FAQ

Guarantee

We guarantee that any livestock purchased from Unique Corals will be shipped to you using only the best in packaging procedures.

All of our livestock is hand picked and quarantined prior to sale and we guarantee that only healthy, thriving livestock will be shipped to you.

In the unfortunate event that a specimen does not arrive alive or survive beyond the 14-day guarantee we will gladly replace the specimen or issue a full credit that will be used with your next order.

It is a rare occurrence that our livestock does not arrive alive or survive past the guarantee period. In the event of this happening the following will apply:

Terms and Conditions

• Please notify us within 6 hours of receiving from FedEx if a specimen is delivered Dead On Arrival (DOA) and one of our friendly associates will be happy to instruct you on the steps that need to be taken to expedite your replacement or credit.
• Please do not discard specimens without our prior consent or this will void our guarantee.
• Please do not ship deceased specimens without our prior consent.
• Please do take a picture of the specimen and send it to us at contact@uniquecorals.com within 6 hours of delivery. Please reference your name and order number when contacting us.
• Please freeze specimen as stated in the What To Do if a Specimen is DOA/DAA section.
• The 14-day guarantee will begin on the day the specimen is shipped.
• Customer must sign for package on the first attempt to deliver it to you.
• Customer must follow our Acclimation Guide.
• Your aquarium chemistry is extremely important to the survival of the livestock shipped to you. Your aquarium must be within the following parameters:

     Temperature: 75 – 83 degrees Fahrenheit
     Ammonia: 0.0 ppm
     Nitrite: 0.0 ppm
     Nitrate: 0.0-30 ppm
     pH: 8.1 – 8.4
     Specific Gravity: 1.020-1.025

• Unique Corals is not responsible for livestock that has been picked on by aggressive fish in your tank.
• Unique Corals is not responsible if you cannot ‘find’ your species once it has been introduced into your tank. Many species will hide and it is your responsibility to provide proof that your specimen is indeed dead.
• We do not issue credits for the cost of shipping.
• Livestock notated with an asterisk (*) are exempt from this guarantee.

What To Do if a Specimen is DOA / DAA

• Do not discard.
• Place specimen in two zip lock style baggies with no water and cover with salt. Place in your freezer. Contact us for further instructions.
• If an item arrives Dead On Arrival (DOA) contact us via email or phone within the timeframe stated in Terms and Conditions. Include your name, phone number and leave a brief message.
• If an item is Dead After Arrival (DAA) contact us within the 14-day guarantee period.
• Please take a picture of the specimen before putting it in the freezer and email it to us along with your notification email.

Obtaining Your Livestock Credit

• If you do experience a loss within the guaranteed period of time please contact us via email (preferred) or phone so we can begin the process of issuing your credit.
• Please allow 2 business days for your claim to be reviewed and for your credit to be issued.
• You may be asked to return your deceased specimen. Please preserve it following the instructions in the What To Do if a Specimen is DOA/DAA.
• You will be issued a return authorization code for your credit via email. In the event that you do not have access to the internet the code number and instructions for use can be delivered via phone.

Acclimation Guide

It is extremely important to properly acclimate your new specimen immediately upon arrival. Any new livestock can become stressed when being added to a new aquarium. Changes in water temperature, chemistry and lighting need to be addressed and the following is our recommended method for acclimation.

Floating Method

1. Dim lights in the room where you will be opening the package. Going from complete darkness of the shipping container to bright lighting of your surroundings can create extreme stress in your specimen.
2. Turn off aquarium lighting.
3. Float the bag while still sealed in the top of your aquarium for 15 minutes. This step helps to slowly adjust the temperature of the water in the holding bag to the temperature of the water in your aquarium. Keeping the bag sealed will maintain the current oxygen level that the specimen is accustomed to.
4. Once the bag has been floated for 15 minutes cut the bag open right under the closure and fold down the top of the bag approximately 1” and allow the bag to float on the surface of the water. For heavier pieces that will not float, place the bag in a plastic container or specimen container.
5. Add ½ cup of aquarium water to the bag. Wait 5 minutes and add another ½ cup aquarium water. Continue in this manner until the bag is full.
6. Remove the bag from the aquarium and pour out and discard half of the water that is in the bag.
7. Once again, float the bag in the aquarium and add ½ cup of aquarium water to the bag. Wait 5 minutes and add another ½ cup aquarium water. Continue in this manner until the bag is full.
8. Net the specimen from the shipping bag and release into the aquarium.
9. Do not add any of the shipping water to your aquarium.

Drip Method

The drip method is a more advanced way to acclimate your specimens. This method should especially be used for more sensitive species such as corals, shrimp, sea stars and wrasses. The equipment needed is a length of airline tubing and an aquarium safe 3-5 gallon bucket. You will need to monitor this method closely. If you are acclimating both fish and invertebrates you will need to acclimate them separately.

1. To acclimate the specimen to the water temperature in your aquarium start with the same steps as listed in 1 through 3 as described in the floating method.
2. Empty the entire contents of the bag to the aquarium safe bucket including all water in the bag. Please make sure not to expose sensitive invertebrates to the air. Depending on the amount of water in the bag you may need to tilt the bucket and prop it with a wedge so the specimen is completely submerged in the water until enough water has dripped into the bucket.
3. To set up and run a siphon drip line from the main aquarium you will need to tie several loose knots in a piece of airline tubing to regulate water flow.
4. To begin a siphon, place one end of the airline tubing into the aquarium and suck on the other end. Once the water starts flowing through the airline tubing place the tubing into the bucket. Adjust the rate of flow by tightening the knots to a rate of 2-4 drips per second.
5. When the water in the bucket doubles empty half of the water and start the siphon again and wait until the water volume doubles again.
6. The specimens can now be added to the aquarium. Take special care with sponges, clams and gorgonias as they should never be exposed to the air. Using either a specimen container or the shipping bag gently scoop the livestock out of the bucket and add the container or bag directly into the aquarium. Gently place the specimen in the desired location in your aquarium. Take care not to touch the fleshy part of coral when handling.

PLEASE NOTE: Most invertebrates are more sensitive than fish to changes in specific gravity. It is extremely important to acclimate invertebrates to a specific gravity of 1.023 – 1.025 or severe stress or trauma could result. Test specific gravity using a hydrometer or refractometer.

A printed version of our Acclimation Guide will be added to each livestock order.

Important Facts About Acclimation

• Remember to take your time while acclimating and never rush. The total time needed to acclimate your new specimen should take no more than one hour.
• Follow the acclimation procedure even if your new specimen appears dead. Some fish and invertebrates may look dead when they arrive but after the acclimation process takes place they will revive and be fine.
• Never place an airstone in the shipping bag. Doing so will increase the pH of the shipping water rapidly and expose your new arrival to lethal ammonia.
• Unpack your new specimen in a dimly lit room. Keep aquarium lights off for at least 4 hours after introducing your new specimen to the aquarium.
• Most invertebrates are more sensitive than fish to changes in specific gravity. It is extremely important to acclimate invertebrates to a specific gravity of 1.023 – 1.025 or severe stress or trauma could result.
• Sponges, clams, scallops, starfish and gorgonias should never be exposed to air.
• Sometimes your new fish will be chased and harassed by one or all of your existing fish. If this happens try one of the following solutions:

Ordering Information

• Help - If you need help in placing your order please email us at sales@uniquecorals.com or call 866-994-6729 toll free or 646-214-0962 local. We are in our facility Monday through Friday, 12:00 PM – 8:00 pm EST.
• Walk-In / Pick Up - Our hours of Walk-In / Store Pick Ups are Monday through Friday, 12:00PM – 8:00 pm EST. Weekend visits / pick ups are currently appointment only and must be notified at least 48 hours prior.
• Payment - We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Pay Pal and Money Orders for payment.
• Pre-ordering – Many variables affect livestock availability. We encourage you to pre-order any livestock that is labeled “Pre-Order Now!”. Most pre-ordered specimens are shipped within 14 days.
• There are three reasons why an item will be labeled “Pre-Order Now!”:

Order Cancellation

If you cancel your order prior to shipment there will be no penalty to you. In the event that you cancel your order after it has shipped or if you refuse delivery for any reason no refunds or credits will be issued.

Substitutions

Unique Corals will not substitute any item that you have ordered. If we are out of stock on an item one of our associates will call you to discuss alternative products that may be available. We will never ship an item to you that you have not specifically ordered without your prior approval.

Special Requests

Please email us at uniquecorals@gmail.com with any special requests.

Exchange/Return Policy

• No fish, coral, invertebrates, live rock or live sand may be returned or exchanged unless it is covered by our 14-day guarantee.
• No liquid products will be accepted for return.
• There will be a 20% restocking fee on any returned drygoods and aquarium supplies. Items must be unopened and in resaleable condition.
• Prior to returning any item you must get a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) code from Unique Corals.
• Please call or email us at contact@uniquecorals.com to receive your RMA code. Make sure to include your name and phone number.
• The shipping costs to return merchandise is your responsibility.
• In the event that your merchandise arrives damaged or defective please contact us immediately to receive your RMA code.
• Any item that does arrive to you damaged or defective will be replaced and all related shipping costs will be covered by Unique Corals.
• Any and all returns must be received within 30 days of the invoice date.

Ordering Security

Privacy

At Unique Corals we respect your privacy. When ordering from us you will be asked to provide your billing and shipping information. We assure you that any and all information you provide to us will be kept securely stored and used only to place your order. We also assure you that we will never sell or share your information with any third party.

General Information

• All orders are based on a first come, first serve basis.
• Policies, procedures and pricing are subject to change without notice.
• The pricing on any item that has been mislabeled will not be honored. The buyer must either accept the accurate price of the item or the order will be cancelled without any penalty to the customer.

Auction Sales Policy

When placing a bid on any Unique Corals auction, your bid is a contract. Please only bid if you are serious about the purchase. As the winning bidder you have entered into a legally binding contract and must pay for the item within 48 hours of winning the auction. If payment is not received within the 48-hour time limit, the next highest bidder will become the new auction winner in the amount of the second highest bid. As the successful auction winner you are responsible for the payment of shipping and any applicable sales tax. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Paypal.

Shipping Information

We ship to the entire continental United States using Fed Ex as our exclusive carrier.

All orders over $500.00 or more will be shipped under the "Signature Required" FedEx Policy.

In the event that you have to contact Fed Ex please have your tracking number with you and use the following contact information:

Customer Service: 1-800-Go-Fedex (1-800-463-3339)
Online Package Tracking: www.fedex.com/us
Shipping Locator: www.fedex.com/us/dropoff

Our Packing Procedure

We take extreme measures to insure your livestock receives a stress free journey to your home or office using the following packing procedures:

• We don’t skimp on the amount of water we add to the shipping bag in order to save on the shipping charges.
• Delicate corals are ‘floated’ in the bag.
• All items are shipped using two or more bags to minimize punctured bags.
• We then add oxygen to each bag before sealing.
• Once sealed we then wrap the bag with a ‘bag saver’ for even further protection.
• Your livestock is then placed in a thick-walled cooler and any necessary heat or cold packs are then attached to the underside of the cooler lid.
• We then seal up all 4 sides of the cooler lid with packing tape.
• The cooler is then placed in a sturdy cardboard box and taped again.

Because of the extreme measures we do take to insure your livestock arrives to you in optimum condition there is a $10.00 box charge added to all orders that are shipped. If your order requires more than one box you will only be charged once for the box charge.

Shipping Rates

We ship to the entire continental United States using Fed Ex as our exclusive carrier.

Overnight shipping is FREE on all orders equaling over $199 before any miscellaneous charges are added such as box charge, tax, etc.

If your order is less than $199 you will be charged a flat rate of $39.99 plus the $10 box charge for Priority Delivery (delivered by 10:30 am) and $29.99 plus the $10 box charge for Standard Delivery (delivered by 3:00 pm).

NOTE:
Please let us know when placing your order if you are located outside the normal Fed Ex delivery area. If you fail to notify us, your delivery may be delayed substantially and void the 14-day livestock guarantee.

Unique Corals Ships 5 Days a Week

We ship 3 days a week, Monday through Wednesday. Cut off time for ordering is 3PM EST. If an order is placed after 3PM, it will be shipped the following qualified business day. We do not ship out on Thursdays in the case of carrier mishaps. (If the box is not able to reach the destination by Friday, FedEx will hold on to the box until Monday. This often happens with weather complications.) Special requests for Friday or Saturday delivery must be noted in the comments section when placing an order. However, in the case that the box does not arrive overnight, Unique Corals is not responsible for any DOAs. Below is a chart showing the shipping days and the arrival days.

PLEASE NOTE:
*Fed Ex does not offer Saturday delivery to all zip codes. Please keep this in mind when placing your order. To determine whether Fed Ex delivers in your area on Saturday go to www.fedex.com/us/services/options/.html

*There will be a $12.50 extra charge for Saturday delivery (this is exactly the extra amount we are charged to ship via Fed Ex for a Saturday delivery). If you do order on a Thursday and want regular Overnight delivery your order will ship on Monday and arrive on Tuesday.

Email Notification

Email notification will be sent to you once your item has shipped. At this time you will also receive a tracking number so you can monitor your shipment.

Hold for Pickup at Fed Ex

We recommend, if at all possible, that you have your shipment held at your local Fed Ex Customer Center for pick up. Your livestock will then be held in their holding facility keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Although, this is not required by Unique Corals, taking this added step will greatly reduce the stress on your specimens.

Home Delivery

When picking up your livestock at Fed Ex is not possible we recommend the following for your home or office delivery:

• Make sure someone will be there to accept the delivery and acclimate your new livestock immediately upon arrival.
• Please keep temperature and weather in mind when placing your order – especially if you cannot pick up your livestock at Fed Ex – and place your order accordingly.

Please Note:
We cannot ship to Hawaii, Alaska, APO addresses, Post Office Boxes, Puerto Rico, other U.S. Territories or other countries.