Top Shelf Aquatics

Shipping Policy

The fastest and most trusted shipping in the industry. Every coral, fish and invertebrate is packed in-house for its route and the season, then sent FedEx Priority Overnight.

  • Free livestock overnight over $299
  • You choose your livestock arrival date
  • Free supply ground at $49+
  • Supplies ship same day by 2 p.m. ET
See rates & timing Arrival guarantee

Rates & timing

What shipping costs, and when it leaves

Livestock, supplies and specialty items ship in separate boxes, so each has its own rate and free-shipping threshold.

Rates at a glance

Shipping rates and free-shipping eligibility by shipment type
Shipment Rate Ships free
Livestock · FloridaFedEx Priority Overnight $34.99 Over $299
Livestock · other states48 contiguous states $39.99 Over $299
Supplies · groundMost economical carrier At checkout $49 or more
Supplies · overnightExcludes drop-ship & special order At checkout $399 or more
West Coast facility fishShips separately, overnight $39.99 flat Not eligible for free shipping
Freight & partner drop-shipLarger tanks, sumps & systems At checkout Not eligible for free shipping

Your exact charge is confirmed at checkout. Specialty items, such as frozen foods, use their own shipping rates.

Shipping days

Livestock ships

  • Monday: livestock ships
  • Tuesday: livestock ships
  • Wednesday: livestock ships
  • Thursday: livestock ships
  • Friday: no livestock shipments
  • Saturday: no livestock shipments
  • Sunday: no livestock shipments

Livestock arrives

  • Monday: no livestock deliveries
  • Tuesday: livestock arrives
  • Wednesday: livestock arrives
  • Thursday: livestock arrives
  • Friday: livestock arrives
  • Saturday: no livestock deliveries
  • Sunday: no livestock deliveries

Supplies ship

  • Monday: supplies ship
  • Tuesday: supplies ship
  • Wednesday: supplies ship
  • Thursday: supplies ship
  • Friday: supplies ship
  • Saturday: no supply shipments
  • Sunday: no supply shipments

Daily cutoff: 2 p.m. ET

11 a.m. PT. Supplies ordered by then ship the same day, and livestock can arrive as soon as the next day.

Livestock ships overnight the business day before the arrival date you choose at checkout, so it never waits in a FedEx hub over the weekend.

Packed in-house

How we pack every live order

Our shipping team packs every coral, fish and invertebrate by hand, planned around the route to your door and the weather along the way.

  1. You choose the arrival date

    Pick a Tuesday–Friday delivery on the checkout calendar, and we schedule packing and shipping around that date.

  2. Double-bagged and stabilized

    Each coral is sealed in a double bag with the right amount of water, held steady with cup inserts or foam stabilizers for its frag type.

  3. Insulated for the season

    Insulated boxes get heat or cold packs as the season requires, and we check weather and transit along the route first.

  4. Shipped the day before

    Livestock ships FedEx Priority Overnight the business day before your arrival date, Monday through Thursday only, so it never sits in a hub over the weekend.

Policy details

The fine print, made clear

Each kind of order follows its own shipping rules. Here’s exactly what applies to yours.

Corals, fish & inverts

Livestock

Shipped overnight and packed for the conditions on its route.

  • $34.99 to Florida, $39.99 to all other eligible states
  • Free FedEx Priority Overnight on livestock orders over $299
  • You choose the arrival date, Tuesday–Friday, on the checkout calendar
  • Ships overnight the business day before your date, Monday–Thursday only, so it never waits over a weekend
  • Order by 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) and livestock can arrive as soon as the next day
  • Most packages arrive by about 10:30 a.m. local time. Some remote areas are delivered later
  • Ships within the 48 contiguous states only
  • Double-check your shipping address. Packages sent to an incorrect address aren’t covered
Shop live corals

Equipment & dry goods

Aquarium supplies

Ships on its own schedule, separately from livestock.

  • Free ground shipping on supply orders of $49 or more
  • Free FedEx Priority Overnight on supply orders of $399 or more, excluding drop-ship and special-order items
  • Orders by 2 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday, normally ship the same day
  • Non-overnight orders ship by the most economical method. Packages under a pound may ship USPS First Class
  • Supplies ship within the U.S. only
Shop aquarium supplies

Direct fulfillment

Partner facilities & oversized items

Some larger items ship straight from a partner facility or by freight.

  • Some aquariums, sumps and tank systems ship directly from partner facilities or by freight
  • These items are labeled as freight or drop-ship in the product description
  • They ship on their own schedule, with separate arrival timing and tracking
  • Freight and drop-ship items don’t qualify for free shipping
  • Oversized items travel by oversized ground or freight service, with any charge shown at checkout
  • Inspect freight on delivery, note any visible damage on the receipt and report it within 24 hours
Shop aquariums

Two facilities, one order

Some fish ship from our West Coast facility

Select fish variants are fulfilled and shipped directly from our West Coast facility. When a variant ships from there, the product page shows a West Coast facility notice before you add it to your cart.

  • Ships separately by overnight service at a $39.99 flat rate
  • Not eligible for free shipping, at any order total
  • Doesn’t count toward the $299 free livestock shipping threshold
  • Your cart lists each shipment and its shipping charge separately

East Coast facility · Florida

Corals, fish, inverts & most supplies

Free livestock shipping over $299

West Coast facility

Select fish variants

$39.99 flat · no free shipping

Your door

Separate boxes, separate tracking

Alive Arrival Guarantee

If something isn’t right on arrival

Every live order is covered by our standard arrival guarantee. Add Reef Guard at checkout for more time and broader protection.

2hours

from FedEx's posted delivery time to report dead-on-arrival livestock under standard coverage

  1. Be there for delivery

    Someone needs to receive and inspect the package promptly. Missing the delivery can void standard coverage.

  2. Take clear photos

    Photograph the animal in the original shipping bag and out of the bag, with its condition clearly visible.

  3. Contact us within 2 hours

    Send your order number, the affected items and your photos, measured from FedEx’s posted delivery time.

  4. Keep everything

    Hold on to the livestock and packaging until our team has reviewed your claim.

Approved claims receive a coupon code for the value of the affected livestock, usable on livestock only. Credit doesn’t include shipping, and we don’t offer refunds on livestock or shipping. Standard coverage excludes late arrivals caused by weather or FedEx mechanical delays and packages sent to an incorrect address, though we always do what we can to make it right.

Report a DOA

Standard vs. Reef Guard

Standard livestock coverage compared with Reef Guard
Coverage Standard Reef Guard
CoralsTime to report a DOA2 hours5 days
FishTime to report a DOA2 hours3 days
Cost to re-ship Not included Included
Weather delays Not included Included
FedEx shipping delays Not included Included
FedEx lost packages Not included Included
FedEx damage Not included Included
On-time arrival guarantee Not included$19.99 refunded
Priority email & phone support Not included Included
Explore Reef Guard

Add Reef Guard at checkout.

Questions about a shipment?

Our team can help with arrival dates, tracking, West Coast fish and freight deliveries.

Contact our teamHelp CenterShop live corals

Answers

Live Coral Shipping FAQs

How are live corals packaged and shipped safely overnight?

Every order is packed in-house by our shipping team. Each coral goes into a double-sealed bag with the right amount of water and is secured with cup inserts or foam stabilizers based on frag type, inside an insulated box with heat or cold packs as the season requires. All live items ship FedEx Priority Overnight, Monday through Thursday only, so packages never sit in a hub over the weekend. Most arrive by about 10:30 a.m. local time, though some remote areas are delivered later in the day. You choose your arrival date on the checkout calendar, and we ship the business day before. Orders placed by 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) Monday through Thursday can arrive as soon as the next day. Before a package leaves, we check weather and transit conditions along its route.

Does Top Shelf Aquatics offer free overnight shipping on live corals?

Yes. Livestock orders over $299 ship free by FedEx Priority Overnight. Below that, overnight livestock shipping is $34.99 within Florida and $39.99 to other states. Every live coral, fish and invertebrate ships overnight, Monday through Thursday, and we ship livestock only within the 48 contiguous states. Fish variants that ship from our West Coast facility are the exception: they carry a $39.99 flat rate and don’t qualify for free shipping. Aquarium supplies have separate thresholds: free ground shipping on supply orders of $49 or more, and free FedEx Priority Overnight on supply orders of $399 or more, excluding drop-ship, special-order and freight items.

Why is part of my fish order shipping separately?

Some fish variants are fulfilled from our West Coast facility, and the product page shows a West Coast facility notice before you add one to your cart. Those fish ship separately by overnight service at a $39.99 flat rate. They don’t qualify for free shipping and don’t count toward the $299 free livestock shipping threshold. Your cart lists each shipment and its charge separately, and the rest of your livestock ships from our East Coast facility in Florida.

Do aquariums and oversized items qualify for free shipping?

Freight and drop-ship items, such as larger tanks, sumps and tank systems, don’t qualify for free shipping. Many ship directly from a partner facility or by freight on their own schedule, with separate tracking, and they are labeled as freight or drop-ship in the product description. Oversized items travel by oversized ground or freight service, with any charge shown at checkout. When a freight delivery arrives, inspect it and note any visible damage on the delivery receipt, then contact us within 24 hours.

What happens if my live coral arrives damaged or dead?

Under our standard livestock guarantee, submit a DOA (dead on arrival) request within 2 hours of delivery, based on the time FedEx posts the delivery. Once we receive it, we issue a coupon code for the value of the livestock, which can be used on livestock only. The credit doesn’t include shipping, and we don’t offer refunds on livestock or shipping. Standard coverage also doesn’t include late arrivals caused by weather or mechanical delays at FedEx, though we always do what we can to make it right.

For more time and broader coverage, add Reef Guard at checkout. It extends the coral guarantee to 5 days (3 days for fish) and covers the cost to re-ship, weather delays, FedEx shipping delays, lost packages, and FedEx damage.