Shipping & Live Arrival Guarantee

Our Commitment to Your Fish

We have been selling and caring for tropical fish for many years. Every fish offered for sale is carefully evaluated, and we will never knowingly ship a fish unless we are confident that it is healthy, feeding, and ready for the trip.

Shipping live fish is very different from shipping ordinary merchandise. Weather, the size and type of fish, packaging requirements, and transit time must all be considered. The welfare of the fish will always come first. If we believe conditions are not safe for shipping, we will contact you and postpone the shipment.

We welcome questions before you order. If you would like additional information about a fish, its temperament, care requirements, compatibility, current size, feeding habits, or condition, please call us. We would much rather help you make the right choice than sell you a fish that is not appropriate for your aquarium.

WYSIWYG Livestock

Most fish and corals shown on our website are WYSIWYG—“What You See Is What You Get.” Unless the listing states otherwise, the photographs show the actual animal being offered for sale.

Please understand that lighting, aquarium conditions, camera settings, stress during transportation, and individual screens can affect how colors appear. A fish may also look temporarily pale or stressed immediately after shipping and will often regain its normal coloration after it has had time to settle.

Shipping Schedule

Live fish and corals are shipped on Wednesdays and Thursdays only, unless other arrangements have been made in advance.

Orders are shipped by UPS or FedEx using the service we believe provides the safest and most reliable delivery to your location. We generally use overnight service for livestock. We do not ship immediately before weekends or holidays, and shipments may be postponed because of severe heat, cold, storms, carrier disruptions, or any other condition that could place the animals at unnecessary risk.

We will contact you to confirm the shipping date before your order is sent. Tracking information will be provided when the shipment is processed.

Actual Shipping Charges

Because shipping costs have become extremely expensive and vary substantially by destination, box size, package weight, type and size of livestock, and required heating or cooling materials, we charge the actual cost of shipping rather than using a flat rate.

After your order is reviewed and the appropriate packaging is determined, we will calculate the shipping charge using the current UPS or FedEx rate. You will be contacted with the shipping total before the order is shipped. No livestock will be shipped until the shipping charge and delivery date have been approved.

We do not mark up carrier charges for profit. Any separate box or packing charge, if applicable, will be disclosed before shipment.

Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee that livestock will arrive alive when the following conditions are met:

• The shipment is delivered on the first scheduled delivery attempt.
• Someone is present to receive the package when it arrives.
• The package is brought inside immediately and is not left outdoors.
• The customer follows the acclimation instructions provided.
• Any problem is reported to us within two hours of the carrier’s recorded delivery time.
• Clear photographs and a short video of the animal are provided while it is still in the original, unopened shipping bag.

Please do not discard the animal, shipping bag, water, box, or packing materials until we have reviewed the claim. We may request additional photographs or information so that we can determine what happened.

When a valid live-arrival claim is approved, we will offer a refund or store credit for the purchase price of the affected animal. At our discretion, a replacement may also be offered. Original shipping charges are not refundable, and the customer is responsible for shipping charges if a replacement animal is sent.

Our guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee an animal after it has been released into the customer’s aquarium because water quality, acclimation, tankmates, disease exposure, equipment, and aquarium conditions are outside our control.

Carrier Delays and Customer Responsibility

The live-arrival guarantee does not apply when:

• No one is available to receive the shipment.
• Delivery is missed, refused, redirected, rescheduled, or held at the customer’s request.
• An incorrect or incomplete delivery address was provided.
• The package is not brought indoors promptly after delivery.
• A problem is reported outside the two-hour claim period.
• The animal has been removed from its original shipping bag before photographic documentation is provided.
• The shipment is sent despite the customer requesting a date or accepting weather conditions that we advised against.

Carrier delays will be handled individually. Although delays are beyond our direct control, we will work honestly with both the customer and the carrier to reach a fair resolution. We cannot guarantee approval of a claim when the carrier denies responsibility or when the requirements of this policy have not been followed.

Our Promise

We understand that purchasing livestock online requires trust. We have built our reputation by taking the health of our animals and the concerns of our customers seriously. Legitimate problems will always receive our attention, and we will make every reasonable effort to treat the customer fairly.

These requirements exist to protect the animals, the customer, and our business from misunderstandings and fraudulent claims. If you have any questions about a fish, shipping costs, delivery arrangements, or this guarantee, please call us before placing your order. We are always happy to speak with you.