Freshwater Fish and Resources
Home Live Food Articles and Stories Fish Information Fish for Sale Links Who We Are Contacts and Details  781 Del Ganado Road San Rafael, CA 94903 USA 1-415-472-7875 The Bug Farm The Shipping Barn Splendid Farms © 2001, 2002, 2003, J. Atchison |
Who We AreGuarantee How to Order Shipping Information Contact Us Do you buy fish from Hobbyists?I'm looking for a "rare" fish, can you help me? Frequently Asked Questions Restricted Species
Ordering Info [Top] Ordering with us is easy and secure. All online transactions are handled with industry-standard SSL encryption. When you enter your credit card number into the order form, it is transmitted across the Internet in an encrypted (scrambled) form. Click on any item you'd like to buy or view, and then click the button next to any item to place it in your "shopping cart". If you want to buy more than one item, click "Keep Shopping" and repeat or change the number in your Shopping Cart page. Click "Check Out" when you are ready. The information you enter into the forms is not traded, given or sold to anyone. Your information is considered private by our firm. You will receive an automated e-mail confirming the order. When the order is shipped, a second e-mail (from FedEx) will be sent containing your tracking number. We accept Visa and MasterCard as well as Paypal. If you would like to pay with a money order or a personal check, please contact us for details. We do accept MOs and checks.
Shipping Information [Top] Shipping charges vary according to the weight of the package and the distance it travels as well as the level of service you choose to use. There is a small box fee of $6.25. We include heat packs or cold packs at no additional charge at our discretion. We ship all aquatic life directly via FedEx Standard Overnight (arrives by 3:00 p.m. in most areas). Your tracking number will be emailed to you by FedEx after the package is scanned at the station in our town...usually about 6:00 p.m., the evening of the shipment. For exact delivery times in your area, call 1-800-GOFEDEX. You may also visit the FedEx WWW site to check service availability in your area or to use the tracking number to view of the progress of the package as it move through the system. Saturday delivery is available in most areas for an additional $10. You may choose to pick up your package from the nearest FedEx station if you'd like. If so, just specify the address of the FedEx station on the order form. Please also put a note in the Comments section of the Order Form. Delivery by 10:30AM is available for an additional fee. (This service may not be available for all parts of the country. Please check with FedEx at 1-800-GOFEDEX to see if the service is available at your location. Unless you make prior arrangements with our shipping desk, live fish are sent with a required signature.
If You Suffer A Loss [Top] Notify us by telephone or e-mail immediately. No claims are accepted after 24 hours post arrival. We will credit the cost of the dead specimen. Guarantee applies to original shipment only, not replacement items. Shipping and box charges are not included in this guarantee. Sorry, credit cards cannot be credit for losses. Environmental Accountability
We consider ourselves environmentalists. We are committed to preservation and enhancement of aquatic environs and inhabitants:All fish and invertebrates are safely and gently handled and "net caught." We don't sell threatened or endangered (listed) species. We never sell fish or animals from areas where their removal would cause harm to the eco-system. We abide by sustainable harvest practices.
Contact Us [Top] HoursMonday - Saturday via the Internet and teleophone 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time)
We are not open to the Public TelephonesVoice: 1-415-472-7875
Facsimile: 1-415-472-7971info@atchison.com
info@livefoodcultures.com WebmasterTo Report Broken Links
Web Site Suggestions & Comments Postal AddressHigh Prairie Farms
781 Del Ganado Road
San Rafael, CA 94903
Frequently Asked Questions [Top] What is High Prairie Farms' phone number?
Can we order fish and other stuff at the same time over the phone?
Is The Bug Farm and High Prairie Farms the same business?
How do the fish the shipment to my aquarium?
How can we know when my order will arrive?
What if I’m only home on certain days?
But my package is not fish and is going by FedEx Ground.
Why doesn't my new fish eat?
Does High Prairie Farms have a retail store? May I drop is or pick up my order?
What is in stock?
What do you do about partial shipments and backorders?
Will there be substitutions?
Can I pay by C.O.D.?
Do you have a printed catalog?
What is the turn around time for orders?
How do you ship your fish orders?
How do you ship your live cultures?
How do you ship your dry goods?
How often do you reply to emails? [Top] What is High Prairie Farm's phone number?
Feel free to call us at 1-415-472-7875.
...back to FAQs... Can we order fish and other stuff all at the same time over the phone?
Yes. However, in most cases, fish and culture orders are handled in a different manner than dry good orders and are therefore shipped separately, but one phone call or a simple email is all that you need to make sure.
...back to FAQs... Is The Bug Farm, The Shipping Barn and High Prairie Farms the same business?
Yes, The Bug Farm and The Shipping Barn is a part of High Prairie Farms. We treat them a little differently but they are the same group of personnel and in the same facility.
...back to FAQs... How do the fish survive the shipment to my aquarium?
We ship the fish in best quality environment. We fill the bags with about 2/3 oxygen, using only enough clean water to let the fish move. This usually gives the fishes a fair chance to survive past the over-night shipping process if something were to go wrong., thus allowing adequate oxygen for several days (surpassing the one day shipping time). We pack with all the necessary precautions: insulated to prevent radical temperature swings, each fish is "double-bagged" to prevent leakage, fish with spines are packed in 4 mil bags, we pack with "Bag Buddies, additional insulation is added to most boxes, and heat or cold packs are added as needed.
...back to FAQs... How can we know when my order will arrive?
An email will be sent to you from FedEx, confirming that the box is in their system. You can follow the package "on line." Of course if something seems amiss, we want you to contact us. Our team will help you to track down missing shipments and answers questions you might have. In the event that you need to contact us, please be sure to leave your phone number and/or an email address to that we can contact you quickly.
...back to FAQs... What if I’m only home on certain days?
If you know that a particular day is better for you, we would be more than happy to schedule the shipment for the day previous. We are not able to be absolutely certain that something will not go wrong in the FedEx channel, but we we can do our best to accommodate your needs. We ship all of our fish through FedEx. FedEx Standard Overnight is scheduled to arrive prior to 3:00 on the day after we have shipped the package. Please visit FedEx’s website at http:/www.fedex.com/ to find out the estimated delivery time for your area. Our Guarantee only applies to shipments that are received on the carrier’s first attempt.
...back to FAQs... But my package is not fish and is going by FedEx Ground.
There is a significant difference in the time of delivery between FedEx Priority and their Ground division. As with the Express packages, you will receive an email confirmation from FedEx which will include a tracking number. You will then be able to track your packages progress towards your destination.
...back to FAQs... Why isn't my fish interested in food?
It may take a few day for your new fish to be comfortable enough with it's surrounding and new/different environment before it will eat. It is a normal reaction and in no way indicates that the fish is "ill." If you have tried to offer food to the fish and it has not eaten, be sure to remove the uneaten food so that the decaying food does not cause the water quality to decline.
...back to FAQs... Does High Prairie Farms have a retail store? Can I stop by, take a look and pick up my order?
No, our primary retail channel is "on-line" we do not open our fishroom except by appointment. We are not open to the general public.
...back to FAQs... While we are here off and on during the week, we cannot accommodate picking up orders unless you call ahead. We would really like to have you just stop by, but really need for you to call and make an appointment during the week, we find that fish don't get fed and water doesn't get changed if we don't focus our attention to those details. We know you understand.
...back to FAQs... What is in stock?
Nearly everything in our catalog is normally in stock or readily available to us. There may be occasional out-of-stocks due to heavy demand, seasonality or other conditions, but we try to keep the on-line lists up-to-date.
...back to FAQs... What do you do about partial shipments and backorders?
If 75% of your order is in stock, it will be shipped. If you do not want to accept a partial order, please let us know when placing your order.
...back to FAQs... Will there be substitutions?
No. We do make those sorts of decisions.
...back to FAQs... Can I pay by C.O.D.?
Yes, however there is a small fee associated with that service and we do accept MasterCard, VISA, Money Orders and Personal Checks.
...back to FAQs... Do you have a printed catalog?
Not at this time. We are considering a printed of the non-fish products (including the cultures), but the fish side of the hatchery is too "plastic" and availability changes so fast and frequently, we can not print a catalog of fish offerings.
...back to FAQs... Can the box be returned for a credit?
We cannot accept returned boxes for credit.
...back to FAQs... What is the turn around time for orders?
Fish orders that are placed and paid for prior to 10 p.m. Monday evening are shipped on Tuesday for arrival on Wednesday. We will ship fish only on Monday-Thursday unless a specific arrangement is made. All other orders are shipped on Monday through Thursday. Orders with a two-day service request placed on Wednesday are generally shipped on the following Monday...if we ship the box on Thursday (the next day) the box will not arrive until Monday and the contents may be dead.
...back to FAQs... How do you ship your fish orders?
All of our fish are shipped via FedEx Standard Overnight service unless specifically requested otherwise. There may be additional charges when using alternative shipping partners.
...back to FAQs... How do you ship your culture orders?
All of our cultures are shipped via FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx 2-Day Express or FedEx Ground services. We do not guarantee live arrive with Ground Services. If you would like your order sent via an alternative method, there may be additional charges when using alternative shipping partners.
...back to FAQs... How do you ship your dry goods?
All of our cultures are shipped via FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx 2-Day Express or FedEx Ground services. If you would like your order sent via an alternative method, there may be additional charges when using alternative shipping partners.
...back to FAQs... How often do you reply to emails?
Our Customer Service policy is to reply to all emails within 48 hours. In practice, we try to respond on the same day that your message is received, sometimes within the hour. If you do not hear back from us, please e-mail again or telephone. The Internet is not perfect and there is a possibility that your e-mail or our response was re-routed. It's also possible that we made a mistake or buried the email (we're human).
...back to FAQs...
Do you buy fish from Hobbyists? [Top]
We do occassionally purchase fish from local hobbyists. We encourage folks to breed fish in captive environments and we will purchase healthy fish that are in demand. We do not offer "store credit"...cash speaks louder at our shop I am looking for a "rare" fish, can you help me? [Top]
We look for fish from people's wish lists on a regular basis. If you would like us to look for a particular fish, please forward your list to us and we will contact you with information.
Restricted Species [Top]
We do not trade in restricted species and we do not refer people to resources for restricted species.
