About Us
Born out of a passion for ocean life and reef keeping, Harbie's Harbor is working to bring a small piece of the ocean to your home. Aquaculture is what we do and what we strive to do well! Located in the farmland of Salem, Ohio we are growing quality corals for your tank. We carry a variety or corals including SPS, LPS, and Soft Corals. In addition we culture live phytoplankton and copepods for you to fuel your tank with nutrition to keep your corals happy and healthy. Welcome to the Harbor!
The Benefits of Aquaculture:
There are many benefits to buying aquacultured corals! There is a reason why there has been such a push for it in this hobby nowadays. Firstly aquacultured corals are better adapted to live in our home aquariums. Because they are grown and raised in controlled tank environments they are already adapted to things such as the artificial lighting that we use to illuminate our tanks. In addition they are better able to handle the parameter swings that tend to happen in our systems. Secondly, Aquacultured corals are going through much less stress before they get to you. Shipping from distant locations and making multiple stops before they get to you increases the mortality rate of corals that are coming directly from reefs. And Finally, more aquacultured corals means less corals being harvested from coral reefs, thus better protecting and conserving our environment. Purchasing aquacultured corals helps you get a quality product and protect the environment at the same time!
The Owner - Josh Harbin
As a young boy I was always fascinated with ocean life. The beauty and diversity captivated me. For many years I dreamed of being a Marine Biologist. While that dream may not have panned out exactly as I planned, here I am many years later testing water, caring for marine animals, studying them, and caring for my own little slice of ocean. I love sharing that passion with others and what better way than to let other people experience these amazing creatures in their own home. That is why I founded Harbie's Harbor. I studied Human Services at Kent State University where I received my associates degree. When I'm not growing coral I also work as a Youth Pastor and Brand Ambassador for Voyager Coffee & Tea.
Why the Name "Harbie's Harbor?"
It all started back in high school with a nickname. In Senior English class our teacher was not too happy with our class and was letting us have it. Apparently we didn't do the assignment right. For some reason most of the yelling was being directed at me. As he was yelling, I realized I had done the assignment correctly. So I decided to open my big mouth and tell him that I had done it right. To which he responded "WELL GOOD FOR YOU HARBIE!" (A play on my last name, Harbin). We all laughed and our teacher basically forgot what he was yelling about. The name stuck and many of my friends and my teacher started calling me Harbie. And the Harbor? Well the Harbor is where everyone comes to bring their goods and send them to the world. We've collected corals from around the world to send to the world of your home.