Is my anubias on the brink of collapse?

[WildFins]

Honest truth, doc?

I've got a bad feeling about my Anubias.

The gamble of mail-ordering plants in winter isn't paying off.

[cichlidgirl22]

I'm no doc, but I'll give it to you straight.

Your Anubias is likely toast, my friend. The risks of ordering plants by mail in winter can be brutal, and it sounds like your plant might not have made the cut.

[barnicle]

Rhizome still looks alright, see how it goes from here.

[WildFins]

I'm with barnicle on this one. Rhizome's still got life in it, so let's see how it goes.

[WildFins]

Rhizome still looks alright, see how it goes from here.

Might as well hold onto it since the rhizome's still looking alright. Got another one on the way, and warmer weather's coming up.

[WildFins]

The snails are having a field day with it, so I'll just see what's left when they're done with it.

[TwinTankman]

When ordering in cold weather, I've found a couple of strategies that can make a difference. Paying for insulation and a heat pack can be a lifesaver. Another trick I use is to combine fish and plants in the same order - that way, the plants get to ride in the same heated box as the fish.

In my book, one healthy fish is worth three DOAS. Same goes for plants - I'd rather have one thriving specimen than three struggling ones.

[WildFins]

When ordering in cold weather, I've found a couple of strategies that can make a difference. Paying for insulation and a heat pack can be a lifesaver. Another trick I use is to combine fish and plants in the same order - that way, the plants get to ride in the same heated box as the fish.

In my book, one healthy fish is worth three DOAS. Same goes for plants - I'd rather have one thriving specimen than three struggling ones.

I've always been cautious with mail orders during winter. The risks just aren't worth it for me.

[TwinTankman]

I'm from New York, been shipping fish for years. Sent a box of LF bristlenose plecos to Alaska once, USPS, it took till Friday to arrive, all fish alive. I've got no problem shipping in freezing weather, that's what 1 inch styro and heat packs are for.

However, I stop shipping after Thanksgiving till mid-January, not because of the weather, but the holiday rush. Boxes get delayed, shipping companies don't care what's inside. I've had issues with summer shipping, it's a different story. I'm not comfortable with cold packs, my fish are from warm water, I keep them in the low-mid 80sF. My goal is to keep the water around 76F during shipping. I know how to handle heat packs, not cold packs.

I've learned that if fish are at a temperature that's almost fatal, the best way to save them is to get them to the right temperature ASAP. I used to think slow acclimation was the way to go, but research papers showed that's not the case. They found that if you get the fish to the right temperature quickly, they'll survive. I've seen it firsthand, I don't acclimate new fish. When they arrive, the bag is opened, and they go straight into the Q tank. If I have multiple bags of the same species, I'll dump the fish and bag water into a bucket, then net them and put them in the tank. I want them out of bag water as fast as possible.

[cichlidgirl22]

I've had my fair share of shipping woes with USPS - over 6,000 packages with live plants, to be exact.
USPS's reliability is a concern of mine; it's not rare for a package to take a detour - like going from New Jersey to California via Hawaii.
Just last month, I had six packages marked as delivered, but customers claimed they never received them.
Needless to say, I'm not responsible for USPS's mishaps, which can understandably leave customers unhappy.