Order protection
Protect your order and extend your livestock guarantee. Reef Guard covers what standard shipping coverage doesn't, with priority support when you need it.
Add Reef Guard at checkout.
100% order satisfaction guaranteed. If something isn't right, Reef Guard has you covered.
Re-ship costs, weather delays and FedEx problems are all covered, so claims are simple.
Skip the wait with dedicated email and phone support for Reef Guard orders.
Compare coverage
See exactly what Reef Guard adds for live animals and aquarium supplies.
| Coverage | Reef Guard | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| CoralsGuarantee window after delivery | 5 days | 2 hours |
| FishGuarantee window after delivery | 3 days | 2 hours |
| Cost to re-ship | Included | Not included |
| Weather delays | Included | Not included |
| FedEx shipping delays | Included | Not included |
| FedEx lost packages | Included | Not included |
| FedEx damage | Included | Not included |
| Coverage | Reef Guard | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Return window | 90 days | 45 days |
| Restocking feeTSA Xpress orders | No fee | 10% |
| Return shipping label | Included | Not included |
| On-time arrival guaranteeTSA Xpress orders | $19.99 refunded | Not included |
Standard coverage is described in our shipping policy and refund policy.
How it works
Select Reef Guard when you check out to protect the livestock and supplies in your order.
Corals are covered for 5 days and fish for 3 days after delivery, instead of the standard 2 hours.
If something isn't right, start a claim. Reef Guard orders get dedicated email and phone support.
Start a claimEvery Reef Guard order comes with extended guarantees and priority support.
Answers
Cost, claims, returns and the fine print behind the coverage above.
Reef Guard is Top Shelf Aquatics’ in-house order protection, added at checkout. It extends your coral guarantee from the standard 2 hours after delivery to 5 days, and fish from 2 hours to 3 days. It also covers what standard coverage doesn’t: the cost to re-ship, weather delays, FedEx shipping delays, lost FedEx packages, and FedEx damage. Reef Guard orders get priority support through dedicated email and phone, so resolutions are quick.
If your order includes aquarium supplies, Reef Guard extends the return window from 45 to 90 days and includes a return shipping label. On TSA Xpress orders, it also waives the 10% restocking fee and refunds $19.99 if the order doesn’t arrive on time. See our shipping policy for standard coverage.
The price is based on your order, so it varies from one checkout to the next. You’ll see the exact amount as its own line in checkout before you pay.
No. Reef Guard has to be added during checkout, and it only covers the order it was purchased with. If you place another order later, add Reef Guard to that checkout too.
Yes. Our Alive Arrival Guarantee requires someone at the delivery address to receive the box, and missing the delivery voids DOA coverage. Reef Guard gives you more days to report a problem, but it doesn’t replace being there when FedEx arrives.
Choose an arrival date in the delivery calendar at checkout when someone will be home. Most FedEx Priority Overnight packages arrive by 10:30 AM local time, though some remote areas get deliveries later in the day.
Start a claim as soon as you notice a problem rather than waiting until the end of your coverage window. Include:
Claims can’t be credited without photos.
Approved livestock claims are resolved with replacement livestock or store credit for the value of the animal. Livestock isn’t refunded to your original payment method. Most of our corals are one-of-a-kind WYSIWYG pieces, so if we can’t replace the exact coral, you’ll get store credit toward another one.
Reef Guard extends the return window, but it doesn’t make excluded items returnable. These stay non-returnable:
Everything else still has to be unused, unopened and in the original sealed packaging with all manuals and accessories, with no sign of installation or water exposure. Reef Guard returns are also unavailable from November 20 through December 3, even for unopened items. See our refund policy for the full list.
Possibly. We may accept it as a courtesy Open Box return if it was opened but never installed, used or exposed to water. It needs all of its original packaging, manuals and parts, with the packaging in resellable condition. Reef Guard gives you 90 days to send it back instead of 45, but the 15% open-box restocking fee still applies.
Clearance, Blowout, Liquidation, special-order and drop-ship items can’t be returned this way, even unopened.
Yes. If a supply item’s price drops after your order ships, Price Drop Protection gives you a one-time store credit for the difference within 7 days of your order date. With Reef Guard, you have 14 days. If the price drops before your order ships, we honor the new price and refund the difference to your original payment method, with or without Reef Guard.
Live fish, corals and inverts aren’t eligible. Neither are final sale, clearance or Open Box items, doorbusters and flash sales lasting 48 hours or less, or purchases made with discounts, coupons, trade-ins or promotional financing.
No. Shipping damage on supplies is covered on every order. Email photos of the damage to onlinesales@topshelfaquatics.com within 3 business days of delivery. Once it’s approved, we’ll send a return label and ship a free replacement as soon as the damaged item arrives back.
Aquariums and drop-shipped items go through the manufacturer’s support instead, and aquarium shipping damage must be reported within 24 hours.
