Dark Side Aquatics — Shipping Policy

Last Updated: August 28, 2026

At Dark Side Aquatics, we take great care in packing and shipping every coral order to ensure your livestock arrives safely, healthy, and ready for your reef. Please read our shipping policy carefully before placing an order.

📦 Shipping Schedule

Orders are typically shipped Monday through Wednesday to help minimize the amount of time your coral spends in transit.

Orders placed later in the week may be held and shipped the following Monday to avoid unnecessary weekend delays.

Once your order has shipped, you will receive tracking information by email or text when available.

🪸 Live Coral Packaging

All coral orders are carefully packaged using insulated shipping materials and appropriate temperature-control packs when necessary.

Corals are individually bagged and secured to help prevent damage during transportation. While we take every precaution possible, shipping live animals always carries some risk, and carrier delays or extreme weather conditions may occasionally affect an order.

🌡️ Weather & Shipping Delays

We monitor weather conditions before shipping livestock. If temperatures or weather conditions create an unreasonable risk to the health of your corals, Dark Side Aquatics reserves the right to delay shipment until conditions improve.

If we determine that an order should be held because of severe weather, we will contact you when possible.

Customers are responsible for providing a safe and secure delivery location and monitoring tracking information on the day of delivery.

🚚 Delivery

Please monitor your tracking information and make arrangements to receive your package as soon as possible after delivery.

We strongly recommend:

• Being available when your package arrives.
• Bringing the package indoors immediately.
• Avoiding leaving coral exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Inspecting your shipment as soon as possible after delivery.

Dark Side Aquatics is not responsible for packages left unattended for extended periods after delivery.

❤️ Live Arrival Guarantee

We want your corals to arrive alive and healthy.

If a coral arrives deceased, please contact us within 2 hours of delivery to qualify for our Live Arrival Guarantee.

To submit a DOA (Dead on Arrival) claim, you must provide:

1. Your order number.
2. Clear photos of the coral inside the unopened shipping bag.
3. A clear photo of the shipping label.
4. A clear photo of the coral after opening the bag, if requested.
5. Any additional information requested by Dark Side Aquatics.

DOA claims without adequate photographic evidence may not be eligible for replacement or store credit.

⚠️ Important: Do Not Discard the Coral

If you believe a coral has arrived dead, do not immediately dispose of it.

Some corals may appear damaged, closed, bleached, or severely stressed after shipping but can recover with proper acclimation and care.

Please contact us before disposing of any coral so that we can determine the appropriate resolution.

💰 DOA Resolution

Approved DOA claims may be resolved with one of the following:

• Store credit for the purchase price of the affected coral.
• Replacement coral, subject to availability.
• Another resolution at the discretion of Dark Side Aquatics.

Original shipping charges are non-refundable.

Store credit or replacement value applies only to the affected coral and does not include shipping costs.

📦 Carrier Delays & Lost Packages

Once an order has been shipped and accepted by the carrier, Dark Side Aquatics cannot guarantee carrier transit times.

We are not responsible for delays caused by:

• Carrier service interruptions
• Weather
• Natural disasters
• Incorrect or incomplete shipping addresses
• Customer-requested delivery changes
• Missed deliveries
• Packages refused by the recipient
• Packages left unattended after delivery
• Other circumstances outside of our control

If tracking indicates that a package has been delivered but you cannot locate it, please contact the shipping carrier immediately and notify Dark Side Aquatics.

🏠 Incorrect Shipping Addresses

Customers are responsible for entering the correct shipping information during checkout.

If an order is shipped to an incorrect address provided by the customer, Dark Side Aquatics is not responsible for resulting livestock loss.

If you notice an incorrect address before your order ships, contact us immediately. We will make reasonable efforts to correct the address before shipment.

🧪 Acclimation

We recommend following proper acclimation procedures immediately after receiving your coral.

Do not expose newly arrived corals to prolonged temperature fluctuations or unnecessary handling.

Because every aquarium is different, Dark Side Aquatics cannot guarantee long-term survival, growth, coloration, or compatibility after delivery.

❄️ Extreme Temperatures

When ordering during periods of extreme heat or cold, customers should carefully consider their local weather conditions.

We may contact customers when weather conditions present an elevated shipping risk. Customers may request that an order be held for safer shipping conditions.

📋 Policy Acceptance

By placing an order with Dark Side Aquatics, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to this Shipping Policy, including our Live Arrival Guarantee and DOA claim requirements.

We genuinely care about the health of our livestock and will always do our best to work with our customers when unexpected shipping issues occur.

Thank you for supporting Dark Side Aquatics and helping us keep the reef community thriving.

🌊 Dark Side Aquatics

Bringing the reef home, one coral at a time.