Sales and Shipping Information:
New improved longer lasting heat packs available
Special Orders
Some types of African Cichlid Fish are available by special order only. For these fish, I must have an email request followed by pre-payment by the deadline noted. Special order fish are held up to 14 days prior to shipping to watch for me to watch any problems, or you can have you fish delivered sooner if you are willing to take the risk. However, you must have your fish delivered to a CCA meeting, pick them up, or have then shipped to you with-in 21 days of their arrival at my business. Failure to do so will result in forfeit of your Fish to be sold through my business with no refund to you. Exceptions to the 21 day limit will only be made for severe weather conditions.
Shipping and Heat Pack Fees are additional.
Holds:
In some cases we are willing to hold a larger order for a reasonable time if you pay a 50% deposit and then pay the remaining 50% either at time of pick up, or just prior to shipment. One world of caution with holds, on a rare occasion, we lose a fish. If a fish that is on hold dies or becomes ill and there is no other one like it in stock we will reduce your order and final payment accordingly.
Heat Packs:
General heat packs are .85 each (work best with SWA Shipping or in areas where one day shipping usually arrives by early afternoon) These heat packs will be discontinued and replaced by 40 hour packs when they are all gone.
40 Hour heat packsare $1.45 each (Need for One Day Shipping in Cool and Cold weather, see above)
72 Hour heat packs are $2.45 each (Two per Box Needed for second day shipping in Cool Weather)
All heat packs can fail if the temperature drops bellow 32 f (Freezing). Shipping in Freezing weather is therefore not recommended and not covered by a live arrival guarantee.
Boxes:
New Boxes are $6.00 each, Used Boxes, while they last, are free.
Shipping:
We ship by Fed Ex on Monday through Thursday, except on, or the day prior to, major holidays. We also do not ship during vacations, or during an emergency. On special occasions, arrangements can be made for Saturday Deliveries to Business Locations only (Shipped on Friday). There, however, is a surcharge for this service, where available, by Fed EX. Fed EX Home Delivery only delivers Monday to Friday. Otherwise, for Saturday Delivery Fed EX Air must be used and is very expensive.
We ship by SWA Cargo once a week by advanced arrangement by delivery to the Harrisburg Runner Monday to Friday for shipping the following day. Fish shipped by SWA Cargo are shipped Freight Collect unless the customer requests an ungraded service level.
Cichlids Are Special offers local pick up for customers by appointment only. Please note, the driver for our pick up carries small change only.
We only ship by USPS to P.O Boxes with no Live guarantee and strongly suggest using Fed Ex to your physical address instead of the USPS.
One Day Ground Guarantee Zones:
Our One Day Ground Guarantee Zones by Fed EX Ground Home Delivery Areas include: Live Arrival Guarantee, see above: Most of the State of PA; the entire states of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey; portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia; and all of Long Island, including New York City.
Two Day Ground Zones: Warm Weather Only for Live Arrival Guarantee, see above Parts of CT, NY, Extreme Eastern MO, Southeastern WI near Milwaukee, Eastern AR, Northern MS, Southern VA and WV. Western OH, Most of GA and SC, all of NH, VT, NC,TN,KY,IN,IL,MI,Al and FL. Best day to have fish shipped by second day ground (Fed EX Home Delivery) or Fed EX second Day air is on a Monday. Longer lasting heat packs required in cold weather.
Second Day Fed EX AIR: Warm Weather Only-for Live Arrival Guarantee, see above
South West Cargo: Fish are shipped freight collect and are insured by the airline for loss through SWA's declared value program. $75 Fish Minimum to use runner service applies to all SWA Cargo orders.
Customer Service:
Customer Service is available through our email address: cichlidsarespecial@comcast.netor by phone at (717) 843-7650.
Thank you for choosing Cichlids Are Special as your African Cichlid supplier.
- $25 Minimum Fish Order ( not including Shipping & Heat Packs) on orders requiring Fed Ex shipping. If you purchase some of our fish through an auction, we recommend purchasing at least $25 worth of live stock if you are located in our Fed Ex Ground One Day Delivery Zone. To offset the high cost of overnight shipping outside of our ground next day zone, we suggest orders of $75 or more. If you choose to use SWA Cargo, the minimum order is $75
- $15 Minimum Fish Oder for Local Pick Up.
- All Pay Pay Invoices must be paid with-in 72 hours of receipt or your fish will be returned to stock and you will have to start the order over again. I am sorry; but, I can not hold out fish for longer periods from my other customers with out a 50% deposit.
- All our livestock shipments are carefully packaged, include water treatment, pure oxygen, and heat packs in winter to assure live delivery.
- Local Pick Up Orders will be in bag with water treatment and pure oxygen only, unless you choose to pay for a box container.
- I guarantee Live Arrival on most of our shipments of fish that are 1.5 inches or larger, per the rules below, provided some one is available to receive our shipment on its first delivery attempt, and the shipment is taken inside immediately, . We do not offer refunds on livestock left at the door, on the porch, in the garage, etc., or shipped to an improper address provided by the customer.
- Live Arrival Guarantee applies to 1.5" and larger fish shippied by Fed Ex One and Two Business day Serives per the following. Fed EX Second day ground (home delivery) shipping and Fed Ex Second day Air as long as they arrive with-in the two days promised by Fed Ex during warm weather (70F & up Day, 50F& up Night). It also covers One business day ground (home delivery) that arrives up to one day late during warm weather (70 F & up day, 50 F & up night). Fed Ex second day services during cool weather (50 F & up day and 45 F & Up night with two heat packs) are covered by a partical refund guarantee on the first try to your location. If the fish do not survive shipping, provided you follow the rules below, I will refund the difference between my cost for the fish and the price charged. Shipping is non-refundable on all fish shipments.If you loose fish in cool weather and this refund is necessary, I reserve the right to not ship to your location again except in warm weather.
- No Shipping by Fed EX Second Day ground (home delivery) and Second Day Air Shipping during cold weather (Less than 50 F day or 45 Night night).
Next day ground (home delivery) arriving one day late during cold weather is also not covered by a Live Arrival Guarantee. (Less than 50 F day or 45 Night night). - No shipping in cold weather (Below 35F day and 32F night)- Heat pack fail below 32 F
- I recommend using SWA Cargo for cold weather shipping in winter time for locations outside of my Fed EX One Day Ground Zone. It is the fastest and safest way for shipping fish in cold weather.
- We will consider shipping 1" fish for longer distances by Fed Ex at the customers risk with no live arrival guarantee.
- Fish Shipped by Southwest Air Cargo are insured through Southwest Air Cargo System. Losses must be handled through Southwest Airline, per their policies. See our Southwest Cargo page for more information. If you apply for a fish loss shipped by SWA Cargo in a reasonable time and the airline refuses to cover this loss, so me proof of their refusal and I will cover this loss.
- In the event a fish arrives dead, email us with-in two hours of its arrival, at your location. If possible send us a photo of the dead fish of fish in their unopened bags. We will check the delivery record for your shipment, before issuing a refund. If you can not send us a photo, once you receive this email, place the dead fish in a plastic zip lock bag, in table salt. Next place this bag inside a padded envelope, and return this fish to us, through the US Postal system to: Cichlids Are Special, 723 Grandview Road, York, PA 17403. If you have more than one dead fish, place each one in a separate plastic bag with salt, before placing them in a padded envelope. If case of a large loss, you may use a box rather than a padded envelope. Once, we receive your dead fish, or a Photo of the dead livestock in our unopened bag, we will issue a credit toward your next order from Cichlids Are Special or in some cases a Pay Pal refund, provided you have followed the above pre-approval procedure.
- Live Delivery guarantee does not apply if fish are left outside. Some one must be available to receive the fish for the live arrival guarantee to apply.
- We are not responsible for shipping address errors by the customer. Therefore, please be certain the shipping address for your order is correct on your order form. Address errors can result in loss, late delivery, and or death of your live shipment.
- Sales are limited to the Continental United States only, none in Alaska, Hawaii, or countries other than the U.S., due to shipping, and customs restraints.
- Deliveries by Fed EX are made to physical addresses only (sorry no P.O. Boxes or APO numbers)
- Sales in the State of Pennsylvania, including heat pack fees, and are subject to the PA State 6% sales tax.
- For long distance customers that prefer not to use Pay Pal, we will accept prepayment by guaranteed check or money order. Your fish will not be shipped, however, until we receive this form of payment. For local customers, we will accept cash during daytime deliveries, or pick ups.
- Incoming fish are normally quarantined for 2 weeks before sale as a precaution. Choosing to pick up a fish or have it delivered before quarantine ends is not advised. If you do so, it is you responsibility to treat them for any possible problems.
- Shipping delays can occur for several reasons. The most common reason for a delay is weather below freezing or snow and ice in the forecast. The next most likely reason for a delay is if I run out of appropriate heat packs to insure your shipment arrives alive. It now takes me at least two business days to have heat packs shipped to me from my supplier. I do my best to make sure I have some on hand during the colder months; however, I can not over carry them because they can go bad over the warmer months before they can be used again.
- When in doubt I will error on the side of caution to make sure your fish arrive alive and well.
New improved longer lasting heat packs available
- 40 hour heat packs for next day deliveries (One per box 50F & up, Two per box below 50F and above 32F) (No Shipment below 33 F)
- 70 hour heat packs for second day deliveries (Two per Box 50 F - 69F Day and 45 F- 50F & Up Night) (No Shipment below 45F)
- 24-30 hour heat packs currently use for near by one day deliveries and SWA Cargo deliveries will be replaced when they are gone with the 40 hour type for more lead way in case of a delay.
Special Orders
Some types of African Cichlid Fish are available by special order only. For these fish, I must have an email request followed by pre-payment by the deadline noted. Special order fish are held up to 14 days prior to shipping to watch for me to watch any problems, or you can have you fish delivered sooner if you are willing to take the risk. However, you must have your fish delivered to a CCA meeting, pick them up, or have then shipped to you with-in 21 days of their arrival at my business. Failure to do so will result in forfeit of your Fish to be sold through my business with no refund to you. Exceptions to the 21 day limit will only be made for severe weather conditions.
Shipping and Heat Pack Fees are additional.
Holds:
In some cases we are willing to hold a larger order for a reasonable time if you pay a 50% deposit and then pay the remaining 50% either at time of pick up, or just prior to shipment. One world of caution with holds, on a rare occasion, we lose a fish. If a fish that is on hold dies or becomes ill and there is no other one like it in stock we will reduce your order and final payment accordingly.
Heat Packs:
General heat packs are .85 each (work best with SWA Shipping or in areas where one day shipping usually arrives by early afternoon) These heat packs will be discontinued and replaced by 40 hour packs when they are all gone.
40 Hour heat packsare $1.45 each (Need for One Day Shipping in Cool and Cold weather, see above)
72 Hour heat packs are $2.45 each (Two per Box Needed for second day shipping in Cool Weather)
All heat packs can fail if the temperature drops bellow 32 f (Freezing). Shipping in Freezing weather is therefore not recommended and not covered by a live arrival guarantee.
Boxes:
New Boxes are $6.00 each, Used Boxes, while they last, are free.
Shipping:
We ship by Fed Ex on Monday through Thursday, except on, or the day prior to, major holidays. We also do not ship during vacations, or during an emergency. On special occasions, arrangements can be made for Saturday Deliveries to Business Locations only (Shipped on Friday). There, however, is a surcharge for this service, where available, by Fed EX. Fed EX Home Delivery only delivers Monday to Friday. Otherwise, for Saturday Delivery Fed EX Air must be used and is very expensive.
We ship by SWA Cargo once a week by advanced arrangement by delivery to the Harrisburg Runner Monday to Friday for shipping the following day. Fish shipped by SWA Cargo are shipped Freight Collect unless the customer requests an ungraded service level.
Cichlids Are Special offers local pick up for customers by appointment only. Please note, the driver for our pick up carries small change only.
We only ship by USPS to P.O Boxes with no Live guarantee and strongly suggest using Fed Ex to your physical address instead of the USPS.
One Day Ground Guarantee Zones:
Our One Day Ground Guarantee Zones by Fed EX Ground Home Delivery Areas include: Live Arrival Guarantee, see above: Most of the State of PA; the entire states of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey; portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia; and all of Long Island, including New York City.
Two Day Ground Zones: Warm Weather Only for Live Arrival Guarantee, see above Parts of CT, NY, Extreme Eastern MO, Southeastern WI near Milwaukee, Eastern AR, Northern MS, Southern VA and WV. Western OH, Most of GA and SC, all of NH, VT, NC,TN,KY,IN,IL,MI,Al and FL. Best day to have fish shipped by second day ground (Fed EX Home Delivery) or Fed EX second Day air is on a Monday. Longer lasting heat packs required in cold weather.
Second Day Fed EX AIR: Warm Weather Only-for Live Arrival Guarantee, see above
South West Cargo: Fish are shipped freight collect and are insured by the airline for loss through SWA's declared value program. $75 Fish Minimum to use runner service applies to all SWA Cargo orders.
Customer Service:
Customer Service is available through our email address: cichlidsarespecial@comcast.netor by phone at (717) 843-7650.
Thank you for choosing Cichlids Are Special as your African Cichlid supplier.
Fed EX Delivery Map Red area around PA is One day Ground Zone, Blue is Second Day Zone. All others should use SWA Cargo instead.
