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Shipping & Live Arrival Guarantee

How your fish get from our outdoor tubs in Augusta to your door — alive, healthy, and on schedule.

How we ship

USPS Priority Mail Express, overnight delivery to anywhere in the contiguous US. We use USPS Express specifically because it's the only carrier with overnight nationwide reach, signature confirmation, and consistent live-animal handling.

Ship days: Tuesday or Wednesday only

We ship Tuesdays and Wednesdays only — never on Thursday, Friday, or weekends. Here's why:

  • Tuesday ship means Wednesday delivery — your fish are home before any potential weekend delays.
  • Wednesday ship means Thursday delivery — same logic, with one extra day of buffer.
  • Thursday or later means your package can sit in a USPS facility over the weekend. We do not take that risk with live animals.

Order any day of the week. Orders placed Sunday–Tuesday morning ship that Tuesday. Orders placed Tuesday afternoon–Wednesday morning ship that Wednesday. Orders placed Wednesday afternoon onward ship the following Tuesday.

Packaging

  • Each fish or shrimp group is double-bagged with breather bag inserts and pure oxygen.
  • Bags are wrapped in newspaper for thermal buffering and packed in an insulated foam-lined box.
  • A heat pack (winter) or cold pack (summer) is added based on the season and destination forecast.
  • The box is sealed with a "LIVE FISH — TIME-SENSITIVE" label visible on all sides.
Summer protocol (June–September): When the daytime high at your delivery zip exceeds 85°F, we automatically include a cold pack and may delay ship by a day to catch a cooler window. We will email you if your order is being held for weather.
Winter protocol (December–February): Heat packs included automatically. If your area is in an active hard-freeze advisory we may hold ship by 1–3 days. You'll be notified by email.

Live Arrival Guarantee

Live Arrival Guaranteed Contact us within 2 hours of delivery for a free replacement or store credit.

How it works:

  • Inspect your order within 2 hours of delivery.
  • Take clear photos of any losses while the fish are still in the bag.
  • Email hello@gardencityguppies.com with your order number, photos, and a short note.
  • We will refund the value of the loss or send replacements on the next ship day. Your choice.

Conditions: someone must be home to receive the package on the delivery day. Refused or returned packages, packages left unattended, and packages opened more than 2 hours after delivery are not covered.

Local pickup (Augusta, GA)

Local to Augusta? Schedule a pickup instead of shipping. By appointment only. We will share the pickup location after you order.

What about wholesale orders?

We accept wholesale and bulk orders on a case-by-case basis. Get in touch with quantities and your shop name and we will follow up.