Everything about how Moss & Molt sells, ships and handles your information, in one place.
Checking whether it's safe to ship to you this week? See Shipping & Weather. Questions? Contact us.
These cover everything you buy through our checkout, including the shrimp we breed and ship ourselves.
We ship live shrimp on Mondays and Tuesdays by UPS 2nd Day Air or a UPS Next Day service, your choice at checkout. The rate for your address is calculated at checkout. UPS 2nd Day Air is free on orders of $200 or more. We only ship when the weather is safe at both ends of the trip.
We ship to the lower 48 United States and Washington, D.C., except Maine. We don't ship live animals to Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam or other U.S. territories, or outside the United States. Maine requires a state permit for the animals we sell, so our checkout can't send orders to a Maine address.
The option you choose also sets your Live Arrival Guarantee: see our Refund policy. Fewer than 5 of one shrimp grade (1 to 4) are covered only on a Next Day option.
Live animals ship on Mondays and Tuesdays only, so they never sit in a carrier facility over a weekend. Order Monday or Tuesday before 11 a.m. Eastern and it ships the same day; order after 11 a.m. Monday and it ships Tuesday; order after 11 a.m. Tuesday or any time Wednesday through Sunday and it ships the next Monday. Your order confirmation shows the date. The shrimp skip a feeding before they're bagged, which keeps their water clean in transit. You'll get a tracking number by email when your order ships. If weather, a holiday or a closure moves your ship day, we'll email you the new date.
We check the National Weather Service forecast at our end on ship day and at your address on delivery day. Cold limits use overnight lows; hot limits use daytime highs.
Heat and cold packs. Enter your ZIP code in the weather check in your cart. When the forecast calls for one, you can add a heat or cold pack ($2.00); it is only offered when the weather needs one. If a needed pack is offered and you don't add it, our Live Arrival Guarantee doesn't cover the live animals in that shipment. If the forecast changes after you order and a pack becomes needed, we add it to the live animals we ship at no charge. Packs apply only to live animals we ship ourselves; items from our partner stores follow that partner's own policy.
A held order keeps its place in line and ships on the first safe ship day. You can ask for a refund instead while it's on hold. Held orders are never cancelled without your say-so.
We delay shipping when a storm could strand your package, even if temperatures are safe. That includes any National Weather Service warning for a winter storm, blizzard, ice storm, heavy snow, flood, high wind, extreme heat or cold, tornado or severe thunderstorm; any hurricane or tropical storm watch or warning; and a forecast of snow, ice, sleet or freezing rain at either end of the trip. We ship on the first ship day after the storm passes.
We don't ship a package that would be in transit on a carrier holiday or reduced-service day: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas; the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve; or the day before any of these holidays. From late November through December carriers run heavy, so allow an extra day. We also pause shipping on days we're closed and during carrier emergencies.
Plants, food and equipment ship by the options shown at checkout, Monday through Friday, and weather holds don't apply to them. If your order mixes our live animals with other items we ship, they all ship together on the live animals' ship day. Items from our partner stores (AquascapeGuide and AquaticMotiv) may ship directly from the partner, separately from the rest of your order, with their own tracking.
Email support@mossandmolt.com with your order number and ZIP code. Moss & Molt is a trade name of SD AquaTerraks LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Live animals can't be returned. Instead, shrimp are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee below.
What you get for a dead-on-arrival (DOA) animal depends on the shipping you choose at checkout:
Within 2 hours of carrier-confirmed delivery, film the unopened shipping bag as you open it, with the shrimp visible. The bag must still be sealed when filming begins: it's the only way we can tell a shipping loss from an acclimation loss. Email the video and your order number to support@mossandmolt.com.
Items provided by our partner stores (AquascapeGuide and AquaticMotiv) follow that partner's own dead-on-arrival and returns policy, shown on the item's page and on our Policies page, including its time limit and what to send. Claims for partner items still come to us at support@mossandmolt.com.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Moss & Molt is the trade name of SD AquaTerraks LLC, a Virginia limited liability company ("Moss & Molt", "we", "us"). We breed and sell aquarium animals, plants and supplies through mossandmolt.com (the "Store"). Contact details are at the end of these terms. The Store runs on Shopify, which processes orders and payments for us.
By using the Store or placing an order, you agree to these Terms of Service and to our Shipping, Refund and Privacy policies, which are part of these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the Store. You must be at least 18, or the age of majority where you live, to place an order.
Prices are in U.S. dollars and can change at any time before you order. Shipping is calculated at checkout. Sales tax is added where the law requires it. If an item is listed at an obviously wrong price, we may cancel the order and refund you in full, even after you've received a confirmation.
Live stock is limited. Placing an order is an offer to buy; we accept it when we ship it or hand it over at pickup. If we can't fill an order, for example because animals are lost before ship day, we'll tell you and refund what you paid for anything we can't send.
Live animals ship on Mondays and Tuesdays only, by the carrier and service you choose at checkout. We may hold an order when the weather on the route isn't safe for the animals, and we'll contact you before rescheduling. Details are in our Shipping policy. You're responsible for entering a correct address and for someone being available to receive the package on the delivery day.
We ship live animals only to the U.S. addresses offered at checkout. We don't ship live animals outside the United States, or to Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Puerto Rico, Guam or other U.S. territories. Some states and localities restrict certain aquatic animals and plants. Before you order, it's your responsibility to make sure what you buy is legal to receive and keep where you live. We may refuse or cancel any order we believe can't be legally delivered.
Never release aquarium animals or plants into the wild, ponds, streams, storm drains or toilets. It can be illegal and harms native wildlife. If you can no longer keep them, contact us or a local aquarium store or club.
Live animals can't be returned. Animals that arrive dead are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee as described in our Refund policy, including the claim steps and time limit. Losses after the shipping bag is opened, during or after acclimation, are not covered.
Care guides, parameters, Para-Medic, the Aquarium Sim and any advice we give are general information based on our own experience. Tanks differ, so we can't guarantee results, and you're responsible for the care of your animals once they're delivered.
If you create an account, keep your login details private. You're responsible for activity on your account. We may suspend accounts used for fraud or abuse.
The Store's text, photos, pixel art, logos and the Moss & Molt name belong to us or are used with permission. Don't copy or reuse them without our written permission.
The Store may link to other websites and stores. Some links may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We aren't responsible for other sites' content, products or policies.
Except for our Live Arrival Guarantee and anything the law doesn't allow us to exclude, the Store and our products are provided "as is", without other warranties. To the fullest extent the law allows, we aren't liable for indirect or consequential losses, including losses of other animals or plants in your tank, and our total liability for any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order.
These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any dispute will be handled in the state or federal courts serving Virginia Beach, Virginia, unless the law where you live gives you a different right.
We may update these terms. The version posted on the Store, with its "last updated" date, applies to orders placed from that date on.
Moss & Molt (SD AquaTerraks LLC)
337 Grenfell Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, United States
support@mossandmolt.com
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Moss & Molt (SD AquaTerraks LLC) operates this store and website, including all related information, content, features, tools, products and services, in order to provide you, the customer, with a curated shopping experience (the "Services"). Moss & Molt is powered by Shopify, which enables us to provide the Services to you. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information when you visit, use, or make a purchase or other transaction using the Services or otherwise communicate with us. If there is a conflict between our Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy, this Privacy Policy controls with respect to the collection, processing, and disclosure of your personal information.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using and accessing any of the Services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.
When we use the term "personal information," we are referring to information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to you or another person. Personal information does not include information that is collected anonymously or that has been de-identified, so that it cannot identify or be reasonably linked to you. We may collect or process the following categories of personal information, including inferences drawn from this personal information, depending on how you interact with the Services, where you live, and as permitted or required by applicable law:
We may collect personal information from the following sources:
Depending on how you interact with us or which of the Services you use, we may use personal information for the following purposes:
When you are signed in and type a question to Sheldon, the chat helper on our website, your question is sent to Anthropic's Claude AI service so Sheldon can answer it. If you use the "Ask Sheldon about my tank" button on our Para-Medic page, the tank details you entered are sent with your question in the same way. We save your question and Sheldon's answer, together with the page you were on, the time, the Sheldon skin shown and a coded customer number (not your name or email address), with our hosting provider, Cloudflare. We keep saved chats for up to 30 days and use them only to check that Sheldon's answers are accurate and to improve them; after 30 days they are deleted. We also keep a count of how many questions your account has asked, which unlocks Sheldon Skins achievements; it stays with your account. Answers to the topic buttons in Sheldon's chat come from your own browser and are not saved. Please don't type personal details such as your address, phone number or payment information into the chat. To ask us to delete your saved chats sooner, email support@mossandmolt.com.
In certain circumstances, we may disclose your personal information to third parties for legitimate purposes subject to this Privacy Policy. Such circumstances may include:
The Services are hosted by Shopify, which collects and processes personal information about your access to and use of the Services in order to provide and improve the Services for you. Information you submit to the Services will be transmitted to and shared with Shopify as well as third parties that may be located in countries other than where you reside, in order to provide and improve the Services for you. In addition, to help protect, grow, and improve our business, we use certain Shopify enhanced features that incorporate data and information obtained from your interactions with our Store, along with other merchants and with Shopify. To provide these enhanced features, Shopify may make use of personal information collected about your interactions with our store, along with other merchants, and with Shopify. In these circumstances, Shopify is responsible for the processing of your personal information, including for responding to your requests to exercise your rights over use of your personal information for these purposes. To learn more about how Shopify uses your personal information and any rights you may have, you can visit the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy . Depending on where you live, you may exercise certain rights with respect to your personal information here Shopify Privacy Portal Link.
The Services may provide links to websites or other online platforms operated by third parties. If you follow links to sites not affiliated or controlled by us, you should review their privacy and security policies and other terms and conditions. We do not guarantee and are not responsible for the privacy or security of such sites, including the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of information found on these sites. Information you provide on public or semi-public venues, including information you share on third-party social networking platforms may also be viewable by other users of the Services and/or users of those third-party platforms without limitation as to its use by us or by a third party. Our inclusion of such links does not, by itself, imply any endorsement of the content on such platforms or of their owners or operators, except as disclosed on the Services.
The Services are not intended to be used by children, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information about children under the age of majority in your jurisdiction. If you are the parent or guardian of a child who has provided us with their personal information, you may contact us using the contact details set out below to request that it be deleted.As of the Effective Date of this Privacy Policy, we do not have actual knowledge that we "share" or "sell" (as those terms are defined in applicable law) personal information of individuals under 16 years of age.
Please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee "perfect security." In addition, any information you send to us may not be secure while in transit. We recommend that you do not use unsecure channels to communicate sensitive or confidential information to us.
How long we retain your personal information depends on different factors, such as whether we need the information to maintain your account, to provide you with Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes or enforce other applicable contracts and policies.
Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the rights listed below in relation to your personal information. However, these rights are not absolute, may apply only in certain circumstances and, in certain cases, we may decline your request as permitted by law.
You may exercise any of these rights where indicated on the Services or by contacting us using the contact details provided below. To learn more about how Shopify uses your personal information and any rights you may have, including rights related to data processed by Shopify, you can visit https://privacy.shopify.com/en.
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. We may need to verify your identity before we can process your requests, as permitted or required under applicable law. In accordance with applicable laws, you may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf to exercise your rights. Before accepting such a request from an agent, we will require that the agent provide proof you have authorized them to act on your behalf, and we may need you to verify your identity directly with us. We will respond to your request in a timely manner as required under applicable law.
If you have complaints about how we process your personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided below. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to appeal our decision by contacting us using the contact details set out below, or lodge your complaint with your local data protection authority.
Please note that we may transfer, store and process your personal information outside the country you live in.
If we transfer your personal information out of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we will rely on recognized transfer mechanisms like the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses, or any equivalent contracts issued by the relevant competent authority of the UK, as relevant, unless the data transfer is to a country that has been determined to provide an adequate level of protection.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including to reflect changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will post the revised Privacy Policy on this website, update the "Last updated" date and provide notice as required by applicable law.
Should you have any questions about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to exercise any of the rights available to you, please email us at support@mossandmolt.com. You can find our other contact details on our contact information policy.
Also: Legal notice · Contact information
Some products come from partner businesses. Each product page names its partner. When a partner packs and ships your order, or when you buy on the partner's own site, the partner's shipping times and guarantees apply.
Who they are: AquascapeGuide (Kyle), Southern California. Tropica plants, test kits and aquarium supplies. AquascapeGuide items bought through our checkout are packed and shipped by AquascapeGuide, separately from our shrimp, with their own tracking. For a problem with an AquascapeGuide item you bought from us, email support@mossandmolt.com with your order number and photos, within the time limit below, and we'll handle it with them.
AquascapeGuide's own policy, quoted from their "How We Operate" page:
Shipping
We ship Monday - Friday, excluding holidays. Orders placed before 7:00 AM Pacific Time should ship out within 1-2 business days.
This is subject to change due to extreme changes in weather or holiday delays. We will always do our best to ensure that your plants and goods make it to you safe and sound. All plant orders receive free dead-on-arrival protection.
Expedited shipping will ensure that your package is in transit for less time, but the order will still be processed within 1-2 shipping days.
Please make sure your shipping address is correct prior to placing an order, as we will not be held responsible for DOA due to an undeliverable, incomplete or incorrect addresses.
Damaged packages, lost packages, and/or any mishandling by the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), or other logistics/courier service provider is not our responsibility. However, we will make sure to take the proper steps to resolve the situation by filing a claim on your behalf. This process can take some time (14+ business days depending on the courier service), so please bear with us as we assist in fixing any issues that may arise.
**Note that some plants we carry may be considered federal or state noxious weeds. It is the CUSTOMER's responsibility to check with their own state rules and regulations before ordering. All of our plants clear stringent import regulations via the USDA office in Los Angeles.
Weather
If you are experiencing temperatures below 50°F, we recommend adding a heat pack to your plant order.
If you are experiencing severe weather conditions (including freezing temperatures 32°F and below), please delay ordering until the weather warms. A package of live plants left outside in freezing temperatures for any amount of time can result in DOA.
If temperatures in your area are above 80°F, we recommend delaying your order until the weather cools.
Returns
Hard goods can be returned up to 30 days after purchase for a full refund as long as the product is unused, new and sealed in its box. We offer store credit for items that have been opened and used, but please note this is on a case by case basis and AquascapeGuide reserves the right to provide solutions deemed fit pertaining to each inquiry. Customers will have to pay for return shipping fees.
We are unable to accept returns for perishable items such as plants or livestock. [...] We do provide 100% DOA (dead-on-arrival) protection.
Refunds and dead-on-arrival
We do offer free 100% DOA (dead-on-arrival) protection for all plant and livestock orders. If in the unfortunate event of receiving plants/livestock DOA occurs, please email us [...] with your order number and photos of the product(s) and packaging slip within 12 hours of package delivery. Our support team will be happy to assist you with a replacement or refund.
Email notifications about your order
You will be notified via email if our Fulfillment Team determines that an item does not meet our Standards of Quality and cannot be shipped, or if an item is out of stock if your order is under two items. If this email has no response within 24 hours, the order will shipped without the item and a refund will be issued.
Should your order exceed two items and an item does not pass our Quality Assurance Test, the order will be shipped without the item and a refund will be issued.
Source: aquascapeguide.com/shipping-returns, copied Oct 23, 2026. Wording is AquascapeGuide's; [...] marks lines left out (their weather-pricing note and their own contact address, since orders placed with us come to us first). Their page may change; theirs is the current version.
Who they are: AquaticMotiv, Newark, New Jersey. Plants, snails, hardscape and supplies. AquaticMotiv items on our site link to aquaticmotiv.com, and you buy them there, under AquaticMotiv's policies below.
AquaticMotiv's own policy, quoted from their refund and shipping policies:
Refunds and live stock guarantee
Live Stock - If you receive anything but a healthy plant/animal, take 2 or 3 pictures in its unopened sealed bag and get in contact with us within 4 hours of the arrival of the package. We will get back to you after we've successfully examined all the pictures. If the plant(s)/animal(s) is(are) indeed damaged or melted/dead, we will gladly send you a replacement or we'll refund you if the item is no longer in stock.
NOTE (Plants): It is extremely rare to receive dead/melted plants, but if there is a big delay by the carrier on the package there is a possibility that it can happen. Some plants will even go a week in the box with very little humidity and no light, and be just fine.
NOTE (Snails): Upon receiving your snails, you may notice that they aren't moving. This is normal! When snails are shipped they become very stressed and their method of defense is to retrieve their bodies into the shell. After taking the necessary pictures, put them in your aquarium and wait a couple of hours. They should adjust and start working right away. (If a snail dies during shipping, its body will hang out the shell)
Dry Goods - Shipping cost on Dry Goods Returns to be paid by the buyer.
Shipping - After contacting us, and after we give you the green light to return an item, you can do so by shipping the item to the address we will then provide to you. Do NOT send any items without contacting us first.
Guarantee gets voided if the address you provide is incorrect. Please, always confirm your address before placing an order! It is the customer's responsibility to ensure the live stock is being sent to the correct address. We, AquaticMotiv® LLC, have no control over the address information inputted at checkout.
Guarantee gets voided if delivery is not made on the first attempt. Please, be home to receive your live animals.
CLAIMS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR PACKAGE. Guarantee will be voided if you do not submit your claim within this given time!
We will not refund or replace any damaged item claims if proper pictures are not shown as stated above!
Shipping
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS ABOVE $79!
Groud Advantage 2-5 days $7.99 · Priority Mail 1-3 days $15.99 · 2 Day Air Service $29.99 · Next Day Air Service $49.99
Our Shipping days for livestock are Monday through Wednesday - orders placed on Wednesday after 7 a.m. (EST) will be shipped the following week. This is done to avoid our animals from getting stuck at the carrier facility over the weekend.
All the other items are shipped 7 days a week.
We do NOT ship live animal orders and/or plant orders during a holiday week and the week before a holiday. [...] for the safety of our animals, orders will be held and shipped the week after the holiday.
We do NOT ship any live stock if temperatures are below 40℉ or above 90℉ [...] We will ship as soon as possible and when we see a break in weather so it is safe for them to travel.
All orders are processed within 1-4 business days.
NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING!
Source: refund policy and shipping policy on aquaticmotiv.com, copied Oct 23, 2026. Wording is AquaticMotiv's; [...] marks lines left out for length, and their full pages have the packing details. Also see their terms of service and privacy policy. Their pages may change; theirs is the current version.
Amazon and Etsy links: you buy from that store under its own policies. Many of our links are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate, Moss & Molt earns from qualifying purchases.
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