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

AQUATIC CONNECTION LIVE- SHIPPING SINCE 1983
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.
All live purchases are double 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
Without a signature, we have no way of telling how long your shipment sat outside in the heat or cold, therefore we will not honor a guarantee on any livestock not signed for. If proof of delivery comes back "signature on file" or "no signature required", the guarantee will not be honored. Any delay in delivery, such as an unsuccessful delivery attempt, will void the livestock warranty.
If a customer requests that their shipment be "OK to be left outside", or "Please do not require a signature", and no signature is obtained by Fedex, then you are making your purchase without any guarantee.
If you would like to waive the signature requirement, we must receive an e-mail before shipment at orders.aquacon@gmail.com stating that you authorize delivery without a signature and that you understand that doing so voids the guarantee. A phone call or note in the special order instructions is insufficient to wave the signature requirement. We must receive the e-mail. If you are unable to sign for your delivery, please arrange for another party to be present to receive the package or to have the package held at the authorized FedEx holding facility of your choosing.


CORRECT ACCLIMATION IS VERY IMPORTANT
Acclimation is very different for items shipped overnight (in a bag for 12-24 hours) versus items picked up at your local aquarium store. Many fish, invertebrates, and corals, following a long period in a package, will appear to be lifeless until after a correct acclimation has been completed. Incorrect or inadequate acclimation can actually kill healthy specimens or weaken them to a point where they will perish within 24 hours of going into there new home. Therefore we must insist that all customers follow the Proper Acclimation Procedures even if an item is not displaying any signs of life.

Please Read And Follow:

Correct Acclimation Instructions for long term packaged specimens

AQUATIC CONNECTION LIVE GUARANTEE
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 Live will replace all specimens, other than those listed on our Advanced Aquarist List, on your next livestock shipment (shipping charges are not covered), as long as the next order is placed within a 6 month period from the origional order. Please note that our guarantee only applies to the original shipment. Replacement items are shipped with absolutely no guarantee implied or intended. If the replacement item dies, there will be no additional replacements for the item.

Specimens on the Aquatic Connection Advanced Aquarist List come with a guarantee that they will arrive alive and in good condition. No long term guarantee applies to Advanced Aquarist listed specimens. For questions, please refer to the list. Additionally, you may always call or e-mail us with questions.

Click Here for Non-Guaranteed Advanced Aquarist list

Our guarantee begins when your order is shipped and expires after 48 hours. Therefore it covers the 1 day shipping and 1 day in your aquarium. Losses during this period must be reported via email along with a digital photo of the specimen as evidence of the loss. To prove the death, the email and photo must be sent within the 48 hours of receiving your product. If the email is not sent during this period, there will be no guarantee. As stated above, for the guarantee to be granted, someone must have signed for the package. (Note: Computerized tracking of all shipments is used to verify delivery. This includes the time of arrival, signature, and all delivery receipt information. Any package left outdoors for any reason, voids the guarantee.) During the guarantee period, we will replace any item lost at no charge on your next order, provided that the item is not on our Non-Guaraneed List. We will not credit back losses to your credit card, nor will we apply the credit toward other items, so please do not ask, because we do not provide that option. Losses that appear to have died from trauma or bad water conditions will not be covered.

REFUSED OR NOT AT HOME DELIVERIES
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. The guarantee only applies to specimens shipped for overnight delivery. We are not liable for weather related issues or late arrivals by the carrier. In instances of weather or otherwise delayed arrivals, please contact the carrier. Please note that our guarantee only applies to the original shipment. There is no guarantee on replacement items.

WHAT IS THE ADVANCED AQUARIST LIST?
Certain more advanced items we sell are fairly difficult to keep alive, and these items are refered to as Advanced Aquarist Items. These items either have an increased level of care required, or are more difficult to acclimate to the home aquarium environement. The housing or acclimation needs of these species require Aquatic Connection Live to list these species on our Advanced Aquarist List and as an Advanced Aquarist item, we only offer a healthy arrival guarantee only. They are not covered by any other guarantee. Please order these items, only if you understand that they only carry a guarantee to arrive healthy at your door. We suggest you understand that these items may perish after delivery and Aquatic Connection will not provide any guarantee against this happening. Please check the list of Advanced Specimens when ordering.

WHY DO EASY SPECIES DIE?
In our experience, the majority of losses occur because of rushed or improper acclimation. Please make sure specimens are acclimated into an established aquarium, this means an aquarium which has been established and has finished cycling. When acclimating new arrivals, please do not rush the acclimation process. It takes quite a long time to acclimate specimens who have been in a container for close to 24 hours, do not rush this procedure.

Please familiarize yourself ahead of time:

Correct Acclimation Instructions for long term packaged specimens

TO ENSURE A LONG LIFE FOR NEW ARRIVALS

First: Please check your water quality before ordering specimens. Aquarium water that has had limited or no maintenance or water changes can still keep your long-lived inhabitants alive because these specimens lived through the gradual changes in the water, allowing them to acclimate over time. New inhabitants can often times die in such conditions over a few days or weeks since they were not able to acclimate to this water as gradually as the other inhabitants. For optimal survival and health of all your aquatic creatures, test your tank water and perform all necessary maintenance on a regular basis. If needed, do water changes before the arrival of your new tankmates.

Second: Follow proper acclimation procedures above for specimens held in a bag for long periods of time. Procedures that work for a fish, cleaner critter, or other invertebrate picked up at a local store are not sufficient to insure long term success for specimens that are being aclimated from long-term packaging.

WATER CONDITION 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.

QUARNATINE NEW SPECIMENS IN A SEPERATE AQUARIUM
We always recommend quarantining new fish in a separate tank for two weeks. The use of a UV, which stands for a Ultraviolet Sterilizer, is highly recommended to limit the chance of infection. It is unescessary to quarantine corals and other invertebrates.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUFFER A LOSS
1. For all guaranteed specimens, the death must be reported via email, during the 48 hour guarantee period and must include a digital picture showing the dead specimen with its tail cut off. The tail must be cut off in the picture to verify that the specimen is deceased. Once we have recieved the DOA email , we will reply as soon as possible to confirm the delivery of your message. When sending a dead specimen email, please include the following the subject line: your order's 5-digit invoice number followed by the phrase "48 Hour DOA".

Subject Line Example: Invoice 12345 - 48 Hour DOA.

2. If a water sample is requested, a water sample must be mailed within 24 hours. The postmark will be checked. If the water sample is not sent immediately, the DOA will not be guaranteed. Once both water for testing and an e-mailed picture have been received, a note under your name will be logged in our system to provide you with a replacement on your next livestock order per the aforementioned restrictions. 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.