Shipping Information
All orders ship in the order they are placed to keep things fair and organized for everyone. Once your order is confirmed, we carefully hand-select each fish and move them into a temporary holding system where they are observed and prepared specifically for shipment. This gives us time to make sure everyone is alert, healthy, and shipping-ready.
To help maintain clean water during transit, fish are fasted for at least 48 hours before leaving our facility. This greatly reduces waste in the bag and helps keep ammonia levels low while they travel. During packing, each fish is individually bagged with oxygen, insulated for temperature control, and packed with care to ensure the safest trip possible from our facility to your door.
We take pride in shipping strong, healthy fish and do everything we can to make sure your order arrives in great condition and ready to settle into its new home.
Shipping Day: On your scheduled ship day, we carefully pack everything securely and ship via UPS Next Day Air for quick delivery. You’ll receive a tracking email as soon as your order leaves our facility, typically between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm MST. If you don’t receive it, feel free to reach out at info@snakerivercichlids.com, and we’ll assist you.
Please note that the order cutoff time for shipment days is 11:59 PM MST. Additionally, shipping is unavailable to Alaska, Hawaii, outlying territories, and international locations.
Shipping Rates
Our hybrid rate schedule combines order weight and your location within the contiguous 48 U.S. states. We don’t profit from shipping; the rate simply covers costs so we can focus on what we do best: delivering beautiful, high-quality fish with top-notch packing.
Refer to the chart to see our tiered system. Shipping prices are calculated at checkout based on your location and the weight of your order. We’ve listed product weights on each listing to help you estimate where you fall in the tiers. Surprisingly, 10 lbs covers about 80% of orders!
Weather and Winter Shipping
We’re located in a rural area, where small aircraft can be grounded due to fog, wind, rain, or snow, especially during the winter months. For that reason, we will not ship if severe weather is expected in Twin Falls or Boise.
Additionally, we closely monitor weather conditions in Louisville, KY, which is the worldwide sorting hub for UPS. Nearly 90% of our shipments are routed through this location, so if severe weather is impacting operations there, we will delay shipping to avoid fish becoming stranded in transit.
If a shipment is delayed due to weather, our fish are packed with heat packs, insulation, and enough oxygen to last up to 3 days. In most cases, delayed packages are held in climate-controlled facilities, and fish typically arrive in good condition. We will always communicate any known delays and are happy to answer questions at any time.
Important Shipping Information
Combining Orders
If you place two orders on the same day, we’re happy to combine them for a $10 merge fee, and we’ll issue a partial refund for the second shipping charge. Orders over 10 lbs may require additional shipping fees. Just email us to request a combined shipment. Orders placed on different days cannot be combined.
Order Holds
Due to space limitations and the need to keep all fish in optimal condition, we’re unable to hold orders for future shipping dates. Once an order is placed, it enters our preparation and holding system and follows the shipping schedule listed above.
Weather & Carrier Delays
If your shipment is delayed due to weather or carrier issues, our Arrive Alive policy still applies. While shipping fees are non-refundable, we’ll always do our best to assist if delays occur and keep you informed along the way.
Returns & Credits
Shipping fees are non-refundable. If a guaranteed item has an issue, we gladly issue store credit or refund the item price to your original payment method. We do not send replacement fish, but you’re welcome to use your credit toward a future order.
Updated: 12/4/2025