Shipping Live Saltwater Fish in Hot Weather

Can you ship live saltwater fish in hot weather?

Summer is now in full swing, and with that comes hot weather that can definitely have a major impact on shipping live saltwater fish.

During the final leg of the journey within your city/state, your package may spend anywhere from 1-10 hours in the back of the carrier truck, depending on how far along the delivery route you are. If you live in a rural area, that could be closer to 7-10 hours in the truck. This is the roughest part of the journey, as it could easily be 20+ degrees hotter inside the hot metal carrier truck than it is outside.

No matter how well we pack, (and we have 30 years' experience shipping saltwater fish, so we know this better than most), exposure to such hot temperatures in transit will have an effect on how your fish arrive. Whether it begins to have a negative effect will depend on how much time your fish are exposed to heat.

Water temperature is one of the most important parameters to maintain for saltwater fish. Rapid changes in water temperature, and hot water in general will cause oxygen levels to drop, making it difficult for your fish to breathe.

As you can imagine, this is very stressful and may result in issues down the road, so it's crucial to avoid extended periods of heat exposure.

That being said, if you would like to allow for the smoothest possible journey for your livestock, we ask that you consider having your package shipped for pickup at a FedEx Ship Center. Trucks deliver there first before they go out on residential deliveries, saving your package from potentially 1-10 hours of heat exposure.

How do I Ship to a FedEx Ship Center?

To ship to a FedEx Ship Center, simply enter the most convenient FedEx Ship Center address as your shipping address, and write "FedEx Hold for Pickup" on the "Company" line or "Address Line 2."

*Note that it MUST BE a FedEx Ship Center, or a participating FedEx retail location which may include Walgreens or Dollar General. If you are unsure about a pickup location, feel free to email us prior to ordering and we'll gladly confirm.

These packages are usually ready for pickup before noon and will hang out in the a/c until you come to pick up. Please pick your package up within 1 hour of delivery to the Ship Center.

How Hot Weather Affects our Guarantee Policy

If you choose to ship to your door and it is over 93F before noon, we CANNOT guarantee your shipment. Unfortunately there is no way for us to predict how these temperatures would affect your livestock, and no manner of packing will be able to offset such extreme temperatures.

Please ship to a Fedex Ship Center to maintain your 15-day guarantee if the weather is very hot.

Why is Reef Beauties the only retailer with so many "rules" on shipping during the summer?

The answer is simple: we are the one of the few online stores that actually care about the livestock that we ship. It is unconscionable to ship live saltwater fish without any consideration for temperatures in transit, which play such a big role in the health and quality of your livestock on arrival.

If it's 100 degrees while in transit, the fish will suffer if nothing is done to reduce their exposure to such temperatures. Maintaining the longest guarantee policy in the industry is only possible if we do EVERYTHING we can to ensure the health of the fish on arrival. A big part of that is ensuring that their journey in transit is as stress-free as possible. 

We thank you as always for your consideration and care in receiving your livestock!