Your corals and fish have just traveled overnight, so the first hour after delivery matters most. Follow the same steps printed on the acclimation guide sheet in your box, and report any problem within two hours of the FedEx delivery time.
Corals
Follow these steps for every coral, frag, and colony. Plan on about 20 minutes from opening the box to placing the coral in your tank.
Open the box as soon as it arrives and check every bag and coral for shipping damage. If anything is damaged or dead on arrival, photograph it in the bag and contact us within two hours of the FedEx delivery time.
Cut open the coral bags and gently empty the water and corals into a container used only for your aquarium. It should hold more than double the water in the bags, and every coral should stay fully submerged.
Over about 10 minutes, slowly add water from your aquarium until you have doubled the original volume. Keep the coral and plug free of detritus by gently shaking it or using a small baster.
Dose your preferred coral dip (Coral Rx, Revive, or Reef Dip all work well) exactly as the manufacturer directs. Dipping is stressful, and overdosing can kill a frag. Never dip inverts or anemones the way you would a coral. Rinse the coral several times in clean saltwater before it goes into your tank.
Check the lighting and flow recommendations on the coral’s product page, then secure it to rock with aquarium-safe glue or epoxy. Start in subdued light with gentle, indirect flow, and give it 24 hours or more to fully open.
Fish
Dim your aquarium lights before you start. Plan on about an hour from floating the bags to releasing the fish.
Open the box as soon as it arrives and check every bag. If a fish is dead on arrival or a bag is damaged, photograph it in the bag and contact us within two hours of the FedEx delivery time.
Float the unopened bags in your display tank or acclimation container for 15 to 20 minutes so the water temperature can equalize. This prevents temperature shock. Then open each bag and look over the fish.
Gently pour the fish and its shipping water into a clean acclimation container without exposing the fish to air. Use a drip acclimator (we recommend the Innovative Marine Aqua Gadget AccuDrip) to double the water volume over 30 to 45 minutes. Once a bag is open, avoid stretching acclimation out much longer than that.
Before the fish goes into your aquarium, consider a Safety Stop bath. This two-step dip uses formalin and methylene blue to reduce the risk of external parasites and infection. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Move the fish into your display or quarantine system with a soft mesh net or specimen cup. Never pour shipping water into your tank. Keep the lights dimmed for a few hours, and watch the fish closely for the first 24 to 72 hours. Shyness and light stress are normal at first, and appetite usually returns within a day or two.
Printable guides
These are the same guide sheets packed in every livestock box. Open one to print it or save it to your phone.
Inspection, preparation, drip acclimation, dipping, and placement on one page.
Floating, drip acclimation, optional dipping, and transfer on one page.
Answers
If an animal is DOA, submit the claim immediately within the applicable coverage window.
Keep the bag sealed while its temperature equalizes, then inspect the coral and transfer it without adding shipping water to the tank. If you use a coral dip, follow that product's label exactly and rinse the coral in clean saltwater before placement.
Begin in subdued light with gentle-to-moderate indirect flow unless the product's care guidance says otherwise. Avoid repeated moves during the first day. Stable salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and temperature are more important than chasing a perfect number immediately after shipping.
Inspect the plug, base, tissue, and underside under bright white light. A dip labeled for the coral type can help dislodge some pests, but it does not replace observation or quarantine and may not affect pest eggs.
Dim the aquarium lights, keep the bag sealed while temperature equalizes, and compare the shipping-water salinity with the receiving system. Use a controlled acclimation appropriate to that difference and the species, then transfer the fish without adding shipping water to the aquarium.
Once a shipping bag is opened, avoid an unnecessarily long acclimation because changing gas exchange can make accumulated ammonia more harmful. A prepared quarantine system offers the safest place to observe and settle a new fish.
Need help? Send the claim immediately; waiting for a later update can put standard coverage outside its two-hour window. Contact Top Shelf Aquatics.
Review the Alive Arrival Guarantee for the complete current terms.
Provide clear, well-lit photos that show:
Make sure the animal and the reported condition are visible. Do not discard the livestock or packaging until our team has reviewed the claim.
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