# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna >  Very sad. Cannot bring fish back to Singapore.

## Ruff

I just came back from Hong Kong. Very amazed by the varieties of plants and fishes in Tung Choi Street. Even saw the new Teco mini-chiller and ADA look-alike bubble counters (costing about S$10 only, quality about 90% of ADA's)) available in the retail shops there.

Bought a pair of very good quality & stable red pencil (supposed to be imported from Germany) for my planted tank. I have asked the aquarium shop to pack them in double layer of plastic bag and not to pump in so much oxygen.

I intended to hand carry them back. However, after I have passed through the custom, SIA in HK did not allow the fishes to board the plane as they said no live stock is allowed. They told me I should have checked in the fishes and that is the only way to bring live stock back into Singapore from overseas via their planes.

Very upset as I spent so much time to explain to them that AVA requirments allow 3 liters of water and 50 live fishes. After half an hour, they still did not allow me to bring along the fishes. At the end, I had to leave them behind in HK ....... probably the staff or custom there would have dump the fishes into dust bin.

Just want to know any of you have any experience of bringing fishes back from overseas. I think probably the fishes also won't survive without proper insulation and container.

Very sad as money is one thing. The time I spent and the joy of finding a very good pair of red pencil fishes are now history.

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## Cacatuoides

feel sad for you too....me flying to thailand next week, any bros have advice for me as to bringing fish back to singapore?

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## jja

> feel sad for you too....me flying to thailand next week, any bros have advice for me as to bringing fish back to singapore?


bro than u die die must go to chatuchak market!!!!

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## jja

bro Ruff, sad to hear taht u did not gte to bring the pencil fish back

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## benny

I bring fishes back from Hong Kong on almost every trip I make there. Mostly checked in with lugguage I agree that they have a great selection. Prices are higher than Singapore for most species.

Cheers,

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## Ruff

That means I must check in the fishes on my next trip. Should I just pass the plastic bag to the check in counter or should I put the bag into a hard container first?

The fishes (the good quality ones) in HK are not cheap compared to Singapore. However, some equipment there is about 30% to 40 % cheaper than Singapore. If you have some small and expensive equipment to buy, worth to take a look there. The prices and varieties there are really impressive.

If you want to get Tropica plants, you must go there also.

PH probes are half price there. MH light bulb is easily 30% less.

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## hwchoy

If you are going to parade a bag of fish for all to see, is it a wonder you couldn't get it through?

You can hand carry, but camouflage it properly as if it is shopping stuff. If checking in, recommend you put it in hard case luggage.

In fact my recommendation for air transport of fishes, is to put them into mineral water bottles. These are not easily crushed, will not leak, and will not burst due to low pressure. You can stack them neatly in a bundle in a shopping bag if you handcarry too.

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## Ruff

Oh, I should have let the fishes go through the x-ray machine for hand carried bags.

I was a bit too kind hearted to dump them onto the basket together with my handphone, keys, pen and coins in order not to let them go thru the x-ray scanner.

Now, I know what to do on my next trip.

Thank you.

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