Shipping Policies & Procedures

Shipping Procedure

  1. LOCATION: At this time Little Shop of Coral only ships within Canada.
  2. NOTIFICATION: Little Shop of Coral receives notification of your online order and you will receive a confirmation email including receipt.
  3. TIMING: We will contact you to arrange timing of your shipment and confirm that you will be available at the time and date of delivery. We will also assess weather conditions of the route to ensure stable conditions can be maintained properly.
  4. PACKAGING: We ensure our coral has everything required for a viable journey through the following process:
  • Coral is secured in either poly bags or specimen containers depending on the piece
  • Water from the tank the piece has been acclimated to is added to the bag/container to allow the coral to float securely throughout transport.
  • Bags/containers are secured in a Styrofoam cooler and secured appropriately
  • High Quality hot or cold packs are included as necessary, based on weather conditions/forecast for the projected route & destination
  • Cooler is sealed shut and boxed with appropriate labels and is ready to be picked up by our shipper

    5. CONFIRMATION: You will receive a shipping confirmation email when the order is on its way that will include:

  • Date of Delivery
  • Unboxing Checklist & Acclimation Procedures for you order to have the highest rate of success.

Unboxing Checklist

We have taken every precaution to ensure your order arrives to its destination in best possible conditions, but it is now up to you to ensure successful completion. Failure to follow the Unboxing Checklist & Acclimation Procedures will void any guarantee we have made to fulfill your order.   

  • Be home to receive it. This is the easiest but most essential part. This part relies solely on you (or someone you trust) to receive your shipment on the first delivery attempt.
  • Unpack and inspect. Within 2 hours of receiving your shipement, open the cooler and remove the specimen containers. Take a moment to examine the exterior of each bag/container for damage. You can now open the bag/container to check that the water is clear and free from any noticeable, strange smell.
  • Acclimate! If your coral appears to be in good health, you can now acclimate it to your tank.

Acclimation Procedure

  • Place Corals in a Separate Container. Release corals with the water they were shipped in, into a larger container leaving space to add water from your own tank.
  • Slowly Add Aquarium Water. This is the best way to introduce your corals to the temperature and parameters of your own aquarium. We recommend about half a cup of water every few minutes until the coral is covered.
  • Turn Down Tank Lighting. Your coral has not been exposed to light for the duration of their travel, so turning down your lights will reduce stress. After a day or two of reduced lighting, you can return to your original settings.
  • Add Your Coral. On our product page, you will find specifications of light & flow for each piece. Take note of the best conditions for your piece when placing. With tank lights off, add corals and secure using proper amounts of adhesive.

Dead on Arrival Policy

Little Shop of Coral is committed to providing you with healthy coral much like you committed to following the necessary steps to receive it. If you have unboxed your shipment and noticed cloudy water within the specimen container and/or an odd smell, please do the following:

1. Take a picture and email it to littleshopofcoral79@gmail.com. We need to receive your email within 2 hours of the receipt of your order which is why the unbox timing is critical.

2. Open Claim: When we receive your email, we will immediately begin to investigate with the shipper to determine what may have occurred. If you received your order on the first delivery attempt, you can choose one of two resolutions:

  • Get a full refund of the cost of the coral including shipping cost.
  • Request a replacement piece and we will cover the shipping cost. If a replacement is unavailable, we can discuss a similar option.
3. Dispose: After you have taken photos, sent them and a claim has been documented, please throw out the deceased coral as you would with organic waste. DO NOT attempt to revive or add this coral to an otherwise healthy tank.

    Your satisfaction is important to us, and we understand life happens. If for whatever reason you were unable to receive the shipment within the first attempt or unbox and email us within 2 hours, please let us know. We will do our best to work together and find a solution that works for you.