Shipping Information
How We Ship
Where We Ship To
We ship everywhere in the United States of America. We do not ship to countries outside of the US.
Shipping Companies
We use overnight / priority services with UPS or FedEx - depending on rate quotes.
Our standard / normal shipping is through UPS.
We also offer Southwest Cargo as a shipping option at checkout for those that are familiar with this specialized shipping method.
- The safest way to transport delicate livestock is through Airline Cargo Freight.
- The boxes are placed on a pallet, in a generally temperature controlled environment, and only moved upright using a forklift.
- Using Cargo, we will ship collect, so you pay for your boxes shipping cost at pick up from your local airport.
- If you have never shipped cargo before, please reach out to us for additional information, and please include your desired airport for arrival when placing the order so we can start researching flight options before we reach out to schedule.
- We will never send out a Cargo shipment without first touching base and confirming the estimated arrival time.
Splitting orders into packages
Online orders may be "split" into multiple "packages", or separate shipments, based on the type of shipping that any given product requires.
This occurs when some items in an order require specialized and or overnight shipping (such as livestock or perishable goods), while other items can be shipped according to your preferences and budget.
Customers are required to choose a shipping method for each package if an order has been split into packages.
Our 4 Shipping Packages
We have 4 distinct shipping packages that a product can belong to:
DRC Livestock Package:
If a product is livestock and / or perishable, or we determine it qualifies for our DRC Flat Rate for Livestock.
Shipping method choices are:
- Local Pickup
- DRC Flat Rate for Livestock
- Southwest Cargo
DRC Dry Goods Package:
Standard products that can be packaged together, do not need specialized packaging or shipping, are not perishable, etc.
Shipping method choices are:
- Local Pickup
- UPS (various methods)
- Southwest Cargo
DRC Individually Packaged:
Some products we carry are either big and bulky and must be individually packaged or come pre-packaged, ready for shipment. Each product will be individually shipped according to a selected method.
Shipping method choices are:
- Local Pickup
- UPS (various methods)
- Southwest Cargo
DRC Local Pickup Only:
There are a few items we do not ship. These items must be picked up at our facility.
Shipping method choices are:
- Local Pickup
Shipping Livestock
Packaging
All livestock is shipped in styrofoam insulated boxes appropriately sized for your order, with heat or ice packs as necessary based on the weather.
We have a 99%+ survival rate shipping corals and have been doing it for decades!
Shipment
Orders placed by 5pm will ship out the following shipping Day (FedEx & UPS shipments go out Monday through Friday for overnight delivery).
NOTE:
- Due to the sensitivity of livestock, we limit our packaging and shipping to a small window each day to reduce any stress on our animals.
- Import schedules, staffing issues, etc. can prevent us from making shipments on some days.
- We will always communicate & coordinate any schedule changes, and do our best to not let it happen.
DRC Flat Rate for Livestock - Shipping Pricing
- We ship everywhere in the United States of America. We do not ship to other countries.
- Our flat rates vary based on where in the US we are shipping to.
- We include free or discounted flat rate shipping based on your cart amount.
- DRC Members will receive additional discounts for flat rate shipping.
- We use overnight / priority services with UPS or FedEx - depending on rate quotes.
MI & Surrounding States
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania)
Flat-Rate Cost: $39.00
Cart Amount Discounts
Membership Discounts
DRC Membership Black
- 10% discount on cost of shipping
- 15% reduction of threshold for Cart Amount Discounts
Flat-Rate Cost: $39.00
$35.10
Cart Amount Discounts
Continental US
(United States (US))
Flat-Rate Cost: $59.00
Cart Amount Discounts
Membership Discounts
DRC Membership Black
- 10% discount on cost of shipping
- 15% reduction of threshold for Cart Amount Discounts
Flat-Rate Cost: $59.00
$53.10
Cart Amount Discounts
Outside Continental US
(Alaska, Hawaii)
Flat-Rate Cost: $150.00
Cart Amount Discounts
Membership Discounts
DRC Membership Black
- 10% discount on cost of shipping
- 15% reduction of threshold for Cart Amount Discounts
Flat-Rate Cost: $150.00
$135.00
Cart Amount Discounts
FAQ's
All coral is shipped in styrofoam insulated boxes appropriately sized for your order, with heat or ice packs as necessary based on the weather. We have a 99%+ survival rate shipping corals and have been doing it for decades!
Orders placed by 5pm will ship out the following shipping Day (FedEx & UPS shipments go out Monday through Friday for overnight delivery), but you can always pick your shipping/arrival day by simply adding the desired shipping schedule info in the comments on your order. There are things that happen that prevent us from making shipments on some days; Import Schedules, Staffing Issues, etc, it is livestock, so there is only a small window each day for packing and shipping each day that we’re comfortable with so as not to prolong the experience for your livestock, we will always reach out ahead of time to coordinate any changes to schedule and do our best to not let it happen.
This is the amount you need to spend to qualify for discounted or free flat-rate shipping on your order.
This threshold amount depends on the location in the US the order will be shipped to.
Bonus – Having a Detroit Reef club Membership reduces this amount, so you can spend less to receive a discounted or free flat-rate shipping.
Details can be found here: Shipping Information