OT: Today was a Great Day

[Dentoid]

Originally Posted by BigAl07

If you're cracking up all day over me you need to seriously evaluate your time at RS. Scott you need help! I suggest a long evening session of NOX! Yeah that's it Allen

I think you could use it too! Maybe a long, slow root canal.

[BigAl07]

OUCHIE! I had one last year... it wasn't THAT bad!!

Yeah I think I may has RSA.

Allen

[sasquatch]

Well id like to read it, congrats Jack! so whats next a book and tour?

[BigAl07]

sas, you and I will have to start a Jack fanclub! Maybe even become groupies and stuff

Allen

[AQTCJAK]

Originally Posted by sasquatch

Well id like to read it, congrats Jack! so whats next a book and tour?

I think a issue signing Al can be the pilot & you can be the body guard

[BigAl07]

Yes SIR! Da Plane is ready when you are Boss

Sas, no funny business... last time you wanted to fly blindfolded ... I still haven't cleaned my pants completely yet...

[AQTCJAK]

I can see it now Honey I am off on a signing tour be back ahhhhhh.................

[AQTCJAK]

OK I tried to scan them that worked out ok not the strightest in the world but it was readable. When I converted it to a pdf it was to large to post. So I shrank everything down converted it again then you couldnt read it. SO I will e-mail Petage tomorrow & ask for a copy in Word to post.

[AQTCJAK]

Well I finally got a digital copy it is a long but good read

54 pet age l OCTOBER 2007
➤ Contact Cathy Foster at (312) 663-4040 or cfoster@hhbacker.com.
Got A TRAINING TIP?
Maintaining In-Store Aquariums
An aggressive aquarium maintenance program may drive up the price of your
fish, but providing quality animals means a fulfilling experience that can make
hobbyists loyal to your store. By Matt Bolch
Failure to clean the aquariums
properly constitutes a firing
offense at The Reef Pet Shop
in Indianapolis. In fact, owner Kevin
Hoovler recently let an employee go
after the worker added 56-degree water
to a large saltwater aquarium, causing
an outbreak of ich.
“I fired him flat out for being ignorant
and lying to me,” Hoovler said.
“I don’t ever want to come in and see
dead fish.”
Like Hoovler, Jerry Whitfield, owner
of Atlantis Aquarium in Marietta, Ga.,
is a stickler for impeccable tank maintenance.
“We only sell fish, so what
goes out of here better be healthy,” said
Whitfield, who’s owned a succession
of pet shops in the metro Atlanta area
since 1968. “Many other pet stores
think of fish as a necessary evil to sell
other products, but we sell healthy
animals and don’t worry about the dry
goods.”
These retailers and others who share
their philosophy believe that the quality
of their fish and their presentation
in the tanks take precedence over just
about everything else. While big-box
pet retailers may sell fish at or below
cost as a way to get customers in to
purchase other items, specialty retailers
know that their reputations rest on
selling healthy fish that will thrive in
customers’ aquariums.
That’s why they have implemented
aggressive aquarium maintenance
programs in their stores. The labor
involved may drive up the cost of fish,
but providing quality fish means a fulfilling
experience for the hobbyist—and
that increases customer loyalty.
Central Versus Individual
Filtration
Retailers are split over the use of centralized
filtration systems. Some feel that
central systems do a good job of handling
general water quality and filtering
out larger particulate matter, while others
believe that diseases can spread more
quickly through such systems.
Whitfield uses a central system to
handle basic water quality for the 200
aquariums in his store. However, he
estimates that employees spend an additional
50 to 60 hours each week handling
individual tank maintenance.
Jack Robinson IV, owner of Aquatic
Keeping aquariums pristine is a top priority at
The Reef Pet Shop in Indianapolis.
Handling Pet
Food Safely
The Pennsylvania Department of
Health recently identified 21
people with illness caused by an
uncommon strain of Salmonella, most
likely connected to the feeding of dry
dog food.
To help prevent such occurrences,
Calvin B. Johnson, the state’s health
secretary, reminded consumers of steps
they can take to safely handle pet food
and treats:
F Purchase canned or bagged foods
and treats with no visible signs of damage
to the packaging, such as dents, tears or
discolorations.
F Do not feed pets in the kitchen.
F Wash your hands for 20 seconds
with soap and hot water before and after
handling food and treats.
F Wash food bowls, dishes and scoops
with soap and hot water after each use,
but not in the kitchen sink. In households
in which there is no alternative,
adequately sanitize the kitchen sink after
washing these items.
F Do not use food bowls as a food
scoop. Instead, use a clean, dedicated
scoop, spoon or cup.
F Dispose of old or spoiled food products
in a safe manner, such as securely
tying them in a plastic bag and placing
them in a covered trash receptacle outside
the home.
F Do not handle or store pet food in
areas where human food is prepared.
F Promptly refrigerate or discard leftover
wet food to prevent the growth of
harmful bacteria.
F Store dry food and treats in a
cool, dry place with a temperature
below 80 F.
F If possible, store dry food in its
original bag inside a clean, dedicated
plastic container with a lid, and keep the
top of the bag folded close.
F Keep pets away from food storage
and preparation areas. pa
THE REEF PET SHOP
HANDSOn
60 ➤ Creating Display Tanks That Sizzle l 66 ➤ Health
1007PA_54_59.indd 54 8/31/07 2:37:20 PM
56 pet age l OCTOBER 2007
HANDSOn
Circle 150 on Reader Service Card. SEE US AT THE BACKER SHOW, BOOTH 1919
Aggression, uses a Marineland Retailer
Systems setup from United Pet Group
Aquatics (Blacksburg, Va.) for about
half of the 1,500 gallons of saltwater
displays in his Fresno, Calif., store. The
central filtration system features 600
watts of UV sterilization, two overflow
filters to remove ammonia and large
particulate matter, and a chiller to keep
the temperature down. Robinson said
those tanks house smaller fish, particularly
those that don’t require much
swimming or hiding room.
The ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and
phosphate levels of each tank on the
central system are checked daily, with
special care given to certain animals such
as snails, which Robinson said raise the
ammonia level fast in a central system.
Individual tanks are tested weekly.
The 3,500-square-foot Reef Pet
Shop houses more than 100 aquariums
containing more than 11,000
gallons of fresh water and salt water.
Hoovler admits that individually filtered
aquariums “are a major pain to keep
clean,” but he believes that healthier
fish result.
“We do it for disease control,”
Hoovler said. “It’s easier to treat 20
gallons of water versus 4,000 gallons of
water. If we can keep up with the water
quality, we will have happier customers—
and happier fish.”
Hoovler works with a number of
trusted fish suppliers that he selected
after inspecting their facilities. The store
owner knows that the discus and stingrays
that he purchases are raised in a pH
of 6.4, the tetras in 7.0 and the angelfish
in 7.2, and he keeps tanks at the store in
the matching pH range.
Quarantine Tanks
The prevailing mantra in the industry
only a few years ago, Whitfield said,
was to receive a new shipment of fish
on Wednesday or Thursday, and sell
AQUARIUM
MAINTENANCE TIPS
Here are a few quick pointers to
ensure your tanks stay clean
and your fish healthy:
F Remember that proper
maintenance is an ongoing process,
not something to be done once
a week and then forgotten about
until the next week.
F Be consistent with whatever
maintenance schedule you adopt.
F Consider using a manual or
computer-based maintenance log.
F Look at the tanks every day.
Are the fish eating and active?
What’s the temperature? Are
the pumps and filters working
properly?
F Vary fishes’ diets between flake
and frozen foods. At feeding time,
fish should be at the top, and the
scavengers should be active.
—Matt Bolch
1007PA_54_59.indd 56 9/10/07 12:12:26 PM
58 pet age l OCTOBER 2007
HANDSOn
to see them and come back often to see
what’s new,” Whitfield said. “We pride
ourselves on the inventory of livestock
instead of the inventory of dry goods.”
Burton Patrick, who owns seven Pet
Supplies “Plus” stores in the Pittsburgh
area, believes so strongly in the health of
the fish he sells that he has established
a central quarantine area where fish
Circle 156 on Reader Service Card
them between Thursday and Monday
without giving much thought to the
actual health of the animals. It’s a view
that some owners still hold, but not
Whitfield, who purposely stocks a wide
variety of fish to encourage repeat visits.
“Twenty-five to 30 percent of our
inventory sells rarely, but customers
want to see them, not to buy them, but
bought from distributors are initially
housed.
“Quarantine might be a week or two,
but if the fish come in rough, stays of
four weeks or longer are not uncommon,”
said Patrick, who has a background
in zoological sciences. Prior
to his 15 years at Pet Supplies “Plus,”
Patrick was a field biologist for the state
of Michigan, owned trout farms and
served as operations manager of the
Detroit Zoo for three years.
Taking better care of the animals
was the idea behind the central quarantine
area. “In the process of holding
fish, their immune systems can get
depressed,” Patrick said. “Ich is everywhere.
The question is, how stressed are
the fish to allow it to take hold?”
Saltwater fish, especially, are susceptible
to changes in pH and oxygenation
levels, and a quick aeration can kill
them, Patrick said. Keeping fish in quarantine
until they acclimatize just makes
sense, he said.
At the store level, aquariums are
on separate systems to prevent disease.
Three of the seven stores are heavily
aquatic, and up to three full-time
people are primarily responsible for the
fish, tank maintenance, customer service
and the ordering of aquatic supplies at
each store. Gravel cleaning and water
changes are done three times a week.
Algae is removed every day, and moreintensive
cleanings are done two or
three times a week.
Consistent Maintenance
At The Reef Pet Shop, maintenance
starts at 9 a.m. Monday when workers
arrive. Three to four people in the
freshwater area start on weekly water
changes using a clean-and-fill kit from
At Atlantis Aquarium, employees spend 50 to
60 hours each week performing individual tank
maintenance tasks to supplement the central
filtration system.
MATT BOLCH
1007PA_54_59.indd 58 8/31/07 2:37:41 PM
pet age l OCTOBER 2007 59
Circle 155 on Reader Service Card. SEE US AT THE BACKER SHOW, BOOTH 3627
Python Products Inc. (Milwaukee).
They also vacuum the gravel and change
out decorations. Filter pads are changed
monthly, and carbon is replaced every
four to six weeks.
One deep sink at each end of the
store and 700 feet of hose facilitate
water changes. Hardwater aquariums
are refilled with tap water treated with
conditioners. Softwater aquariums are
refilled with a mixture of 40 percent tap
water and 60 percent reverse-osmosis
water.
The decorations that are taken from
the tanks are bleached and left out to
dry, and clean ones put in their place.
When The Reef Pet Shop started rotating
decorations, Hoovler spent more
than $3,000 on enough decorations to
allow weekly changes without having
to put newly bleached ornaments back
into the tanks, he said. The store has to
replace decorations from time to time,
but Hoovler said the initial expense to
allow sufficient reserves has been worth
the cost.
“What I tell my employees about
aquarium maintenance is that whatever
it takes to get the job done, do it,”
Hoovler said. “If a filter needs to be
taken apart and cleaned, and it’s going
to take an additional 30 minutes, then
spend the time to do it right.”
Aquatic Aggression restocks every
14 days, so water changes are performed
during the off weeks. A PCbased
maintenance log helps employees
keep track of the schedule. “I use
Excel and set up a spreadsheet,” said
Robinson. “Twenty-two years ago, we
had to do it the old-fashioned way, but
the automation cuts down on human
error.”
Roger Vance, owner of Poteau Pets,
doesn’t let anyone mess with his tanks.
“I have a routine, know the tanks
and know the fish,” said Vance. The
Poteau, Okla., store has about 1,500
gallons of freshwater tanks in freshwater
display units from Dutch Aquarium
and Store Fixtures (Waxahachie, Texas)
with air-driven sponge filtration, and
300 gallons of saltwater displays.
The aquariums have an automatic
filling system, but Vance doesn’t use it
because the pH of the tap water varies
widely from day to day and from season
to season. That’s why he tests the pH in
the tanks daily and also tests new water
before adding it to the tanks. Vance is
considering the use of a reverse osmosis
system for water changes, but tries
to use plants and other natural buffers
whenever possible to reduce the need
for chemicals to adjust water.
Vance says he spends about an hour
a day, seven days a week taking care of
the aquariums. He vacuums tanks and
changes water weekly, except for the
goldfish and koi ponds, which receive
attention more often.
“Looking at the fish every day will
allow you to nip a lot of problems long
before they set in,” he said. pa
Matt Bolch is a freelance writer based in
Atlanta.
MATT BOLCH 1007PA_54_59.indd 59 8/31/07 2:37:47 PM

[boozeman]

don't know how I missed this thread....congratulations Jack

[Gina]

Informative and a good read. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[blue_eyes53813]

Tons of information , congrats your a star.

[kathywithbirds]

Originally Posted by AQTCJAK

I can see it now Honey I am off on a signing tour be back ahhhhhh.................

Is that a John Denver joke?

[kathywithbirds]

Dude, be careful of copyrights. You might get an email from the mag asking you to take that down if they see it.

[kathywithbirds]

hey I didn't say congratulations!!!!!!