Frequently asked questions

We ship Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only, UPS or FedEx Overnight. Shipping only early in the week means your corals never get stuck in a carrier warehouse over the weekend. Your order ships the next day when that day is a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Orders placed Wednesday through Saturday ship the following Monday.

Before packing, we hold your pulled frags in our tanks for a few hours to make sure they're healthy and open, so every coral goes out in top shape.

Every order goes overnight, so most boxes arrive the day after they ship. Carriers sometimes run late, which is exactly why we pack every box to handle more than one night in transit.

Every box is insulated. In cold weather we add a 40-hour UniHeat heat pack, which gives your corals warmth well past an overnight trip. In hot weather we use cold packs.

If extreme heat or cold is forecast along the route, we may hold your order for a week or more until it's safe to ship. See What if the weather is bad? below.

On orders under $100: $45 flat to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida, or $60 to other states. Orders from $100 to $224.99 ship for $45 flat anywhere. Orders of $225 or more ship free. Shipping is figured on your order total after any discount.

Yes, please. Plan to be there, or have someone there, to bring the box inside soon after it's delivered. A box sitting on a porch in January or July is no fun for anyone, especially the corals.

Live coral comes first. If extreme heat or cold, carrier delays, or holiday closures could put your corals at risk, we may hold your order for a week or more until it's safe to ship. We'll always let you know by email if your order is being held.

Order by Sunday, Dec 20 for delivery before Christmas. Orders placed after Dec 20 ship as soon as it's safe, which may be after the holiday. Weather and carrier delays can still affect delivery, and we'll never ship into conditions that put your corals at risk.

Yes. When your order ships, you'll get an email with your tracking number so you can follow your box to your door.

DOA means "dead on arrival." If a coral arrives dead, we'll make it right. After we review your claim, we'll offer a replacement frag (you cover the shipping on the replacement), store credit for the price you paid for the coral, or in some cases a refund.

Read the full details on our Shipping and DOA policy page.

Email info@ncpolypfarms.com within 2 hours of delivery, based on the carrier's delivery time. Include:

• Your order number
• Clear photos of the affected coral in its cup or bag, before it goes into your tank
• A photo of the shipping label

Tip: open the box, snap the photos first, then start acclimating. It takes 30 seconds and protects you.

• Claims made more than 2 hours after delivery, or without photos
• Delays caused by an incorrect address, a refused delivery, or a package not picked up from the carrier on time
• Corals that decline after being placed in your aquarium
• Local pickup and show pickup orders, since you inspect those in person
• Original shipping charges, which aren't refundable

Yes. Local pickup is available in Asheville, NC. Choose local pickup at checkout and skip the shipping charge, or email us at info@ncpolypfarms.com, and we'll set up a time that works for you.

We don't publish a pickup address, so we'll share the details by email once your pickup is arranged.

Yes. When we have an upcoming show, you can pay online and pick up at our booth. Show pickup orders close a couple of days before the show so we have time to pull your frags. Check the Shows section of our homepage, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook, for where we'll be next.

The best way is to visit our booth at a show. Have a question about a specific frag? Email us and we'll do our best to send extra photos.

WYSIWYG means "what you see is what you get." The frag in the photo is the exact frag you'll receive.

Select frags use a representative photo. Your frag is hand-picked from the same coral and will match the colors shown. The photo may show the full colony or an example frag. Your frag's size depends on the size option you choose.

We grow zoanthids (zoas), palythoas (palys), other soft corals, LPS (large-polyp stony) corals, and SPS (small-polyp stony) corals, all from mother colonies in our own system in Asheville, North Carolina. We also offer inverts and anemones, including rock flower anemones.

Each category has its own section in our shop: Zoas & Softies, LPS, SPS, and Inverts & Anemones. New LPS and SPS frags, inverts, and anemones are being added soon, so check back or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for new drops.

Checkout runs through Square's secure payment page, so we never see or store your card number.

Join our email list on the homepage and get 15% off your first online order, plus a heads-up on new frag drops. One discount code per order.

Not much. Zoas, palys, and most softies do well under low to moderate light, roughly 50 to 150 PAR if you have a PAR meter. Start new frags low in the tank and move them up slowly over a few weeks if they look happy. If the polyps stay closed or start stretching, they're telling you something: closed, shrinking polyps often mean too much light; long stalks often mean too little.

Moderate, indirect flow. You want the polyps gently swaying, not getting blasted flat. Good flow also keeps debris from settling on the colony.

Stable beats perfect. Here's a common target range for a zoa and softie tank:

• Temperature: 76 to 80°F
• Salinity: 1.025 to 1.026 specific gravity (about 35 ppt)
• pH: 8.0 to 8.3
• Alkalinity: 7 to 11 dKH
• Calcium: 400 to 450 ppm
• Magnesium: 1,250 to 1,400 ppm
• Nitrate: about 2 to 10 ppm
• Phosphate: about 0.03 to 0.10 ppm

Zoas actually like a little nitrate and phosphate in the water. An ultra-clean tank can leave them pale and hungry.

1. Dim the lights. Open the box in a dim room so the corals aren't shocked by bright light.
2. Take photos. Before you unpack anything, snap pictures in the bag for your records (and for the DOA Guarantee).
3. Match temperature. Float the sealed bags in your tank for about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Dip. Use a commercial coral dip and follow the label directions. Look over the frag for pests like zoa-eating nudibranchs, sundial snails, and sea spiders.
5. Place low. Put new frags low in the tank with gentle flow, then move them up over the next couple of weeks.

Don't pour shipping water into your tank.

Handle them with care. Some zoas and palys contain palytoxin, a strong toxin. Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling, cutting, or scrubbing them, wash your hands afterward, and never boil or pressure-wash rock that has zoas or palys on it. If you feel sick after handling corals, get medical help and mention palytoxin.

Not yet. It's normal for new frags to stay closed for a few days after shipping. Keep them low in gentle flow, keep your parameters steady, and give them time. If they stay closed for more than a week or so, check for pests and email us. We're happy to help troubleshoot.