Live fish ship in three nested bags: inner bag holds the fish and water; middle bag holds the inner with the opening sealed in the opposite direction; outer bag holds the middle with bag tie facing inward to prevent puncturing. Each bag is rubber-banded, not knotted, so heat sealing is unnecessary.
Use pure source water from the holding system. Never reuse shipping water. Aim for 30-40% water, 60-70% pure oxygen.
Use medical-grade oxygen, not aquarium air pump. Insert needle through the bag wall above the water line, fill until the bag is firm but not over-pressurized. Pull needle out at an angle to self-seal.
Tie bag with a single rubber band, leaving the tag end pointing down when the bag rests on the box bottom. This is the Fast Aquatics standard so DOA photos clearly show the bag was unopened. A bag tie facing up suggests buyer opened, claimed, then resealed.
Minimum 1.5" wall thickness. Inner box dimensions sized so contents are snug with newspaper or air-pillow fill - no shifting during transit.
Destination forecast 70-95F: no heat or cold pack required. Above 95F: cold pack mandatory, wrapped in 2-3 layers of newspaper to prevent direct contact. Below 50F: heat pack mandatory, same wrap protocol. Below 32F or above 100F: climate hold automatically triggered (see Climate Hold).
For shipments over $500 or for fragile species (anthias, rare wrasses, sensitive coral), use a double-box: inner styrofoam inside an outer cardboard box with crumpled paper between. Adds insulation and impact protection.
Bags rubber-banded to prevent rolling. Newspaper or air pillows fill voids. Box sealed with reinforced tape on all seams. Live Animals stickers on all six sides.
Pickup at vendor's location reduces stress on livestock. If dropping off, drop at staffed facility (not drop-box) to ensure climate-controlled handling.
Ship Monday or Tuesday for Tuesday or Wednesday delivery. Avoid weekend transit. No shipments Wednesday onward unless buyer accepts Saturday or Monday delivery explicitly.
Fast Aquatics' climate hold automatically blocks shipments to destinations forecast above 95F or below 32F during transit. Buyer can waive the hold and ship anyway, in which case DOA guarantee is reduced or voided per Vendor's posted policy.
Include species name (common and scientific), count, order number, and ship-date. Print clearly visible on top of contents inside the box.
Species-specific. Fast Aquatics provides a standardized acclimation card library; Vendor selects the relevant cards for each shipment. Drip acclimation for invertebrates and coral. Float-and-add for hardy fish. Plug-and-play for plants.
One-page card included in every shipment with QR code linking to /claim/. Photo evidence requirements summarized for the buyer.
Print packing label so order number and species names are visible without opening. Required for clean DOA photo evidence.
Vendor takes a photo of the packed box (with order number visible) and uploads to the Fast Aquatics vendor dashboard before sealing. Creates chain-of-custody documentation.
Tracking number entered into Fast Aquatics within 1 hour of carrier pickup. Triggers buyer notification and starts the carrier-tracking integration.
If carrier reports a delivery exception (delayed, missed attempt, held at facility), Vendor is notified and may proactively offer the buyer climate hold for redelivery, replacement, or alternative arrangements.
Vendor reads all five modules, then takes a 20-question quiz drawn randomly from a question bank. Passing score: 18/20 (90%). Annual recertification keeps standards current.
Failed quiz: review modules and retake (max 3 attempts in 14 days). Three failures: 30-day cooling period and one-on-one onboarding call before retake.
Vendors with above-category-average DOA rates may be required to complete remedial packing modules or accept onboarding-call review. Vendors maintaining best-in-class DOA rates earn the Fast Aquatics Top Vendor badge (top 5%).