A: Working at Aquarium Co-Op has been quite different than my last couple jobs which were in more of a corporate setting. One of my favorite aspects so far is the amazing people I get to work with every day. From local club representatives, brand ambassadors and my co-workers, there is never a dull moment. I love making people happy with what they do, and seeing the reactions of people who are surprised by my goodies. I also really love the laid-back attitude of everyone around here, we get a lot of things done, but at the end of the day, it’s great to be surrounded by friends.
I obtained my degree in Pennsylvania at Lebanon Valley College – a Bachelor of Science in Digital Communications. As far as the hobby, I primarily aquascape, but I have only competed once so far. I placed sixth in Aquatic Experience’s nano aquascaping competition. I intend to keep competing!
A: I’m sure I’ll have many more since I’ve only been around a short time… But, my favorite so far was watching our brand ambassadors open their first care package. It was so satisfying to watch their excitement and surprise.
A My day-to-day job is to finish many of the on-going programs and projects. It includes improving the product pages, sending care packages to members and ambassadors, and coordinating with local aquarium clubs for donations. I also do many other tasks that Cory needs so that he can concentrate on bigger picture items. Though I am still learning the ropes, I hope to get as many projects completed as I can to continue driving business forward.
A: My absolute favorite fish are Golden White Cloud Mountain Minnows. They possess so many wonderful aspects. They can thrive in tanks without heaters, which is why I prefer an aesthetic aquarium that doesn’t use any equipment. They are just really neat to me!
A: My dream aquarium would probably be a giant aquascape in a nature aquarium style. I have always wanted to see Florestas Submersas, Takashi Amano’s largest aquascape. I would like something like that in my house with a couple thousand nano fish schooling around, preferably ones to go with the native habitat of the plants in my giant aquascape. And I would hire staff to take care of it for me
– Tanks Type This is a high-tech planted aquascape. How many years has it been in place? 2! However, it was re-scaped once. – List the fish in it: Right now, I have green neon tetras, celestial pearl danios, blue dream neocaridina and black rose neocaridina shrimp, Amano shrimp and a couple nerite snails. What was the greatest challenge or goal you had with your aquarium? It was difficult to avoid algae when it was first set up. Once my cycle was established, it wasn’t too bad, but I still get an outbreak every now and then when the balance between light, nutrients and CO2 is tweaked. Staghorn algae is a result of too much sunlight.
A I have never seen an Aquarium Co-Op product which I didn’t like. One of my favorites is the sponge filter. I have a small size one and it’s perfect for my betta fish, he is never bothered by flow and his water stays really oxygen rich, so he doesn’t have to swim to the surface for air continuously. Easy Green is also a favorite of mine. It has been used on my aquascapes for many years. I only need to do two pumps each time I water my plants. They are lush and healthy. In fact, they’re growing like weeds.
Do not rush! This goes for everything, including aquascaping, spawning, growing and cycling. This hobby is not instantly gratifying, in order to properly take care of your fish buddies and plants, take your time! Rushing through processes usually results in losing expensive livestock or equipment. – Research, research, research. You should seriously research any product before making a purchase. The internet is your friend. However, you should always take your LFS’s advice with a grain of salt. You can also do your own research at your home. Although they aren’t always right, they have a vested financial interest. Do what makes YOU happy. If you want artificial plants, get them! If you want rainbow gravel, go for it. Not everyone has the same style and your aquarium should match you. Don’t let internet people tell you what you should and shouldn’t decorate your tank with, let your creativity flow! – Don’t jump to conclusions about your fish. Although this is hard for me to do, if something seems wrong with your fish, don’t assume that you have the right answer. Always think about all possibilities. Do some research. Talk to other people. It’s highly likely that someone else out there has had the exact same issue or experience, learn first and make a well-informed decision afterwards. – Make more water changes. This is the most important piece of advice I can give. Your fish, plants and other livestock appreciate nice, clean water. Don’t you? Also, less waste/nutrient buildup equals less algae.