Reef tank equipment ships as an ordinary parcel once it is clean, fully dry and boxed for its weak point. Drain pumps and skimmers, protect light lenses, and keep glass at least 2 inches away from every box wall. Anything still wet with tank water, including rock, sand and media from a running tank, is not dry goods and needs a different plan. Box size and heavy salt and rock drive the cost, so weigh and measure the finished box before you price the sale.

How do you prepare pumps, skimmers and lights?

Clean and dry the gear first, then pack each piece around the part most likely to break. Salt water left inside a pump or a skimmer body leaks in transit and weakens the box from the inside. Run fresh water through what you can, then let it air-dry until nothing drips when you tilt it. Bag it in plastic anyway.

Gear	Weak point	How to pack it
Return pump	Impeller and shaft	Remove the impeller if the maker allows it, bag it separately, pad the volute
Protein skimmer	Acrylic body, neck and cup	Take it apart, wrap each piece, double-box
LED fixture	Lens and mounting arm	Foam over the lens, arm detached, driver and cables bagged apart
Sump or refugium	Baffles and corners	Pad inside the chambers and at each corner, double-box
RO/DI unit	Trapped water, housings	Drain each housing, bag used cartridges, cap the fittings

Then run the same quick routine on every box:

Photograph the item and any existing wear before you seal it.
Label loose parts, cables and fittings so the buyer can reassemble them.
Fill every gap, close the box and shake it. If anything shifts, it is not packed yet.
Weigh and measure the sealed box, not the item.
Remove or cover old labels before you apply the new one.

Our fragile items guide has the cushioning numbers: at least 2 inches between the item and any wall, and about 3 inches when you double-box.

Can a glass aquarium ship by parcel?

A small tank can, if you double-box it and accept real breakage risk, while a large one should go by freight or local pickup. The size line is a judgment call, not a carrier rule. TRUVU, an acrylic aquarium builder, ships tanks of 50 gallons and under by UPS and everything from 55 gallons up by freight. Glass is more fragile than acrylic, and a builder's factory packaging is hard to match at home, so set your own line well below that. For a used glass tank, offering local pickup first is often the honest answer.

Size is what makes a tank expensive, since an empty tank is light for its box. Carriers bill the greater of actual weight and dimensional weight, which is length x width x height divided by 139, rounded up. Our dimensional weight guide explains the formula.

Example: two common tanks double-boxed with 3 inches of cushioning a side, using example packed weights.

Example tank	Box	Packed weight (example)	Dimensional weight	Billable
10 gallon, 20 x 10 x 12 in	26 x 16 x 18 in	18 lb	54 lb	54 lb
20 gallon long, 30 x 12 x 12 in	36 x 18 x 18 in	35 lb	84 lb	84 lb

The 20 gallon box has a cubic size of 11,664 cubic inches. That is past the 10,368 cubic inch line where the UPS charge corrections page says Additional Handling may apply. Quote the box before you list the tank.

How do you ship salt mix and dry rock?

Salt mix and dry rock are dense, so they reach weight limits long before size limits. USPS stops at 70 lb. UPS applies Additional Handling to a package over 50 lb, and it also applies it to any pail "not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container." That means a bucket of salt mix goes inside a carton. Bag bulk salt so a split seam does not empty it into the belt.

For small amounts of dry rock, a USPS Flat Rate box can work well, since USPS says you pay the same price for mailpieces up to 70 lb going anywhere in the U.S. Our Flat Rate box guide lists the sizes. Pad the rock so sharp edges do not punch through. If a load is heavy enough to hit a surcharge, consider splitting it into two boxes.

What should stay out of a dry-goods box?

Anything alive, wet with tank water, corrosive or battery-powered should stay out, because each one falls under different carrier rules.

Rock, sand and media from a running tank. It carries bacteria and small invertebrates. Treat it as live, not dry. Our live rock guide covers the rules, and truly dry rock means rock with nothing living on it.
Frags and hitchhikers. Check used racks, plugs and pumps for anything still attached.
Acids and other corrosives. Muriatic acid used to clean rock is one example. Check the safety data sheet for any reef chemical before you ship it.
Battery backups and rechargeable controllers. Batteries follow each carrier's rules, which this post does not cover. Pull the battery or ship that item separately under those rules.
Water. Nothing should still be holding any. Leave out test kits and any probe that has to stay in storage solution.

Which carrier usually fits which box?

The right carrier changes with the box, so quote each one instead of assuming. These patterns are a place to start, not a rule:

Box	Often worth pricing first	Why
Small, dense, under 70 lb	USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail Flat Rate	Flat Rate ignores weight up to 70 lb
Large and light, such as a skimmer or light	USPS, UPS Ground, FedEx Ground	Dimensional weight decides it, so compare all three
Over 70 lb	UPS Ground, FedEx Ground	USPS stops at 70 lb
Time-sensitive replacement pump	UPS 2nd Day Air, FedEx 2Day	A running tank without a return pump may not wait

Most hobby buyers receive at home, so mark the address as residential when you quote. A home delivery can change the price on UPS and FedEx.

Where GoatLabels fits

Dry reef gear is an ordinary parcel, and that is where GoatLabels fits. USPS, UPS and FedEx are rate-shopped on every domestic parcel from one account, and DHL joins on international lanes, with one all-in price per rate paid from a prepaid wallet. USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are in the box picker, you can save up to 20 of your own box sizes, each destination has a Residential toggle that feeds the quote, and any of the store connectors or a bulk CSV can bring orders in.

GoatLabels sells no boxes or foam and no freight, so a tank too big for a parcel needs a freight carrier. The optional insurance add-on warns that certain electronics may be excluded, so read it before you rely on it for a light or controller. Every purchase also requires you to confirm the box holds no hazardous materials and no perishable or live items, so as of November 5, 2026, live rock, frags and livestock are not GoatLabels labels. Free: 50 shipments a month. Pro: a flat $40 a month, unlimited shipments. Label prices are the same on the Free and Pro plans. See pricing.