Shipping Policy

Last Updated: September 21, 2026

At Island Reef Aquatics, we take great care in preparing, inspecting, and packaging every order. Live aquatic animals require specialized handling, and our shipping procedures are designed to help livestock arrive safely while minimizing unnecessary time in transit.

This Shipping Policy applies to orders placed through the Island Reef Aquatics website.

Live Livestock Shipping

Live livestock includes, but is not limited to:

Corals
WYSIWYG corals
Fish
Shrimp, crabs, snails, urchins, starfish, and other invertebrates
Anemones
Other live aquatic animals

Unless otherwise stated at checkout, livestock orders are shipped using an overnight delivery service.

Available shipping methods, rates, and applicable free-shipping promotions will be displayed at checkout.

Shipping charges are based on the order, destination, shipping method, and any applicable promotions.

Shipping Days — Tuesday Through Thursday

Island Reef Aquatics ships live livestock Tuesday through Thursday.

We intentionally ship livestock only during these days to reduce the risk of animals being held at carrier facilities or delayed over weekends.

Orders placed on or near the end of our weekly shipping window may be held until the following Tuesday.

For example, an order placed on Thursday after that day's shipments have been processed may not ship until the following Tuesday.

We generally do not ship live livestock Friday through Monday unless specifically arranged and approved by Island Reef Aquatics.

Our normal shipping schedule may also be adjusted due to:

Carrier holidays
Severe weather
Extreme temperatures
Major carrier delays or disruptions
Natural disasters
Livestock health or condition
Operational disruptions
Other circumstances that could place livestock at unnecessary risk

The health and safety of our livestock always takes priority over our normal shipping schedule.

Order Processing — Ships Within 48 Hours

We aim to have eligible orders processed and shipped within 48 hours of the order being placed.

The 48-hour shipping timeframe is subject to our Tuesday through Thursday livestock shipping schedule.

This means that orders placed outside our normal shipping window may be processed within 48 hours but held until the next available livestock shipping day.

For example:

An eligible order placed Monday would generally ship Tuesday or Wednesday.
An eligible order placed Tuesday would generally ship Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
An order placed Thursday after shipments have been processed may be held until the following Tuesday.
Orders placed Friday through Sunday will generally ship beginning the following Tuesday.

The 48-hour timeframe is our normal processing target and does not constitute a guaranteed delivery or shipment date.

Shipping may be postponed when reasonably necessary because of weather, carrier conditions, holidays, livestock health, inventory issues, order verification, or other circumstances that could affect safe fulfillment.

If we determine that livestock should remain under observation before shipment, we reserve the right to temporarily hold the order for the health and safety of the animal.

When practical, we will contact the customer regarding significant shipping delays.

Delivery Date Requests

Customers may request a preferred livestock delivery or shipping date when that option is available.

Requested dates are not guaranteed until confirmed by Island Reef Aquatics.

We reserve the right to adjust a shipping or delivery date when weather, carrier conditions, livestock health, holidays, or other circumstances make shipment unsafe or impractical.

If you need your livestock to arrive on a specific day, please contact us before placing your order or as soon as possible afterward.

Weather & Temperature

Island Reef Aquatics monitors weather conditions when preparing livestock shipments.

Heat packs, cold packs, insulation, and other appropriate packaging methods may be used when we determine they are necessary.

We reserve the right to postpone a livestock shipment if temperatures or weather conditions at the origin, destination, carrier hub, or along the expected transit route create an unreasonable risk to the animals.

Weather-related livestock holds may cause an order to exceed our normal 48-hour shipping timeframe.

There is no additional charge when we choose to delay an order solely for livestock safety.

Receiving Your Livestock

Customers are responsible for monitoring tracking information and making arrangements to receive livestock promptly.

We strongly recommend that someone be available when the shipment is delivered.

Once delivered:

Bring the package indoors promptly.
Inspect the shipment immediately.
Follow appropriate acclimation procedures.
Contact Island Reef Aquatics immediately if there is a problem.

Leaving livestock outdoors or otherwise unattended after delivery, particularly during extreme temperatures, may affect eligibility under our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Live Arrival Guarantee

Eligible livestock shipments are protected by the Island Reef Aquatics Live Arrival Guarantee.

If livestock arrives deceased, you must contact Island Reef Aquatics within 2 hours of the carrier's documented delivery time.

Video evidence is required for all DOA claims. Photos alone are not sufficient to qualify for our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Customers must provide all photographs, video, packaging, and other documentation required under our Refund, Return & Live Arrival Policy.

All submitted evidence must authentically represent the livestock received and its actual condition.

Island Reef Aquatics reserves the right to deny a claim when we reasonably suspect that submitted evidence has been AI-generated, materially AI-altered, digitally manipulated, staged, falsified, or otherwise presented in a manner that misrepresents the livestock or circumstances of the claim.

Please review our complete Refund, Return & Live Arrival Policy for claim requirements, exclusions, and available remedies.

Carrier Delays

Although overnight shipping is normally used for livestock, shipping carriers may occasionally experience delays outside of our control.

A carrier delay does not automatically void our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If your shipment is delayed, continue monitoring the tracking information and contact us if you have concerns.

Do not refuse a livestock package because it is late. Many aquatic animals can remain safely packaged longer than expected when properly prepared.

Once the package arrives, bring it inside promptly and follow the normal inspection and acclimation process.

Incorrect Addresses

Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.

Please verify your:

Name
Street address
Apartment or unit number, when applicable
City
State
ZIP code
Phone number
Email address

Once an order has been shipped, we may not be able to modify the delivery address.

Our Live Arrival Guarantee may not apply when a delivery problem results from an incorrect or incomplete address provided by the customer.

Additional shipping charges resulting from an incorrect customer-provided address may be the customer's responsibility.

Missed Deliveries

Customers are responsible for making reasonable arrangements to receive livestock shipments promptly.

Island Reef Aquatics is not responsible for delays or delivery problems caused by:

Missed delivery attempts
Refused packages
Inaccessible delivery locations
Incorrect gate or access information
Customer-requested delivery changes after shipment
Unauthorized package rerouting
Incorrect or incomplete addresses
Failure to retrieve a package being held for pickup
Failure to promptly bring livestock inside following delivery

These circumstances may affect eligibility under our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Carrier Hold & Pickup Locations

In certain weather conditions or circumstances, having a livestock package held at an authorized carrier location for customer pickup may be safer than residential delivery.

If you would like your shipment held for pickup, please contact Island Reef Aquatics before the order ships.

Do not independently redirect or reroute a livestock shipment after it has shipped without contacting us first.

Unauthorized rerouting or delivery changes may delay the shipment and may affect Live Arrival Guarantee coverage.

Combining Orders

If you place multiple orders before your scheduled shipping date, contact us as soon as possible if you would like them combined.

We will make reasonable efforts to combine eligible orders when possible.

Combining orders is not guaranteed, particularly if an order has already been packed, processed, or transferred to the carrier.

If orders can be combined, any applicable shipping adjustment or credit will be determined by Island Reef Aquatics based on the circumstances of the orders.

WYSIWYG Orders

WYSIWYG means "What You See Is What You Get."

Unless otherwise stated, the individual coral shown in a WYSIWYG listing is the specimen that will be shipped to the purchaser.

Because WYSIWYG livestock is unique, availability of an identical replacement cannot be guaranteed in the event of an approved claim.

Normal differences in coloration or polyp extension resulting from shipping stress, acclimation, lighting, spectrum, or aquarium conditions do not constitute shipping damage or a DOA.

Livestock & Equipment in the Same Order

Livestock and aquarium equipment or dry goods may be shipped separately when necessary.

Live animals will not be packaged in a manner that we believe could compromise their safety simply to combine an order into one shipment.

Customers may therefore receive multiple tracking numbers for an order containing both livestock and dry goods.

Different portions of the same order may also have different processing and delivery times.

Equipment & Dry Goods Shipping

Equipment, supplies, and other non-livestock products may be shipped using standard or expedited shipping services depending on the item and shipping method selected at checkout.

Dry goods may ship separately from livestock.

We aim to process eligible in-stock dry goods promptly; however, estimated shipment and delivery dates are not guaranteed unless specifically stated otherwise.

Some oversized, heavy, drop-shipped, backordered, or special-order products may require additional processing time or shipping charges.

If additional charges are necessary before an order can be fulfilled, we will contact you before proceeding.

Damaged Dry Goods

Please inspect equipment and dry goods promptly after delivery.

If an item arrives damaged, contact Island Reef Aquatics within 48 hours of delivery.

Please retain:

The product
Original shipping box
Internal packaging
Shipping label
All accessories and components

We may request photographs and/or video of the packaging and product to verify and process the claim.

Please retain all packaging until Island Reef Aquatics confirms that it may be discarded.

Please see our Refund, Return & Live Arrival Policy for additional information.

Tracking Information

Tracking information will be provided when available after an order has been prepared for shipment.

Customers are responsible for monitoring tracking information after shipment.

Please keep in mind that receiving a tracking number does not necessarily mean the carrier has physically received the package yet.

Carrier tracking estimates may change while a package is in transit and do not constitute a guaranteed delivery time unless specifically guaranteed by the carrier service being used.

Shipping Restrictions

Island Reef Aquatics ships only to locations that we are legally and operationally able to service.

Certain livestock may be restricted from shipment to particular states, territories, municipalities, or jurisdictions.

We reserve the right to cancel, modify, or decline an order when shipping the purchased livestock would violate applicable law or when we determine that safe delivery cannot reasonably be completed.

Any applicable refund for an order canceled by Island Reef Aquatics will be processed according to our Refund, Return & Live Arrival Policy.

Local Pickup

Local pickup may be available for eligible orders when offered at checkout.

Customers will be notified when their order is ready for pickup.

Please do not arrive to pick up an online order until you have received confirmation that the order is ready.

Livestock should be transported directly to its destination after pickup and should not be left inside a vehicle or exposed to extreme temperatures.

Once livestock has been accepted and leaves our possession, it is considered a local/in-store livestock purchase and is subject to our Refund, Return & Live Arrival Policy.

Shipping Charges

Shipping charges are displayed at checkout based on the shipping options available for your order.

Unless otherwise specifically provided under our policies, original shipping charges are non-refundable.

If an approved livestock claim results in replacement livestock being shipped separately, additional shipping charges may apply.

Free-shipping offers, promotional shipping rates, or other shipping discounts are subject to the terms of the applicable promotion.

Questions About Shipping

If you have questions about an upcoming shipment, delivery date, weather conditions, or existing order, please contact Island Reef Aquatics through the Contact Us section of our website.

Please include your name and order number when contacting us about an existing order.

Quick Shipping Summary

Processing: We aim to ship eligible orders within 48 hours.

Livestock Shipping Days: Tuesday–Thursday

Livestock Shipping Method: Overnight delivery unless otherwise stated

DOA Reporting Window: Within 2 hours of documented delivery

DOA Evidence: Video required

Island Reef Aquatics reserves the right to update this Shipping Policy at any time. The policy in effect at the time an order is placed will apply to that order.

Shipping policy