aquacave
AquaCave is an online retailer based in Lake Forest, Illinois that sells aquarium equipment, supplies, tanks, water-treatment products, and accessories from hundreds of premium brands to freshwater, saltwater, and reef hobbyists across the contiguous United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLake Forest, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What aquacave does
AquaCave is a privately held online retailer headquartered at 27861 Irma Lee Circle, Suite 101, Lake Forest, Illinois, that sells aquarium equipment, supplies, tanks, water-treatment products, and accessories to freshwater, saltwater/reef, and planted aquarium hobbyists across the contiguous United States. The company operates as a multi-brand specialty e-commerce store rather than a single-brand or marketplace operator, carrying thousands of products from hundreds of premium and mainstream brands including Tunze, Ecotech Marine, Aqua Illuminations, Neptune Systems, Red Sea, Kessil, Reef Octopus, Bubble Magus, HYDROS, BASHSEA, IceCap, Fluval, and Hanna Instruments.
The storefront runs on the BigCommerce platform and organizes the catalog into 17-plus product categories, including aquariums, protein skimmers, LED lighting, pumps and powerheads, filtration, reactors and media, controllers and testing, UV sterilizers, sumps and overflows, CO2 components, reverse osmosis and auto-top-off systems, heaters and chillers, air and ozone equipment, aquarium additives, decor, and fish food. There is no proprietary technology stack disclosed beyond the standard BigCommerce e-commerce infrastructure, and the firm offers conventional consumer-facing features such as account registration, wishlist functionality, gift certificates, and phone support at 847-775-0640.
The business model is direct-to-consumer one-time retail with no disclosed subscription or recurring revenue component. Pricing varies widely across categories, with featured items ranging from compact controllers to premium reef kits such as the Red Sea REEFER 250 G3 at $2,111.12 and chillers at $1,599.95. AquaCave offers free ground shipping on orders over $49 within the contiguous US, a 365-day return policy, a price match policy, and an AquaPoints loyalty rewards program to drive repeat purchases. The firm carries no disclosed patents, regulatory actions, subsidiaries, parent company, funding history, or management team bios in the available data.
aquacave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- aquacave
- Legal name
- AquaCave
- Website
- https://aquacave.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- AquaCave is an online retailer based in Lake Forest, Illinois that sells aquarium equipment, supplies, tanks, water-treatment products, and accessories from hundreds of premium brands to freshwater, saltwater, and reef hobbyists across the contiguous United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
aquacave industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aquarium Supplies Retail
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)
Keywords
Where aquacave is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lake Forest
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
aquacave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- E-commerce Product Sales: Direct online retail of aquarium supplies including protein skimmers, air pumps, water pumps, power heads, CO2 supplies, calcium reactors, aquarium lighting, fish food, filters, heaters, chillers, controllers, and accessories. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases with no recurring subscription component.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Certificates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
aquacave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AquaCave is an online retailer selling thousands of aquarium products including tanks, protein skimmers, filtration systems, LED lighting, water pumps, powerheads, CO2 systems, calcium reactors, heaters, chillers, controllers, additives, fish food, and accessories. The company carries product lines from hundreds of premium brands such as Tunze, Ecotech, AquaIllumination, Neptune Systems, Reef Octopus, Red Sea, Kessil, and Sicce, serving freshwater and saltwater aquarium hobbyists across the contiguous US via direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Product overview
AquaCave is an e-commerce retailer specializing in premium aquarium supplies for both freshwater and saltwater fish tank enthusiasts. The company operates as a multi-brand marketplace offering a comprehensive catalog of thousands of aquarium products across multiple categories. Their product portfolio includes major aquarium systems and equipment such as Red Sea aquariums (Reefer, Max series), Innovative Marine aquariums (NUVO INT/EXT, Fusion Pro), protein skimmers (Reef Octopus, Tunze, Bubble Magus), water pumps and powerheads (Ecotech Marine, Sicce, Neptune Systems), LED lighting systems (Kessil, EcoTech Radion, AquaIllumination), controllers and monitoring equipment (HYDROS, Neptune Systems Apex), filtration systems (canister filters, reactors), and aquarium additives (Brightwell Aquatics, Red Sea, Seachem). They carry an extensive line from premium brands like Tunze, Ecotech, AquaIllumination, Aqua UV, Neptune Systems, Reef Octopus, ATI, JBJ, Kessil, Salifert, Bubble Magus, Caribsea, Hagen, Hanna, Hydros, Reef Breeders, Sicce, Eshopps, and IceCap. The company positions itself on product knowledge and competitive pricing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air & Ozone Equipment
Quantifiable outcome
- 365 day return policy
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use aquacave
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
aquacave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
aquacave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FluvalcoreFeatured brand partner. AquaCave stocks and sells Fluval products including aquarium filters, heaters, LED lighting, and Flex aquarium kits.
- Red SeacoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks complete Red Sea product line including Reefer aquariums, Max nano tanks, Reef Care additives, LED lighting, protein skimmers, and controllers.
- Hanna InstrumentscoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks Hanna Instruments water testing equipment including phosphate checkers, multiparameter testers, and calibration solutions.
- KessilcoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks Kessil LED aquarium lighting products.
- SiccecoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks Sicce products including canister filters, power filters, heaters, protein skimmers, UV-C sterilizers, and water pumps.
- TunzecoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks Tunze products including protein skimmers, powerheads, calcium reactors, comline filters, and auto top-off systems.
- HYDROScoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks HYDROS aquarium controllers including Start Controller, X10 Controller, dosing systems, and accessories.
- BASHSEAcoreFeatured brand partner. Stocks BASHSEA products including protein skimmers, sumps, and media reactors.
- Ecotech MarinecoreBrand partner. Stocks Ecotech Marine products including Radion LED lighting, VorTech powerheads, and Vortech pumps.
- Aqua IlluminationscoreBrand partner. Stocks Aqua Illuminations (AI) LED lighting products including Hydra series lights and mounting kits.
- Aqua UVcoreBrand partner. Stocks Aqua Ultraviolet UV sterilizers and ozone equipment.
- Neptune SystemscoreBrand partner. Stocks Neptune Systems Apex controllers, modules, probes, pumps, and lighting systems.
- Reef OctopuscoreBrand partner. Stocks Reef Octopus protein skimmers, calcium reactors, media reactors, and aquarium products.
- Brightwell AquaticscoreBrand partner. Stocks Brightwell Aquatics liquid additives, dry additives, filter media, coral food, and planted tank products.
- Bubble MaguscoreBrand partner. Stocks Bubble Magus protein skimmers, calcium reactors, media reactors, and dosing pumps.
- ATIcoreBrand partner. Stocks ATI aquarium additives and Straton LED lighting products.
- Reef BreederscoreBrand partner. Stocks Reef Breeders LED lighting products including Meridian series.
- EshoppscoreBrand partner. Stocks Eshopps protein skimmers, sumps, overflow boxes, and plumbing kits.
- IceCapcoreBrand partner. Stocks IceCap products including gyre powerheads, media reactors, heaters, protein skimmers, UV sterilizers, and RO/DI systems.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
aquacave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bulk Reef Supply: Online retailer specializing in reef and saltwater aquarium equipment, lighting, and supplies with a comparable premium-brand assortment and content-driven marketing model. Most direct competitor to AquaCave in the US reef hobbyist segment.
- Marine Depot: Long-running online aquarium supplies retailer carrying freshwater, saltwater, and reef equipment from many of the same premium brands (Ecotech, Neptune, Red Sea, Tunze). Directly comparable assortment and target customer.
- That Fish Place / That Pet Place: Specialty aquarium and pet retailer with both a flagship store and a strong online store carrying a broad assortment of aquarium equipment, supplies, and livestock. Comparable breadth across freshwater and saltwater hobbyist categories.
- LiveAquaria: Online specialty retailer of aquarium fish, plants, and supplies operated by Rolf C. Hagen. Carries a deep freshwater and saltwater assortment targeted at hobbyists, with overlapping premium brand relationships.
- Reef Builders: Reef-keeping focused content site and retailer that covers premium equipment, livestock, and supplies. Comparable target audience (advanced reef hobbyists) and product mix.
Broad incumbents
- PetSmart: Largest US specialty pet retailer with both brick-and-mortar stores and a substantial online aquarium supplies category. Competes on selection, price, and convenience, but is far broader than AquaCave's aquarium-only focus.
- Petco: National pet retailer with stores and e-commerce carrying aquarium tanks, equipment, and supplies alongside broader pet categories. Overlaps directly in freshwater and entry-level saltwater but lacks the premium reef depth AquaCave offers.
- Chewy: Dominant online pet retailer with growing aquarium category assortment and competitive pricing on equipment, food, and supplies. A scale-driven threat in standard aquarium SKUs even though it is broader than AquaCave's specialty focus.
- Amazon: General marketplace carrying many of the same aquarium brands and SKUs with Prime shipping. Sets the price-discovery baseline for many hobbyist buyers and competes on convenience rather than specialization.
Emerging players
- Ken's Fish: Independent online aquarium retailer focused on freshwater fish, plants, and supplies. Smaller and narrower than AquaCave, but overlaps in freshwater hobbyist equipment and consumables.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
aquacave social profiles
Digital presenceaquacave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
aquacave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
aquacave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
aquacave 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 aquacave
What does aquacave do?
AquaCave is an online retailer selling thousands of aquarium products including tanks, protein skimmers, filtration systems, LED lighting, water pumps, powerheads, CO2 systems, calcium reactors, heaters, chillers, controllers, additives, fish food, and accessories. The company carries product lines from hundreds of premium brands such as Tunze, Ecotech, AquaIllumination, Neptune Systems, Reef Octopus, Red Sea, Kessil, and Sicce, serving freshwater and saltwater aquarium hobbyists across the contiguous US via direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Is aquacave a public or private company?
aquacave is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was aquacave founded?
aquacave was founded in -1.
Where is aquacave based?
aquacave is headquartered in Lake Forest, United States, in the North America region.
How does aquacave make money?
One revenue line is on record: E-commerce Product Sales.
Who are aquacave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bulk Reef Supply, Marine Depot, That Fish Place / That Pet Place, LiveAquaria and Reef Builders. Broad incumbents are PetSmart, Petco, Chewy and Amazon. Ken's Fish is listed as an emerging player.
Does aquacave have an API?
No public API is recorded for aquacave.
What industry is aquacave in?
aquacave's product category is Aquarium Supplies Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAHAI, Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail.