SaltwaterAquarium
SaltwaterAquarium.com is a private US e-commerce retailer selling saltwater and reef aquarium equipment, live corals and fish, and supplies to hobbyists and marine professionals through a multi-warehouse online storefront with same-day shipping.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersGettysburg, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SaltwaterAquarium does
SaltwaterAquarium.com is a private, direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2011 and headquartered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, specializing in saltwater and reef aquarium supplies. The company sells aquariums, filtration equipment, lighting, controllers and automation hardware, pumps, water chemistry and testing products, live animals and corals, frozen and dry foods, aquascaping materials, and specialty maintenance items through a single online storefront built on BigCommerce infrastructure. It maintains authorized reseller relationships with major premium brands including Neptune Systems, Red Sea, Ecotech Marine, AquaIllumination, ORA, Tropic Marin, Sicce, Fiji Cube, and Innovative Marine, and operates an in-house coral farm (SAQ Coral Farm) for captive-bred and WYSIWYG corals.
The company operates a multi-warehouse US fulfillment network spanning Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, and Florida, supporting same-day shipping on orders placed before 1 PM EST, free shipping on dry goods over $39, and live animal shipping requiring UPS Next Day Air or FedEx Overnight. Operational metrics reported include 61% of orders shipping within 24 hours, 90% of dry goods shipping within 24 hours, and an average 2.3-day transit time on free shipping orders. Local pickup is offered at the Gettysburg, PA and Lake Barrington, IL warehouses on a limited weekly schedule. A wholesale program serves marine professionals, commercial aquarium installers, and retail resellers as a secondary channel.
Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across dry goods, live animals and corals, and frozen/refrigerated foods, plus gift cards and ancillary services such as a free rewards program, equipment rental, and an extensive educational YouTube content library used for top-of-funnel acquisition. The primary customer base is individual saltwater and reef aquarium hobbyists ranging from beginners to advanced reef keepers, with a secondary segment of commercial buyers. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership, operates with 1-10 employees, and ships to the contiguous United States with international orders handled on a paid basis.
SaltwaterAquarium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SaltwaterAquarium
- Legal name
- SaltwaterAquarium.com
- Website
- https://saltwateraquarium.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SaltwaterAquarium.com is a private US e-commerce retailer selling saltwater and reef aquarium equipment, live corals and fish, and supplies to hobbyists and marine professionals through a multi-warehouse online storefront with same-day shipping.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SaltwaterAquarium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aquarium Supplies Retail
- NAICS
- Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Animals & Aquatics Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAKAJ), Fish & Aquatic Feed (ornamental) (CRADAFAL)
Keywords
Where SaltwaterAquarium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gettysburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SaltwaterAquarium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Dry Goods: One-time product sales of aquarium equipment, supplies, dry goods, and accessories through e-commerce. Orders ship from multiple US warehouses with various shipping options including free shipping over $39.
- Live Animals & Corals: Sale and shipping of live marine animals, corals, and invertebrates. Requires special handling with UPS Next Day Air or FedEx Overnight. Free shipping on live animals over $179.
- Frozen & Refrigerated Foods: Sale of frozen fish foods, live foods, phytoplankton, and refrigerated items. Incurs $29.95 frozen surcharge per order.
- Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards in denominations of $25, $50, $100, and $250.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard e-commerce pricing with free shipping threshold |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
SaltwaterAquarium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SaltwaterAquarium.com operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling saltwater and reef aquarium equipment, supplies, dry goods, water chemistry products, and live marine animals and corals from multiple US warehouses. The retailer offers a comprehensive catalog across categories including aquariums, filtration, lighting, controllers, pumps, food, and aquascaping, supplemented by educational video content, a rewards program, an equipment rental program, and a wholesale program for commercial buyers.
Product overview
SaltwaterAquarium.com is an e-commerce platform serving aquarium hobbyists, operating as a single online storefront built on BigCommerce infrastructure. The product portfolio consists of the core online retail platform selling aquarium equipment and supplies, augmented by supplementary services including a rewards program, equipment rental service, and educational video content library. The main product categories include aquariums (tanks, stands, sumps from brands like Red Sea, Innovative Marine, Waterbox, Fiji Cube), filtration equipment (protein skimmers, reactors, RO systems, filter media), aquarium lighting (LED fixtures from Ecotech Marine Radion, AI Hydra, Kessil, Red Sea ReefLED), controllers and automation (Neptune Systems Apex, HYDROS, ReefControl), pumps and water movement equipment, water chemistry and testing supplies, live animals and corals (ORA aquacultured fish, WYSIWYG corals), fish and coral food (frozen, dry, live foods), aquascaping supplies (rock, sand, decor), and specialty/maintenance products. The platform operates multiple warehouses for fulfillment with shipping to the contiguous US.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SAQ Coral Farm: In-house coral farm operation producing WYSIWYG corals, coral combo rocks, and beginner corals for sale.
Products and services
- SaltwaterAquarium.com Online Storefront Full-service e-commerce platform selling aquarium supplies, equipment, live animals, and coral for saltwater and freshwater aquarium hobbyists in the United States.
- Aquariums Complete aquarium setups including tanks, sumps, filtration systems, and stands from brands such as Red Sea Reefer G3, Innovative Marine NUVO Fusion Pro 2, Waterbox Marine, Fiji Cube, Fluval, and Eheim Incpiria Reef.
- Filtration Equipment Protein skimmers, filters, filter media (carbon, GFO, biopellets, zeolite), reactors, sumps, refugiums, overflows, reverse osmosis systems, UV sterilizers, and fleece roller filters.
- Water Chemistry & Testing Water testing kits, test strips, Hanna Checkers, ICP test kits, refractometers, and monitoring equipment for pH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, ammonia, and ORP.
- Aquarium Lighting LED lighting fixtures including Ecotech Marine Radion XR30/XR15, Kessil AP Series/A Cannons, AI Hydra/Blade/Prime, Red Sea ReefLED G2, ATI Straton, Current USA R24 Reef LED, and T5 fluorescent lighting.
- Controllers & Automation
Quantifiable outcome
- 61% of orders ship within 24 hours
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SaltwaterAquarium
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SaltwaterAquarium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SaltwaterAquarium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Neptune SystemscoreAuthorized reseller and integration partner offering Neptune Systems Apex controllers, Trident dosing systems, and related aquarium automation products.
- Red SeacoreMajor brand partner selling Red Sea aquariums, ReefLED lighting, ReefControl systems, water chemistry supplements, and salt mixes.
- Ecotech MarinecoreReseller of Ecotech Marine Radion LED lights, Vectra return pumps, and VorTech wave makers for aquarium water movement.
- ORA (Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums)coreExclusive reseller of ORA aquaculture-produced clownfish, corals, and marine fish including captive-bred specimens.
- Saltwater Coral FarmcoreInternal coral farm brand offering WYSIWYG corals, coral combo rocks, and ACI corals. Operates SAQ Coral Farm division.
- AquaIllumination (AI)coreReseller of AI Hydra LED lighting systems including Hydra Edge and Hydra Prime product lines.
- SiccecoreReseller of Sicce aquarium pumps including Mega Filtra canister filters, Syncra pumps, and Voyager flow pumps. Italian-made products.
- Fiji CubecoreReseller of Fiji Cube aquariums including Internal Middle Overflow, EXT, and INT tank lines along with accessories.
- Innovative MarinecoreReseller of Innovative Marine NUVO Fusion Pro 2 aquariums, EXT Reef Ready tanks, and aquarium stands.
- Tropic MarincoreReseller of Tropic Marin sea salt mixes including Pro Reef, Syn-Biotic, All-For-Reef powder, and test kits.
- Marco RockscoreReseller of Marco Rocks premium reef rock including Reef Saver and Shelf varieties sold by the pound.
- LRS Foods (Larry's Reef Services)coreReseller of LRS frozen fish foods including Fish Frenzy, Reef Frenzy, Herbivore Frenzy, Chunky Predator Frenzy, and Premium Green Nori seaweed.
- Reef NutritionminorReseller of Reef Nutrition live foods including Tigger Pods copepods and phytoplankton products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SaltwaterAquarium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Reef2Land: Specialty online retailer focused on reef-keeping equipment, lighting, and supplies. Comparable niche positioning in the saltwater hobbyist segment.
- Premium Aquatics: Online saltwater aquarium retailer selling equipment, dry goods, and livestock with multi-warehouse US fulfillment. Closely mirrors SaltwaterAquarium's category focus and shipping model.
- Aqua Forest Aquarium: Specialty aquarium retailer with strong coral, fish, and equipment selection targeting reef hobbyists. Overlapping product depth and customer profile.
- LiveAquaria: Online retailer specializing in live freshwater and saltwater fish, invertebrates, and aquarium supplies. Strongly comparable live-animal fulfillment model and hobbyist customer base.
- Blue Zoo Aquatics: Online retailer of marine livestock, corals, and reef aquarium supplies with an emphasis on captive-bred specimens. Comparable live-animal and reef supply assortment.
- Marine Depot: Long-established online aquarium retailer carrying saltwater/freshwater equipment, livestock, and supplies. Comparable assortment, similar DTC e-commerce model, overlapping brand portfolio.
- Bulk Reef Supply: Largest US online retailer dedicated to saltwater and reef aquarium equipment, supplies, and DIY content. Closest direct competitor on product mix, content depth, and hobbyist target market.
Broad incumbents
- Chewy: Largest US online pet retailer expanding into aquarium and live fish categories. Represents the broader e-commerce competitive gravity on hobby pet spend.
- PetSmart: Largest US specialty pet retailer with broad assortment including aquarium supplies and livestock. Competes on convenience, brand reach, and pricing power, though saltwater/reef is a small slice of its mix.
Emerging players
- Tidal Gardens: Aquaculture-focused coral vendor and supplier with growing DTC live-coral sales. Comparable to SAQ Coral Farm's vertical-integration play and a potential source of supply or competitive pressure.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
SaltwaterAquarium social profiles
Digital presenceSaltwaterAquarium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SaltwaterAquarium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SaltwaterAquarium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SaltwaterAquarium 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 SaltwaterAquarium
What does SaltwaterAquarium do?
SaltwaterAquarium.com operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling saltwater and reef aquarium equipment, supplies, dry goods, water chemistry products, and live marine animals and corals from multiple US warehouses. The retailer offers a comprehensive catalog across categories including aquariums, filtration, lighting, controllers, pumps, food, and aquascaping, supplemented by educational video content, a rewards program, an equipment rental program, and a wholesale program for commercial buyers.
Is SaltwaterAquarium a public or private company?
SaltwaterAquarium is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SaltwaterAquarium founded?
SaltwaterAquarium was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SaltwaterAquarium based?
SaltwaterAquarium is headquartered in Gettysburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does SaltwaterAquarium make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Dry Goods are the primary driver. The others are live Animals & Corals, frozen & Refrigerated Foods and gift Cards.
Who are SaltwaterAquarium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Reef2Land, Premium Aquatics, Aqua Forest Aquarium, LiveAquaria, Blue Zoo Aquatics, Marine Depot and Bulk Reef Supply. Broad incumbents are Chewy and PetSmart. Tidal Gardens is listed as an emerging player.
Does SaltwaterAquarium have an API?
No public API is recorded for SaltwaterAquarium.
What industry is SaltwaterAquarium in?
SaltwaterAquarium's product category is Aquarium Supplies 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 45991 and its SIC code is 5040.