COLD WEATHER SHIPPING FACTS:

• The cold weather is actually BETTER for the plants than 60-90 degree temps.
• As long as the temps are above 20, it’s always 40 degrees in the UPS truck
• As long as the shipment is NOT left outside when delivered.
• Many customers have their plants delivered to their workplace.
• Have the shipment Delivered to a local neighborhood UPS Store and “hold for customer pickup”

• Order deadline (for plants) is always SUNDAY midnight EST.
• Plant orders placed before (the deadline) Sun at 11:59 PM are FRESHLY Harvested on Monday and shipped Tues or Wed or Thur.
• If order is placed after midnight on Sunday night, it will NOT ship the same week. (This 24 year schedule ensures the FRESHEST plants in the hobby.)
• • We ship equipment orders M-F. All orders shipped via UPS or USPS at our discretion. UPS will not deliver to a PO BOX. You must provide an actual street address for delivery.

  • Save shipping costs: Do not order substrate/heavy items and plants together on the same order. Place two separate orders for each as the substrate is too heavy to ship "air" and is next to impossible to package plants and substrate together to arrive without being crushed.
  • Tip: If possible, consider shipping your plant order to a business (i.e. where you work). This will save you about $4.00 in shipping charges. The business can receive the shipment indoors instead of being left in the cold or heat at your doorstep. All livestock (fish/snails/shrimp) MUST be shipped Next Day Air for live arrival guarantee. Shipment must be signed for... NOT left outside when delivered. (For a loss claim we need photos within 2 hours of delivery, no exceptions.)
    

    Equipment & Dry Goods:

  • Our shopping cart system automatically calculates the shipping when you enter your ZIP code & state. You are aware of the shipping charges before you checkout. There are NO packing fees with your order. Your credit card is charged (only once) at the time of ordering on encrypted server.
  • We do NOT have access to you credit card information.
  • Unlike most on-line companies, we do not attempt to profit from or markup shipping costs to our customers. Every item that we sell has been meticulously weighed so the shipping charges are as accurate as possible.

  We ABSOLUTELY will not ship live items (or perishable items) via ground, unless you reside in zone 1 or 2

  International Shipments

  • For equipment, the customer needs to check with their local authorities about import duties or tariffs.
  • For live plants, the customer needs to check with their local government authorities and ascertain what requirements are necessary for shipping live plants to their respective countries. In some cases, Phytosanitary Certificates are required. These cost $150 dollars and must be ordered at the time of placing the order with us.
  • If a customer chooses to place an order without a Phytosanitary Certificate, there is a risk that shipment will not be allowed to enter the respective country, and or the shipment could be seized and destroyed. If this situation occurs, the loss of the plant shipment will be incurred by the customer. (Please understand that different countries have different regulations and requirements for importing live plants. You must contact the proper regulatory agency before ordering.)
  Cancellation and Refund Policy

  • Equipment orders canceled or returned will incur a 20% restocking fee + "actual" shipping charges both ways. NOTE: No returns accepted for electrical items.

  o No returns allowed without RMA

  • Live plant orders cannot be cancelled or delayed if the plants have already been harvested. (which is Monday's)

  • This includes our "Custom Aqua-Scape" service. After we have done the work to design an aqua-scape, cancellations are NOT accepted. At the point of the completion of the service, we often have several hours of time spent.
  Refused Shipment Policy

  • Any order refused at the time of delivery will result in NO refunds or credits
  Warranty and Out of Stock Policy

  • All items that carry a manufactures warranty must be handled through the manufacturer.
  • If we are short on a plant item, we reserve the option to substitute. We will do our very best to give a substitute that is satisfactory... We have a 99.71% fill rate.
  • If we are short several items at the time of shipping, we will contact you to approve the substitutions BEFORE we ship your order.
  Problem With Order

  • We must be notified by within 2 hours of delivery and a photo of damaged items emailed within 2 hours. Please unpack your order and lay it out. Take good photos so we can match the items up to your order.
  • Live plant orders must be signed for when delivered. Perishable items left outside in hot/cold weather are not covered.
  • By placing an order, you, the customer, agree to all these terms and conditions.
  • When you place your order, please do so only after reading all of the above info. Thank you.

  UPS (ground) map indicates the transit time for orders placed with ground shipping.