Hello! We are SD Tropicals

We are a family owned and operated online fish retail/wholesaler business in East County San Diego. We deal in HIGH GRADE SHRIMP and SHOW QUALITY BETTAS, GUPPIES, GOLDFISH, & TROPICAL FISH. We would love to hear from you; Be sure to give us a follow on our social media accounts to watch our journey!

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at SDTropicalsBiz@gmail.com

Thank you for your consideration!

  • LOCAL PICKUP AVAILABLE

    Located in San Diego?

    Schedule a date and time to pickup your order in person. We do not offer in store shopping at this time.

  • FAST/ SAFE SHIPPING

    We ship our livestock out every Monday- Wednesday to make sure it is received that week in a timely manner.

  • LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEE

    We know sometimes there are unforeseen accidents and we want to make sure your covered. Please check out all our shipping and DOA policy information.

Contact form

INFO

Shipping Information

We ship out Monday through Wednesday. Orders typically take up to 10 days to ship. Major holidays may delay shipping.

Shipping prices will be calculated at checkout and vary by order.

We use the following shipping methods:

USPS Priority: Transit time is 2-3 days to arrive.

UPS Next Day: Transit time is 1 day to arrive.

UPS 2 DAY: Transit time is 2 days to arrive.

UPS GROUND: Transit time is 1-3 days to arrive.

Shipping prices reflect how quickly an order will take to be delivered once shipped NOT how quickly the order is fulfilled.


SHIPPING TEMPERATURES

Please check your local weather before ordering. In times of extreme weather, we will postpone shipment until temperatures are safer, typically between the ranges of 32-95 degrees Fahrenheit.

All our fish and shrimp come packaged in insulated boxes with a heat or cold pack if needed included in the cost of shipping.

If, for unforeseen circumstances, one of your fish has a health problem before shipping, we will remove that fish and fulfill the rest of your order accordingly. We will contact you to ship a replacement or issue a refund for the amount of the fish that was excluded from your original order.

Cancellation Policy

You have 12hrs to cancel your order to receive a full refund. All cancellations AFTER 12hrs will incur a 20% restocking fee. Please contact us at info.sdtropicalsbiz@gmail.com

DOA (Dead On Arrival) Policy

We aim to have all our fish ARRIVE ALIVE. If for some unforeseen reason your fish or shrimp arrive DEAD- Please email a photo and/or video of the fish and/or shrimp in the original bag WITHIN 2 HOURS of receiving your package to info.sdtropicalsbiz@gmail.com. Once we are able to verify with our tracking that your images were taken within the proper time frame, we will issue either a refund or a credit for the cost of your fish or shrimp. SHIPPING COST IS NOT INCLUDED IN REFUND OR CREDIT.

Return Policy

For the health and safety of our fish, we do not accept any returns. All purchases are FINAL.

Questions Frequently Asked

  • Do you have a retail store?

We currently do not have a brick and mortar store as for this, we try to post as much as we can to our website and social media.

  • Can I add an item to my order after I have placed it?

Yes you can, as long as your order hasn't shipped out. You can either call us (619) 363-7433 or email us (sdtropicalsbiz@gmail.com) and we will send you an invoice for the additions.

  • How much does shipping cost?

Shipping starts at $10 for live plants, botanicals, and food. For live fish shipping costs are calculated by the size of your order. The cost includes the handling, insulated box, heat/cold pack.

  • Can you ship my order right after I place it?

We cannot ship your fish immediately after your order is placed. We stop feeding the fish 48 hours before shipping so that there is no more food in its digestive system. This ensures that the fish doesn't foul the water during shipment.

  • What courier service do you use?

We offer USPS, and UPS

  • What if a fish arrives alive, but soon after dies?

We do not take responsibility for any deaths or illness occurring during your care, we make sure to ship healthy fish and once they are in your hands it is your responsibility to maintain that good care.

  • Do you ship everywhere in the US?

We ship to all the US excluding Hawaii and Alaska.

  • I just received my fish and it doesn't look like the picture. Why?

Any fish that go through shipping incur some sort of stress; it is normal to have less coloration or lack of movement. It is also very common for your fish to not want to eat. We suggest that you allow your fish at least 48 hours to adjust to its new environment before trying to feed or interact with it.

  • What are SD Tropicals Quarantine procedures?

All new fish introduced to our system go through a minimum two week quarantine before they are posted for sale. They are dewormed and given antibiotics if needed until they are healthy again to ship out.

  • Is it safe to ship fish through the mail?

Yes, it is safe to ship fish. We take the utmost precautions when shipping our fish. All our fish are double bagged with thick plastic bags. Our bags are filled with bottled oxygen and methylene blue for our fish, and bottled oxygen and water from our tank for shrimp. Our bags are hand tied as it helps maintain the oxygen in the bag better than being tied with a rubber band. We use boxes from the post office with styrofoam insulated boxes, and plant based insulation to maintain hot/ cold depending on the weather. In the winter months we use 72 hour heat packs.

  • How do I track my order?

We will email you a tracking number once we have packages and shipped your order.

  • I'm local, can I come pick up my fish?

Yes, we do offer local pickup. We will notify you within 48 hours to set up a spot to meet up and pick up your order. We take the same care as we do when we ship the fish. With local pickup we don't offer a DOA policy.