Refund policy

Return and Refund Policy

Last updated: July 12, 2026

Aquaphoria sells live aquatic animals and aquarium supplies. Because live animals require special handling and cannot safely be returned, different rules apply to livestock and dry goods.

Order Cancellations

Cancellation requests must be submitted within one hour of placing the order.

To request a cancellation, email pixelexchangee@gmail.com or use the contact form on the Aquaphoria website. Include your name and order number.

A cancellation request is not guaranteed if the order has already entered processing, packing, or fulfillment. Orders cannot be canceled after they have shipped.

Live Fish and Shrimp

All live fish, shrimp, and other livestock purchases are final sale.

For animal health and biosecurity reasons, live animals cannot be returned or exchanged after delivery or pickup.

Livestock may only qualify for compensation under Aquaphoria’s Shipping & DOA Policy.

Dead-on-Arrival Claims

A Dead-on-Arrival claim must be submitted within one hour of the carrier marking the package as delivered.

The customer must provide:

The order number
Clear photographs or video of the affected livestock
Photographs or video showing the livestock inside the original, unopened shipping bag
A photograph of the shipping box and shipping label

Do not open the bag, dispose of the livestock, add medication, alter the water, or move the livestock to another container before documenting the claim.

Claims submitted after the one-hour period or without the required documentation may be denied.

Approved DOA claims may be resolved through a refund, store credit, or replacement, depending on availability and the circumstances of the claim.

Compensation applies only to the affected livestock. Original shipping charges are not refundable. If a replacement is approved, additional shipping charges may be the customer’s responsibility.

Aquaphoria does not guarantee compensation for losses that occur after a live animal arrives alive, including losses related to acclimation, water parameters, temperature, tank conditions, aggression, illness introduced by an existing aquarium, or improper care.

Please review the separate Shipping & DOA Policy for complete livestock-shipping requirements.

Local Pickup Livestock

Customers should inspect local-pickup livestock before leaving with the order.

Once livestock has been accepted and removed from the pickup location, the sale is final and the livestock cannot be returned or exchanged.

Aquarium Supplies and Dry Goods

Return requests for eligible aquarium supplies and dry goods must be submitted within 14 days of delivery.

To qualify for a return, the item must be:

Unused
Unopened, where applicable
In its original condition
In its original packaging
Accompanied by proof of purchase

Contact Aquaphoria before sending an item back. Items returned without prior approval may not be accepted.

Nonreturnable Items

The following items cannot be returned:

Live fish, shrimp, and other livestock
Opened fish or shrimp food
Used filters, filter media, sponges, nets, tubing, or aquarium equipment
Items that have been placed in aquarium water
Custom or special-order products
Gift cards
Clearance or final-sale merchandise
Items damaged through misuse, improper installation, or ordinary wear
Shipping charges

Damaged, Defective, or Incorrect Products

Inspect your order when it arrives.

Contact Aquaphoria within 48 hours of delivery if a dry-good item is damaged, defective, missing, or incorrect.

Include:

Your order number
A description of the issue
Clear photographs or video of the product
Photographs of the shipping box and packaging when shipping damage is involved

Aquaphoria will review the claim and determine whether a replacement, store credit, partial refund, or full refund is appropriate.

Return Shipping

Customers are responsible for return-shipping costs for ordinary returns.

Aquaphoria may provide or reimburse return shipping when the wrong product was sent or when a product arrived damaged or defective.

Original shipping charges are nonrefundable unless the return resulted from an error by Aquaphoria.

Aquaphoria is not responsible for returned packages that are lost or damaged in transit. Customers should use a trackable shipping service and retain the shipping receipt.

Refunds

Returned items will be inspected after they are received.

If the return is approved, the refund will be issued to the original payment method. Aquaphoria will notify the customer when the refund has been processed.

After a refund is issued, the customer’s bank or payment provider may take additional time to post the funds. Shopify states that refunds processed through Shopify Payments can take up to 10 business days to appear, depending on the customer’s bank.

Exchanges

Direct exchanges are not guaranteed.

Customers requesting a different product should contact Aquaphoria. Depending on the situation, the customer may be asked to return the eligible item and place a new order.