Dead on Arrival (DOA)
In the rare event that shrimp arrive dead, please email us within 1 hour of delivery with clear photographic evidence of the dead shrimp still inside the unopened bag.
DOA claims can only be accepted when the shrimp are photographed in the sealed, unopened bag. Photos of shrimp in a bucket, container, aquarium, net, hand, or anywhere outside the unopened bag cannot be accepted.
For any valid DOA claim, we will issue a gift voucher to the value of the shrimp lost. Postage is not covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee under any circumstances.
Our shrimp packing process is well refined and losses in transit are extremely rare, with a loss rate of less than 0.1%. However, it is essential that you, or someone else, is available to receive the parcel when shrimp are delivered. If you choose a safe-place delivery option, such as “leave in shed”, “leave by door”, or similar, we cannot be responsible for any shrimp that arrive dead.
Acclimatisation
Shrimp must be acclimatised slowly when they arrive. They are sensitive animals and sudden changes in water temperature or water chemistry can be fatal.
Place the unopened bag in your aquarium for around 15–20 minutes to allow the temperature to equalise. Then open the bag and carefully release the shrimp and bag water into a small clean bucket or container. The container should be large enough to hold roughly three times the amount of water already in the bag.
Over the next 45 minutes, slowly drip or add small amounts of aquarium water into the bucket. By the end of this period, you should have added approximately three times the original bag volume in aquarium water.
Once acclimatisation is complete, use a net to transfer the shrimp into your aquarium. Do not add the transport water from the bucket into your aquarium.
After release, shrimp may hide immediately. This is normal. Try to release them away from fish that may chase, nip, or eat them.
Important: the Live Arrival Guarantee only covers shrimp that arrive dead in the unopened bag. Deaths after opening, acclimatisation, or release into the aquarium are not covered, as water conditions, tank mates, filtration and acclimatisation are outside our control.
Water Conditions
Shrimp are highly sensitive to poor water quality. Before adding shrimp, please check that your aquarium has:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
No copper-based medication
Stable water parameters
A mature, cycled filter
Any level of ammonia or nitrite can kill shrimp. Copper-based treatments and some fish medications can also be fatal.
Shrimp are also part of the natural food chain, so choose tank mates carefully. Some fish may harass or eat them. Also check your filter intake, as small shrimp can be sucked into powerful filters if the intake is not protected.
Nutrition
Although shrimp are excellent algae grazers, they still need a balanced diet. Algae alone is not enough. Shrimp benefit from a quality shrimp food that provides protein, minerals and essential nutrients. It is not unusual to see shrimp feeding on dead shrimp, fish or other organic matter, but this should not be relied on as their main diet.
A good diet is especially important for more sensitive shrimp such as Crystal Red Shrimp. We stock a wide range of specialist shrimp foods suitable for daily feeding and long-term shrimp health.
