Overnight shipping required for guarantee coverage

Choose overnight (next day air) shipping for fish. Our Live Arrival Guarantee does not cover fish shipped by 2-day, standard expedited or ground service. Overnight shipping is a condition of coverage; the claim deadline and documentation requirements below also apply.

Size & representative photos

Fish size and appearance vary by species, age and individual. Refer to the listing and selected option for any stated purchase size. Adult or maximum sizes in care information describe growth potential, not a guaranteed size on arrival. Photos represent the species or variety rather than the exact fish you will receive.

Color & settling in

Color and markings can vary between individuals and with age, sex, lighting and aquarium conditions. Fish may look paler after shipping. Follow the species-specific acclimation and care guidance and provide stable water conditions. If a fish arrives dead or visibly distressed, document its condition and contact us promptly rather than waiting beyond the claim window.

Species needs & compatibility

Check the specific listing for adult size, temperature, water requirements, diet and recommended group size. A small shipping size does not mean a fish will stay small. Choose suitable tankmates and allow for adult growth; a community-fish label is not a guarantee of compatibility with every fish or invertebrate.

Pack contents & selection

The selected quantity identifies the number of fish ordered. A group does not by itself promise a breeding pair or particular sex ratio. Any explicit sex or selection offered in the listing applies to that selected option.

Juvenile appearance, growth & sex differences

Young fish may have less intense coloration, different proportions or less-developed fins than mature examples in photographs. Species, age, sex and social conditions can affect their appearance. Adult-size figures describe growth potential, not the size guaranteed in the shipping bag.

Plan housing around adult needs. A small pleco, for example, still needs the space and diet appropriate to its identified species as it grows. Use the listing’s stated species and selected option rather than a photograph alone to judge what you are buying.

Unless a listing explicitly offers a sex-selected option, a quantity pack is not a specified sex ratio or breeding pair. Where an explicit selection is offered, that selected option applies.

Shipping appearance versus concerning distress

Paler colors, hiding and a reduced initial appetite can occur after transport. These observations alone do not establish a covered loss. They also should not be used to dismiss a fish that appears to be struggling.

Photograph or record visible concerns such as loss of balance, persistent labored breathing, an obvious wound or a fish that appears dead while it is still in the original packaging. Include the label and packaging and contact us promptly within the two-hour reporting window. Report observations rather than guessing a diagnosis.

Do not wait for color or activity to improve before reporting an arrival concern. Coverage and resolution follow the full guarantee; this guidance does not add a new health guarantee or extend the claim window.

Schools, tankmates & adult housing

Schooling fish should be housed with an appropriate group of their own species. The quantity options offered for purchase are not a statement that each option is a suitable permanent school size. Check the listing’s group-size guidance and the aquarium’s capacity.

Peaceful fish can still eat animals small enough to fit in their mouths, including shrimplets. Consider adult size, feeding behavior, water requirements and available shelter when choosing tankmates. No general community label guarantees compatibility in every aquarium.

Bottom-dwelling fish need food that reaches them; they should not be expected to live only on leftovers. Provide the species-appropriate diet and observe whether quieter fish are being outcompeted.

Acclimation & quarantine

Have a stable, cycled aquarium or suitable quarantine setup ready before the shipment arrives. Follow the acclimation instructions appropriate to shipped fish and the species; do not assume a single timed method is suitable for every shipment or bag condition.

Document arrival concerns before transfer under the guarantee’s instructions. Avoid adding shipping water to the established aquarium, and minimize unnecessary handling and disturbance during introduction.

Separate observation of new fish can help protect an established collection and make feeding and behavior easier to monitor. Quarantine is care advice here, not a newly added condition of claim eligibility. Do not medicate automatically without considering the species and the actual concern.

Bonus animals & your paid count

When inventory allows, our policy provides one bonus animal for every five ordered of the same species. Bonuses are discretionary and are not separately covered for refund or replacement. They count toward the total arriving alive when assessing whether your paid quantity was fulfilled.

For example, if you order 10 fish and receive 12, receiving 11 alive fulfills the paid count. If fewer than 10 arrive alive, the shortfall is assessed under the guarantee. Expected bonuses that were not included are not a paid-item shortage.

Checking quantities & reporting a short count

Check the actual animals received against your paid order quantity. For a suspected short count, the full policy calls for a clear counting photo showing all animals, the empty bag and the shipping label before they are introduced into an aquarium. Follow its counting instructions and contact us if you cannot document the count clearly.

Verified miscount claims are resolved with a refund for the missing paid animals under the current policy. A count made after release can be unreliable when animals hide among plants or hardscape.

Before opening: photographs & your first report

Use the email address on the original order and include all arrival concerns in the initial message to support@superiorshrimpaquatics.com within two hours of the carrier’s recorded delivery time. Photograph the sealed bag, visible and countable animals, shipping label, box and packing materials.

If the bag is leaking or damaged, photograph the leak or damage and wet packing before opening. Keep the original photographs and packaging. For cloudy water that prevents counting, take the original cloudy-water photo first and follow the full policy’s specific additional clear-container documentation instructions.

The guarantee contains restrictions on opening bags, acclimation and transfers. Review those instructions before taking action so the evidence needed to assess the claim is preserved.

Shipping & coverage limits

Fish must ship by overnight (next day air) service to qualify for the Live Arrival Guarantee. Fish shipped by 2-day, standard expedited or ground service are not covered. Selecting a non-overnight method waives guarantee coverage for the fish in that order.

The guarantee applies to the first delivery attempt. Redirection, pickup holds and carrier delays can affect eligibility under the full policy. Any product-specific coverage restrictions stated in a listing also apply.

Hitchhikers & quarantine

Live aquatic products can carry tiny hitchhikers or eggs despite inspection. Pest-free arrival is not guaranteed. We recommend quarantining new arrivals before introducing them into an established aquarium.