Live Arrival Guarantee

What is guaranteed

• All fish, corals, and invertebrates are guaranteed to arrive alive, in good condition, and showing normal behavior (responsive, upright, breathing normally, or with open polyps for corals).
• The guarantee covers the condition of the animal at the moment you open the package — not after acclimation or tank placement.
• If any animal does not meet this standard, you are eligible for a replacement or store credit under our DOA policy.
• This guarantee applies to all shipping methods we offer, provided the package was delivered on the scheduled date and accepted properly.

What is NOT guaranteed

• Long-term survival — We guarantee arrival condition, not how long the animal lives in your tank. That depends on your water quality, diet, tank mates, and care.
• Color and appearance — Fish and corals often change color under stress (shipping, new lighting, or tank conditions). Temporary dulling, fading, or polyp retraction is normal and not covered.
• Plants and dry goods — Plants are hardy but are not covered under the live arrival guarantee. See our refund policy for plant issues.
• Damage from improper handling after delivery — If the animal is healthy upon opening but dies during acclimation or due to poor water parameters, that is outside our guarantee.

Situations beyond our control

We pack every order with extreme care, but some things are simply out of our hands:

• Carrier delays — If a package is delayed by the shipping company (missed flights, sorting errors, vehicle breakdowns), the animals may be in transit longer than planned.
• Weather events — Severe heat, cold snaps, hurricanes, or winter storms can stress or kill animals in transit, even with insulation and heat/cold packs.
• Acts of nature — Earthquakes, floods, power outages at carrier hubs, or other emergencies that disrupt the delivery network.
• Incorrect address or missed delivery — If you provide the wrong address or are not home to accept the package, we cannot guarantee arrival condition after the carrier leaves it unattended.
• Customs or inspections — International orders may be opened by customs, causing delays, temperature shifts, or damage. This is beyond our control.

In these cases, we will work with you to find a fair solution, but we cannot automatically replace or credit every order affected by circumstances we did not create.