Members:
Has any member here done this before - hand carry FH's back to US on the plane after visiting Malaysia, Philipines, Thailand, or Indonesia? How does it work?

1) What paper work do I need from the seller in Malaysia? Health Cert? etc.?
2) How many FH's can be packed into the hand carry bag?
3) Do most airlines allow this? Which will or will not?
4) When arrive in US airport, what paper work do I need? What is the process? What to declare? How long to clear the agent check? How many departments do I have to go through?

Any relevant info would be very helpful. Thanks.

i dont think they are going to let you do that .... but if they do please give us the info and maybe i can do it next time im on a trip to asia..

vloh, you could hand carry up to 4 fish. Do not need anything else. Jus tell the custom its a gift from you relatives. Get a health cert. in case. depending who you talk to in the customs. Good luck.
I be in Penang for 1 month - Feb.

how can u get a health cert?

from breeders or sellers in MY. They know. Dep of MY fishery.

someone should try and let me know how it is done.. so when i go back to vietnam.. i wanna bring back some good expletivezz....

Notorious, could you give Val some tips?

What every you do, just make sure you check with the Airlines and airport at least a day prior to leaving Malaysia. You don't want to get suck at the airport with your prized fish and not being able to bring it on board the plane.

...Don't ask me how my friends and I know! Don't want you to get stuck in that situation. Believe me, it's stressful! " ...We ended up leaving one day later and had to rush to find someone to "ship" it back for us. Luckily, we had some connections.

Don't want to scare you, but better safe than sorry! The xray scanners at the airports can see EVERYTHING.

Good luck!

Dennis

Yike Flowerhorn Aquarium, that sounds terrible and too much hassle...... I guess my plan of hand carry a few FH's is off. Whaaaaaaaaa.

Hey whats up VAL! Sweet your going to malayasia alright heres some packing tips. 1. Double bag the fish 2. Tie up the bag really tight but don't fill up the air all the way because it might pop on the flight. 3. You should put the fish in your big luggage with cargo. 4. Try to stick all the fish in a box or some sort to protect the bags. 5. Make sure you claim live fish when you get back. 6. You should use very little water. If you do all this you should be fine. Some people use medicine to clam the fish down. I am not sure about this but i think you might need the health cert to load your fish at malayasia. But when you get back just make sure you claim the fish and you will be ok. Bring back some awesome fish and fish pics!

If you put the fish in your big luggage in cargo, make sure you have it in an insulated container and make sure the container is strong. It can get VERY cold 30,000 feet in the air. Also, the baggage handlers are not very gentle with luggage.

Also, double bag with newspaper or thicker plastic layer in between.

There is a medication called "Transmore" which some shippers use to 'relax' the fish during transportation. Ask the fish shops the recommended dosage.

The safest way is to make sure the authorities know what you are doing, then 'hand carry' the fish on board.

Whatever you do, don't try sneaking the fish on board. It's not worth it if you get caught. The scanning equipment has been much upgraded after 9/11.

I really wish you the best of luck! As for myself, I don't even want to bother with those headaches anymore. Best thing for you to do, is to find someone that is shipping their shipment of fish to the U.S. (Andy, Bill, or any of the other guys) and pay a bit to include your fish at the same time.

Good luck!

Dennis

Yes, I will go see some FH breeders when I am back in Penang. Having them shipped the FH would be definitely much safer and less hassle. Thanks.

Val,

Make sure to take some pictures during your farm visit!


Andy

Hey val i am not sure if malayasia is the same as thailand, because you can not hand carry the fish coming back from thailand.

I totally agree that you let the exporter do the work for you to clear customs. Besides, there will be peace of mind when you head back to NY after you stay in Penang.

Vloh,

Good luck after looking at some FH sites in the Philippines I want to bring back a couple for my personal collection. I beleive it's best if you hand carry and disclose everything. wondering if anyone knows what kind of documents you need on arrival in NY? does the fish get quarantine?

Mike

I strongly believe that you leave the documentations to the exporter. They will make sure that everything will be in order. Besides, I am sure that you do not want any delays while checking out from the airport upon arrival. This may be detrimental to the fish that you will be bringing in.