Frequently Asked Questions

We know!  Maintaining a consistent temperature for the fish can be tricky but we got this covered.  We include 72hr heat packs free of charge and ship in thick wall Styrofoam containers during Winter.  We also monitor the expected overnight low temperatures in our area as well as yours.  If overnight lows are expected to be below 30degF we will contact you and your order will be delayed a week.  We will check temperatures the following week until there is a suitable opportunity to ship your order. 

• We strive for 100% customer satisfaction!
• We guarantee the live arrival of all fish and shrimp no matter the reason!
  • Carrier Delay / Lost Package / Broken Bag / DOA for any reason is covered! 
• If you receive less fish or shrimp alive then what you ordered please photograph or video the unopened bag clearly showing the dead fish/shrimp and send it to us at mymetafish@gmail.com  Please include any pertinent information.  Any information is helpful, like the condition of the box, the temperature of the bags, etc.
• Pictures must be sent within the first hour of the included tracking # showing that the package was delivered.  This is very important to ensure the fish/shrimp do not sit outdoors in hot or cold temperatures.
• We will reship the fish to you at no cost! (We pay shipping)  In the case that we no longer have a replacement for your order (or the cost of shipping exceeds the cost of fish that didn’t arrive alive) we will refund you the cost of the fish plus the % of your cost in shipping.  Example: You ordered 10 fish at $10 apiece plus $30 shipping and two fish did not arrive alive.  You would be refunded 2x $10 for fish, plus 2x $3 in shipping.
• * We often ship Extra or “bonus” fish with our orders.  If you do not want extras included, please indicate this in the comments section when placing your order.  Extra fish serve as immediate replacements in the case that a fish arrives DOA.  Typically all fish arrive alive and these extras are just a nice addition to say thank you to you, our valued customers.

We go to great lengths to do everything possible to prepare your fish for the safest journey to your home possible.

• We withhold food from the fish for two days prior to shipment. This is important so that they don’t create ammonia during transit.
• We ship all livestock with concentrated oxygen.  Additionally we may use one drop of methylene blue, amquel, or similar mild sedative to keep fish calm and further reduce oxygen consumption. 
• We ship with double high-quality polyethylene bags to prevent leaks.  Some fish we may ship with breather bags and will include special instructions for how to handle breather bags when you receive your fish.
• We ship with Styrofoam lined containers and add 72hr heat packs as necessary, free of charge, to maintain a comfortable and consistent temperature for your fish or shrimp.

We ship on Mondays and Tuesdays only.  UPS/USPS picks up packages late afternoon and we strive to bag all fish and get them to UPS/USPS as close to their pickup time as possible to reduce time in bags.  Additionally we do not feed the fish for two full days before shipment to purge their systems.

If you place your order:

• On a Saturday –  We will ship in 3 days (on Tuesday)
• On a Friday – We will ship in 3 days (on Monday)
• On a Thursday – We will ship in 4 days (on Monday)
• On a Wednesday – We will ship in 5 days (on Monday)
• On a Tuesday – We will ship in 6 days (on Monday)
• On a Monday – We will ship in 7 days (the following Monday)
• On a Sunday – We will ship in 8 days (the following Monday)

There may be times due to unforeseen circumstances or extreme weather where these time frames could change.  In this circumstance we will contact you to work something out.

UPS 2nd Day Air is a Premium shipping service and packages typically arrive 1-2 days after your order is shipped.
UPS Ground (available for Michigan customers only) is also typically 1-2 days.

In either case you will receive an emailed tracking number once your order is shipped.  In the case that the carrier does not fulfill their end of the agreement and the package is late, no worries we package for this possibility and in the rare case of DOA you are still covered by our Live on Arrival Guarantee!

The pictures on the website are directly from the fish we keep.  They are typically the parents, siblings, or exact fish you are purchasing.  Fish do change appearance depending on many factors, such as many African Cichlids tend to lose color during times of stress or depending on their social hierarchy.  Rest assured we will never “Juice” a fish or use hormones of any kind.  If you have any questions about how a fish will look or how long before they show adult characteristics please send us an email mymetafish@gmail.com 

We feed a varied diet of flakes and pellets to most of our fish.  As of this writing our fish get Tetra Color Granules 45% and Mixed flake 45% and other foods such as New Life Spectrum, Your Fish Stuff, and Bean Town aquatics foods the other 10%.  As far as flake we feed Zeigler and mix up many flake blends from Kens Fish.  Honestly, we don’t have a favorite and our fish are healthy and eat about everything we feed without issue.

Additionally we try to feed frozen foods as a treat, but quite honestly not as much as we would like.  We raise our fry mostly on baby brine shrimp and give any extra baby brine shrimp to other juvenile and adult fish such as guppies, angelfish, rainbowfish and cyprichromis.

We recommend not feeding your new fish for the first 24 hours after they arrive.  When you do offer food to your fish go sparingly and only about half of what you would normally consider a meal for them.  Fish can go a long time without eating, up to two weeks and be just fine.  Doing things slowly is always the best option.

Our advice is smaller feedings, more frequently is better.  We feed our fish twice a day and sometimes three or four times but small amounts.  If you miss a feeding or a day don’t worry about it.  Some people say that fasting fish for a day or two once in awhile is beneficial and helps them clean out their systems.  We can’t confirm that but we try to fast them about once a month.

You should receive an Order Confirmation as soon as you place your order and a Shipment Notification including your tracking number according to the chart in “When will my order be shipped?”If you have not received your tracking # and feel you should have please contact us at mymetafish@gmail.com 

If you have just received your tracking # and it is not showing you the location of package please be patient. Sometimes it can take up to 24 hours for a tracking number to begin updating with current information.

Other questions related to shipping once your order has left our care should be redirected to UPS directly as we are unable to see anything more than you can.  Do not hesitate to drop us an email however.  We try to monitor all weekly shipments and are almost as excited for your new fish friends to arrive as you are.  We love to hear feedback when the fish arrive!

If we have not processed your order yet, we may be able to make changes to your order. Contact us at mymetafish@gmail.com with your order number and requests. Once a tracking number has been issued, we cannot accept any changes or cancellations.

Unfortunately no.  Please understand that the shipping cost includes supplies (box, styrofoam, bags, oxygen and heatpack if necessary)Additionally we offer flat rate shipping knowing that some orders we will gain a little money and some orders we will lose money.  We decided to go with a flat rate cost to make it quick and easy for you and us.  Shipping cost varies widely based on location, weight, and dimensions of box.  We feel a flat rate is more convenient, fair, and easier for everyone and in the long run we don’t make any money shipping.