Your new animals have just traveled in a small, closed environment. The goal now is clean, appropriate water without sudden changes in temperature or water chemistry. Ghost shrimp, freshwater snails, and freshwater feeder fish must not be treated like marine hermit crabs.
Read any instructions supplied with your shipment before opening the bags. If those instructions differ from this general guide, contact us for clarification. This guide does not change the terms of the Live Arrival Guarantee that applies to your order.
Before delivery: prepare the right home
Have an established, cycled aquarium or suitable quarantine system ready, with stable temperature, appropriate filtration and oxygenation, and no detectable ammonia or nitrite. Use dechlorinated freshwater for freshwater animals and properly mixed marine saltwater for marine hermits. Never use untreated tap water, add dry salt around animals, or use freshwater as a marine acclimation bath.
Prepare a clean, aquarium-only container, thermometer and transfer cup or appropriate net. For marine animals, also have a calibrated salinity instrument and clean receiving water ready. Keep invertebrates away from copper medications and copper-contaminated equipment. Keep incompatible animals separate, including animals received together in a mixed order.
At the door: inspect before you open
Bring the package indoors promptly, away from sun, heaters and air-conditioning drafts. Photograph the packaging and any visible problems while the bags are still sealed. Do not delay care to collect photographs.
Dim the lights. For intact, water-filled bags containing responsive animals, float the sealed inner bag securely in the receiving system and monitor with a thermometer until the temperatures are close, ideally within about 1–2°F. A brief period is often enough; do not use a fixed waiting time as a substitute for checking. Do not heat or cool a bag rapidly. Leaking bags, severe distress or extreme temperatures need prompt, case-specific help rather than a long routine float.
Once a shipping bag is opened, avoid leaving animals in its water for prolonged acclimation. Waste can accumulate during shipping, and ammonia can become more harmful as the water chemistry changes after opening. A long drip in old shipping water is not automatically the safest option, especially after a delay. Discard shipping water rather than pouring it into your aquarium.
Ghost shrimp: freshwater, gentle handling and stable chemistry
These steps apply to our live freshwater ghost shrimp, not marine shrimp. Our listing recommends approximately 65–80°F and pH 6.5–8.0. These are husbandry ranges, not permission to move shrimp abruptly between their extremes.
- Prepare stable, established freshwater with shelter and peaceful tankmates. Do not add salt as an acclimation treatment.
- For an intact bag and responsive shrimp, equalize temperature while the bag remains sealed.
- When ready to transfer, open the bag and assess the animals. If shipment water and receiving water are reasonably similar, gently transfer the shrimp with minimal shipping water. Avoid prolonged exposure to air and rough netting.
- If you know there is a substantial difference in pH, hardness or dissolved solids, contact us for a transition plan before beginning an extended mixing process. A separate clean-water holding system matched to the arrival conditions may be needed. Do not solve a large mismatch by leaving shrimp for hours in opened shipping water.
Keep lighting subdued and watch for loss of balance, repeated frantic swimming or inability to stand. Contact us promptly if these signs persist or worsen.
Freshwater snails: distinguish trumpet snails from mystery snails
This section covers Malaysian trumpet snails and blackfoot mystery snails. It does not apply to saltwater Nassarius snails.
- Use an established freshwater system with stable, species-appropriate temperature and mineral content. Do not add marine salt or use a salt dip.
- If shipped in water, equalize temperature in the sealed bag, then transfer gently without adding shipping water. If shipped damp rather than submerged, do not assume a water-filled-bag routine applies; follow the enclosed instructions or contact us.
- Place snails gently on a stable surface, opening downward or sideways so they can right themselves. Never pull a snail from its shell or force its trapdoor open.
Trumpet snails may burrow; mystery snails need unobstructed access to the surface and a secure lid. A closed shell alone does not establish that a snail is dead. Photograph concerns and contact us rather than repeatedly handling an inactive snail. If there is a large water-chemistry mismatch, ask for help before prolonged mixing.
Freshwater feeder fish: mosquitofish are not marine fish
For our live mosquitofish (Gambusia), prepare a separate, established freshwater holding or quarantine system with adequate oxygenation. Being sold as feeder fish does not remove their need for careful arrival handling.
- Check compatibility and prepare a secure lid. Mosquitofish can nip fins and prey on smaller animals, so do not automatically combine them with shrimp or other arrivals.
- Equalize temperature in the sealed, intact bag while monitoring the fish.
- Once ready, open and transfer promptly into suitable freshwater, leaving shipping water behind. Do not add salt or move them directly into a substantially different outdoor pond temperature.
If your pond is much colder or warmer, use a suitable indoor holding system and seek guidance on the later transition. Gasping, rolling or inability to stay upright needs prompt attention: check receiving-water temperature, ammonia, nitrite and oxygenation, and contact support. Quarantine and observe feeder fish before introducing them to other animals.
White-legged hermit crabs: marine salinity matters
Our white-legged hermit crabs are marine animals. They require an established saltwater aquarium, not freshwater, and should not receive a freshwater dip.
- Check the destination system's temperature and salinity with suitable instruments. Prepare clean marine holding water before opening the shipment.
- For water-filled bags, gently equalize temperature while sealed. Once opened, measure shipping-water salinity promptly rather than guessing.
- If salinity and temperature closely match, transfer the crabs gently with minimal shipping water.
- If salinity differs substantially, do not transfer straight into the display and do not leave the crabs in old shipping water for an hours-long drip. Contact us for a measured transition plan using a separate, clean marine holding system initially matched to the arrival salinity and temperature. Any later adjustment should be gradual and monitored, not made by adding dry salt or pouring freshwater over the animals.
Do not use a universal drip duration for every salinity difference. Keep spare, appropriately sized empty marine snail shells available in the aquarium. Do not pull a crab out of its shell.
If your package is delayed
Monitor tracking and contact us when a live shipment misses its expected delivery or stops progressing. Include your order number, tracking number and latest carrier update. Arrange for someone to receive it and keep the receiving system ready. Our ghost-shrimp listing describes Monday–Wednesday live-animal shipping to reduce transit time, but a dispatch schedule is not a guaranteed delivery date.
On arrival, document the condition promptly and prioritize care. Do not add an extra-long acclimation simply because transit was long. Delayed shipments may have poorer water quality; prolonged time in opened shipping water can make matters worse. If animals are in distress, water is leaking, or arrival and tank conditions differ greatly, contact us immediately for help. Do not leave animals in a closed delivery box while waiting for a reply.
When to contact support
Contact us promptly for suspected dead-on-arrival animals, leaking or damaged bags, severe temperature exposure, persistent distress, uncertain species or water type, or a large salinity or water-chemistry mismatch. Use your order's support channel and provide the order number, delivery time, clear photos of the animals and packaging, and measured water conditions if available.
Review the Live Arrival Guarantee supplied or linked with your order immediately and follow its evidence and reporting requirements. Do not assume this article creates a new claim window or guarantees a replacement or refund. Care for surviving animals promptly while documenting the issue.
After transfer, keep conditions stable, check water quality, and observe quietly. Avoid immediately adding medications or large meals to a stressed holding system. Never release aquarium animals or shipping water into natural waterways.
Why this guide avoids prolonged shipping-water acclimation
Temperature matching and protection from water-chemistry shock both matter, but so does limiting exposure to transport waste. For background, see the Association of Zoos and Aquariums fish transport manual and Aquatics Unlimited's explanation of shipped-livestock ammonia risks. These general references do not replace the instructions supplied for your particular animals.