Cold water aquariums are just plain awesome, and have always captured our hearts in the past. Steve Weast’s 400 gallon cold water reef is just simply spectacular, and the Scandinavian reefs we covered were stunning as well. Now Coldwater Marine Aquatics is the first to actually sell some of these amazing animals, something which the unique niche of the aquarium hobby desperately needed.
Based in Damascus, Oregon, Coldwater Marine Aquatics collects all their livestock off the coast of Oregon and then sells them across the country. Coldwater Marine Aquatics was founded by coldwater hobbyists who recognized the need for this type of livestock supplier and decided to do something about it. After a year of working out the details with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coldwater Marine Aquatics has finally launched. Keep reading for the details.
Coldwater aquariums have always been limited in popularity and for quite a simple reason — 95% these animals are simply not available for sale. Sure you can buy Catalina gobies and coldwater fish pop up on Live Aquaria every now and then, but that is the extent of it. With a lack of animals for sale, you’d have to simply collect them yourself, and unless you live next to the ocean that is probably not going happen.
If you are lucky enough to live next to the ocean there is still plenty more problems you have to face. Many tidepools are National Marine Estuaries meaning that collection is outright banned. Furthermore, the majority of species in California are protected making even scraping strawberry anemones from your local pier a big no no. Add the need of big chillers to keep temperatures at desired levels, and the fact that most coldwater animals are non-photosynthetic, and there are unfortunately not many willing aquarists left.
Because of this alone, the launching of Coldwater Marine Aquatics is exciting. The higher accessibility to these corals could open a lot of doors for aquarist that have been interested in coldwater reefs but never had the access to specimens. Coldwater Marine Aquatics is selling specimens through a display tank at a fish store in Oregon and has been selling individual specimens directly as well. They sell to individual costumers, retail stores and public aquariums.
Be sure to shoot them an email at ColwaterMarine Aquatics @ gmail dot com if your are interested in ordering some specimens, or check out their Facebook page.
