Becoming a CustomerHow can I become a Quality Marine customer? To become a Quality Marine customer we require that your store be listed in your local phone directory under the heading of Pet Stores, Aquariums, Tropical Fish, etc. If you are a new store and your Yellow page ad missed the print date we will also accept a signed lease agreement with a description of the type of business to be conducted from the location leased. We also require a copy of your valid business license.
Do you allow jobbers or the public to purchase from you? No, we are very strict in ensuring that the public and jobbers are unable to enter our facility, much less buy from us. We value the relationship we have with our customers and dont want to do a disservice to them by selling to their customers.
GeneralWhat types of dry-goods products do you carry? We carry a broad variety of dry goods products consisting of books, food, test kits, supplements, salt, plumbing, pumps, filtration, lighting, aquariums, commercial products, and more. To see our full range of products please visit our dry goods section on this website.
Live Stock InformationDo you guarantee live arrival or offer any other mortality policy? We offer 100% live arrival on direct commercial airport-to-airport flights only. All other methods of transportation are evaluated on a case by case basis with a maximum of 50% credit. All mortality claims should be made by the next business day and are issued as a credit memo to be applied to the next purchase. Credit memos must be applied within 30 days.
Why are some of your fish more expensive than those same species of your competitors?At Quality Marine we strive to be the best value of any wholesaler. We go to great lengths to ensure that our fish are collected and transported with the utmost level of care. We pay our suppliers fair market value of fish, allowing our suppliers to be able to afford to pay good attention to the husbandry required while the animals are in their care. On our end, we are constantly improving our holding systems to provide the best water conditions possible and reduce the high amount of stress caused by the shipping process. Our belief is that by providing the healthiest fish and invertebrates available; our customers can obtain lower mortality rates and in turn reduce the need to have higher profit margins to make up for the loss.
How often do you update your stock list? Unlike other wholesale companies, our stock list is dynamic and always up to date. Once an item is ordered and entered into our computer it is immediately removed from our stock list. This allows our customers to always have an accurate idea of what we carry at any time. To obtain an up to date list call or email your sales rep to fax or email a copy, or log in to your account on this website to download a printable copy.
Are you able to special order items?Yes, we can special order specific items that are not part of our typical inventory. For expensive and/or large items, a deposit may be required. Additionally, there is no guarantee on timeframe of shipment of specially ordered item. Many species are seasonal and unavailable at different times throughout the year.
Do you use copper in your system? Due to the inevitable stress from the transportation process, certain species are more likely to be susceptible to different diseases. To combat this we use a very high level of Ultraviolet Sterilization as well as a trace level of copper on our system. This combination is very efficient in effectively reducing the amount of bacteria and protozoan infections. We also take special care to isolate species sensitive to copper medication by housing them in separate untreated systems.
What is MAC? The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is an international, not-for-profit organization that brings marine aquarium animal collectors, exporters, importers and retailers together with aquarium keepers, public aquariums, conservation organizations and government agencies. Their mission is to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems by creating standards and certification for those engaged in the collection and care of ornamental marine life from reef to aquarium.
What does MAC Certified mean?Livestock that is labeled as MAC certified must pass in an unbroken chain from certified collectors operating in certified collection areas to certified export-import, wholesale and retail facilities. A MAC accredited, independent certification company will assess collection areas, collectors and wholesale and retail facilities for their compliance to the MAC Core Standards. These standards conform to World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines and were developed through an international process involving conservation groups, the industry, hobbyists, public aquariums and government agencies.
Can my store sell MAC Certified livestock?Yes, any store can sell MAC Certified livestock; however, in order to label a MAC organism as being MAC certified the store must be an accredited MAC retailer and must have treated the organism in a way representative of the guidelines created by MAC.
Do you also carry fresh water fishes?On a limited basis we have a select variety of freshwater fish. Please contact your salesperson if you are interested in purchasing some of our fresh water fish.
Payment and purchase informationHow do I place an order?Orders can be placed by phone, fax, or through our secure online ordering system. We recommend that if placing an order by phone you have a current stock list available to reference.
Shipping and AcclimationHow are the fish packed to ensure healthy arrival?Conditioned fish are shipped in 100% Tropic Marin synthetic seawater which is properly mixed and aerated prior to packing. No chemicals or tranquilizers are used in the shipping water. Fish are kept and shipped at a specific gravity at 1.018-1.020 and invertebrates are kept and shipped at 1.023-1.025. All of our fish and invertebrates are packed in heavy duty polyethylene bags custom made for each item to insure safe arrival. In addition, most of our bags utilize black liners to further reduce fish stress. Each bag is filled with fresh saltwater (not the water from the collection containers) and pure oxygen is added for fish respiration. Temperatures along shipping routes are determined each day and heat and ice packs are added to individual boxes as needed. We use Styrofoam inner boxes and corrugated outer cartons for all shipments. A box charge is made depending on the style of shipping container used.
How should we acclimate our fish and inverts upon arrival?We recommend that boxes should be opened and fish be acclimated in low light to reduce fish stress. For most species, bags should be floated for 20 -30 minutes in the tanks that will house them to compensate for water temperature differences. However, if there is any indication that the water has fouled, it is recommended that the bag is floated for no more than 15 minutes and the inhabitant should immediately be released to clean water. It is always recommended that you have an idea of the Salinity and pH of the water used for shipping. This will allow you to adjust your system as necessary. Drastic changes in water quality greatly reduce survivability. For sensitive species, such as starfish and ornamental shrimp we recommend drip acclimation; a process in which water from the system is slowly dripped into the bag. This precaution allows the organism to slowly adjust to the change in water conditions.