Ronneil Harewood, co-owner of Sea Hare Aquatics, said he naturally developed a love for undersea creatures growing up in Barbados.

Acquiring his first fish aquarium at age 8, Harewood embarked on a lifelong hobby of raising different types of freshwater and saltwater marine life.

Upon moving to San Antonio about 10 years ago, Harewood had up to 17 fish tanks at one point in his garage, he said.

“I figured I was going to have to do something about this later in life, or it was just going to become a giant hobby and a money pit,” Harewood said.

Keeping fish as a hobby led him and his wife, Kimberly, to open Sea Hare Aquatics, a store at Overlook Parkway and Canyon Golf Road, in November 2021.

Sea Hare displays and offers more than 200 species of fish; 50-plus invertebrates, such as crabs and snails; and an array of supplies for fish-keeping hobbyists—beginners and veterans alike.

Sea Hare also provides free consultations for home or business aquarium setups, workshops and special events, and routine aquarium maintenance. Harewood and his staff also offer tips and supplies for aquascaping, in which aquarium rocks, driftwood and plants can be arranged in a special way.

Harewood said part of the fun is finding out new things and sharing that with customers.

“People say only 4% to 5% of the ocean has been explored. The more and more that people dive deep, learn and discover things about their own ecosystem, much more knowledge can be shared about those experiences,” he said.

Harewood said, in past years, he grew to love talking about fish-keeping with fellow hobbyists, so that helped motivate him to launch Sea Hare Aquatics.

Harewood added that his business is also engaging the community through monthly workshops, support for student projects and school aquariums, special events, and offering aquarium service and maintenance at the store or at a customer’s home or office.

“That’s how Sea Hare Aquatics got started—it was because of those relationships I had formed,” he said.

26108 Overlook Parkway, Ste. 1104, San Antonio. 210-296-6063. www.seahareaquatics.com