Terms of Service

Firefly Medaka is a small one-person aquatics business based in North Carolina. I sell live Japanese Rice Fish (medaka), freshwater snails, handmade breeding supplies, and apparel. Firefly Medaka is operated by Butterfly Effect Digital, which is owned by me, Chris, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Card charges appear on your statement as “B3D* FIREFLYMEDAKA.COM” and card receipts come from Butterfly Effect Digital. You can reach me any time at chris@fireflymedaka.com.

Placing an order is an offer to buy. I confirm your order by email and reserve the right to decline or cancel any order, including for reasons such as stock availability, pricing errors, or a shipping destination I cannot safely serve. If I cancel an order you have paid for, I refund it in full.

The chat helper on this site ("Helper Fish") is an automated script, not a person. It answers from the content of this site and from live catalog data, and while I work hard to keep it accurate, its answers are general information and may occasionally be incomplete, out of date, or simply wrong. Product listings, my published policies, and the prices shown at checkout always control over anything the helper says. Its care answers are hobbyist guidance drawn from my own experience, not veterinary or professional advice. Conversations are anonymous, I do not know who is typing, and I may review them to improve the helper's answers. Using the helper's send-to-Chris option shares your conversation and email address on purpose. Details in my privacy policy.

All prices are in US dollars. I accept major cards through Stripe, Bitcoin through my Bitcoin checkout, and Venmo or Cash App through my Venmo and Cash App checkout. Bitcoin orders receive 10% off the item subtotal because I save on payment processing costs. Venmo and Cash App orders are priced the same as card orders. Shipping is charged at cost and is not discounted. I do not store your card details. Card payments are handled entirely by Stripe, and Venmo and Cash App payments are handled by those services under their own terms. For Venmo and Cash App orders, I pack and ship once I see your payment with your order code in the note.

Live animals are living creatures, not manufactured goods. I select and pack every order with care, but I cannot guarantee the health, lifespan, breeding success, coloration, or sex ratio of any animal after it arrives and enters your care. Photos on this site are representative. Individual fish vary in pattern and color, which is part of what makes them appealing.

I ship live animals within the contiguous United States only. I cannot ship to Alaska or Hawaii. Orders placed to those destinations will be refunded. Full details are on my Shipping & Returns page.

I may hold a shipment when weather along the route is unsafe for live animals. I will keep you informed. See Shipping & Returns for the full policy.

My live arrival guarantee is described in full on my Shipping & Returns page. Free gift items, including promotional snails, are not covered by the guarantee.

You agree not to misuse this site, attempt to interfere with its operation, or use it for unlawful purposes. Content on this site, including text, photographs, and the Firefly Medaka name and logo, belongs to me and may not be copied for commercial use without permission.

I link to products and retailers I recommend on my Products I Recommend page. I do not control those sites and am not responsible for their content, pricing, or policies.

To the extent permitted by law, my liability for any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order. I am not liable for indirect or consequential losses, such as damage to an existing aquarium or pond population.

I may update these terms as my business changes. The version posted here at the time of your order is the one that applies to it.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States.