Checking in my livesotck on my flight to FL

I will be moving to FL start of next year and instead of sending my live stock via FEDEX or with the movers, I thought why not check it in on my same flight?

My thought is, prep a substitute tank in the new place about 1 month prior to the move. The day of the move, pack my live rock, substrate, tank and stand and send those items with the movers. Pack my corals and fish in plastic bags, place them in a styrofoam box, place that in a cooler, tape it up securely and check it in on my flight.

The flight is approximately 2 hours long and I'll factor in another hour before the livestock makes it into the tank.

My questions are:

Is it important to announce the contents as live stock?

Is there a limit to the amount of liquid allowed with check in items?

Does it make sense keeping the substrate as opposed to having it live and fresh in the temp tank at FL?

Anything I should concern myself with with the check in items?

Did I leave anything out?

 

you know that is an interesting concept, I dont know if they would let you do it like a dog or cat but they might.

 

Call the airlines, each one treats live cargo differently. Personally I would pack them just as you stated, put them in the back seat and drive them down.

 

I've worked at an airport for 17 years, and I see how carelessly baggage and cargo is handled on commercial carriers, regardless of how it is labelled.

I once saw a shipment labelled, "live tropical fish: keep warm" left out on the tarmac in the dead of winter for over six hours.

If you do insist on going this route, make sure that your livestock is well insulated. Most cargo holds aren't heated unless there is a reason to do so, and the temperature will quikcly drop once you are in the air.

As an aside, never put any valuable items in your checked in luggage. Pretty much every major airport has a theft ring or two among the ground staff. They will rifle through bags for valuables.

If it were me, I'd rather: 1. Drive the livestock down myself. 2. Send it via an actual cargo carrier that has SOP's for shipping livestock. 3. Sell the livestock, and just buy new items after the move.