An Inside Look at the Marine Fish Industry:
What LiveAquaria is Doing

LiveAquaria takes a multi-faceted approach to provide education, incorporate efficient distribution methods, and align with only the most responsible suppliers to offer aquatic life from regions with strict collection and shipping protocols, and captive-bred and aquacultured choices.

Education - We believe education and understanding species requirements is one of the keys to a successful aquarium. By offering extensive information for every species offered at LiveAquaria, we make the process of planning and researching potential inhabitants informative and convenient. We also have a comprehensive library of articles on diverse aspects regarding aquarium ownership and husbandry, written by our expert aquatics staff and industry professionals to help hobbyists succeed.

Efficient Distribution Methods - We are able to offer healthier quality marine life by eliminating several steps in the normal chain of distribution, minimizing the number of times the fish change hands. Stress has been found to be the number one factor in lowering the immune system of fish, making them more susceptible to parasitic and bacterial infections. By cutting out several steps in the chain of distribution, we are able to minimize stress and offer superior fish, invertebrates and live corals.

Marine Aquatic Life Standards of Excellence - LiveAquaria customers receive their orders directly from the most responsible importers and aquaculture facilities in the country - or directly from our Coral Farm & Aquatic Life facility in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. All LiveAquaria vendor partners must go through our extensive vetting process and meet our strict standards for responsible collection and transportation practices. LiveAquaria vendor partners must:

• Have documentation confirming responsible collection practices
• Comply with all laws and regulations governing the collection and export of any wildlife
• Be in accordance with international standards such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards

In addition, our vendor partners and our Wisconsin facility have strict protocols for breeding and rearing ornamental marine fish, superior acclimation, holding, and husbandry, and utilize the most advanced filtration equipment, habitats and holding systems. After each species is carefully inspected, they are then selected and packed by an expert crew of well-trained professionals and shipped directly to your door. We are so confident in our quality standards, we are able to offer a full 7-day guarantee on fish, corals, plants, and inverts, PLUS an extended 30-Day Guarantee for every LiveAquaria Certified Captive Grown Coral.

Selections from regions with strict protocols - We are proud to offer the largest diversity of fish from short supply chain regions such as Hawaii, Cook Islands, Christmas Island, Marshall Islands, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Coral Sea, East Africa, Red Sea, and many more locales. We feel strongly about focusing our efforts on fish from short supply chain regions that employ sound collection, transport, and holding techniques.

These regions not only employ sound collection practices and techniques, but exporters in these areas employ better handling and husbandry techniques. The vast majority of exporters from these regions have modern holding facilities with proper filtration and utilize sound and tested handling and shipping protocols. Although fish from these areas are more expensive, we know they are the best possible fish for the hobbyist and enthusiast. We clearly list the country of origin for every species of fish available at LiveAquaria to make selection more convenient.

Captive-bred and Aquacultured choices - LiveAquaria is committed to offering sustainably raised aquatic life that is either aquacultured or responsibly harvested, which includes careful attention to both the animals and the habitat. We are proud to offer one of the largest selections of captive-bred and aquacultured aquatic life. We seek out fish, corals and invertebrates from aquaculture facilities, breeders and hatcheries in the United States, Asia, and Europe to provide a viable alternative to wild caught fish whenever possible. In addition, LiveAquaria is home to one of the nation's premier coral propagation facilities. Located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where we propagate, raise, and inspect our aquacultured corals carefully before offering them to the public. By offering these choices to our customers, we encourage the aquarium industry to culture a larger variety of species and provide valuable research and information for the advancement of the hobby.

We encourage you to consider these aspects when selecting your marine life provider. Making conscientious and informed decisions is up to each of us and it does not have to be a difficult one. LiveAquaria will continue to work hard at always seeking out the best possible aquatic life for our customers, while providing the most comprehensive amount of information in order to help everyone achieve their dream aquarium.