Shipping with heat packs question for you all?

skinz78 · Mar 7, 2015

When shipping and using heat packs do you poke a hole through the styro lid and mount the heat pack over the hole so it can get oxygen?

Reason I ask is because I received a box of 8 Acro colonies yesterday and it was 100% DOA, the water was cold and the heat pack was cold too but after sitting out it warmed back up. I'm thinking a hole is a necessity when using heat packs?

kacrocorals581 · Mar 7, 2015

yeah I do I don't think people realize how much oxygen they eat I've had the same open box everything cold 5 min later heat pack working again since they have oxygen levels once again

kacrocorals581 · Mar 7, 2015

you can also use them to eat oxygen to help store foods in case there's anyone out there making lots of jerky or something lol

GreatWhiteTang · Mar 7, 2015

2 heat packs.. Stapled between two paper plates.. Taped to inside of lid.. Never used more. The 2 heat. Packs.. Never had the. Get cold after transport... Ide say they got bad heat packs.. Or they over packed the cooler hence why they ran out of. Oxygen .. Poor packing!

skinz78 · Mar 7, 2015

I don't think the heat pack itself was faulty, it warmed right up as soon as the box was opened.

mfinn · Mar 8, 2015

This is a debated question that's gone on for years.
I do know from personal experience that the corals I have received that had holes in the lids to allow O2 in had working heat packs and the corals had a much higher survival rate as opposed to boxes that were sealed up tight with tape.

alan.reef · Mar 8, 2015

most box I receive is seal tight no hole, heat still working. following this thread to learn more.

jackson6745 · Mar 8, 2015

Interesting. I'm going to run a test in 2 different insulated boxes. I'll see how much a bag of water drops temp in 24 hrs in a sealed box, and a slightly ventilated box with a heat pack in each. I'll report back with pics and info.

mfinn · Mar 8, 2015

jackson6745 said:
Interesting. I'm going to run a test in 2 different insulated boxes. I'll see how much a bag of water drops temp in 24 hrs in a sealed box, and a slightly ventilated box with a heat pack in each. I'll report back with pics and info.

Most of the boxes I received that had working heat packs in them were taped or fastened to the lids of the insul boxes with the holes in the lids right where the heat p[acks were.

I remember a thread on RC a few years ago where a guy shipped out boxes with heat packs in them and holes to let in O2, with data loggers ( I think that was the term).

jackson6745 · Mar 9, 2015

mfinn said:
Most of the boxes I received that had working heat packs in them were taped or fastened to the lids of the insul boxes with the holes in the lids right where the heat p[acks were.

I remember a thread on RC a few years ago where a guy shipped out boxes with heat packs in them and holes to let in O2, with data loggers ( I think that was the term).

The ventilation certainly makes a difference!

IMG_1877 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

3 smalls holes in one of the box lids

IMG_1878 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

heat packs taped in place (holes directly over the pack in one box)

IMG_1879 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Bags of water placed inside with no other packing or insulation

IMG_1881 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Starting water temp

IMG_1880 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

For the next 7 hrs these boxes were left outside in 40 degree temps, and also left inside for 7 hrs in 70 room temp. Boxes remained closed for 14hrs total.
Here is the temp of the water in the box with no holes

IMG_1887 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

And water temp of the box with holes, actually higher than when I first packed it.

IMG_1885 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

I will definitely be making these little holes in all my packages. Now if only fedex will stop losing corals :neutral:

kireek · Mar 10, 2015

alan.reef said:
most box I receive is seal tight no hole, heat still working. following this thread to learn more.

I agree,this is how I receive most packages.I have seen holes in the lid only twice.

jackson6745 said:
Interesting. I'm going to run a test in 2 different insulated boxes. I'll see how much a bag of water drops temp in 24 hrs in a sealed box, and a slightly ventilated box with a heat pack in each. I'll report back with pics and info.

Thanks for your comparison and photos jackson6745,I will have to try this out!

jackson6745 · Mar 10, 2015

kireek said:
I agree,this is how I receive most packages.I have seen holes in the lid only twice.

Thanks for your comparison and photos @jackson6745,I will have to try this out!

No problem. Glad I could help. I'm kind of new to shipping so any little trick helps.

tepperchris · Mar 13, 2015

Great experiment with great photos, thanks for doing that!

jackson6745 said:
The ventilation certainly makes a difference!

IMG_1877 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

3 smalls holes in one of the box lids
IMG_1878 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

heat packs taped in place (holes directly over the pack in one box)
IMG_1879 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Bags of water placed inside with no other packing or insulation
IMG_1881 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Starting water temp
IMG_1880 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

For the next 7 hrs these boxes were left outside in 40 degree temps, and also left inside for 7 hrs in 70 room temp. Boxes remained closed for 14hrs total.
Here is the temp of the water in the box with no holes
IMG_1887 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

And water temp of the box with holes, actually higher than when I first packed it.
IMG_1885 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

I will definitely be making these little holes in all my packages. Now if only fedex will stop losing corals :neutral:

polywise · Mar 21, 2015

jackson6745,
What if you ran a test with the box full of bags (as if you were to ship a frag pack) - there would be less initial starting volume of air in the box. I wonder if in this state, the (3) air holes would be sufficient to keep up with the oxygen use of the heat packs? What do you think?
Jim