Shipping Guide

Choosing a courier

Live fish need a next-day guaranteed service. Standard or economy delivery is never acceptable — even a short delay can be fatal. Do not use Royal Mail for live fish — it is prohibited under their terms and you may be liable under the Animal Welfare Act.

Couriers used by the UK fishkeeping community

• APC Overnight — the most widely used option in the hobby. Reliable next-day delivery, accepted at most drop-off points. Book directly or through a reseller like Interparcel or Parcel2Go for better rates.
• DPD — used by many commercial aquatics retailers. Good live tracking and one-hour delivery slots, which helps make sure someone is home. Check their current terms for live animals as drop-off points can vary.
• UPS / DHL — can accept live fish but policies differ by depot. Less commonly used in the hobby. Always confirm with your local depot before booking.
• Avoid: Evri / Hermes (no live animal service, fragile items handled poorly) and any economy or 2–5 day service.

Royal Mail does permit fish eggs and fry via Special Delivery in some circumstances — but their policies can change. Always check their current terms before using this route.

Tips for booking

• Book a pre-12 or pre-10 guaranteed next-day service wherever possible
• Book early so the parcel is collected the same day
• Confirm the buyer will be home before you book
• Keep your tracking number — you'll need it if anything goes wrong
• Label the box clearly: LIVE TROPICAL FISH / THIS WAY UP / FRAGILE

Heat packs

Temperature is one of the biggest killers in transit. Most tropical fish need water above 18°C — ideally 22–26°C. A heat pack keeps the air inside the box warm throughout the journey, which slowly and evenly warms the water.

When to use one

• Below 10°C — always use a heat pack
• 10–18°C — strongly recommended
• 18–25°C — use your judgement based on the species
• Above 25°C — no heat pack needed. For cold-water species like goldfish, consider a cool pack instead

Choosing the right heat pack

Heat packs come in 12, 24, 40 and 72-hour durations. For standard next-day UK shipping, a 24-hour pack is usually fine. In very cold weather or for sensitive species, go for a 40-hour pack to give yourself extra margin.

How to use one correctly

• Activate the pack and wait 15–30 minutes before packing — it needs time to reach full temperature
• Never place the heat pack directly against the fish bag — wrap it in a layer of newspaper first. Direct contact can cook the fish
• Place the wrapped heat pack on top of the bags inside the polystyrene box
• Seal the polystyrene lid with tape to trap the heat

Packing fish

Good packing takes about 15 minutes once you have everything ready. The aim is to keep stress low, water quality stable, and temperature consistent throughout the journey.

What you need

• Fish bags — polythene, sized for the fish
• Rubber bands or bag clips
• Oxygen cylinder and regulator (or a good air pump if you don't have O2)
• Polystyrene box with lid
• 24-hour heat pack
• Newspaper or bubble wrap for padding
• Brown parcel tape
• Permanent marker for labelling

Step by step

Notes by species

• Shrimp — more sensitive to ammonia than most fish. A small piece of java moss or a bag of zeolite helps absorb ammonia in transit. Shrimp tolerate 16–20°C well, so you don't always need a heat pack unless it's cold.
• Large or aggressive fish — double bag as a minimum. Triple bag for fish with sharp spines such as catfish. Some sellers use hard plastic containers inside the bag for very spiky species.
• Snails — ship in a damp paper towel rather than a bag of water. Much lighter and less risky. A small sealed container with air holes works very well.
• Crabs and crayfish — ship slightly moist rather than submerged. A damp cloth or sponge in a sealed container is ideal. They are hardy travellers.
• Bettas — always ship individually. Males will flare and stress each other through clear bags. Use opaque bags or separate dark containers.
• Delicate or wild-caught species — if in doubt, don't ship. Some species are not suitable for postal delivery and should only be sold via collection.

Packing plants & invertebrates

Plants and most invertebrates are considerably easier to ship than fish. The key is keeping them moist — not waterlogged — and protected from temperature extremes.

Aquatic plants

• Wrap stems in damp paper towel or damp newspaper — just moist, not soaking wet
• Place in a sealed plastic bag with a small amount of air
• Cushion in the box so they don't get crushed in transit
• Add a heat pack in cold weather — 24 hours is fine for plants
• Most plants tolerate 2–3 days in transit, but always ship next-day
• Tissue culture cups can go straight into a padded envelope or small box

Coral frags

Bag frags in a small amount of tank water (not RO water) with oxygen. Wrap in foam to prevent the plug rattling around. Use an insulated box and heat pack just as you would for fish, and book the earliest available delivery slot — transit time should be as short as possible.

Dry goods and equipment

Filters, lights, tanks and equipment can go via any standard courier. Use plenty of bubble wrap for fragile items, double-box anything valuable, and declare the correct value for insurance purposes.

Timing your shipment

When you ship matters almost as much as how you pack. A large proportion of transit losses come down to poor timing.

Best days to ship

Monday to Wednesday is ideal — parcels arrive Tuesday to Thursday, avoiding any risk of sitting in a depot over the weekend. Avoid shipping on Thursday or Friday, before bank holidays, or during extreme cold snaps or heatwaves.

Confirm before you pack

Always check the buyer will be home on delivery day before you pack and book. Once a parcel is with the courier, you have very limited ability to redirect it. If the buyer is out and it ends up at a collection point, transit time extends and the outcome gets uncertain quickly.

Check the forecast

Check the weather forecast for both your location and the buyer's before you pack. If a cold snap or heatwave is coming, it's often worth delaying a day or two. A quick message to the buyer is always better than a claim.

Collection in person

For local sales, collection is often the best option — no transit stress, the buyer sees exactly what they're getting, and there's no courier risk. A lot of buyers actively prefer it.

Safety

• Meet in a public place if you don't know the buyer — a car park, petrol station or supermarket is ideal
• If meeting at home, let someone know
• Confirm payment before handing over the fish — cash or instant bank transfer on the spot
• Keep all communication on AquaLots until the sale is confirmed

What to ask buyers to bring

A quick message beforehand goes a long way. Let buyers know they'll need an insulated cool bag or polystyrene box, a heat pack if it's cold, and ideally a bucket with tank water if they're collecting large fish. A buyer who turns up on a cold day with nothing to keep the fish warm is going to have a rough journey home.

DOA & disputes

Dead on Arrival claims are an unfortunate part of shipping live animals. Most can be prevented with good packing and timing — but when they do happen, how you handle it matters for everyone involved.

For sellers — protect yourself

• Photograph your fish bagged and ready before every shipment — this proves the animals were alive and healthy when they left you
• Keep your courier tracking number and delivery confirmation
• State your DOA policy clearly in your listing description before the sale
• Use quality bags and a fresh heat pack — not reused or near-expired supplies
• If you have any doubt about a fish's health, do not ship it

For buyers — if fish arrive dead

• Photograph the sealed bag immediately on arrival — before opening anything
• Photograph the outer packaging too
• Contact the seller within 2 hours of delivery
• Do not open the bag before photographing if the fish are dead
• If the seller does not respond, raise a dispute through AquaLots

Common causes of transit losses

• Ammonia spike from fish that were fed too recently before packing
• Bag sealed with air instead of oxygen
• Heat pack placed directly on the bag without a buffer
• Delivery not received — parcel redirected to a collection point
• Economy or 2-day delivery used instead of next-day
• Fish already stressed or unwell before packing
• Bag seal failure — leak in transit
• Extreme temperatures — cold snap or heatwave during transit