Shipping Information

Shipping is not included in the price of "The Package" or other items. Live rock, sand and animals will be shipped via the airlines to an airport near you. In extreme situations, where airport pickup is not available, FedEx is an alternative, and about 5 times the cost of airline shipping and cannot be used in cold weather. 

Typically shipping is between $60 to $75 per 100 pounds, plus any fuel surcharges and security fees, depending on where you live. You must pick up your shipment at the airline's air freight department.

Anything over 100 pounds is charged the minimum 100 pound rate, plus a per pound rate, depending on how much it weighs. You must pay for the first 100 pounds even if your shipment does not weigh the whole 100 pounds as all airlines have a 100 pound minimum charge.

Here are some example air freight costs that a few of our customers have reported:

FedEx costs $5.50 per pound, and they have a minimum charge of $110.00 for a box weighing up to 20 pounds. FedEx is not the best method for shipping rock and sand, but they are a great deal for shipping animals as they are light-weight and can be inexpensively shipped right to your front door. Anything over 20 pounds is charged $110.00 plus $5.50 per pound over 20 pounds. To track a FedEx shipment, go to www.fedex.com or call 1-800-238-5355 and give them the tracking number we provide you.

For airline shipments we will give you an air bill number which you use to find out when your shipment arrives, what time you can pick it up and how much freight you will pay when you pick it up.

For example, if we ship your package by Delta Airlines to Columbus Ohio, you simply call the Delta Airlines airfreight department in Columbus, Ohio, and give them the air bill number we provided you. They punch it into their computer and tell you what time the plane arrives, what time you can pick it up, and how much your freight is. The airlines take personal checks, credit cards or cash as payment for the freight charges.

A 24 hour notice is required for shipping. If the weather is bad, your order may be delayed -- we may not be able to harvest rock and some airlines will not accept live items during bad weather. We will make every effort to get your order to you as quickly as possible!

Please note that we need to speak to you before we will send the order so that we can make sure that you will be available to pick up the package. If we can "ship any day" (you know you'll be available to pick up the order), please let us know -- in this case, if we can't reach you, we'll leave a message with the airbill number.

Note: If you have weather extremes in your area, let us know as we can pack with heat packs or ice as the weather dictates. There is a $1.50 charge for each of these packs.

Picking up your Shipment - READ THIS COMPLETELY!

If shipped via an airline, call the airline's air cargo department in your city of destination, give them the air bill number we provide, and they can give you information on the shipment. Here's a list of links to cargo tracking sites of some of the major carriers:

Airline	Website Instructions	Phone Number
Air Tran	Enter your airbill number Click "Track".
Continental Cargo	Place your airbill number in the "Track Shipments" box in the center of the page. A new mini window will appear with a search light logo. Wait until a result appears, then click on the "plus-sign" next to your airbill number for shipment details.	(800) 421-2456, press "2" for cargo
Delta Cargo	Enter your airbill number in the second box on the front page in center column in "Shipment Tracking" for details of your shipment. You can also find local contact information at "Cargo Facilities".	(800) 352-2746, press "2" for cargo
Frontier Airlines	Please call the phone number for shipment tracking.	(800) 394-2158
Midwest Express	Please call the phone number for shipment tracking.	(800) 892-6580, press "5" for cargo
Northwest Airlines	Use the "Track Your Shipment" link on the front page.	(800) 692-2746, press "1" for automated tracking
Southwest Airlines Cargo	Enter your airbill number in the "Fast Track" box on the front page of this website. You can also find your local cargo office contact information via the "Locations" link.	(800) 533-1222, press "2" for cargo
United Airlines Cargo	Enter your airbill number in the tracking box at the top or in the center of the front page.	(800) 722-5243, press "4" for cargo
U.S. Airways	Enter your airbill number in the "Cargo Tracking" box or look up information at "Cargo Facilities".	(888) 300-0099
FedEx	Enter your tracking number	(800) 463-3339

Where you pick up your freight is not where you go as a passenger. Be sure to ask the airline where their frieght location when you call. When you go to the airport to pick up your shipment, don't be alarmed if the boxes are wet and leaking -- this is normal even though we pack rock in heavy duty bags. Thy boxes are handled so much that there are sometimes leaks. We pack our rock and sand underwater to keep it in better condition for you when you receive it. Leaking will not affect the quality of your shipment, and is simply is a fact of shipping via the airlines.

When you order, we will supply you with a tracking number for the particular airline used to transport the freight to your local airport. This tracking number is how you can track online the status of your shipment, and the expected flight and arrival date.

However, if you have flown lately you know that the process is not exact, and things can change from what was originally planned. WHATEVER YOU DO, CALL THE AIR CARGO DEPARTMENT OF THE AIRLINE SHIPPING YOUR ROCK AND MAKE SURE IT IS SITTING ON THE WAREHOUSE FLOOR OF YOUR AIRPORT BEFORE GOING TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK IT UP, EVEN IF THE TRACKING SITE SAYS THAT IT ARRIVED.

Computers can say, "Yea your freight is on the plane", when it is NOT on the plane, as cargo gets bumped, or is re-routed, without an update on the computer.

The last thing you want to do is make the drive to the airport only to find out that, "The air cargo guy told me it was on the flight", but my freight is not here, And then go home empty handed. The rock is packed to last days in the box, so a few hours or an extra day is of no concern. I want this to be a pleasurable experience for you so, MAKE SURE YOU CALL AND VERIFY THAT IT IS AT THE DESTINATION AND THE AIR CARGO AGENT IS PHYSICALLY STANDING THERE, LOOKING AT YOUR SHIPMENT!

This will greatly reduce your grief factor if things do not go as planned. Below are some 800 numbers of the airlines freight departments, but the best way is to get the LOCAL number of the airlines freight department you are working with and call them ALSO!


Remember, don't go to the airport until you call the airline, give them the air bill number and make sure your shipment is there.

Live rock can stand quite a bit of "banging around". We package the rock in multiple layers of bags for shipping. However, sometimes a bag will get punctured during shipping. Don't worry, the rock will be fine. Check out this thread on Reef Central for the worst-case scenario, which turned out fine!

International Shipments

We are no longer shipping internationally, as the permitting process can take more than six months and the costs have become prohibitive.

Any questions? Contact us.