Getting ready for the auction before the morning of

[LanaK]

Auction Prep Question - How do people get ready in advance for the auction before the morning of.  I am trying to save myself from the early morning scramble of catching fish.  Do people catch Friday night and just put into buckets and such to bag the next morning?  Bag your plants the night before?  Looking for suggestions as I have a lot I want to bring, but a longer drive in the morning and I want to get there sooner rather than later.

[jcunningham0295]

Depending on the size of the fish if you have oxygen, I generally will start bagging the night before and stop feeding on Wed.  It can be a lot to try and do the morning of.

[fishman]

Print all of your labels Today. You can do all your plants on Friday. Plants do not require a lot of water, I like to put fish in buckets (air stone or sponge filter, The large air system is helpful to do this). I always like to have aged filtered water.  I would also recommend you stop feeding your fish today.  While they are in the bucket they will expel a lot of waste. That is why I have the aged water. Then I get up early and bag. Auctions are like Christmas morning.  Your have to use some common sense of what and how many fish you can put into the buckets. This is true for the bags as well. Cichlids will be Cichlids.

[LanaK]

(I admit I did post this question for some of the member as well as my own confirmation of knowledge)

Stopped feeding yesterday... I know that trick for sure. 

The plants I was for sure going to do Friday and getting all my labels done.

I do not have access to oxygen for bagging Friday, but I do have large tubs to store fish in and plenty of tank water that is mostly clean to include.  And lots of buckets....

All good ideas - keep them coming!

[Regalblue]

I usually start bagging at 2-3am.

[Ron]

I stop feeding after the Thursday night prior so the fish can fast.

Fish from tanks filled with rockwork, etc, that makes them hard to remove I'll net and move into relatively bare tanks in advance so it's easier to get them out the morning of.

I print and cut labels the night before. (I use packaging tape to secure the labels and keep them waterproof the morning of).

I don't use O2 personally, so I bag the morning of. Remember to not put in too much water - fish need water to only keep wet (provided you fasted them sufficiently) and air to breath. 1/4-1/3 of water in the bag is sufficient.

I take the time I have to leave, subtract 30 minutes for loading, 30 minutes for food/getting ready, and figure I bag around 8 bags per hour (everything double-bagged, double rubberband'ed). For someone who's new, maybe plan for 1/2 that speed of bagging.

Normally I'm up around 4am, because I get there really early to help setup and check-in everyone else's items prior to the start. Be sure to say 'Hi'.