The issue is not of solely European importance, therefore we should talk about it in a general manner in the “global” section. But certainly: as the European aspects are concerned, we have that problem here in all its facets, of course: Many country-borders in all directions, different posting companies, and in spite of the European market still different customs traditions. And different languages, of course.
The main problem we have is time. A journey exceeding three or (maximum) four days will simply be too long even for licirice gouramis. For, these fish stand being sent via post-parcel better than all other fish, certainly better than guppies. There are three preconditions, of course:
(1) The sender may not make any severe mistake (see below), (2) the fish should be in good conditions, and (3) the journey should not exceed three days at the most. Let me explain this:
– Licorice gouramis are labyrinths. In normal aquarium care they don’t use their labyrinth at all. But that organ is well developed and will be used instantly if conditions deteriorate. Therefore, we have nearly no problem with oxygen.
– But: There are fish that are used to swim around and others that are rather quietly staying at one place. Even many labyrinths belong to the former category. Licorice belong to the latter. All fish of the first category are less safe to be sent than those of the quiet group.
– Licorice are the most quiet fish we know. If sent in a small dark amount of water with one or two old beech or oak leaves in it, they will “sit” below a leaf and stay there and don’t move. The best a fish can do in that situation.
– Licorice are no high-temperature fish but as members of the often cooler (because shadier) rainforest biotopes they stand a certain decline of temperatures better than the opposite.
– Licorice are used to very small home ranges. They can be bred in 10-liter-tanks (Allan Brown used 5-liter-tanks!) and do not show any signs of discomfort. Of course, a small group of these fish should normally be given more space to battle at the borders of their cave-quarters and lokk for alternatives. But one pair is totally content with a very small place.
Of course, one has to avoid heavy mistakes. The most dangerous is no care against very deep temperatures. Temperature falling below 16 degrees Celsius is the biggest danger at a too-long journey. A styopore box must have thick walls, but that does not suffice. In case of very deep temperatures one has to use heat packs with care. This requires experience. Therefore, in the cold season the problems are great. In the warm season they are much less great. Another heavy mistake is putting too many fish in one bag. Generally one should avoid the normal fish bags and prefer containers with hard walls. The best is sending the fish singly in small plastic bottles or plastic containers with screwing top. They can be very small indeed: 300 milliliter, half-grown even a bit smaller, the bigger 500 milliliter are sufficient (for one fish!).
This are all things that can be learned and the mistakes avoided. Given this as precondition, licorice gouramis are the best fish to be sent by post-parcel. Then, if the journey lasts not for longer than two days, they will safely arrive. Karen Koomams often sent licorice from the Netherlands to Sweden oder received fish from Finland (there was an anjunganensis specialist). The journeys often took three days an dit was no problem. Once it took five days and it was no problem. But this is risky, of course. Too long journeys with incalculable stops at the customs or companies that throw the parcels and repack it several times and store it too cold or too hot: That’s not advisable, and that’s the problem. Not the sort of package or the precautions that the sender can learn.
We have many experience with one or two day sendings in Germany. Licorice gouramis stand this much better than any other fish (except killi-fish eggs, not the fish: the eggs!) for the reasons named. Guppies are much more fastidious (Bartian!). The problem is the mistakes that the sennder should avoid and the incalculable length of journeys within a continent with many borders. We have too little experience with this. Within the borders of the Eurpean union and the Maastricht zone customs should no longer be a problem. But is that true in practice?
Certainly, the meetings of associations are very good opportunities to exchange fish. At the IGL- or EAC-meetings in Germany there are private exchange markets mostly with several licorice species. But this does not solve our problem. You have to travel for more or less long distances yourself and that’s expensive. You can do that in some cases, but many can’t do it. Therefore sending Paros with post-parcel is a serious alternative, if … well, if the preconditions are to be fulfilled. If not, it should be avoided, of course.