Aquarium Adventure, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petland Inc. (Chillicothe, Ohio), opened its fourth aquarium specialty superstore in July-a 10,200-square-foot location in Cincinnati.

Other stores are located in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, and New York's Long Island.

"Everyone who comes to visit us will be immersed in more than 20,000 gallons of water, housing the largest selection of freshwater fish, marine fish, goldfish, corals and aquatic plants," said Bill Wymard, one of the store's operators. "Our goal is to offer the finest fish and fish supply selection with services and expertise unsurpassed."

The store displays fish, plants and invertebrates in a public aquarium-style in which tanks are arranged by continents-Africa, South America, Central America and Asia-for freshwater fish and oceans for marine species. The store also offers more than 500 aquariums in one large showroom.

The store features a 600-gallon shark tank and a virtual rainforest with 1,500 gallons of water, plants, driftwood and a ceiling-to-floor waterfall showcasing species from the Amazon River Basin, the African rift lakes and Asian stream environments. Approximately 1,000 marine and freshwater species are displayed in specially designed systems that use a filtration process focused on the individual needs of different aquarium species.

"Fish from South America, for example, can expect to swim in water much like that found in their native region," Wymard said. "For marine species, added filtration components are used to enhance the maintenance of the coral reef tanks. Through advanced filtration, we simulate the home waters of a species. Our hobbyists will be taught how to do the same, making their aquarium water desirable for the species of fish they want to keep."

The store also offers a number of service contracts for indoor and outdoor setups.

"We are prepared to send trained staff on-site for custom installation, fish-sitting and routine maintenance," Wymard said. "That makes 'enjoyment' the only word to describe the benefit for those who want a maintenance-free home aquarium, office reef system or an outdoor water garden." [September 2004 PET AGE]