The boom in high-end tank demand has coincided with a shortage in key aquarium building materials like acrylic, said Mr. Tiemens. Grocery stores, restaurants, salons and many other businesses around the globe were using acrylic in massive quantities for sneeze guards during the height of the Covid crisis. Mr. Calabrese said the worst of the delays have passed, but supplies in general are still backed up. The time it takes to build an aquarium has doubled, from roughly three months to six months, he said.
Sourcing the fish has also become a challenge. Some remote tropical islands have cut off …