Aquatic Connection is dedicated to providing our valued customers with top quality live fish, invertebrates and beautiful corals at great prices.

Aquatic Connection has been shipping livestock since 1983
All of our quality procedures and practices ensure that you receive the highest quality live fish, live corals, and healthy inverts. Our fish go through a specialized acclimation and quarantine process that allows them to be in peak health when they are ready to be shipped to our customers. We use only the best suppliers from around the world who have proven by being Mac certified. This means there practices are top notch and are guaranteed to bedrug free collection agents.

The Best Packaging
All live purchases are triple bagged with oxygen and securely packed into an insulated cooler. Each bag is labeled on what it contains. .Heating or cooling packs are added, as necessary, to ensure comfy travel. Cartons are clearly marked with handling requirements so delivery personnel can use extra care when handling. These steps are taken to protect your live order.

Deliveries must be signed for
Deliveries must be arranged to permit the package to be received and signed for. Unsuccessful deliveries void any warranty. Losses during shipment must be reported via email within 2 hours of receipt, along with a digital photo of the specimen as evidence of the loss. As long as the package is signed for, any losses during shipment will be credited back to your credit card.

Correct Acclimation is very important
We ask that customers follow the Acclimation Procedures even if an item is not displaying any signs of life. Many fish, invertebrates and corals appear to be lifeless until after acclimation is completed. Click here for acclimation instructions

Guarantee - for all items not on the Advanced Aquarist Listing
Our shipping and acclimation procedures have been established to give our live products the best chance for survival. If you follow proper acclimation procedures and experience a loss Aquatic Connection will replace the specimen or you can use the cost of the specimen towards the purchase price of another specimen (shipping charges are not covered). Our Guarantee begins when your order is shipped and expires after 7 days. Losses that appear to have died from trauma or bad water conditions will not be covered. Losses during this period must be reported via email along with a digital photo of the specimen as evidence of the loss. The email and photo must arrive within the 7 day period. If the email is not sent during the 7 day period, there will be no guarantee. For the guarantee to be in place, someone must be there to accept the package at the time of delivery or the guarantee is void. (Note: Computerized tracking of all shipments. is used to verify delivery. This includes the time of arrival and all delivery receipt information. Any package left out doors for any reason, the guarantee is void. If a delivery is refused for any reason, including not being home to accept delivery, the customer will be held liable for the full cost of the invoice plus return freight charges. In our experience, the majority of losses occur because of rushed or improper acclimation. Specimens must be acclimated into an established aquarium. If you wish to familiarize yourself ahead of time, here they are:
Click here for acclimation instructions

Guarantee only applies to specimens shipped for next day delivery, we are not liable for weather related issues or late arrivals by the carrier. For those issues, you must contact the carrier. Please note, our Arrive alive stay alive guarantee only applies to the original shipment , there is no live arrival guarantee on replacement items.


Things you can do to ensure survival
Please check your water quality before ordering specimens: Aquarium water that has had limited or no maintenance or water changes, would still keep your long lived inhabitants alive. This is because these specimens lived in the water while the water was changing, therefore they acclimated to the bad water over a long period of time. New inhabitants, will often times die over a few days or weeks, since they were acclimated to this water over just a few hours and cannot live in improper water conditions for a long period of time. Test your tank water and perform all necessary maintenance. If needed, do water changes before the arrival of your new tankmates.

Water conditions Guidelines
Ammonia - 0.0 ppm, Nitrites - 0.0 ppm , Nitrates 0.0 - 25 ppm, pH - 8.1 - 8.4, Specific gravity - 1.016 - 1.025.

Only purchase items for which you can provide the correct environment
Before ordering, check the Care Requirements and Compatibility Chart for each item. Review and understand the acclimation instructions on our website, prior to delivery. Have supplies, additional salt water prepared, drip lines, buckets, etc., as well as the time available to properly acclimate upon receipt.  

Quarantine New Specimens
We always recommend quarantining new fish in a separate tank for two weeks and using an Ultraviolet Sterilizer to limit the chance of infection. It is unescessary to quarantine corals and other invertebrates.

Non Guaranteed Advanced Aquarist List
Species on the Advanced Aquarist List Species either have an increased level of care required or they are more difficult to acclimate to a home aquarium. The housing or acclimation needs of these species require Aquatic Connection to list these species as "Advanced Aquarist Only," which means only if you understand that if they perish there will be no refund or replacement . Because water quality and/or careful acclimation is particularly critical in Advanced Aquarist Species, we cannot guarantee these species after their arrival.
Click Here to see Advanced Aquarist list


If You Suffer a loss

1. The Death must be reported via email, during the 7 day guarantee period and a Digital picture showing the dead specimen must be included in the email. Once we have recieved the DOA email , we will respond back so you know we have received your email. To send a dead specimen email, please put in your subject, your orders invoice number followed by 7 day DOA. Example: Invoice 123456 - 7 Day DOA.

2. If requested, a water sample must be mailed within 24 hours. The postmark will be checked. If the water sample is not sent right out, the DOA will not be guaranteed. Once water for testing has been received and an email picture has been received, a note under your name will be logged that we owe you the replacement specimens on your next order. If your water tests within guidelines the guarantee will be honored. If the water tests outside of acceptable guidelines listed above, you will be contacted via email that the water quality attributed to the specimens death, and we will be unable to honor the guarantee.

5. Guarantee only applies to the original shipment , there is no guarantee on any replacement items. If the replacement item dies, there is no further guarantee.