HOLIDAY SHIPPING SCHEDULE!!!!
Here is the list of TUESDAYS that are left in 2025 for shipping.
Tuesday 11/ 4 - All orders placed from Monday 10/27 - Sunday 11/2 will be shipped out
Tuesday 11/11 - No Shipping (Veterans Day)
Tuesday 11/18 - All orders placed from Monday 11/3 - Sunday 11/16 will be shipped out
Tuesday 11/25 - No Shipping (Thanksgiving week)
Tuesday 12/2 - All orders placed from Monday 11/17 - Sunday 11/30 will be shipped out
Tuesday 12/9 - All orders placed from Monday 12/1 - Sunday 12/7 will be shipped out
Tuesday 12/16 - ONLY orders that have paid to upgrade to the USPS Express shipping placed from Monday 12/8 - Sunday 12/14 will be shipped out. All orders that have chosen the free USPS Priority shipping will be held for shipping until 1/6/2026.
Tuesday 12/23 - No Shipping (Christmas week)
Tuesday 12/30 - No Shipping (New Years week)
Tuesday 1/6/2026 - Orders placed from Monday 12/8 - Sunday 12/14 that did not upgrade to USPS Express shipping & all orders placed Monday 12/15 - Sunday 1/4/2026 will be shipped out
* If you are purchasing a hold for your axolotl be sure to add the correct number of holds for the axolotls that you are purchasing and the weeks that you want it held for. For example if you make a purchase for 1 axolotl and 1 week hold on 12/7 but you do not upgrade to USPS Express shipping it will NOT be shipped on 12/16 it will be held until 1/6/2026. If you are questioning how many hold weeks you need please contact us we can let you know the correct number of holds you would need and the correct shipping required to have you order go out on the Tuesday that you want it to. 

Shipping Rules:​
* ALL shipping is done on Tuesdays ONLY. 
* All purchases made after 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time (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 & Exotics time to prep packaging and properly fast the animals for shipping. EXAMPLE: A purchase made at 11:47PM EST on Sunday will ship out 2 days later on Tuesday. Where as a purchase made on Monday at 3:19AM EST  will not ship until the following Tuesday 8 days later.
* We do not ship our live animals unless they have had at least 4 days of fasting.
* All orders will need to be signed for by an Adult over the age of 21.  
* Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics will as of August 1st, 2024 charge $5.00 per week per live animal to hold orders for shipping. You must purchase the hold at the same time as you place the order. You must purchase the correct number of holds for each week and each live animal that you purchase. This charge is NON-Refundable so be sure to purchase only the hold that you need.
* Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics will NOT hold any live animal or other product unless it is paid for in full.
* These Rules are in place for the animals safety and there will be NO EXCEPTIONS.
Shipping Process:
* 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" on all 4 sides with arrows indicating which way is up and on the top. 
* We offer FREE USPS Priority 3-5 day shipping on all of our live items to the continental United States (legal states only). This includes tracking information. 
* You will have the option to upgrade to USPS 1-3 day Express shipping at check out for an additional charge of $65.00 for 1-2 live animals, $85,00 for 3-4 live animals, for orders of 5-6 live animals $125.00, and orders over 6 live animals please contact Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics before finalizing your order. 
* Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics does not guarantee the shipping time for USPS Priority 3-5 days or 1-3 day Express shipping. These times are an estimate only, as we have no control over USPS and any delays that might occur. We only guarantee that the animal that you purchased will be delivered alive. 
* A tracking number will be emailed to the email address that you provide with your purchase so be sure to give the correct email and also be sure to check the SPAM/JUNK folders as they sometimes end up going to those folders. 
* Orders for non-living and plant items will be shipped by way of USPS Ground Select or Priority depending on the size and weight of the order. 
Returns & DOA Policy:
* Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics does not except returns.
* Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics offers a 1 hour live delivery guarantee. If by chance your live animal arrives DOA you need to contact us within that 1 hour with a clear picture or video of the animal in its ORIGINAL packaging. 
* If someone is not available to sign for your live animal when USPS make their first attempt to deliver, our live delivery guarantee will be null and void. 
* Be sure to put the correct address on your purchase. Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics 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, and Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics will not replace or refund. 
* If you provide an incorrect, incomplete address, or if the delivery is refused and the package is returned to us you will be responsible for paying for it to be shipped out for the second time. If the animal is DOA when it arrives back at Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics we will not refund or replace. 
* If you do not contact us within the 1 hour time frame the DOA policy is null and void. 
* We do everything within our power to ensure that you receive your purchase in a safe and timely manner, however we have no control over the USPS. In the event that USPS loses a package Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics will wait 30 days from the date of shipping to refund/replace the items.
* In the event of a DOA animal and all policies are followed Gillywater Aquatics & Exotics will have the sole discretion of whether a replacement or a refund is given. 
* This policy is non-negotiable 
Cancellation Policy:
* As of August 1st, 2024 there will be a 25% restocking fee for any orders that are cancelled by the buyer. 

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
*Updated 6/24/2025*