• Shipping policy

Shipping policy

At Aquarium Depot, we ship dry goods from Toronto, Ontario using a range of courier services including Canada Post, UPS, Purolator, GLS, Canpar, and FedEx. Livestock orders are shipped exclusively through FedEx. We do not ship livestock to remote areas or locations where fast courier service is unavailable.

 

FREE SHIPPING

DRY GOODS

All dry goods over the respective minimums are shipped free of charge except items that are heavy and/or over-sized. For example, items such as aquariums, stands, extra length lights, salt, certain filter media and such fall under the heavy and/or over-sized category.

Free shipping minimums:

ON & QC - $99
BC, AB, SK, MB, NS, NB, PE & NL - $149
NT, YT & NU - $199

We will choose the courier that is most cost efficient for this shipment at our discretion. Therefore, the shipment will either be done using one of the following couriers; UPS, Canada Post, Purolator or FedEx.


LIVESTOCK

Fish, corals and invertebrates can be combined in one order and ship together overnight. One flat rate per order includes the insulated box, packaging, and heat or cold packs.

  • ON & QC: $39.99 - FREE on livestock orders over $349
  • MB, NB, NS & PE: $54.99 - FREE on livestock orders over $499
  • AB, BC, SK & NL: $64.99 - FREE on livestock orders over $499

Free shipping amounts are based on the livestock subtotal before tax; dry goods don't count toward them. Dry goods in the same order ship overnight with your livestock where possible, otherwise by ground.

Livestock ships Monday to Wednesday only, after 1–2 business days of observation and preparation. We ship primarily by FedEx Express, and also use Uber, same-day couriers, WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo as needed. We don't ship livestock to the territories or to areas without overnight service.

All online livestock orders are covered by our live arrival guarantee. For rates, schedule and claim details, see our Livestock Policies.

 

FROZEN/PERISHABLE GOODS

Our frozen/perishable goods are only shipped to areas where overnight shipping is available. We currently do not ship frozen/perishable goods to remote areas, this also includes areas where overnight shipping services are not available.

Please note: Frozen/Perishable Goods orders do not qualify for free shipping. All frozen/perishable goods shipments are subject to shipping fees paid by the customer.

 

WINTER LIQUID GOODS POLICY

Frozen/leaking/damaged items due to freezing are not covered by Aquarium Depot or any of the couriers.

Due to frigid temperatures in Canada during the winter months, we are not able to guarantee that liquid goods will arrive unfrozen. Liquid goods that are traveling long distances routinely arrive frozen and due to expansion that occurs, the bottle leaks. Unfortunately, this kind of damage is not covered and we are not able to provide a refund or a replacement. If you are concerned about your liquid products freezing, then please upgrade to overnight shipping.

 

HEAVY/OVER-SIZED ITEMS

Heavy and/or over-sized items do not qualify for flat rate or free shipping. Please note that we will have to calculate actual shipping charges for heavy and/or over-sized items such as salt, sand, aquarium and such.

 

HANDLING & TRANSIT TIMES

At Aquarium Depot we work hard to fulfill your orders in a timely manner and try to ship it out within 1-2 business days. However, the following guide should be used to determine when your order will be shipped and when it will arrive.

Handling times: 1-6 business days

Shipping times: ON: 1-2 business days, QC & MB: 1-3 business days, AB, BC, SK, NB, NS, NL, YK, NT: 2-7 business days.