“ I didn ’ t take the typical high school to college route ,” Lewis said . But after backpacking through Europe and trying to figure it out , he found himself in a marine biology class at Daytona State College — and that changed everything . As part of a project , Lewis worked at a tilapia farm and started to learn more about what would become his future . He started working at the Volusia County Science Center as an assistant aquarist . He also managed another aquarium store . Lewis had found his calling and what he knew could be a lifelong career .
“ I ’ ve been to a lot of businesses in my life , and I can tell you that every business has some sort of an aquarium in it ,” he said . “ I knew this was a sustainable business . People love aquariums because it ’ s like you ’ re looking at a whole other world inside of a little tank .”
Since Lewis took the reins of The Fish Tank , the company has expanded to include service , while maintaining its original purpose — selling fish and helping those who want to start a new hobby . In addition to selling fresh and saltwater fish and corals ,
The Fish Tank offers aquarium maintenance , installation and water delivery .
“ Rich ( Pence ) did this for a long time — a lot longer than someone who was just doing it as a hobby — and he did a wonderful job with it ,” Lewis said . “ But he wasn ’ t really into the technology . I think that ’ s what ’ s changed the most since I bought the business . The technology has really evolved and became a part of aquaculture — everything from pumps and filters to incandescent bulbs .”
Customers who visit The Fish Tank can buy fish ranging from $ 2.99 to $ 699 . They import fish from all over the globe , with a large portion of their freshwater fish coming from local waters . The Fish Tank relies on local government laws to safely import their products .
Nearly one in eight American households has fish as pets . According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ( FDACS ), Florida is the No . 1 producer of aquarium fish and aquatic plants in the U . S . Aquarium fish
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