How do I determine my shipping costs?
The rates you see in the checkout cart is what you pay. All rates listed are for the contiguous 48 states. Livestock orders have 2 choices; Overnight Air, which is guaranteed overnight delivery by the end of the next day or Priority Overnight which usually has an additional cost, which guarantees earlier delivery in the day. For the exact guaranteed delivery time for your specific area, you must contact the shipping carrier used for your order.
Use the origin zip code: 06450 for transit times
How are livestock orders shipped?
To ensure you receive the healthiest livestock and to reduce the travel stress, your order will ship overnight or local delivery depending on customer’s final destination. Live Rock/Live Sand, Frozen Food, Livestock and Aquarium supplies are all handled as separate orders and will ship separately.
How will I know when my order is shipping?
The day your order ships, you will receive an email from your shipping carrier of choice containing your tracking number so you can make arrangements to sign for your order upon scheduled arrival (dependent on signature being required).
When will I receive my tracking information?
A tracking number will be emailed to you with information confirming the location and time your package will arrive. You will receive your tracking number about one hour after shipments depart from our facility which is usually between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM EST.
Is it possible to hold my order at the holding facility?
Yes you can. To reduce stress on livestock, Cultured Aquatic Life, LLC prefers the use of qualified shipping carrier facilities as your delivery destination. Delivering to a home or office via a local non climate controlled delivery truck increases the transit causing more stress on the livestock. This option is available at time of checkout.
Can I have my order shipped to a different address?
Yes you can, as long as your credit card company has the approved alternate (different) address on file.
Are Saturday deliveries available for Livestock orders?
The shipping carriers do provide Saturday delivery to most locations. Unfortunately, not all zip codes qualify for Saturday delivery service. To see if any Saturday service is available, check your delivery service provider designated in your shopping cart. Cultured Aquatic Life, LLC only ships out during normal business days.
Can Cultured Aquatic Life, LLC ship out of the continental USA?
We do not ship to Post Office boxes, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other U.S. Territories or other countries.
Do I need to sign for my delivery?
In the majority of cases, yes. For the well-being of your new aquarium livestock, we ask that someone be available at the time of delivery to prevent your new inhabitants from being exposed to the elements and extreme temperatures. Requiring a person to be present at time of delivery is a requirement for our livestock guarantee policy to apply.
How do I get a head start on understanding special acclimation of shipped livestock?
To ensure the good health of your new arrivals, you may wish to get a head start on learning the procedures and make sure everything is on hand. Please follow the steps outlined on our website carefully. Our instructions will differ from normal acclimation procedures from your Local Fish Store (LFS). Your ordered livestock has been in shipping bags for a much longer time, so our acclimation instructions are very important.
Refer to our Acclimation Process page for further details.