Absolutely Fish

What Absolutely Fish does

Absolutely Fish is a privately held specialty aquarium retailer founded in 2000 and headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey. The company sells freshwater and marine fish, African cichlids, marine invertebrates, soft corals, sharks, eels, and related aquatic livestock, alongside aquarium equipment, supplies, and accessories. It positions itself around rare and exotic marine specimens — including the Conspicuous Angelfish, Neptune Grouper, Dr. Seuss Soap Fish, and Sunrise Hogfish — with documented high-end individual specimens priced at $3,000 to $7,000+, and operates an internal aquaculture and breeding program producing aquacultured conspicillatus angels.

The business serves two customer segments. The primary segment is individual aquarium hobbyists (freshwater, saltwater, and reef tank enthusiasts) served through a single physical showroom open seven days a week, two e-commerce storefronts (absolutelyfishnaturals.com and a merchandise store), and a free virtual fish appointment consultation service. A secondary segment comprises commercial clients (offices, hotels, restaurants, public spaces) that contract recurring professional aquarium maintenance services. Distribution is domestic-only despite a global merchandise footprint.

The business model combines one-time retail livestock and equipment sales with recurring maintenance service revenue. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, though rare-specimen price points are referenced in editorial content. The company holds Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) certification as one of only two US retailers, and has received "Retailer of the Year" recognition from two trade publications plus awards for "Best Educated Staff" and "Best Live Animal Care." Owner Patrick Donston leads the business, which operates with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership.

Name

Absolutely Fish

Legal name

Absolutely Fish

Website

https://absolutelyfish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Absolutely Fish is a privately held specialty aquarium retailer founded in 2000 in Clifton, New Jersey, selling freshwater and rare marine fish, corals, invertebrates, and supplies to individual hobbyists and commercial clients, and offering professional aquarium maintenance services backed by MAC certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium Retail

NAICS

Other Aquaculture (112519), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ornamental & Aquarium Fish Farming (AFAEAAAJ)

Keywords

• Aquarium fish retail
• Marine livestock sales
• Aquarium maintenance services
• Reef aquarium supplies
• Freshwater fish sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Clifton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Fish and Invertebrate Sales: Sale of freshwater fish, saltwater fish, marine invertebrates, corals, and aquatic plants for home aquariums
2. Aquarium Supplies and Equipment: Sale of aquarium equipment, filtration systems, food, supplements, and accessories
3. Aquarium Maintenance Services: Professional aquarium maintenance services for residential and commercial clients
4. Online Product Sales: Online sales through absolutelyfishnaturals.com and merchandise store

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Absolutely Fish sells freshwater and saltwater aquarium fish (including African cichlids, sharks, rays, eels, wrasses, triggers, filefish, sturgeons, and tangs), invertebrates, soft corals, aquarium plants, and related aquarium supplies through a retail store and online shop. The business also offers aquarium maintenance services, an in-house aquaculture program, and virtual fish consultation appointments for hobbyists and commercial aquarium clients.

Product overview

Absolutely Fish operates as an aquarium retail store offering a comprehensive range of aquatic livestock and services. The core product portfolio centers on freshwater fish (tetras, goldfish, plecos, cichlids), extensive saltwater/marine fish collections (angels, wrasses, triggers, sharks, eels, rare exotic specimens), African cichlids, marine invertebrates, and coral varieties (soft corals, stony corals). The company also provides complementary services including professional aquarium maintenance, an aquaculture breeding program producing aquacultured specimens, virtual fish appointments for remote consultation, and a free Aquarium Setup Guide e-book resource. Their business model combines retail livestock sales with educational and maintenance services, positioning themselves as a full-service aquarist destination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual Fish Appointments Remote consultation appointments where customers receive guidance on livestock selection, tank setup, and aquarium care from Absolutely Fish staff.
• Freshwater Fish
• Saltwater Fish Retail sales of marine aquarium fish for hobbyists maintaining saltwater and reef tanks.
• African Cichlids Retail sales of African cichlids for hobbyists keeping specialized freshwater community and biotope tanks.
• Invertebrates Retail sales of aquarium invertebrates such as shrimp, snails, and other non-fish livestock for freshwater and reef hobbyists.
• Soft Corals Retail sales of soft corals for reef aquarium hobbyists building saltwater reef displays.
• Sharks & Rays Retail sales of aquarium sharks and rays for advanced marine hobbyists and display aquarium clients.
• Saltwater Eels Retail sales of saltwater eels for marine aquarium hobbyists.
• Wrasses & Parrots Retail sales of wrasses and parrotfish for marine aquarium hobbyists.
• Triggers & Filefish Retail sales of triggerfish and filefish for marine aquarium hobbyists.
• Sturgeons & Tangs Retail sales of sturgeons and tangs for advanced freshwater and marine hobbyists.
• Miscellaneous Saltwater Fish Retail sales of other marine fish not categorized in the named specialty livestock groups.
• Miscellaneous Invertebrates Retail sales of other aquarium invertebrates not categorized in the named specialty invertebrate groups.
• Aquarium Maintenance Services On-site installation, cleaning, and ongoing care of home and commercial aquariums, delivered as a recurring service to hobbyists and businesses.
• Aquaculture Program In-house aquaculture program that breeds and raises aquarium fish and invertebrates for retail sale and for restocking service clients' tanks.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of only two MAC certified retailers in the US

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• World Pet Association (WPA)minorOthersIndustry membership organization supporting pet welfare and responsible pet ownership
• World Aquarist Society (WAS)minorOthersInternational organization dedicated to the hobby of fishkeeping and aquarium science
• Reef Ball FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership focused on reef restoration efforts and marine habitat preservation
• Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC)minorOthersIndustry advocacy organization representing pet industry interests and promoting responsible pet ownership
• Ocean ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership supporting ocean conservation and marine ecosystem protection
• Marine Aquarium Council (MAC)coreOthersCertification partnership for sustainable marine aquarium sourcing and practices. The company holds MAC certification as one of only two retailers in the US with this distinction.
• Coral Restoration FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership supporting coral reef restoration and cultivation efforts
• Conserve Wildlife New JerseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation partnership including the Great Bay Terrapin Project to protect diamondback terrapin turtles
• 4OceanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting ocean cleanup and plastic removal initiatives
• Ornamental Fish International (OFI)minorOthersInternational trade association representing the ornamental aquarium fish industry and promoting sustainable trade practices
• Aquarium FisheriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership with founder Dr. Paul Anderson presenting to staff on organization's goals for sustainable aquarium fisheries

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LiveAquaria: Online aquarium retailer owned by Petco, selling freshwater and marine fish, corals, and supplies with strong selection of rare specimens. Closest direct competitor in the specialty/rare marine livestock category.
• The Wet Spot Tropical Fish: Established online retailer specializing in freshwater tropical fish with a curated, hobbyist-focused catalog. Comparable in its direct-to-consumer hobbyist orientation, though freshwater-only.
• Aquarium Co-Op: Online aquarium retailer combining livestock sales with strong educational YouTube and blog content. Highly comparable in the content-driven customer acquisition model and hobbyist community focus.
• Blue Zoo Aquatics: Online marine aquarium retailer specializing in saltwater fish, corals, and invertebrates for hobbyists. Direct competitor in the rare marine livestock category with similar target customer base.
• That Pet Place: Large independent pet and aquarium retailer (Lancaster, PA) combining a physical superstore with online sales of fish, supplies, and maintenance services. Closest brick-and-mortar analog in scale and scope.
• Saltwaterfish.com: Online specialty retailer focused on marine fish and invertebrates with a 14-day live arrival guarantee. Comparable in its focus on rare marine livestock and direct-to-hobbyist delivery.
• Quality Marine: Marine livestock wholesaler supplying rare fish, corals, and invertebrates to retailers and public aquariums. Comparable in its specialization in rare marine species, though operating at the wholesale tier rather than consumer-direct.
• Dynasty Marine: Marine aquarium livestock wholesaler specializing in sustainably collected and aquacultured fish and invertebrates. Comparable in its marine species focus and aquaculture partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart: National big-box pet retailer with aquarium fish, supplies, and in-store maintenance services across hundreds of locations. Overlaps in product categories but operates at mass-market scale with limited specialty depth.
• Petco: National pet retailer with aquarium offerings and the parent of LiveAquaria. Competes across fish, supplies, and services but lacks the depth and curation in rare/exotic specimens.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/absolutelyfish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/absolutely-fish-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Absolutely Fish