Write a commentDarrick and Amy Venton purchased the shop just before Christmas in 2024, and they have been busy ever since with renovating, updating, and drawing aquarium enthusiasts from across the state.
Earlier this week, the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and iHeart Oswego held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the renovations and the change in ownership. Aquatic Haven is located on West 1st Street in Fulton, between Cricket and Family Dollar in the Neighborhood Plaza, but its patrons come from across Central New York.
“Our customers drive from as far away as Norwich, Watertown, Rochester, and Binghamton,” noted Venton. “We also work quite a bit with members of the Syracuse Aquarium Society.”
The shop’s bestsellers are tetra fish, among other small freshwater fish. Although they carry saltwater fish, most hobbyists in the CNY area are into freshwater fish these days, Darrick explained.
Darrick isn’t in the aquarium business by happenstance; fish are a lifelong passion for him. He previously worked at Affordable Tropical Pets on Fulton’s east side, and after that moved to Walmart.
“At once point, fish took over most of our basement,” said Amy with a laugh. “I’m so glad we have the shop now.”
The shop has a beautiful, serene atmosphere with space to sit and watch the fish, meaning the shop certainly lives up to its name as a haven for fish-lovers. “We have space to expand down the road, but we’re quite happy with where we are now,” Amy asserted.
In addition to fish, patrons can also purchase aquatic plants, tanks, decorations, and other accessories needed for keeping aquarium fish. Aquatic plants are a top seller in the shop, with hundreds being sold there every week. Many folks use plants to help maintain their tanks, which reduces the need for mechanical filtration systems.
Aquatic Haven is also an incredible resource to help educate people interested in aquarium-keeping. In the words of Mayor Jim Rice, who attended Monday’s ribbon cutting, “They bring character, commitment, and a personal touch that can't be found anywhere else. Today, we celebrate not just the opening of a store, but the realization of a dream.”
“I’m happy to talk to anyone about fish,” Darrick said. He noted that Walmart was driven out of carrying fish due to the lack of specialized knowledge among staff and their unability to truly support customers buying aquatic pets. “No one took the time to learn and educate customers on taking care of the fish properly, and so after Sam Walton’s passing, they got out of the business.”
With their passion and deep knowledge set, the Ventons certainly won’t be making that mistake.
Aquatic Haven is open 7 days a week: noon to 5pm Monday and Tuesday, noon to 6pm Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 4pm on Sunday. You can also find the shop on Facebook.
