Live animals will be bagged and shipped in a styrofoam lined box with ice packs and insulation as needed. Our boxes are always marked "FRAGILE" & "LIVE AQUATICS". Shipping is done on Tuesdays ONLY. All purchases made after 11:59pm EST on Sunday will not ship on that coming Tuesday it will be held until the following Tuesday. This is in place to give Gillywater Aquatics time to prep packaging and properly fast the axolotls for shipping. We do not ship axolotls unless they have had at least 4 days of fasting. This is for the safety of the animal and there will be NO exceptions to this rule.
EXAMPLE (A purchase made at 11:00pm EST on Sunday will ship 2 days later on Tuesday. A purchase made on Monday at 6:45am EST will not ship until the following Tuesday 8 days later.)

    We offer free USPS 2-5 day Priority shipping on our live aquatics (which includes tracking information) to the continental US, legal states only. You will have the option of whether or not you would like to upgrade to Express shipping (which according to USPS.com is 1-3 days) for an additional fee of $65.00 for 1 to 2 axolotls, $85.00 for 3 to 6 axolotls, and for orders of more than 6 please contact Gillywater Aquatics before finalizing your purchase. All shipping is done on Tuesdays for the safety of the live animals. IN OUR EXPERIENCE axolotls are capable of being in the mail for over 20 days without any negative effects. We do our best to ensure a speedy delivery but we have no control over the USPS and any delays they may come across. We fast our axolotls for at least 96 hours before shipping and include fresh water and a small amount of live plants to help with any ammonia. If you are uncomfortable with the shipping time for the free Priority we strongly advise upgrading to Express at check out.
    Orders for non-living and plant items will be shipped free of charge by way of USPS either First Class or Priority depending on the weight and size of the order.
    We do everything within our power to ensure that you receive your purchase in a timely and safe manner, however we have no control over the United States Postal Service. In the event that USPS loses a package Gillywater Aquatics will wait 30 days from the date of shipping to refund/replace the items. If there are any problems with your item please refer to our return policy page.
    Gillywater Aquatics does not guarantee the shipping time for Priority (3-5 days) or Express (1-3 days) shipping. These times are an estimate ONLY, as we have no control over USPS and any delays that might occur. We only guarantee that you will receive your axolotl alive. 
    Be sure to put the correct address on your purchase. Gillywater Aquatics is not responsible for replacing or refunding any order that is made with an incorrect or incomplete address. If your purchase is delivered to the wrong address because you have given us the wrong address you will be responsible for figuring out how to get your items from where ever it was sent to. If you provide an incomplete or incorrect address and the package is returned to us you will be responsible for paying for it to be shipped out to you the second time or Gillywater Aquatics will refund your purchase minus the cost of the first shipping attempt. 
During the summer months all axolotl purchases are marked "HOLD AT POST OFFICE FOR PICK UP" This is to ensure that they are not left outside in the heat. As with any/all packages year round we do require you to pick them up within 24 hours of arrival at your local post office. This will begin June 1st and run through October 1st. If you want your axolotl purchase to be shipped directly to you during these times you must upgrade to the Express shipping option at checkout, someone will also need to be present at delivery to sign for the package. 
    Axolotls are illegal in California, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, & Hawaii  WE WILL NOT SHIP AXOLOTLS TO THESE STATES. If you are from one of these states and are interested in our other products please contact us at gillywateraquatics@hotmail.com.