It all comes down to fish

If Theo Ruinemans hadn’t sold two of the tropical fish from his own aquarium in 1957, then the fish wholesaler Ruinemans Aquarium B.V. in the Netherlands would probably never have existed. But when the company founder realised that selling fish was more lucrative than his previous employment, he made a decision that signalled the start of a huge success story. 57 years later, the company in Montfoort is one of the foremost wholesalers in tropical and coldwater fish in all of Europe. The head office of Ruinemans now accommodates 50 employees, who attend to every requirement of the fish during their stay with the Dutch wholesale company. “Our staff ensures that the fish remain in the optimum condition during quarantine and transportation, thus guaranteeing that our quality standard is attained before any sale takes place,” explains Frank de Goey, managing director of Ruinemans Aquarium. To safe­guard the health of the different species, an experienced veterinarian specialising in fish diseases is also on the staff of Ruinemans. Aquariums with a million litres of water The number of potential pa­tients to be monitored by the vet is huge, as demonstrated by two statistics about the Dutch company: customers visiting the Montfoort firm are met by over 3 000 aquariums with a volume of water of one million litres. These house a vast selection of the most varied species of tropical and coldwater fish. Guppies, platys, swordtails and mollies can be found alongside countless other aquatic species. Customers can choose from a wide range of bettas, cichlids from Africa, angelfish, koi and rays. The company also offers a variety of crabs and shrimp – and if that’s not enough, the live animal segment also comprises amphibians, snails and mussels. In addition to the many fish and other aquatic species available, retailers will find various types of aquatic plants, roots and decorative items as well as live and frozen food in the Ruinemans product portfolio. Big network of suppliers To be able to offer this extensive array of living creatures, a large supplier network is required. Ruinemans has developed just such a network over the last 57 years. “We obtain fish from our collection station in Miami, Florida, and our capture station in Manaus, Brazil, among others. The storage facility in Miami is used primarily for the interim storage of fish delivered from South America before they are brought to Europe. We have also developed very close working relationships with…