Entrepreneur Jace Swims described the aquatic deep dive he took in opening Jace Exotics, which sells unique fish and plants at 6528 Cornell Avenue, Suite A in Broad Ripple.

"As far as fish, we specialize in exotic varieties of saltwater and some freshwater fish. We have a broad variety of fish and plants. Everything is hand-picked by me personally. For anybody who has a tank in Indy, we have some unique pieces and we try to have something different for customers every week. We specialized in underwater corals for aquariums. We have mature fish as well since we're a fish boutique. Some larger stores could be selling fish for $300 to $400, but our fish are at the $200 price point. We have mature size fish for mature size tanks. We also have at-home services and customer tank builds. For everyone who has a tank that may have a $500 to $800 per month expense, my crew and I can get it to down to about $300 a month. A lot of our clientele are everywhere from kids learning about Nemo (from Disney's 2003 Pixar film 2003) to aquarists that have 200 to 300 to 500-gallon fish tank. We try to be a seller of sustainable, captive fish as well," he explained.

He wants customers to learn more about his shop beyond their diverse inventory. "We also want to do outreach where kids can stop in and learn about fish and aquariums for an hour on the weekend for about two to three weekends while their parents can shop nearby. We want to do community outreach in Broad Ripple, not only just selling fish, but also educating people about them as well. Each of our tanks uses crystallized sea salt and reverse osmosis water. We also use a separate filtration systems for each tank. Our fish are taken care of as pets until they find a new home. We focus on having a variety of exotic fish at great prices to people's homes in Indy," Swims noted

Jace Exotics obtains some of their species from a few foreign countries, like the Great Barrier Reef. According to www.wikipedia.org, The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system (an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals) that is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 square miles). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

A historic Central Indiana location created a new business opportunity for him. "When I moved back from Los Angeles at the end of COVID I saw how progressive Broad Ripple has grown. It has that neighborhood feel and city life energy as well," he observed.

Swims' background has taken him on a global journey so far. "I am of Filipino/African American heritage and from a military family. Born and raised in Mississippi, I was a former Marketing and Public Relations Director for Cosmetic Surgeons in Beverly Hills. I moved to Indy when I was 18 with my family. I've been a ton of amazing places in the world, but I love this city the most. Having a business in The Iconic "Broad Ripple" while doing something I'm passionate about is a dream come true. After having worked in PR for the past 8 years (rewarding yet stressful), I feel in love with marine life while surfing, lobster diving, and snorkeling. During the quarantine in Indy, my marine aquarium helped me get through mental strain of the Pandemic. However, the quarantine gave me the opportunity to construct a business plan in the amazing Broad Ripple area." More information is available at: www.jace-exotics.com.

Their hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 12 Noon to 5:30 p.m. They are closed Sunday and Monday. Aquatic inquires can be answered swimmingly at (317) 931-8270.

Jace Swims can help you navigate the aquatic world of fish ownership from his dry land location in Broad Ripple.