Live Pond Fish Terms & Conditions

Last updated: September 2026

Thank you for choosing We Know Water Gardens. We take great care when preparing and transporting our live pond fish, and these Terms & Conditions are designed to make sure you understand the requirements of purchasing live fish online.

By placing an order for live pond fish with us, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to these Live Pond Fish Terms & Conditions.

1. Live Animals

Our pond fish are living animals. While we take every reasonable care to select, prepare, pack and transport fish safely, we cannot control all conditions once an order has left our premises.

Fish may experience some stress during transportation and may appear less active when they first arrive. This can be normal following a journey.

Customers are responsible for ensuring they have an appropriate, established pond and suitable water conditions before ordering live fish.

2. Before You Order

Before purchasing live pond fish, you must ensure that:

• Your pond is established and suitable for keeping fish
• The pond has suitable water quality, filtration and oxygenation
• The pond is appropriately sized for the number and type of fish being purchased
• The water temperature is suitable for the fish species ordered
• The fish are compatible with any existing fish in your pond
• You have suitable food available
• Your pond provides adequate shelter and protection for the fish
• You are able to receive the delivery promptly when it arrives

Please check the individual product listing for species-specific information, including recommended water temperature, size and care requirements.

3. Fish Size, Colour and Appearance

Fish are living animals and naturally vary in appearance.

The size stated on a product listing is an approximate size at the time of sale. Individual fish may vary slightly in size, shape, colouration and markings.

Photographs on our website are representative of the fish available and may not be the exact fish supplied.

As fish grow, their colouration and appearance may also change.

4. Live Fish Delivery

Live pond fish are available for delivery for a $22 delivery fee.

Orders can be shipped to:

• Your home
• Your workplace
• Another physical address specified by you

Live fish cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.

Please provide a physical delivery address where someone can receive the shipment promptly.

We cannot be responsible for delays or issues resulting from an incorrect or incomplete delivery address supplied by the customer.

5. Dispatch Days

To minimise the risk of fish being delayed in transit over a weekend, live fish orders are dispatched Monday to Thursday only.

We will not intentionally dispatch live fish late in the week where doing so could result in the fish being held in transit over a weekend.

Orders placed outside our live-fish dispatch window will generally be held until the next suitable dispatch day.

Dispatch may also be delayed where weather, transport conditions or other circumstances could present an unreasonable risk to the welfare of the fish.

6. Delivery Timeframes

Delivery will usually take  24 - 48 hours from the time your order is dispatched.

These timeframes are estimates only and are not guaranteed. Once an order has been collected by the carrier, delivery is outside our direct control.

We carefully pack fish specifically for transportation and longer journeys, allowing them to sustain extended transit times should an unexpected delay occur.

7. Specialised Fish Packing

Our live pond fish are carefully prepared and specially packed for transportation.

We use packaging designed specifically for live fish transport to help maintain suitable conditions throughout their journey.

Fish may be packed with appropriate water volume and air/oxygen requirements for transportation, depending on the species, size and length of the journey.

Despite careful preparation, unforeseen transport delays or conditions can occur.

8. Receiving Your Fish

Customers should make arrangements to receive their live fish as soon as possible after delivery.

When your fish arrive:

• Open the package promptly
• Check the condition of the fish
• Do not leave the package sitting in direct sunlight or extreme temperatures
• Keep the fish in a stable, suitable environment while preparing for acclimatisation
• Follow the acclimatisation instructions provided with your order

Fish may be stressed, resting or less active after transportation. Allow them time to settle.

9. Acclimatising Your Fish

Do not release newly delivered fish directly into your pond without acclimatisation.

The temperature and water chemistry of the transport water may differ from your pond.

Gradually acclimatise your fish to their new environment according to the instructions supplied with your order.

Avoid adding transport water directly to your pond unless specifically advised otherwise.

If you have concerns about the condition of your fish when they arrive, contact us as soon as possible.

10. Delivery Delays

We carefully select dispatch days to reduce the possibility of delays.

However, once an order has been collected by the delivery carrier, delays can occur due to circumstances outside our control, including:

• Transport delays
• Severe weather
• Road closures
• Network disruptions
• Incorrect or incomplete delivery information
• Unexpected carrier issues

Our fish are specially packed to help sustain longer journeys, but delivery times cannot be guaranteed.

11. Weather Conditions

Extreme temperatures can affect the welfare of live fish during transportation.

We reserve the right to delay dispatch where we believe weather or transport conditions may create an unreasonable risk to the fish.

If we need to delay your order, we will contact you where possible and arrange dispatch for the next suitable opportunity.

12. Live Arrival & Fish Health

We take every reasonable care to ensure fish are healthy and suitable for transport when they leave our premises.

However, transportation can be stressful and fish can react differently to the journey.

If a fish appears unwell or has died on arrival, please contact us as soon as possible on the day of delivery and provide clear photographs and/or video of the fish and packaging.

We may request additional information to help us assess the situation.

Any resolution, replacement or refund will be considered on a case-by-case basis and subject to our assessment and these Terms & Conditions.

13. Incorrect Delivery Address

It is the customer's responsibility to provide a correct and complete physical delivery address.

PO Boxes cannot be used for live fish deliveries.

We are not responsible for fish health, delays or losses resulting from:

• An incorrect address
• An incomplete address
• A PO Box being provided
• The recipient being unavailable
• The delivery being refused
• Failure to follow carrier delivery instructions
• Failure to collect or receive the fish promptly

Additional delivery charges may apply if an order needs to be redirected or re-sent due to information supplied incorrectly by the customer.

14. Customer Responsibility

Once the fish have been successfully delivered, the customer is responsible for their ongoing care and welfare.

This includes providing:

• Appropriate water quality
• Suitable water temperature
• Adequate filtration
• Sufficient oxygenation
• Appropriate pond size
• Suitable nutrition
• Protection from unsuitable pond conditions
• Appropriate stocking levels

Please follow the care information provided for the particular species you purchase.

15. Responsible Fish Keeping

Fish must be kept responsibly and humanely.

Fish must never be released into rivers, creeks, dams, lakes or other public waterways.

Unwanted fish should be responsibly rehomed or dealt with humanely and appropriately.

In NSW, releasing ornamental fish into public waters can have serious environmental consequences and may be illegal. NSW DPIRD also advises that some ornamental fish species are prohibited or notifiable, with restrictions applying to their possession, sale and movement.

Customers are responsible for complying with all applicable state and territory laws relating to the keeping, purchase, movement and disposal of live fish.

16. Biosecurity

Customers have a responsibility to help prevent the spread of aquatic pests and diseases.

Do not transfer fish, pond water, plants, equipment or other potentially contaminated materials between waterways where doing so could create a biosecurity risk.

Ponds should be designed and maintained to reduce the risk of fish, plants or eggs escaping during heavy rain or flooding.

Customers must not purchase or order fish that they are prohibited from possessing in their location.

If you are unsure whether a particular fish species can legally be kept in your state or territory, please check the relevant government requirements before placing your order.

17. Fish Compatibility

Before purchasing additional fish, customers should consider the size, temperament and requirements of both the new fish and any existing pond inhabitants.

Overcrowding can negatively affect water quality and fish health.

We Know Water Gardens cannot be responsible for injury, illness or death resulting from incompatible fish, overcrowding, unsuitable pond conditions or interactions between fish after delivery.

18. Order Cancellation

Because live fish are living animals and are prepared specifically for dispatch, please contact us as soon as possible if you need to cancel an order.

Once fish have been prepared for dispatch or dispatched, cancellation may not be possible.

If an order has already been dispatched, it cannot be cancelled while in transit.

19. Availability

Live fish are subject to availability.

On occasion, a particular fish may become unavailable or unsuitable for dispatch due to stock availability, health, weather or transport conditions.

If this occurs, we will contact you to discuss the available options.

20. Acceptance of These Terms

By purchasing live pond fish from We Know Water Gardens, you confirm that:

• You have read and understood these Live Pond Fish Terms & Conditions
• You understand that you are purchasing live animals
• You understand the live fish delivery requirements
• You understand that delivery is normally approximately 24 hours but may take up to 48 hours in rare circumstances
• You understand that live fish are dispatched Monday to Thursday only
• You have provided a suitable physical delivery address
• You understand that live fish cannot be delivered to PO Boxes
• You have an appropriate environment ready to receive and care for the fish
• You agree to follow the care and acclimatisation instructions provided
• You agree to keep the fish responsibly and comply with applicable laws and biosecurity requirements

Customer Agreement

By ticking the Live Fish Purchase Agreement checkbox at checkout, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to these Live Pond Fish Terms & Conditions.

Important

If you are unsure whether your pond is suitable for a particular fish, please contact us before placing your order. We are happy to help you choose fish that are appropriate for your pond and existing pond inhabitants.