Refund policy

ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

You are responsible to track your shipment with the Air-bill or UPS tracking provided

Please allow 2-4 business days for your order to be processed and shipped. If you require delivery on a specific date, kindly leave a comment with your order, and we will make every effort to accommodate your request.

Our live arrival guarantee applies exclusively to US domestic shipments via UPS Next Day or Air Cargo; it does not cover international orders or UPS 2-day and ground services. Jumbo fish must ship overnight or by air cargo to qualify.

UPS Shipping occurs Monday through Wednesday for UPS and tracking will be provided. We use insulated styrofoam packaging to ensure fish safety and honor the guarantee live arrival up to three hours beyond the estimated delivery time.

 

SOUTHWEST CARGO 

 Shipping days are Tuesday or Thursday for Air Cargo for following morning pickup. Once tracking details are available for an air cargo shipment, the package may arrive the same day and be available for pickup that night, though it can also remain at the cargo facility overnight for collection the next morning.

 

Standard 2-Day Shipping: To ensure the highest standards of animal welfare during transit, 2-Day Shipping is restricted to smaller fish sizes (typically 1–2" and qualifying 3-5" individuals). All other orders default to UPS Next Day or Air Cargo. Please note that mixed orders default to the shipping requirements of the largest specimen. While a 2" Bushynose is eligible for 2-Day Shipping on its own, adding a larger fish (such as a 4–5" Venustus) will automatically upgrade the entire order to Overnight Shipping for safety

 

We DO NOT offer delivery for UPS Friday - Sunday!

 Keep in mind that shipping durations may vary due to holidays and weather conditions. We suggest arranging your orders with these factors considered to maintain timely delivery.

 

Dead-on-arrival claims require photos within three hours of delivery in unopened bag and are compensated with store credit or replacement fish (shipping costs is NOT covered). We strongly recommend quarantining new fish to reduce stress and avoid unnecessary bullying from the established tank mates.

STRESSED FISH

If a fish arrives in distress and may not survive, please record a video of the fish inside the unopened bag and email it to us. After recording, the best way to support the fish’s recovery is to place it in a tank within a net positioned near water flow or aeration bubbles. Various factors during live fish shipping can cause this condition. If the fish does not recover, send a new photo of the dead-on-arrival (DOA) fish. Provided shipping delays are not the cause, this will be covered under our DOA policy.

 

ACCLIMATION TIPS & WHAT TO EXPECT WITH COLOR

Please note that fish are shipped based on approximate size, and coloration varies by age and species. It’s also normal for fish to lose some color during shipping due to stress. Once in their new tank, it may take a few days to a week for them to settle and color back up. We appreciate your patience as your fish adjust and thrive!

Float the sealed bag in your tank for 20-30 minutes to match the temperature. Then, open the bag and slowly add small amounts of tank water every 5–10 minutes for about 30 minutes. After that, gently net the fish into the tank (don’t pour the bag water in). This helps reduce stress and prevent shock.

 

 

For questions or assistance, please contact us.

 

 

CENTRAL FLORIDA CICHLIDS

cfcichlids@gmail.com