Nu Aqua Shipping Policy

At Nu Aqua, we take great care to ensure your livestock arrives healthy, secure, and on time. Please review the details below before placing your order.

Shipping Schedule

All livestock orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This policy prevents packages from being held in transit over the weekend.

Shipping Destinations

We ship to the contiguous United States (lower 48 states) only.
We do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally at this time.

Shipping Methods & Rates

Shipping methods are determined by the products in your order and your shipping destination.

Fish: All fish orders ship via UPS Next Day Air Saver or Regional 1-Day Ground (Zone 1A only). Economy Ground and UPS Expedited Shipping are not available for orders containing fish.

Shrimp, Snails & Other Invertebrates: Invertebrates qualify for UPS Expedited Shipping (2–3 Business Days), UPS Next Day Air Saver, or Regional 1-Day Ground where available. Standard Economy Ground is not available for orders containing invertebrates.

Aquatic Plants & Dry Goods: Orders containing only aquatic plants and eligible dry goods may select Economy Ground shipping or faster available services.

Mixed Orders: Shipping options are determined by the most time-sensitive livestock in the order. Orders containing fish require one-business-day shipping. Orders containing invertebrates but no fish qualify for shipping methods with a maximum three-business-day transit time.

Shipping rates are calculated by region and displayed at checkout.

Zone 1A – Midwest Local

Illinois & Indiana

• Regional 1-Day Ground: $22.99 (No minimum order required)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $41.99 (Minimum $49.99 order subtotal)

Regional Ground shipping is available in these states due to consistent 1-business-day UPS Ground transit times from our facility.

Orders may be upgraded to UPS Next Day Air Saver at our discretion if carrier routing, weather conditions, or transit time require it to ensure livestock safety.

Zone 1B – Midwest Distant

Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin

• Economy Ground: $24.99 (1–3 business days; $25 minimum order)

• UPS Expedited Shipping: $39.99 (2–3 business days; $49.99 minimum order)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $47.99 (1 business day; $49.99 minimum order)

Zone 2 – Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

• Economy Ground: $27.99 (2–4 business days; $25 minimum order)

• UPS Expedited Shipping: $44.99 (2–3 business days; $49.99 minimum order)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $57.99 (1 business day; $49.99 minimum order)

Zone 3 – South & Southeast

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

• Economy Ground: $29.99 (2–5 business days; $25 minimum order)

• UPS Expedited Shipping: $49.99 (2–3 business days; $49.99 minimum order)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $62.99 (1 business day; $49.99 minimum order)

Zone 4 – Central & Mountain West

Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming

• Economy Ground: $34.99 (2–5 business days; $25 minimum order)

• UPS Expedited Shipping: $54.99 (2–3 business days; $49.99 minimum order)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $67.99 (1 business day; $49.99 minimum order)

Zone 5 – West Coast

Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington

• Economy Ground: $39.99 (3–5 business days; $25 minimum order)

• UPS Expedited Shipping: $59.99 (2–3 business days; $49.99 minimum order)

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $72.99 (1 business day; $49.99 minimum order)

Minimum Order Requirements

To help cover the costs of preparing, packing, and safely shipping orders, the following minimum merchandise subtotals apply:

• Regional 1-Day Ground: No minimum.

• Economy Ground: $25.00 minimum.

• UPS Expedited Shipping (2–3 Business Days): $49.99 minimum.

• UPS Next Day Air Saver: $49.99 minimum.

• Local Pickup: No minimum.

Minimums apply to the total merchandise subtotal before shipping charges, regardless of whether the order contains livestock, plants, or dry goods.

Available shipping methods are determined automatically at checkout based on the products ordered and the destination.

Additional Shipping Information

UPS Expedited Shipping: Nu Aqua selects the appropriate UPS service, typically UPS 2nd Day Air or UPS 3 Day Select, to meet the advertised 2–3-business-day transit window.

Economy Ground: Available only for eligible plant and dry-goods orders. It is not available for orders containing fish or invertebrates.

Transit Times: All advertised shipping times refer to business days in transit after the package has shipped. They do not include order processing time, weekends, or carrier holidays.

Certain oversized, heavy, or specialty products may be available for local pickup only.

Nu Aqua does not offer free shipping. All applicable shipping charges are displayed at checkout.

Local Pickup

Local pickup is available at no charge.

Select Local Pickup at checkout and you will be notified when your order is ready.

Orders must be picked up within 48 hours of notification.
After 48 hours, a $5 per day holding fee may apply.

Shipping Delays & Carrier Responsibility

Nu Aqua is not responsible for carrier delays once a package is in UPS possession, including delays caused by weather, mechanical issues, or logistical disruptions.

We carefully time shipments to minimize risk and reserve the right to adjust shipping methods when necessary to protect livestock.

For full details on our livestock guarantee, please visit our Live Arrival Guarantee.