Fish stuck in transit due to bad weather

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

I placed an order on liveaquaria.com for three fish about a week ago, and had it scheduled to be delivered today (Jan. 7, 2017). The package is supposed to be coming to east Alabama, of course when I placed the order I did not know a winter storm would delay everything moving through Atlanta. Live aquaria contacted me yesterday and said they were going to delay the shipment due to weather and we agreed to have it ship to arrive next saturday. Apparently the fish shipped yesterday anyways, I received an email with a tracking number last night. I called live aquaria when they opened this morning and they apologized but said they had been unable to stop the shipment (not sure how that happens). So now the fish are sitting somewhere in Atlanta and delivery is delayed until Monday. I talked to UPS and tried to go pick them up myself in Atlanta, but I guess they are jumbled among thousands of packages and picking them up there isn't possible. What are the odds these fish survive until Monday? I'll be in class all morning and until 3 on Monday. Live aquaria has said they will take care of everything if the fish are DOA. However this is just beyond frustrating, I'm not sure what to do. I feel bad if I ordered the poor guys and they die in transit because of a shipping mistake.

takayan · Jan 7, 2017

What did you order? I had the same experience before in the winter time. The fish I ordered and stacked in Denver Fedex facility were survived for the weekend. It highly depends on what you ordered. Mine were multicolor angel and resplendent anthias. Good luck!

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

I order a yellow tang, kole tang, and a one spot foxface

Diesel · Jan 7, 2017

Due to the cold weather you might have the luck on your side maybe but in 99% the fish are at loss.
If LA agreed to not ship them and did it anyway they will honor the guarantee on this, as long you saved all conversations with them.

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

Diesel said:
Due to the cold weather you might have the luck on your side maybe but in 99% the fish are at loss.
If LA agreed to not ship them and did it anyway they will honor the guarantee on this, as long you saved all conversations with them.

All the conversations have been over the phone, but I do have a voicemail they left when they originally told me shipment would be delayed. They so far have sounded very willing to make everything right, which I appreciate and hopefully they will, I just wished it hadn't happened in the first place. Stuff happens I guess, part of life, just frustrating.

reeftank220master · Jan 7, 2017

CarterJ said:
I placed an order on liveaquaria.com for three fish about a week ago, and had it scheduled to be delivered today (Jan. 7, 2017). The package is supposed to be coming to east Alabama, of course when I placed the order I did not know a winter storm would delay everything moving through Atlanta. Live aquaria contacted me yesterday and said they were going to delay the shipment due to weather and we agreed to have it ship to arrive next saturday. Apparently the fish shipped yesterday anyways, I received an email with a tracking number last night. I called live aquaria when they opened this morning and they apologized but said they had been unable to stop the shipment (not sure how that happens). So now the fish are sitting somewhere in Atlanta and delivery is delayed until Monday. I talked to UPS and tried to go pick them up myself in Atlanta, but I guess they are jumbled among thousands of packages and picking them up there isn't possible. What are the odds these fish survive until Monday? I'll be in class all morning and until 3 on Monday. Live aquaria has said they will take care of everything if the fish are DOA. However this is just beyond frustrating, I'm not sure what to do. I feel bad if I ordered the poor guys and they die in transit because of a shipping mistake.

I think they will make it! Keep in mind that they have a better chance making it threw cold then hot and there probably heat packed and insulated by all the other boxes it is sandwiched between.. Let me know how you make out and good luck..

takayan · Jan 7, 2017

CarterJ said:
I order a yellow tang, kole tang, and a one spot foxface

I'm positive these kind of fish can survive until Monday. LA's packing is pretty good.

star fawkes · Jan 7, 2017

Don't worry about the guarantee. My shipment was also delayed recently and Live Aquaria gave me a call saying that if anything happens they will replace for free and free shipping. Mine was only delayed one day, not two days like yours, and I lost one fish. I called the next day and they refunded the price of that fish but also gave me the option to have another one ship when available. I opted for the refund because I wanted all fish to go through QT at the same time.

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

well the fish did end up leaving Atlanta late this morning. UPS told me there was no way they would ship to my house today, but that maybe I could pick them up at the distribution center they were headed to, which is just about 10 miles up the interstate from me. When the tracking showed they made it to that DC, I hit the road. Got there and the guy up front tells me they are on a truck out for delivery. Back home now and expecting the package with in the next hour or so. They sat in louisville, Ky for a few hours last night, so I'm hoping the package held up well to the low temps. We will see how it goes.

Masomaniac · Jan 7, 2017

Hoping all is still okay for the fish and you. It is stressful when a package gets delayed by any length of time

indyjaco · Jan 7, 2017

I would do a quick acclimation on them.

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

indyjaco said:
I would do a quick acclimation on them.

You think so? they just got here, and are temp. acclimating in the bag now. 2 are alive, the bags are mostly grey so hard to see in, haven't really got a visual on the kole tang yet. LA suggested doubling the acclimation process. I was going to let them float for 20 minutes, then add a little aquarium water (in a quarantine tank) at a time in to the shipping bag as the directions suggested. They suggest 1/2 cup every 4 minutes

star fawkes · Jan 7, 2017

Best bet would be to match ph of QT and bags then release after temps are the same.

indyjaco · Jan 7, 2017

I usually just match temperature, add 50% more water with my tank water and then put them in the QT.

Edit.

How did they end up?

saltyhog · Jan 7, 2017

I would do zero acclimation beyond temp. Salinity is not neary the threat the ammonia is!

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

they are all in the QT now and have been for a little over an hour. The two tangs seem okay. The one spot foxface is struggling. He looked pretty stressed in the bag to begin with, his color was pretty dull. After we let him out in the tank he was pretty active and his color brightened up tremendously for about 10 minutes. then all of the sudden he got dark again and is now just sitting really still in a corner, towards the top of the water.

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

the foxface is also covered with white splotches now, maybe .5 cm in dia.

indyjaco · Jan 7, 2017

Fox faces are easily stressed. Sounds normal

CarterJ · Jan 7, 2017

How soon should I offer these guys food?

indyjaco · Jan 7, 2017

I'd leave the lights off for the rest of the day and try in the morning.

I fed my guys today after 4 hours in the QT after arriving from Blue Zoo and they all ate.