Aqua SD
Aqua SD is a privately held San Diego-based online retailer specializing in live coral, fish, and marine livestock for reef aquarium hobbyists, selling through BigCommerce, website auctions, eBay, and Whatnot, with proprietary ASD-branded coral varieties and a wholesale program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Aqua SD does
Aqua SD is a privately held, online specialty retailer of live coral and marine livestock for reef aquariums, founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company sells SPS (Small Polyp Stony), LPS (Large Polyp Stony), and soft corals, as well as fish, invertebrates, clams, anemones, macroalgae, and dry goods, through a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce storefront, live auction channels on its website, eBay, and Whatnot, and a local pickup option at its San Diego warehouse. A distinguishing element of the customer experience is the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) coral photography system, in which product images depict the exact specimen that will be shipped — a meaningful trust mechanism in an online market where buyers cannot inspect live livestock prior to purchase. The company cultivates proprietary ASD-branded coral varieties (e.g., ASD Reverse AOI, ASD Laser Lemon, ASD Starry Night Zoanthids) that function as exclusive inventory differentiators.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer transactional model with pay-as-you-go unit pricing ranging from $6.99 clearance items to $599.99+ premium specimens, supplemented by competitive-bid live auctions and a $5 optional Shipping Protection add-on for live-arrival coverage. Free shipping is offered on orders over $349.99, and a Saturday delivery option is available for an additional $35. The primary customer segment is individual reef aquarium hobbyists seeking healthy, accurately represented specimens; a secondary wholesale program serves aquarium retail stores and resellers. Marketing is conducted organically through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, with Google Reviews providing social proof. The company does not employ subscription pricing, has no disclosed revenue or funding history, operates with 11-50 employees, and ships nationally via FedEx overnight for live goods. Corporate ownership, management team, and any institutional backing are not disclosed in the available data.
Aqua SD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aqua SD
- Legal name
- Aqua SD
- Website
- https://aquasd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aqua SD is a privately held San Diego-based online retailer specializing in live coral, fish, and marine livestock for reef aquarium hobbyists, selling through BigCommerce, website auctions, eBay, and Whatnot, with proprietary ASD-branded coral varieties and a wholesale program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aqua SD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Aquarium Livestock Retail
- NAICS
- Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Live Animals & Aquatics Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Aqua SD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aqua SD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: One-time transaction sales of live corals, fish, invertebrates, anemones, clams, and macro algae through e-commerce storefront. Individual product purchases at fixed prices ranging from budget clearance items to premium specialty corals.
- Live Auctions: Auction-based sales through dedicated auction platform on website, eBay, and Whatnot. Competitive bidding model for premium coral specimens.
- Shipping Protection Add-on: Optional $5 add-on providing additional coverage for shipping-related issues including carrier delays and transit problems for live marine livestock.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Product Pricing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping Fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping Protection Add-on |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Aqua SD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aqua SD operates an online retail business selling live marine livestock — primarily SPS, LPS, and soft corals, alongside marine fish, invertebrates, anemones, clams, and macroalgae — to reef aquarium hobbyists. Products are sold via fixed-price listings on a BigCommerce storefront, a wholesale program for bulk buyers, and live auctions hosted on the company website, eBay, and Whatnot. Each coral specimen is presented with WYSIWYG photography so buyers see the exact piece they will receive, and live arrival is backed by a DOA guarantee and an optional Shipping Protection add-on.
Product overview
Aqua SD is an online marine livestock retailer specializing in live corals, fish, invertebrates, and macroalgae for reef aquariums. The company operates primarily through its BigCommerce e-commerce platform and offers products across multiple categories including SPS corals (Acropora, Montipora), LPS corals (Chalices, Scolymia, Euphyllia, and others), soft corals (Zoanthids, Mushrooms, Leathers), clams, anemones, fish, inverts, and macro algae. The product portfolio includes branded coral varieties (ASD-prefixed products like ASD Reverse AOI Zoanthids, ASD Laser Lemon Zoanthids, ASD Starry Night Zoanthids) sold through the main website, live auctions via the website, eBay, and Whatnot, with value-added services like Shipping Protection for live arrival coverage and a wholesale program for bulk buyers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SPS Corals Live Small Polyp Stony corals including Acropora and Montipora varieties, sold via the Aqua SD storefront with WYSIWYG product photography for reef aquarium hobbyists.
- LPS Corals Live Large Polyp Stony corals including Acans, Acanthos, Blastos, Chalices, Cynarinas, Elegances, Euphyllia, Favias, Fungias Plates, Gonis & Alves, Lobos, Scolys, Wellsos And Trachys, Wilsonis, and other LPS varieties for reef aquariums.
- Soft Corals Live soft coral varieties including Zoanthids, Mushrooms, and Leathers, sold through the storefront for reef aquarium hobbyists.
- Live Clams Live clam specimens sold for reef aquariums on the Aqua SD storefront.
- Live Anemones Live anemone specimens including tube anemones and other species, offered for reef and saltwater aquariums.
- Live Fish Live marine fish for reef and saltwater aquariums, sold through the Aqua SD storefront.
- Live Invertebrates Live marine invertebrates for reef aquariums, listed on the Aqua SD storefront.
- Macro Algae Macroalgae specimens such as Sea Lettuce and Neptune's Crown, intended for refugiums and display tanks.
- Frag Packs Coral frag packs combining multiple coral varieties at discounted pricing, sold to reef aquarium hobbyists.
- Dry Goods Dry goods and supplies used for marine aquarium maintenance, sold on the Aqua SD storefront.
- Live Auctions Live online auctions of corals and marine livestock hosted on the Aqua SD website, eBay, and Whatnot, where buyers competitively bid on premium specimens.
- Gift Cards Aqua SD gift cards redeemable on the storefront for the purchase of corals, fish, invertebrates, and other marine livestock or supplies.
- Wholesale Program Wholesale purchasing program providing aquarium retail stores and other resellers with bulk access to Aqua SD's coral and marine livestock inventory for resale.
Companies that use Aqua SD
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Aqua SD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Aqua SD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Aqua SD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Reef Builders: Reef aquarium media and content brand with affiliated livestock and product features. Targets the same reef hobbyist audience as Aqua SD but monetizes primarily through content/advertising rather than direct livestock sales.
Direct peers
- Aquatic Arts: E-commerce retailer of live fish, corals, invertebrates, and aquarium plants for hobbyists. Overlaps materially with Aqua SD on live marine livestock and direct-to-consumer reef-keeping supplies.
- World Wide Corals: Online retailer specializing in high-end and rare coral specimens for advanced reefkeepers. Comparable branded-genetics and exclusive strain positioning; competes with Aqua SD's premium ASD coral line for collector spend.
- Blue Zoo Aquatics: Online retailer of saltwater fish, corals, and invertebrates for aquarium hobbyists. Competes head-to-head with Aqua SD in the home reef-keeper segment with similar e-commerce, WYSIWYG, and shipping models.
- That Pet Place: Long-established online and brick-and-mortar pet retailer with a strong aquarium and live fish division. Overlaps with Aqua SD on live marine livestock and dry goods serving reef hobbyists.
- Tampa Bay Saltwater: Online saltwater livestock and dry goods retailer serving reef hobbyists. Operates with a similar e-commerce-plus-local-pickup hybrid model and competes for the same U.S. enthusiast base as Aqua SD.
- LiveAquaria: One of the largest online retailers of live freshwater and marine fish, corals, and invertebrates for aquarium hobbyists. Direct competitor to Aqua SD in the online live livestock niche, operating a broader catalog but overlapping on the reef-keeping customer segment.
- Premium Aquatics: Online specialty retailer focused on saltwater fish, corals, and equipment for reef aquarium hobbyists. Mirrors Aqua SD's product mix and target customer (home reef hobbyists) with similar WYSIWYG sales and shipping economics.
- Dr. Reef's Quarantined Fish: Online retailer selling quarantined saltwater fish and corals, with a strong content and YouTube presence. Directly comparable on target segment, multi-channel distribution, and premium-positioned live livestock.
Broad incumbents
- PetSmart: National pet superstore chain with aquarium and limited live fish offerings. Represents the mass-market incumbent that captures entry-level hobbyists who might otherwise graduate to specialty retailers like Aqua SD.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aqua SD social profiles
Digital presenceAqua SD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aqua SD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Aqua SD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aqua SD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aqua SD
What does Aqua SD do?
Aqua SD operates an online retail business selling live marine livestock — primarily SPS, LPS, and soft corals, alongside marine fish, invertebrates, anemones, clams, and macroalgae — to reef aquarium hobbyists. Products are sold via fixed-price listings on a BigCommerce storefront, a wholesale program for bulk buyers, and live auctions hosted on the company website, eBay, and Whatnot. Each coral specimen is presented with WYSIWYG photography so buyers see the exact piece they will receive, and live arrival is backed by a DOA guarantee and an optional Shipping Protection add-on.
Is Aqua SD a public or private company?
Aqua SD is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Aqua SD founded?
Aqua SD was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aqua SD based?
Aqua SD is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aqua SD make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are live Auctions and shipping Protection Add-on.
Who are Aqua SD's main competitors?
Reef Builders is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Aquatic Arts, World Wide Corals, Blue Zoo Aquatics, That Pet Place, Tampa Bay Saltwater, LiveAquaria, Premium Aquatics and Dr. Reef's Quarantined Fish. PetSmart is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Aqua SD have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aqua SD.
What industry is Aqua SD in?
Aqua SD's product category is Live Aquarium Livestock Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAHAI, Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRAOAKAJ, Live Animals & Aquatics Wholesale Distribution. Its NAICS code is 44525.