Questions & Answers
What is your favorite thing about working at Aquarium Co-Op?
My favorite part of working at Aquarium Co-Op is the sense of community and family. Everything I do feels important and it shows in things like sales and views. And it’s a good feeling to know people trust my judgement.
Tell us about your work history. I’m self-taught in every sense. I learned everything I know through many hours of research and practice. My love for cinematography and music inspires me to keep learning and to produce the highest quality photos and videos within my skillset.
What has been your best moment while working for Aquarium Co-Op? My best moments are meeting with the legends of this hobby, documenting their journey and putting it out there for the world to see.
What do you do in your daily job at Aquarium Co-Op? My main job is to be the cameraman and edit the videos from scratch to finish. All graphics, animation, color, sound, and music are included. I also design labels and graphics for many of our products in-house and take all product photos for our website.
What is your favorite fish and why? My favorite fish are Celestial Pearl Danios because they look like a tiny brook trout, Pseudomugil luminatus (Red Neon Blue Eye Rainbowfish) because I like their amazing fin action and Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi (Yellow Rainbowfish) because I love rainbows, how they flash and because it’s really hard to find a nice yellow fish.
What is your dream aquarium? An aquascaped 800 Gallon tank with as many Celestial Pearl Danios and as many as you can fit.
– Type of tank: Community planted tank – How long has it been setup? About 6-8 months – Fish stocking list: Celestial Pearl Danios, Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi, Pseudomugil luminatus, cherry shrimp, ramshorn snails – What is your biggest goal or challenge with this aquarium? Evaporation is my biggest challenge because it’s open top
Which products would you recommend highly?
Easy Green because it is very user-friendly and not too complicated. It is safe for almost all types of livestock and can grow plants well. It takes the guess work out of fertilizing aquarium plants. – Xtreme Krill and Spirulina Flake Foods – Flake food is very versatile because you can feed larger flakes to large fish, but you can also break them up to feed nano fish. Xtreme flakes look more natural than other flake foods. They have grooves, so they don’t appear processed. It was created by an experienced hobbyist and not a large company. The reason why I use both types of flakes is because you can’t just feed protein or veggies all the time, you have to mix it up so that your fish get a variety of foods. Coarse Sponge pad because it can be cut to fit any filter. It also has the perfect amount pores per square inch, so it doesn’t need to be cleaned as often.
Do not spend too much on livestock that you do not have the right habitat for. It will lead to disaster and cost you money. Be patient. Once you have the right setup, then you can spend the money. – Don’t jump to conclusions when your fish are doing something out of the ordinary, medication should be used as a last resort. If you don’t have the space to cover your tank, put a lid over it overnight. In my experience, my fish always jump out of the tank at nighttime – especially rainbow fish. – Only stock your tanks to the point where you will not have a disaster if something else is taking up more of your attention or you are away from your tanks for an extended period of time. Lighter stocking is always better and always take into account for worst case scenario. I.E. You’re away for seven days. A good trim on your plants will go a long way. Trimming plants keeps them healthy and will allow them to grow more bushy. A trim is a good way to ensure your plants don’t get too big or shade out other plants, even if you keep them in jungle tanks. Don’t be afraid to use your scissors!