibility of fish becoming trapped in the corners of the bag.

6. Place the first bag inside a second bag, upside down, and fasten the second bag securely.  This will insure against damage and leakage, and will round out the corners of the first bag.

7. Before using the second bag, detail the contents clearly, using a felt pen (or perhaps a sticky label).  Write low down on the bag so that your writing is not obscured when you fasten it.  Put the same information on both sides of the bag so that viewers don’t have to turn it over on the auction table. Put as much information on the bag as is appropriate – the common and Latin names of the fish, how many fish, their size, sexes, and so on.
You'll probably be in a rush catching and bagging fish on the day of the auction - so consider doing the writing part the evening before.

8. Should your fish be a species or variety that is rarely seen, you should definitely provide the Latin name, and might write a short note as to their characteristics (“community”, “carnivorous”, “killifish", or whatever), and the aquarium conditions they prefer – or you could give the auctioneer this information before the sale (they don’t know everything!). Some auctioneers might ask you to say a few words about your unusual fish when they come up for sale.
If the fish are uncommon, some really considerate people take the trouble to attach computer print-outs or photocopied information about them.  This is much appreciated by purchasers (and the fish!). You might also consider writing an article about the fish for your club's newsletter.

9. Extra large fish need extra large bags - they will suffocate in a bag that is too small. Fish with spines (including cichlids and plecos) have been known to burst their bags. They are best brought in a glass or plastic container, or at least with their bag contained in a bucket.

10. Take the bags to the auction in an insulated container – a polystyrene box or a “cooler”. Whether the  temperature outside or in your car is warmer or colder, this will help stabilize the temperature of the fish water. Hopefully the auction room will be at a suitable temperature - if not, leave your fish in the insulated container as long as possible.

11. It is very stressful for fish to be lifted and examined dozens of times when on the auction tables (and at some auctions this is not allowed).  Make sure your content information is clearly visible, so that people who don't want “guppies” won't have to lift them to find out what they are. The more details you give, the less they will have to be lifted.  If bags with the same contents are placed beside each other and labelled the same, each one will have to be lifted fewer times.

12.  After the sale, should your fish be uncommon, seek out the buyers and tell them a little more about the fishes' characteristics and care.

Most aquatic plants do not require water in their bag. They are more likely to be damaged washing around loosely in water than in a tight air filled bag.  Write on the bag before filling it.  Latin names are very useful to purchasers of plants. Don't include snails, pieces of duckweed, etc.

When you buy fish at auction place them immediately in your insulated container. Don’t just leave them on the cold floor beside you.  Take a few spare bags in case they need re-bagging.

If the species is new to you, seek out the seller and find out all you can about it – including its Latin name so that you can look it up more easily at home.

Take a little extra care!…..and good luck at the Auction!