Saltwater aquarium FAQ

Every order ships overnight in an insulated box with heat or cold packs chosen for the forecast. Fish travel in oxygen-filled bags; corals are bagged with water and secured so they cannot tumble. We only ship Monday through Wednesday so nothing sits in a warehouse over a weekend.

If anything arrives dead, email us a photo of the unopened bag within 2 hours of the carrier’s delivery time and we will refund or replace it. Someone needs to be home to receive the box, and the guarantee needs the carrier’s first delivery attempt to be accepted.

Float the sealed bag for 15 minutes to match temperature, then drip-acclimate for 30–45 minutes until the water volume has roughly tripled. Net the animal into your tank (or quarantine tank) and discard the shipping water. Keep the lights dim for the first evening.

Yes. Everything new that comes in goes through at least 30 days of quarantine before it joins our main system, and fish are listed only once they are eating. We still recommend every hobbyist quarantine new arrivals in a separate tank for a few weeks before adding them to a display.

Captive-bred clownfish are the classic first fish. Small, peaceful blennies, gobies and Tongan damsels that eat prepared foods are good next picks. Look for the “Easy care” tag on every listing, or browse the easy-care animals we have in stock right now.

A reef-safe animal is not expected to eat or harass corals and most invertebrates. “With caution” means individuals vary, for example some angelfish nip at soft corals or clam mantles.

Yes, we prioritize aquacultured and captive-bred livestock whenever it is available. Aquacultured frags are already used to aquarium lighting and water, so they tend to settle in faster.

Yes, local pickup is free. Choose “Local pickup in Huntsville (free)” at checkout and we’ll message you to set a pickup time, Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm. The animals are kept at our home in Huntsville, so pickup is from us there, not a store.