RMS Aquaculture

What RMS Aquaculture does

RMS Aquaculture Inc. (DBA "The Aquarium Superstore") is a privately held single-location specialty pet retailer operating from a 16,000 sq. ft. superstore at 6629 Engle Road in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The company was founded in April 1984 as a tropical fish farm by Steven Zarzeczny, Robert Knyszek, and Michael D'Aversa; in July 1987 the partners pivoted the business into a direct retail operation, incorporated as R.M.S. Aquaculture Incorporated in November 1989, and relocated to the current superstore footprint in March 1992.

The retailer serves aquarium hobbyists, reptile and amphibian owners, companion pet owners (small mammals and birds), and pond owners across the Midwest, stocking more than 300 separate aquariums weekly across freshwater fish, saltwater fish and invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and companion pets, alongside aquarium, pond, companion-pet, and reptile supplies. Revenue is generated almost entirely through in-store point-of-sale transactions, supplemented by a livestock request system (phone-in special requests fulfilled in 2-3 weeks from breeders), a special-order service requiring upfront payment, and a lay-away program ($100 minimum, 90-day term, four 25% installments). No e-commerce, delivery, or online ordering channels exist.

RMS holds four regulatory credentials — USDA Certified/Licensed/Inspected, APHIS Certified Livestock Husbandry, Ohio Department of Agriculture Exotic Imports Licensure, and Ohio DNR Certified Native Livestock — that permit legal sourcing and sale of both native and exotic species. Marketing is limited to an email newsletter coupon program and a Facebook page. There is no disclosed funding history, ownership change, M&A activity, or expansion beyond the Middleburg Heights storefront in the available data.

Name

RMS Aquaculture

Legal name

RMS Aquaculture Inc.

Website

https://rmsaquaculture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RMS Aquaculture Inc. is a privately held, single-location specialty pet retailer in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, selling freshwater and saltwater fish, reptiles, amphibians, companion pets, and related supplies from a 16,000 sq. ft. superstore serving Midwest aquarium hobbyists and exotic animal owners since 1987.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pet & Aquarium Retail

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ornamental & Aquarium Fish Farming (AFAEAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Aquarium livestock retail
• Pet store supplies
• Freshwater fish sales
• Reptile amphibian pets
• Pond koi supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Middleburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - Livestock: Direct retail sales of freshwater fish, saltwater fish, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and companion pets to consumers visiting the store.
2. Retail Sales - Pet Supplies: Sales of aquarium supplies, pond supplies, reptile supplies, and companion pet supplies including food, medications, equipment, and accessories.
3. Special Orders: Special order products not regularly carried, requiring full payment before ordering from suppliers.
4. Lay-Away Program: Lay-away service for hardgoods products with minimum $100 purchase, 90-day term, 25% down deposit plus 3 subsequent 25% payments every 30 days.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

RMS Aquaculture is a specialty pet and livestock retailer that sells live aquatic animals (freshwater and saltwater fish, invertebrates, plants), companion pets (small mammals, birds), reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods, along with the full range of aquarium, pond, reptile, and companion pet supplies needed to house and care for them. The company operates a single 16,000 sq. ft. retail superstore in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, stocking over 300 aquariums weekly and offering phone-based special-order services for hard-to-find species.

Product overview

RMS Aquaculture Inc. is a retail pet store and aquarium superstore operating as a single-location retail establishment in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. The company offers a diverse portfolio of products organized into two main categories: Pets and Livestock (including freshwater fish and plants, saltwater fish and invertebrates, companion pets like bunnies and ferrets, and reptiles/amphibians/arthropods) and Pet Care Supplies (covering aquarium supplies, pond supplies, companion pet supplies, and reptile/amphibian supplies). The store also provides services including a livestock request system for special species orders, product special orders for items not regularly stocked, and a lay-away payment program. With over 300 aquariums stocked weekly across their 16,000 sq. ft. facility, the company positions itself as 'The Aquarium Superstore' serving the Midwest region since 1987.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freshwater Fish & Plants Wide variety of tropical community fish including tetras, barbs, gouramis, angelfish, bettas, cichlids, goldfish, koi, and aquatic plants sold in-store for home aquariums.
• Saltwater Fish & Invertebrates Marine fish including clownfish, tangs, angels, and wrasses, plus saltwater invertebrates such as shrimps, crabs, snails, urchins, starfish, anemones, and corals sold in-store.
• Companion Pets Small companion animals including bunnies, guinea pigs, chinchillas, sugar gliders, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, hedgehogs, birds (finches, parakeets, ducks, turkeys), and kittens sold in-store.
• Reptiles, Amphibians & Arthropods Reptiles including snakes (ball pythons, corn snakes, boas), lizards (bearded dragons, geckos, chameleons, iguanas), turtles and tortoises; amphibians such as frogs, toads, salamanders, and axolotls; arthropods including tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and hermit crabs sold in-store.
• Aquarium Supplies Full range of aquarium equipment including tanks, stands, filters, pumps, heaters, lighting, substrate, decorations, water conditioners, medications, fish foods, and maintenance supplies.
• Pond Supplies Pond-related products including koi, goldfish, pond pumps, filters, water conditioners, pond plants, and skimmer accessories.
• Companion Pet Supplies Supplies for companion pets including enclosures, bedding, hides, enrichment toys, food, dishes, bottles, bird supplies, and dog/cat treats and toys.
• Reptile, Amphibian & Arthropod Supplies Specialized supplies for reptiles and amphibians including terrarium enclosures, substrate, bedding, turtle supplies, general reptile supplies, hermit crab supplies, and live/frozen feeders.
• Livestock Request Service Weekly livestock request system allowing customers to phone in requests for specific fish and animal species not regularly in stock, with species fulfilled based on breeder availability.
• Product Special Orders Special order service for products not regularly carried in-store, with full payment required upfront and items shipped directly from suppliers.
• Layaway Program Payment plan program for hardgoods with a $100 minimum purchase, allowing customers to reserve products with a 25% down deposit followed by three additional 25% payments every 30 days over a 90-day term.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Chewy: Dominant online pet supplies retailer offering broad assortment of aquarium, reptile, and small-animal products with subscription delivery. Directly competes for RMS's supplies revenue and represents the e-commerce benchmark RMS would need to match to defend its category.
• PetSmart: National big-box pet retailer with stores across the U.S. selling live fish, small animals, and a full range of pet supplies. Overlaps with RMS across aquarium livestock and supplies but competes at much broader scale and with vet services and loyalty programs that RMS lacks.
• Petco: National omnichannel pet retailer carrying fish, reptiles, small animals, and supplies. Comparable assortment to RMS but with e-commerce, app-based ordering, and veterinary services that single-store RMS cannot match; competes in the same hobbyist demand pool.
• Petland: National franchise pet retail chain selling small animals, fish, and supplies across the U.S. Comparable breadth of companion-pet assortment to RMS but with a multi-store franchise model and standardized retail experience.

Direct peers

• The Wet Spot Tropical Fish: Online-only specialty aquarium fish retailer shipping livestock nationwide. Competes directly with RMS's freshwater/saltwater fish assortment via home delivery, illustrating both the demand RMS currently cannot capture and the digital expansion vector available to it.
• That Fish Place: Large-format aquarium and exotic pet superstore in Lancaster, PA, comparable in concept to RMS — broad livestock selection, in-store expertise, and specialty supplies. Direct competitor for hobbyist spend in the specialty aquarium category.
• LiveAquaria: Online specialty retailer of aquarium fish, invertebrates, plants, and supplies (part of the PetCo family). Competes for the same freshwater and saltwater hobbyist customer base as RMS but through national shipping rather than a single physical location.
• Reptiles by Mack: Specialty reptile and exotic animal retailer with both physical showroom and online shipping, selling snakes, lizards, and amphibians. Directly competes with RMS's reptile/amphibian/arthropod category and represents the omnichannel model RMS could adopt.

Regional players

• House of Tropicals: Independent aquarium specialty retailer on the East Coast offering freshwater fish, plants, and supplies. Closely mirrors RMS's positioning as a specialty aquarium store but serves a different regional customer base.

Others

• Marineland (Spectrum Brands): Major aquarium equipment brand (filters, tanks, lighting) featured in RMS's in-store specials. Comparable through supply-chain adjacency rather than direct retail competition; illustrates RMS's supplier ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/R.M.S.Aquaculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rms-aquaculture-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RMS Aquaculture