Shipping Live Saltwater Fish in Hot Weather and How to Ship to a UPS Access Point
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 a UPS 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 UPS 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), such hot temperatures in transit will have an effect on how your fish arrive, depending on how much time they 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 UPS Access Point. 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 UPS Access Point?
To ship to a UPS Access Point, simply enter the most convenient UPS Access Point address as your shipping address, and write "UPS Hold for Pickup" on the "Company" line or "Address Line 2."
*Note that it MUST BE a UPS Access Point, and it CANNOT BE a UPS Store. UPS Stores do not allow holding for pickup of live animals.
These packages are usually ready for pickup by 10 AM 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 UPS Access Point.
Thank you for shipping to a UPS Access Point! Your cooperation is a key to our success as well. This will reduce chances of stress and other issues for your livestock, and allow for a smoother acclimation.
How Hot Weather Affects our Guarantee Policy
If it is over 93F before noon and you choose to ship to your door, 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.
If daytime temperatures reach 83F or above and you live in a RURAL AREA, we CANNOT guarantee your shipment, due to the extended time in the UPS truck exposed to heat. Rural area packages may spend up to 10 additional hours in transit, so it would be best to pick up your package at a UPS Access Point for the health of your livestock.
Please ship to a UPS Access Point to maintain your 15-day guarantee if the weather is very hot or if you live in a rural area.
Why are there no ice packs in the package?
We ship from coastal Los Angeles, CA, where the weather is fairly temperate and can sometimes be cool, even during the summer. If the temperatures in LA are too cool, we cannot use ice packs because they may lower the water temperature of the shipping bags too low during the first 6-8 hours of the journey. To have the fish then be exposed to heat during the final leg of the journey would translate to another rapid change in water temperature in the other direction.
These sudden changes in water temperature can also be detrimental for your fish. In these cases when there is a big temperature differential between LA and your destination, we have other tricks that we do to ensure that your fish have a comfortable journey with minimal water temperature changes in transit!
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 cooperation and care in receiving your livestock!