How to Receive Aquatic Live Food Goods

We have had many instances of live goods that seem to have arrived dead, however, could have been saved if they were properly received. To receive Aquatic Live Food goods is a little trickier than a regular package, but if you know the steps that you should follow upon receiving live goods, then you have a better chance of allowing them to stay alive and using them in your aquarium.

When Ordering

When you place your order, make sure you (or someone who is able to complete the following steps) will be home to receive the goods. If you need goods sent on a specific day, it is best to let us know via email. We cannot guarantee how long the package will take in transit but we have Australia Post estimate times available here.

Inspecting the live goods

Inspect the bottle of Aquatic Live Food goods and check for foul smell – this is ammonia and means the goods are dead and not safe to use. If you smell this, please proceed to the instructions on ‘How to process a DOA request’ below.

If you think they are dead

It is very common for live goods to become still during transit as they are not in an ideal environment and therefore, are preserving energy until they have clean water supply.

Step 1 – Acclimate the plankton into new water

Acclimate into new water from your tank. If you don’t have a tank and are using the live goods for other purposes, you can use:

• Freshwater species – use bottled water/RO water
• Saltwater species – use bottled/RO water with added salts.

Find out How to Acclimate Live Foods here  

Do this acclimation process in a separate container or tank. Do not simply dump the goods into your tank for the following reasons:

• If they have been used, we cannot issue a replacement/refund
• If they are dead, they may be detrimental to your tank environment
• If they are still alive, dumping them into the tank will only shock them further and give them no chance to adjust to a new environment

Step 2 – Monitor over next 12 hours

If the plankton is still alive, they should start moving in the next 12 hours after being placed into new water. If they are still not moving after this, you can refer to the next step.

If you’re SURE they are dead

If you’ve gone through the above steps and are sure that your Aquatic Live Food goods are dead (are not moving) we have an ‘Arrive Alive’ policy that ensures you won’t be out of pocket. Once we approve your DOA request, we will immediately send you a replacement or refund.

How to process a DOA request

For DOA confirmation we require the following information to be provided:

– A 10-second video of the bottle/s or package/s and close enough to see contents.

– Bottle/s or package/s to be on a table or flat surface.

– A bright light close to or against the side or bottom of the bottle/s or package/s.

– Email the video/s to media@aquaticlivefood.com.au and we will provide an answer.

Please also see our videos on:

How to Check if Goods are Dead or Alive

How to Create and Send a DOA Video