Shipping & Live Arrival

Shipping live animals is a craft. Here is exactly how we get your fish to you alive, healthy and stress-free, and what happens on the rare occasion something goes wrong.

Shop Fish

Overnight express
Insulated and heat-packed
Live arrival guarantee

How Shipping Works

1

Overnight express only
Livestock ships Monday through Wednesday for next-day delivery, so no fish ever sits in a warehouse over the weekend. Orders placed after Tuesday 12pm ET ship the following Monday.
2

Shipping is calculated at checkout
Rates are based on how many fish are in your order and where they are going, so one box carries your whole order.
3

Weather-engineered packing
Fish travel in double-bagged, oxygen-filled bags inside insulated foam boxes. We add 40-hour heat packs or cool packs based on the forecast along the entire route.
4

Weather holds protect your fish
If temperatures on the route fall outside safe ranges, we pause shipments and contact you to reschedule. You are never charged extra for a weather hold.

Live Arrival Guarantee

Our DOA policy

If a fish arrives dead, we replace it or refund it. Simple as that. A few fair conditions:

Report within 2 hours of the first delivery attempt, with your order number.
Send clear photos of the fish inside the unopened bag, plus one of the fish out of the bag on a light surface.
Verified DOAs are replaced free on the next shipping run, or refunded to your original payment method. Shipping charges are non-refundable.
Someone must be available to receive the box at the first delivery attempt. Refused or returned-to-sender boxes are not covered.

Contact us about an order

When Your Order Arrives

Five steps to a calm first day in the tank.

1

Bring the box inside immediately
Do not leave it in sun, cold or rain.
2

Dim the lights and float the bags
Float the sealed bags for 20 to 30 minutes to equalize temperature.
3

Drip acclimate
Open the bags and drip acclimate for 45 to 60 minutes.
4

Net the fish into the tank
Never pour bag water into your aquarium.
5

Let them settle
Keep lights off for the first few hours and skip the first feeding until the next day.