Business owners benefit in several ways from making the most of aquatic life suppliers. Pet stores are common and easily accessible for customers to purchase aquatic animals such as fish. In addition to pet stores, some store chains have pet departments that sell fish and other aquatic life.

Successful businesses are unique. They give customers products or ideas that are fresh and new. To make your store stand out you need to make the most of your aquatic life supplier. You must do more than simply look for suppliers of retail fish for aquariums. When thinking about how to make the most of aquatic life suppliers, consider the following:

1. Aquatic life suppliers should offer more than fish.

2. Knowledge about aquatic life is an important factor in choosing an aquatic life supplier.

3. Distance that fish travel from the aquatic life supplier to your store is another important factor in choosing a distributor.

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Choose aquatic life suppliers with unique aquatic life displays and supplies

Show people how creative aquariums and aquatic life looks in their homes. Set up and keep in stock decorative aquariums. Choose distributors with wholesale aquarium supplies in octagon shapes, kid shapes (televisions, characters, and more), and wall-hanging aquariums. Most stores use rectangular shapes for aquariums. Using unique shapes will draw customer attention to your store. Also look for creative decorations to go in tanks.

I recommend: Read about unique fish aquariums from the Fish Tank Shop. Home Expo provides a list of manufacturers that specialize in custom and unique aquariums.

Make appearance and health top priority when choosing suppliers of fish for pet stores

Nothing turns customers away faster than dirty aquatic containers and dead fish floating in the water. Choose suppliers of fish for retailers that give guarantees of healthy fish. Ask your tropical fish distributor about the type of transportation your fish receive from their location to your location. Also ask about the conditions in which the fish live and the measures taken to ensure that they are stress and disease free.

I recommend: The Fish Channel and Algone both offer advice on keeping fish healthy and preventing disease.

Select aquatic life suppliers that sell more than fish

Fish are the most common type of aquatic life. Make the most of your supplier by asking for more. Choose a supplier that also sells wholesale aquarium plants, crabs, frogs and snails. The more unusual your aquatic life is, the more customers you will attract. Look for fresh water, tropical, and saltwater aquatic life.

I recommend: Check out the photo gallery of unusual fish at GBAS Online. Read the article about unusual fish aquarium pets from Buzzle.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choosing one or two aquatic life suppliers, including tropical fish suppliers, that meet your needs will save you money. Buying in bulk and purchasing high dollar amounts from one company gains discounts.

If you own or are considering owning a tropical fish store, it's important to find a reliable, affordable supplier of retail fish that are of good quality. This is a multi-million dollar industry in the state of Florida alone. There are many tropical fish distributors, wholesale aquarium fish suppliers and fellow suppliers of fish for retailers, who want your business. How then do you decide with whom to do business?

When making these important decisions, consider the following:

1. Does the tropical fish supplier have a good, solid history?
2. Will your aquatic life supplier be able to provide you a discount?
3. Will your supplier of retail fish also be able to provide you with wholesale aquarium plants and wholesale aquarium supplies?

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Find tropical fish suppliers with a solid reputation

Many tropical fish suppliers who have been in business a long time have built up their businesses through word of mouth. However, younger suppliers of retail fish may work especially hard to please, since it wants to establish a solid customer base.

I recommend: There are many quality suppliers of retail fish. Heavenly Fish started in 1979 and specializes in fresh water tropical and salt-water fish, as well as plants. Houston Aquarium Warehouse has been a supplier in the United States of rare tropical fish, discus and aquatic plants since 1999. With over thirty years of experience, Fish Mart may be the supplier for you. They are a domestic and import distributor of fresh water fish, salt-water fish, invertebrates and aquatic plants.

See if your suppliers of fish for retailers also provide aquarium supplies

Sometimes it may make logistical sense to find suppliers of fish for retailers, who will also provide wholesale aquarium supplies. Forge good, long-term relationships with your aquatic life suppliers and shop around before making any sizeable purchases.

I recommend: Fish In The Bag, Inc. stocks live and artificial reef plants, coral and a large selection of marine fish from around the world. Cobalt Penguin Inc. sells tropical fish, live plants and other aquarium supplies. JEHMCO offers wholesale aquarium fish and supplies, and will provide private labeling and retail sized packages.

Determine the guarantee polices of your suppliers of fish for pet stores

Since fish can be susceptible to disease and infection and aquarium products can arrive damaged, choose suppliers of fish for pet stores with good guarantee policies.

I recommend: A.R.B. Distributing, LLC is an aquatic life supplier that sells aquariums and supplies with a limited lifetime warranty. Aquarium Guys will give you a returned merchandise authorization number if you contact them regarding a product.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep up-to-date on the latest trends and new materials that a tropical fish distributor may carry, and you will be able to provide your customers with the newest, highest quality supplies.

Aquatic life supplier education and training is important to all type of aquatic life suppliers. Especially if you sell aquatic life for pets, education on various species is critical to a successful career.

Consumers want to purchase from an aquatic life supplier that is knowledgeable in raising, caring for, and maintaining healthy fish and aquatic life. They want to know that their fish purchases come from educated tropical fish suppliers and that their purchases will not spread disease in their aquarium. When thinking about an aquatic life suppliers education and training, consider the following questions:

1. Learn the type of formal education courses that benefit aquatic fish suppliers.

2. Discover industry information that is available for suppliers of fish for retailers.

3. Research how suppliers of fish for pet stores care for their aquatic life.

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Consider a formal education on aquatic life for aquatic life suppliers

Some educational programs offer classes pertaining to aquatic and marine life. Consider taking a few courses to increase your knowledge. Some colleges even offer degrees in subjects of fish and other aquatic life. If you desire an in-depth education on supplying aquatic life to consumers, this is the route that will work best for you.

I recommend: Learn about tropical fisheries and their management from marine studies courses at the University of the South Pacific. Washington University offers a bachelor’s degree in the subject of fisheries.

Find resources that give tips and information for suppliers of retail fish

While knowing how to raise and care for fish is a very important part of the fish distributing industry, knowing how to run a fish distributing business is equally important. Look for resources that discuss handling equipment, selecting inventory, and marketing your fish.

I recommend: The Florida Tropical Fish Farm Association provides resources, DVDs, and pictures of tropical fish farms. Aquarticles offers several articles pertaining to aquarium management and shipping of various species.

Learn how fish suppliers properly care for their aquarium fish

Some fish require more attention than others. Raising healthy fish is very important to those who raise fish to sell to pet stores. The fish often have traveling time and undergo stress during the transition from the distributor to the store. The healthier the fish is, the more likely it is to thrive after the sell. As a supplier of retail fish, it is essential to know the details of each breed of fish.

I recommend: Tropical Fish Meds teach tropical fish distributors about medicines and fish diseases for wholesale aquarium fish. Pet Education discusses the importance of careful handling of fish in the fish supply industry.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When thinking about your aquatic life suppliers education and training, educate yourself on wholesale aquarium supplies needed for aquatic life as well as the aquatic life itself. Having the proper supplies to maintain your business is also important.

It may seem like a walk in the park (or a swim in the ocean), but the aquatic life suppliers who offer sea-dwelling creatures to the public for use as pets have a lot to think about for maintaining a good interim environment for a wide range of organisms, some of which are very sensitive to certain conditions. Knowing more about some basic key terms for water environments and common strategies will help a business dealing in sea life to protect its bottom line.

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pH control

pH control is the control of the alkaline and acidic content of water. Aquariums need to practice pH control to keep the environments of aquatic life in good condition.

I recommend: See more on Ph control for aquariums at the Age of Aquariums.

Fresh water

Fresh water or 'continental' water is a common environment for many of the creatures that customers will see in the shops of aquatic life suppliers. Dealing with fresh water aquariums requires attention to a specific set of conditions.

I recommend: See more on handling temperature, nutrient mix and other factors for fresh water at this AquaGuide.

Saltwater

Though many of the fish and other organisms in the showroom of an aquatic life supplier live in fresh water, many aquariums and pet shops also include some saltwater environments for a diverse set of underwater 'wildlife.' Saltwater tanks need their own specific care methods.

I recommend: See more on saltwater tank maintenance at this Saltwater Aquarium Guide.

Acrylic and glass tanks

Acrylic tanks are tanks made from a hard plastic as an alternative to traditional glass aquariums. Acrylic tanks are more shatter-proof and have different properties that make them more popular in some aquatic life shops.

I recommend: See more on acrylic and glass tanks at this Rich Person's Guide to Aquarium Tanks.

Commercial aquatic displays

Good commercial aquatic displays are important for aquatic life suppliers. Outside companies can help engineers and provide customized environments for the creatures on sale in a shop.

I recommend: See more on commercial gear for aquatic life suppliers at this page from Commercial Aquatic Services.

Decorative aquarium tank

Another great resource for aquatic life suppliers is decorative tanks to show off all of the merchandise, from fish to crabs, frogs, anemones, or anything else that thrives in water.

I recommend: See more on decorative aquarium tanks at this article from StreetDirectory. Find more at DIY Reef Keeping.