Glass and living things travel badly by default. Everything below is how we work around that.
Tanks, stands, lights, filters, soil and hardscape leave the warehouse within one business day. Orders over $149 ship free by ground within the lower 48 states. Aquariums travel inside a cut foam cradle with corner blocks and a second outer carton; we have not lost a rimless tank to transit damage since 2022.
Substrate and stone are heavy. Anything over forty pounds ships on its own label, which is why a soil-plus-stone order sometimes arrives in two deliveries a day apart.
Plants leave Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only. Nothing living sits in a weekend depot. Tissue cultures ship in their sealed cups; potted and bunch plants go into damp wool inside an insulated liner with a heat pack or gel pack chosen against the forecast for your zip code, not ours.
If your local forecast is below 25°F or above 95°F on the delivery date, we hold the box and email you the new dispatch day. You will not be charged for the delay, and you can cancel at any point during a hold for a full refund.
Shrimp, snails and bettas ship two-day air only, never ground. Photograph the sealed bag before you open it. Any DOA reported with a photo within four hours of delivery is credited in full, including the air freight.
Thirty days on unused dry goods in original packaging — email us and we will send a label. Opened soil, fertilizer and water conditioners cannot come back for contamination reasons. Plants and livestock are not returnable, but the guarantees above cover arrival problems.
Glass breakage in transit is replaced at no cost when reported within 48 hours with a photograph of the damaged carton and the break. Do not throw the box away before you tell us.
All 50 states for dry goods. Live plants and livestock: lower 48 only. No international orders at this time — the phytosanitary paperwork is not something a nine-person shop can do well.
Free, and you get first look at the odd-lot hardscape bin. Choose pickup at checkout and we will email you when the order is boxed, usually within three hours.