CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Jason and Jeff Liang, brothers and co-owners of Aquarium and Reptile Depot at 8201 Auburn Boulevard in Citrus Heights took time for a special public celebration, Saturday, June 10^th celebrating their 10^th anniversary in business.

“We’ve reached a special milestone, and we wanted to thank all of our many customers who have helped our business thrive, and continue to grow,” said older brother Jason taking time in his office for an interview while his younger brother Jeff greeted customers at the store’s main front counter.

Aquarium and Reptile Depot is located in a 10,000-square-foot building at 8201 Auburn Blvd. in Citrus Heights and was once the site of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership. The store, which relocated to Citrus Heights from Roseville, features a colorful aquatic-themed exterior that’s easily visible from the street.

Inside the store, a large, raised brightly-lit fish tank welcomes customers into a magical aquatic world where species from around the world vie to catch their eye. Reptile enclosures in their own exotic world are off to the right side.

Aquarium and Reptile Depot started as a wholesale business and has since shifted into retail. Multiple shipments of new inventory are received at the store each week.

Both brothers take a critical role in monitoring the overall environmental quality and cleanliness of all of the enclosures which hold the store’s diverse live inventory. The pair are aided by a staff of 15 full and part-time employees who also help attend to the questions and needs of their customers.

“We’re always happy to answer their questions, offer advice and make recommendations to help them enjoy the full experience of having an aquarium,” he said.

“Our anniversary celebration is a way to show our customers how much we appreciate them,” he said.

Physical improvements inside the store are constantly being upgraded. A new customer service counter in the reptile department was added. Under the serenity of blue light, multiple sales aisles which house fish tanks for customer display have been reconfigured to give customers greater social distance as they shop.

“We’re always looking for new ways to enhance our habitat environments,” he said.

The two brothers say they try to promote good stewardship in a responsible way and encourage their customers to create an ideal home environment for their pets. 

Certain exotic fresh and salt-water fish, sharks and stingrays, for example, are sourced from throughout the Western Pacific Ocean including the Philippines, Indonesia, Asia, and Hawaii. Some retail prices have increased slightly in recent years due to rising transportation costs, he said.

“The Depot serves the greater-Sacramento area with what it considers to be the highest quality selection of aquatic species, reptiles, amphibians possible.”

“Some of our customers come from Reno, Tahoe, Sacramento and from the San Francisco Bay area just to visit our store,” Jason Liang said.

“It’s still possible to create a family home aquarium with relatively low investment,” Jason said, noting that the store carries over 200 different species. “The hobby tends to bring families together. Parents who may have had an aquarium in their younger years are now returning to the hobby.”

He and his younger brother, Jeff, said he started working in the store while in high school. He said he doesn’t consider his work at the store a job, but more as being an educator, interacting with his customers to best help fulfill their needs.

“Customers have been known to walk in out of curiosity. I think we’re seeing more young people get into the hobby.”

The store also sells a wide range of fish tanks and a complete range of accessories for both salt and fresh-water environments. Home-sized tanks offer a similar level of emotional support and enjoyment to hobbyists while showing the essentials of an aquatic ecosystem at work.

The pair actively promote the store through social media, which they feel is the best way to attract new customers, post new inventory, describe upcoming sales and tell about new products they have in their ever-changing inventory.

Aquarium and Reptile Depot is located at 8201 Auburn Blvd. in Citrus Heights.  The store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Customers can check the store’s website for the latest inventory at www.aquarium-depot.com.