W ATER—one of the four elements that the Greek philosophers believed made up the Universe. The others, of course, were earth, air and fire. Fortunately, environments for fish only require three of these: water, earth and air. Anyone keeping fish in captivity must consider not only the quality of the water, but also the quantity of dissolved oxygen and the chemical make-up of the substrate. Taking a broad perspective, a fish tank should have all elements working in harmony. Proper aquarium maintenance will see to this most of the time, but when things get out of whack, it’s time to call in the special forces. 

The question is: “As a dealer, how do you make money on this situation?” Well, the answer has never been as simple as selling products that change the water chemistry. Only a pro-active approach is going to work. You must become a teacher, as well as a retailer. The proper sequence is something like: diagnose the problem, clean the aquarium thoroughly, reset critical parameters, observe and be patient, and be prepared to either repeat your previous actions or pursue a new route to success.

Let’s go back to the very genesis, when the tank is being set up. Has the gravel been thoroughly washed before it is placed in the tank? For that matter, has the tank been cleaned before it is used? My suggested protocol is as follows: (1) set the tank on its stand or an equally firm surface, (2) fill it to the brim with untreated tap water at 80 degrees, (3) let it set undisturbed for at least two hours, (4) after checking all seams for leaks, gradually drain the water out while wiping down the internal glass surfaces with a clean towel. Now, place the tank on its stand exactly where it will be located.

Next, add the washed gravel. As you gradually fill the tank, place any rocks or other décor items. Of course, don’t add any live plants or fish yet. Don’t forget, before the rocks go in the tank, they should be thoroughly scrubbed. Use water only, no cleaners of any kind. 

When things go sideways in a tank, there can be many culprits. Mistakes by the aquarist are most typically the cause, but not always. In some localities, even the water used to set up the tank can vary in contaminates. Different times of year may mean the water itself is different. When it becomes necessary to question the safety of tap water for an aquarium, you might be better off using RO/DI water—even for freshwater environments.

The most money you can make selling water treatments will be to offer RO/DI water to your customers. There are drawbacks to this, of­ course, but they are really more of an inconvenience than anything else. Holding vessels for RO/DI can take up a large amount of space, especially if you are selling both distilled freshwater and salted water. Chemicals and membranes must be replaced on a regular basis. The great thing about selling RO/DI water besides the profit is that customers will come to your store on a regular basis. And they almost always walk out with something else that caught their eye—an ornament, a fish, a plant, a can of fish food, a rock, a piece of coral, or even equipment. Keep your prices reasonable, and your business will gain the reputation for being “hobbyist-friendly.” 

Classically, the category of water treatments applied to only two types of products: those that deactivated the chlorine or chloramines in tap water, and those that would medicate sick fish. Unfortunately, thanks to the over-reaching bureaucracy of the federal government, many highly effective drugs for treatment of aquatic livestock have been removed from the retail market. Thus, you, the aquatic shop owners, are the single best people to tell a fishkeeper what drug to use for this sick fish. And there is the rub; as much as you want to believe that your customers can describe a malady accurately, the odds are great that is a fact devoutly to be wished. Photos from a cell phone can help, of course, because you do not want to encourage people to bring in their sick fish for you to look at.

So, when it comes to selling medications to treat sick fish, try to get your hands on as many brands, types and treatments as you can. Then, systematically use them on fish in your store to determine their efficacy. The real trick is to diagnose the problem correctly. That’s not always easy, even for a veteran.

This is important! All medications for freshwater and reef animals (fish or not) should be displayed behind lock and key. They will disappear off pegs, shelves and any other “open” form of display. So, placing them in a locked glass-fronted cabinet with explanatory placards and the prices in view is the only safe way to go. Be particularly vigilant if you sell coral frags with only a few heads. These can be plucked directly from the water without the use of a net. 

Finally, the aquatic segment is still experiencing strong sales and as long as the supply of livestock holds up, the trade should remain healthy. I do worry about the supply chain however. It’s always something.  PB

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