Fish Blog

Tycho:

This isn’t just lighting, this fish actually has all those gorgeous colors!

Goldfish: Mom, dad or grandma/pa that just wants an ‘easy pet’ for their kid/grandkid, has a 2 gallon tank, and is shocked and awed when I point to the tag and tell them goldfish need at least 30 gallons and get a good 12 inches. Most will allow me to direct them to guppies instead. Small subgroup will become incensed with me and insist on the goldfish anyway.

GloFish: Small child whose parents are letting them pick or bratty teenager that points to them and goes ‘WOW, a PINK FISH!’ Always wants just one and I have to explain they’re tetra and need a large group. Small subgroup of people that ask for 8 of them and then come marching back to me from the register with ‘I had no idea they were NINE DOLLARS EACH! That’s INSANE!’

Cichlids: Always some 20 something who smells like weed and thinks they’re gangster. This must be just a local thing. Feeds feeder goldfish, is always in buying new cichlids, almost every week. Where do they all go, when each fish needs 55+ gallons? I’ve stopped asking, customer is high anyway. I wish there was a subgroup of people that know what they’re doing, but there isn’t. I’m glad we reduced our stock of cichlids.

Guppies: Actually the easiest to sell, most people seem to know what they’re doing if they want guppies, oddly. What I direct people to if they have around a 5 gallon and originally wanted a goldfish or something inappropriate.

Tetra: Either someone who wants 1 of each type and just wants ‘all kinds of different fish!’ in their tank, or someone with a 55-75 gallon that actually buys proper schools. There’s no in between.

Cory cats: ‘It cleans the bottom right?’

Plecos: SUBURBAN MOM that comes back and immediately barks at me ‘I need a sucker/cleaner fish!’ with no introduction, no polite greeting. Daily nightmare, 0/10.

Livebearers (mollies, etc): Either also the ‘I want ALL kinds of different fish!’ person with no idea what they’re actually doing who will put them with tetra OR people who have no idea what they’re doing but politely ask me and let me plan an appropriate hard water livebearer tank for them that fits our local water supply and will be the easiest to maintain for a beginner.

Photos by Chasing Linnaeus

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit a store a friend of mine just opened in Seattle, called Aquarium Zen.  Today’s grand opening has been a couple years in the making, and I was privileged to be asked to come in before the crowds to capture the energy of the place.  The boutique is less a fish shop than it is an experience.  In his words:

My goal when designing the space was to create a sort of alternate universe where the contrast between the chaos of urban street life would juxtapose with the tranquility of the aquatic life held within.  The idea was to create a natural sanctuary that is artificial but still resonates with the healing vibes you might associate with a walk in the forest or sitting by a stream.  The space itself is nearly a hundred years old and is loaded with character – exposed brick walls, skylights, old growth Douglas fir exposed beams and hardwood floors.  Not your typical pet shop.  

We cater to a style of aquarium keeping that originated in Japan called the “Nature Aquarium,” which tries to elevate the aquarium to an art form.