Healthy live fish, shipped overnight with care.
Quick Summary
- All livestock ships overnight only
- Orders ship Monday through Wednesday
- Minimum livestock order: $59
- $44.99 overnight shipping on orders $59 to $148.99
- $39.99 overnight shipping on orders $149 to $248.99
- FREE overnight shipping on orders $249 and up
- Approved DOA claims receive store credit plus a 10% bonus
- Plant, food and merch orders without fish ship for a flat $9.99
1. Overnight Shipping Policy
At Source Aquatics, all live fish orders ship by overnight service only. We use overnight shipping to reduce transit time and help ensure your fish arrive safely and in the best possible condition.
Every order is carefully packed using oxygenated bags, insulated packaging, and temperature control when necessary. Our goal is to give your fish the safest possible trip from our facility to your door.
Shipping Schedule
Livestock orders ship Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only, so your fish never sit in a carrier facility over the weekend.
Orders placed before 10:00 AM Eastern on a ship day go out that day. Orders placed after the cutoff, or on Thursday through Sunday, ship on the next available ship day. The next ship day is always shown at the top of our website.
Shipping Rates
| Orders $59 to $148.99 | $44.99 overnight shipping |
| Orders $149 to $248.99 | $39.99 overnight shipping |
| Orders $249 and up | FREE overnight shipping |
Minimum Livestock Order: $59
Orders that contain only plants, food or merch have no minimum and ship for a flat $9.99, however many items you order. Plants may ship separately using plant-safe USPS or UPS delivery.
Most community aquarium orders ship in one insulated box. Larger orders may require additional boxes depending on fish size, bag size, and the total volume of livestock in the shipment.
2. Live Arrival Guarantee
We proudly offer a Live Arrival Guarantee on all livestock shipments when the claim requirements below are followed.
We stand behind our packing process and work hard to make every order arrive safely. If there is ever a problem, our goal is to resolve it quickly and fairly.
Dead On Arrival (DOA) Claims
If any fish arrive DOA (dead on arrival), you must submit your claim within 2 hours of the carrier's marked delivery time. Claims submitted after the 2-hour window cannot be approved.
How To Submit a DOA Claim
Email info@sourceaquatics.com with your order number in the subject line and these photos:
- The fish clearly visible inside the sealed bag
- The fish placed on a paper towel
- A clear photo of the shipping label on the box
How DOA Claims Are Resolved
Approved DOA claims receive store credit for the value of the affected fish plus a 10% bonus. Store credit never expires and can be used toward any future order.
3. Missing Items or Supplier Availability
Because live fish are collected and inspected close to shipping time, there may be rare occasions when a fish in your order is unavailable or not in suitable condition for shipment. In these cases, we may still ship the remaining fish in your order so they arrive safely on schedule.
If this happens, the missing item is refunded to your original payment method. The same applies to any fish we hold back because it is not healthy enough to ship.
4. Shipping Charges
Shipping charges are non-refundable. Because live fish require specialized overnight delivery and careful insulated packing, shipping fees apply to the delivery service itself and are non-refundable once an order has shipped. Approved DOA claims apply to the livestock only.
5. Delivery Responsibility
Customers are responsible for being available to receive the shipment on the day of delivery. The Live Arrival Guarantee may be void if:
- An incorrect shipping address is provided
- Delivery is missed or delayed due to customer error
- The package is left outdoors or unattended for an extended period after delivery
6. Eco-Friendly Packing
Whenever possible, Source Aquatics uses recyclable and eco-conscious insulated packaging materials to reduce waste while still protecting livestock during overnight transit.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about your order, shipping, or a claim, email us at info@sourceaquatics.com.