Shipping policy

Livestock Shipping

Fish, corals, and invertebrates qualify for livestock shipping. Shipping with UPS Next Day Air is $80, or $50 for orders over $500. UPS raises their prices consistently throughout the year - if you'd like to discuss other shipping options or a potentially lower rate, contact us before placing your order. 

All livestock ships via UPS Next Day Air, Monday–Wednesday. Customers must be available to receive the shipment upon delivery.

**We also offer SpeeDee overnight delivery to eligible locations. SpeeDee shipping is $14.99 for orders under $100, $9.99 for orders over $100, and free for orders over $200. Orders are shipped on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please note that SpeeDee does not provide any guarantees on their next day service. Refer to This Map for eligible zip codes.

*All livestock orders include an additional $10 Styrofoam box and shipping supply fee that helps cover the cost of the boxes, heat packs, ice packs, labels, and other packaging materials. This may be waived for large orders, especially if boxes are reused. You can also return our boxes to us for some store credit! 

Shipping Schedule

Orders placed before 10am CST may qualify for same-day shipping. Orders are typically shipped within 1 business day, and we do not send out orders from Thurs-Sun unless specified. 

Orders shipped via SpeeDee are only shipped on Mondays and Wednesdays for next day delivery. SpeeDee picks up our packages at 12pm Monday and Wednesday each week. Residential deliveries typically arrive late afternoon the following day. 

We do not recommended shipping to businesses or job sites as most carriers, including SpeeDee, require the recipient to be available which can result in delays. We may not cover losses in this instance. 

Please contact us at help@mnaquatics.com if you need to adjust your delivery date before the order has shipped.

Order Cancellation and Delay

We may cancel or delay shipping if an animal is not in stable condition at the time of purchase. All animals are inspected thoroughly to ensure they are ready for shipment.

On Arrival

  • Fish: Fish may be in treated water—do not place bag water into your aquarium! Float the bag for 15 minutes, then add fish directly to the tank or acclimation box. Drip acclimation is not recommended as it may expose fish to ammonia or pH shock. Our fish are kept between 1.024-1.026sg. Fish are healthy, medicated, and professionally observed but are not quarantined; we recommend quarantining.

  • Corals: Float the coral bag for 15 minutes, then use your preferred dipping or treatment method. Place corals on a frag rack or suitable location. Corals may take 1–2 days to fully adjust and open in your tank.

  • Invertebrates: Float invertebrates for 15 minutes, then drip acclimate for another 15 minutes. Place them carefully in the tank, as some are sensitive to shock.

Please see our DOA and Refund policy for additional information. 

Dry Goods Shipping

Dry goods ship within 2 business days of order placement via UPS Ground. Shipping is $20 or $10 for orders over $150. Dry goods also qualify for SpeeDee delivery. 

Dry goods shipping is not combined with livestock shipping. If we are able to combine your order into one box, we will refund the extra charge. 

Items Not Eligible for Shipping

Certain items, such as frozen/refrigerated products, extremely sensitive livestock, glass, and heavy or fragile items like rocks or salt, are not eligible for standard delivery. MN Aquatics reserves the right to decline delivery and issue a refund as needed.

Please check the description of the item you are purchasing. Some animals are only eligible for 50% coverage on shipping due to sensitivity during shipping. We highly recommend picking these up instead. 

Local delivery may be available for some items; please contact us at help@mnaquatics.com for details.