Every purchase on Aquacellum is protected by on-chain escrow. You never pay a seller directly — funds are locked until you confirm healthy arrival.
From browsing to fish-in-tank, here's exactly what happens at every stage.
Your money never goes directly to a stranger on the internet. It sits in a transparent smart contract that both parties can verify.
We believe in transparent pricing. Buyers pay nothing extra. Sellers pay a small platform fee that funds escrow infrastructure, breeder verification, and aquatic conservation efforts.
We built Aquacellum because buying live fish online shouldn't feel like a gamble. Here's how we eliminate the risk.
Quick answers to the things most people ask before their first purchase.
You can sign in with Google, Apple, or email — a wallet is created for you behind the scenes. You never need to manage seed phrases or buy crypto directly. Payments are processed in USD and converted automatically.
You can pay with a credit card via Stripe. The system handles the on-chain escrow deposit for you. If you prefer, you can also pay directly with ETH on Base. Either way, the escrow protection is identical.
Shipping stress is normal — most fish recover within 24-48 hours after proper acclimation. The 72-hour window gives you time to assess. If the fish dies within that window, the live arrival guarantee still applies. Document everything with photos.
Most freshwater species ship nationwide with no restrictions. Some states have regulations on certain species (e.g., snakeheads, certain crayfish). Breeders are responsible for knowing shipping restrictions. If a species can't ship to your state, the listing will indicate it.
Sellers can place a weather hold on your order if temperatures at origin or destination are below 20°F or above 100°F. You'll be notified and shipping resumes when conditions improve. Your escrow remains locked and protected throughout the delay.
Open the app, switch to Breeder mode, and complete identity verification. Once approved, you can list specimens from your logbook directly onto the marketplace. There's no listing fee — you only pay the 4% platform fee when a sale completes, and part of that goes to conservation.
Yes. Many breeders offer local pickup with no shipping fee. Filter the marketplace by "Local Pickup" to find breeders near you. The escrow still applies — funds release after you inspect the fish in person and confirm in the app.
Aquacellum runs on Base (an Ethereum L2). But you don't need to think about this at all. Gas fees are covered by us, wallet creation is automatic, and the escrow works in the background. The blockchain is the infrastructure — not the user experience.