Aquarium maintenance has come a long way as technology improves and hobbyists seek greater control and automated solutions. Offering superior customer service and access to education allows independent aquatics retailers to stand out in the segment and build a loyal customer base, according to industry insiders.

Maintenance products are typically steady sellers, retailers reported, though many aquarists are favoring more naturalistic methods of maintaining their systems.

“Customers have a lot of interest in trying to be more natural,” said Annalise Roy, manager of Waterbury Aquarium, a tropical fish store in Waterbury, Conn. “People are using wood or crushed coral to affect their pH versus adding buffers. A lot of people are really into planted aquariums now, so they’re using plants to make an ecosystem to help with water quality rather than relying on other methods.”

Chemical additives of all varieties sell well, retailers reported, though some hobbyists rely less on certain products.

“I honestly see more people trying to get away from chemical additives in their tanks, except for obviously trace elements and things like that,” said Jed Pancza, fish manager for Top Shelf Aquatics, a tropical fish store in Winter Park, Fla.

Helping customers be successful is a big part of keeping them in the hobby, insiders said, and offering maintenance support is critical. However, some aquarists might need to have their expectations adjusted in terms of how these products work.

“Customers want convenience, no doubt, but they also want results, and they want it to be easy,” said Dr. Timothy Hovanec, owner and president of DrTim’s Aquatics, an aquarium products manufacturer in Moorpark, Calif. “That may not be a reality. Nothing good happens fast in an aquarium, but that’s what they want. … Preach patience, and don’t sell a short-term Band-Aid, but rather a long-term solution.”

Additionally, building a long-term relationship with customers increases the chance they will return for more advice—and to make additional purchases.

“Maintaining an aquarium can be one of the trickier areas for new fish owners, as there is a seemingly overwhelming number of products, especially when it comes to water chemistry,” said Jessica Deering, associate brand manager for aquatics at Central Garden and Pet, the Franklin, Wis.-based manufacturer of Aqueon products. “However, this can be a great opportunity to really connect and offer personalized service and suggestions to your customers when they are most in need of help.”

Ultimately, retailers succeed by reading their customers’ needs and providing solutions that are easy to implement and are effective, but that also cater to their desire to maintain systems as naturally as possible.

“People strive for quality,” said Claus Frenken, sales manager for Sera North America, a Montgomeryville, Pa.-based manufacturer of aquarium products. “They are looking for good and efficient maintenance items, as they want clear water and healthy fish. Besides feeding a high-quality food and using appropriate filtration, efficient water conditioners are the key for a successful running tank. Hobbyists, but also retailers, especially look for efficient but easy-to-understand solutions. It should not be too complicated. Still, a water conditioner should do its job. If [a product] gets too complicated and is too much into chemistry, it is hard for hobbyists and retailers to be convinced to use it.”

Innovations in aquatic tank maintenance products offer aquatics retailers new options to help customers and keep them happy.

In January, Aqueon released its ProScraper 3.0 Aquarium Algae Scrapers, which replace the older Kent ProScraper II.

“The new Aqueon ProScrapers offer a much simpler way to change the blade using the ‘twist and click’ design,” said Jessica Deering, associate brand manager of aquatics at Central Garden and Pet, the Franklin, Wis.-based manufacturer of Aqueon products. “This makes changing between stainless steel, plastic or a foam pad quick and easy.”

These new items also feature earth-friendly, reduced-plastic packaging, Deering said. A new micropore pad is also available that can be used with the ProScraper 3.0 or alone.

“Micropore pads are becoming more popular for tank cleaning than traditional polyester scrubber pads,” Deering said. “Customers are still using blade scrapers for stubborn algae but want something that is easier to change.”

Various chemical and biological additives are also available, industry insiders reported.

“At SuperZoo last year, we released our Waste-Away time release gels for betta and shrimp tanks, along with ones for plant and amphibians tanks,” said Dr. Timothy Hovanec, owner and president of DrTim’s Aquatics, an aquarium products manufacturer in Moorpark, Calif. “These type of tanks are usually smaller, and cleaning can be a pain because there is not much water. The gels [are designed to] time the release of good bacteria that degrade organics and consume nutrients that would otherwise cause algae and dirty water.”

Products that support newer hobbyists by reducing problems with new tank setup are popular and help retailers support first-time customers, insiders said.

“At the end of 2021, we came out with a new version of our well-known Sera Siporax,” said Claus Frenken, sales manager for Sera North America, a Montgomeryville, Pa.-based manufacturer of aquarium products. “The new item is called Sera Siporax Nitrate-minus Professional, and it is a biological filter medium for nitrate removal.”

The product is designed to serve as a high-performance filter medium for biological nitrate breakdown with parallel breakdown of nitrite and ammonium, Frenken said. The medium helps facilitate denitrification, and the degradable biopolymer serves as a carbon source for bacteria that break down nitrate.

Monitoring systems and testing products are increasingly sophisticated and are growing in demand, retailers reported.

“I’ve seen a lot of new stuff in monitoring systems,” said Jed Pancza, fish manager for Top Shelf Aquatics, a tropical fish store in Winter Park, Fla. “Manufacturers are still working out the kinks, but we just started bringing in [CoralVue’s] Mastertronic, and we also carry Neptune Systems’ Trident. We’ve been selling Tridents for a couple years now, and it is definitely becoming more popular for people to start buying and investing in monitoring systems.”

Across the entire pet industry, issues involving delayed shipments, out-of-stock products and problems finding dry goods have given retailers cause for concern. However, in the maintenance segment of the aquatics industry, product availability has not been as big a problem, retailers reported.

“Actually, a lot of our chemistry products haven’t been hit hard at all in terms of availability,” said Annalise Roy, manager of Waterbury Aquarium, a tropical fish store in Waterbury, Conn. “That’s been an issue more with tanks, stands, glass and equipment. Chemical products have maybe gone up in price, but we can still get most of that stuff, thankfully.”

Livestock availability and repeat sales items, such as food products, have been scarce in recent months, retailers reported, but most maintenance products, including consumable chemical products, are often readily available.

“We’ve definitely had problems with product availability in general,” said Natalie Restrepo, sales associate for Aquarium Center, a retailer in Clementon, N.J. “There have been problems with [most] dry goods and livestock, but within the maintenance segment, I wouldn’t say we’ve really had as many issues. Thankfully, we’ve been able to get almost all maintenance products without too much trouble, unlike food or tanks, for example.”

Several factors have insulated the maintenance products segment from supply shortages, industry insiders reported.

“Supply chain issues have affected the aquatics industry like many other segments of the economy,” said Jessica Deering, associate brand manager of aquatics at Central Garden and Pet, the Franklin, Wis.-based manufacturer of Aqueon products. “Regarding maintenance products, there have been some impacts on import items, such as scrapers, siphons and cleaning tools, as delivery times have been stretched. In terms of chemistry products, many items are made in the U.S., which has helped to insulate [these products] from supply chain concerns, so fortunately there has not been a significant impact.”

Manufacturers have anticipated issues in the segment and have taken steps to ensure a steady supply of products to help retailers keep their shelves stocked.

“Because we produce everything on our own in Germany, and we source our raw materials as locally as possible, we are always good on stock,” said Claus Frenken, sales manager for Sera North America, a Montgomeryville, Pa.-based manufacturer of aquatics products. “In order to fulfill demand in the United States, we increased our warehouse space in our U.S.-based warehouse during the pandemic and sent more containers. That way, we can always assure a good fill rate.”

Offering a superior shopping experience in the form of dedicated support and a wide knowledge base allows pet specialty retailers to gain an advantage in customer service, particularly when it comes to helping them maintain their aquariums.

“We listen to our customers,” said Annalise Roy, manager of Waterbury Aquarium, a tropical fish store in Waterbury, Conn. “We’re a small business. We’re allowed to talk a lot. We give our customers a lot of information. For example, one of our employees printed out some care sheets for certain types of animals… We build relationships with customers who trust our judgment. They know we’re not just in it for the money and we’re going to try to help them be successful.”

This win-win mentality—one that emphasizes keeping hobbyists engaged and successful through comprehensive education and a superior customer experience—helps support retailer business and builds a base for repeat purchases, according to industry insiders.

“Many shops offer free water testing, which is a great way to ensure a return trip to the store and assist customers to be successful,” said Jessica Deering, associate brand manager of aquatics at Central Garden and Pet, the Franklin, Wis.-based manufacturer of Aqueon products. “Consider placement of cleaning and water care products near the front of the store where you can easily interact with customers and make sure to provide assistance. An in-store seminar on aquarium maintenance is a great way to provide advice and education in an approachable manner. … You can really stand out with your customers if you get creative and assist them by taking away some of the mysteries around aquarium maintenance.”

Independent aquatics retailers often are experienced hobbyists and are familiar with various maintenance tools and products, which allows them to make authoritative recommendations that customers respect, insiders said.

“My personal experience in the hobby informs how I educate customers,” said Natalie Restrepo, sales associate for Aquarium Center, a retailer in Clementon, N.J. “I listen to my coworkers. The best way to sell a product is to relate your personal experience with it. That helps build relationships with our customers. It makes our customer service personal. They know that if we’ve used [a product] before and we recommend it, it must work. … We keep it real with our customers. We try to set them up for success, give our best advice, recommend our favorite products, and it must be working, because our customers are happy, and they keep coming back.”

Leveraging education is a long-term strategy for independent pet retailers that can anticipate customer needs and provide a level of care competitors are often not capable of achieving.

“Education is a key factor to grow sales,” said Claus Frenken, sales manager for Sera North America, a Montgomeryville, Pa.-based manufacturer of aquarium products. “If store staff is educated on particular products or product lines, it makes it way easier to sell those products. Furthermore, educated staff is trustworthy and is thus also able to bind customers more to the particular store. Maintenance products are also good for cross-selling. If you sell a new tank, new fish or any other item, you can always try to cross-sell a maintenance product. Special offers in the store, customer rewards programs and things like that help to drive sales.”

Offering consistent support builds trust, retailers reported, and helps set up long-lasting relationships with customers.

“Honestly, educating customers is just about putting in the effort,” said Jed Pancza, fish manager for Top Shelf Aquatics, a tropical fish store in Winter Park, Fla. “There’s no one right way to maintain a system. I tell customers it’s more likely that if they just put in the effort and the time, they will probably be successful.”

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