# How to get into the aquatics business? (job looking)



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I'm wondering if any fish places are hiring. I know a few basics about fish keeping and my fish have been alive since ~Apr/2009 so I must be doing something right knowing the nitrogen cycle.

I'd like to get into a fish job and learn more but I'm not seeing any places hiring. I know some of the GTAA'ers here own some businesses and wondering if there is any opening for a rookie? 

I've a background in computers but burnt out from that and fish, aquaculture, agriculture are my interests now and trying to find some leads to try something different. 

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## oshiet (Oct 23, 2009)

Volunteer your time to do water changes at your favorite LFS.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Yellow Pages, call up all the LFS / Aquatic garden places and ask around. Visiting them is not a good idea. 

I'm a firm believer that 90% of all jobs are rarely advertised.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

I'd say if you're looking for something fish related get started working somewhere like Big Al's or something along those lines to get some more experience behind you. I'm not personally planning on hiring anyone at least until next summer when pond season starts again but I know that when I do whomever I hire will need to have a good few years of fish experience in order to qualify. I know when I was working for another company, my years of experience and ownership of sooo many tanks was what got me the position despite lacking the normally required biology or similar degree. 

Last thing myself, or any other service oriented business owner would want was a customer calling and saying that, "AquaNeko told me to do X" and having to contradict the employee if the information is wrong or incomplete. Not that I'm saying you couldn't do most of the basic stuff but you really need to know your stuff inside and out when you're dealing with other people's tanks. You have to be able to take apart every piece of equipment and know how to put it back together, you need to be familiar with all the brands, you need to be able to identify most common fish species on sight, you need to be able to take care of every type of setup be it community, cichlid, planted, predatory, sw, fw, pond or other. A fish store is exactly the type of place you'd get that kind of background as is keeping fish for a good long time. Keeping fish alive since April 2009 is great but keeping them alive since April 2007 would be better. 

So if you're really interested in working with fish I'd say go the store route and then try for something bigger later on when you have more experience under your saddle.


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