Questions & Answers
What is your favorite thing about working at Aquarium Co-Op?
My favorite thing is working with our customers. I love having the opportunity to talk about anything aquarium-related with other people that share my passion. I also enjoy helping customers solve problems and set up new tanks. It always makes me feel a sense of pride when someone I help ends up having a positive and successful fish keeping experience.
What has been your best moment while working for Aquarium Co-Op?
My best moments would be any time a customer I’ve had the pleasure of assisting has a great experience. It's especially satisfying when I get the chance to help someone set up their aquarium and then later on, they show me pictures of the amazing final product.
What do you do in your daily job at Aquarium Co-Op?
In my time at the Aquarium Co-Op, I have been fortunate enough to experience all aspects of our company. I am currently the Retail Store Manager, where I have the exciting job of overseeing the care of our fish store. My tasks range from helping customers to cleaning tanks to working with our staff to ensure we foster a great customer experience. I also have the pleasure of doing all ordering of dry goods, plants, and fish for the retail store. I am particularly fond of placing our weekly fish order because I get to see and learn about new fish!
What is your favorite fish and why?
I would choose the Dwarf Petricola Catfish (Synodontis petricola) because I love that it has a sleek, streamlined body with striking patterns, distinctive spots, and high contrast colors. Plus, they have a peaceful demeanor and are small enough to be accessible for most people.
What would your dream aquarium be?
My dream aquarium would be to replace a wall in my house with one single giant tank! I love the idea of having a large, room-dividing tank full of predatory monster fish such as peacock bass, arowana, or tiger shovelnose catfish.
What is your current favorite aquarium at home?
- Type of tank: 40-gallon breeder turtle tank
- How long has it been set up? Since May 2024
- Stocking list: A rare species of turtle called the Misool Island Sideneck Turtle
- Biggest goal or challenge with this aquarium? My biggest goal and challenge with this tank go hand in hand. I want to keep the tank very clean, as turtles are extremely messy and require a lot of maintenance.
What products do you highly recommend?
- Easy Green fertilizer and Easy Root Tabs – These two products have really simplified the way to keep aquarium plants healthy and thriving in an incredible way
- Easy Plant LED – This planted tank light is great quality, easy to use, and reliable. Plus, it displays a beautiful light spectrum for viewing.
I believe these products are a great foundation for anyone looking to keep a happy and healthy aquarium.
Top 5 Tips for Hobbyists
- When stocking a new tank, introduce fish slowly. Oftentimes in our excitement, we will introduce too many new fish into a newly cycled aquarium. I love to introduce one species of fish at a time over the course of a couple weeks. I believe this process mitigates the risk of overstocking or shocking a new system.
- Always have your tank’s light on a timer. A light timer will ultimately save you an incredible amount of maintenance down the road because it mitigates algae growth that results from too much or inconsistent light exposure.
- Interact with online and local fish clubs. Utilizing the local and online fish keeping communities is one of the greatest resources for learning and growing in this hobby.
- Always keep fish medicine on hand in case of an emergency. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
- YouTube is an incredible resource for learning more about fish and the hobby in its entirety!
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