About Us
Our Story
Since 1996, Drysdale Aquarium has provided Tampa Bay aquarium enthusiasts a broad spectrum of aquarium services. We provide the most knowledgeable aquarium management around and have the Tampa area's widest selection of corals at our aquaculture facility and retail store in Land O Lakes.
The storefront is open to the public on Fridays 12-5 and Saturdays 10-5. Or call for a private appointment.
Conservation, promotion of aquaculture, and ethical ecological practices are cornerstones of our business philosophy. All of our systems are run via natural methods. All fish and corals are carefully hand-selected and full consideration is given to each animal’s compatibility. We are proud of the fact that the majority of our service customer’s corals are captive-raised, minimizing the impact on the world’s reefs.
Services offered include equipment sales and installation, tank maintenance and custom aquarium design and installation.
Doug Drysdale
Owner/operator Doug Drysdale earned his B.S, in Biology from Tufts University while working with endangered Lake Victorian cichlids as an intern at New England Aquarium. After graduating in 1995, he switched focus from fisheries management to pursue a career in aquarium design and development, a lifelong love and hobby. His feature article 'Human Impact on Rift Lake Cichlid Populations' appeared in FAMA in Oct. 1999. Since then, he has had the pleasure of developing some of the most spectacular aquariums in the Tampa Bay area.
As a biologist, Doug takes the time to educate his customers who wish to develop their skills and knowledge as hobbyists.
His coral farm has quickly become a favorite amongst local reef keepers looking for something special.
Doug is proud to say that the majority of the corals he provides to his customers are grown in-house, minimizing the impact on the world's reefs. As more and more aquaculture fish species become available, he is delighted to be able to provide tank-raised clownfish, blennies, basslets, and cardinal fishes, with new species being available every year!
