Growing up on a small farm in DeLeon Springs, Florida, caring for animals was just a part of everyday life so I never thought of myself as a hobbyist. I spent a good deal of my free time fishing and swimming in Central Florida lakes and rivers. DeLeon Springs and the run there was one of my favorites. You could see the Mullet and Bass and Bream swimming 20 feet or more down in the crystal clear water and I was always trying to get down to them.

I started my first fish tank when I was around 9 or 10 years old. It was just a small ten gallon aquarium with a few guppies and neon tetras. I didn't know anything about fish husbandry other than, like any animal, they need a clean home and good food. That simple rule still holds true. 

Through the years my tanks got bigger and I tried new things. I had Cichlids. I even dug a pond and put in fish we caught on fishing trips. When I was in the Air Force and was stationed in Thailand I found Red Oscars in a aquarium store the local market and had to have them. I took the fish and equipment back to the barracks and set it up. They were a big hit and we fed them with guppies we caged from the pond at the officers club.

I first tried my hand at saltwater in 1985. There wasn’t much information available at that time about water chemistry and filtration but I did OK for several years. I was also raising kids so I eventually converted to Cichlids again which I kept until I moved back to Florida in 1997.

For almost 9 years I didn't have an aquarium. My carreer as an Information Technology consultant was at it's peak and I spent a good deal of time on the road.  I began looking for a small business to start or purchase. I came across Seven Seas. It reminded me of the fish stores I've roamed around in most of my life. I was hooked, for better or worse. If you have been in the store you probably know the rest of the story.

Turns out that running a LFS is hard work. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of my beautiful wife Lorna. And Chad too. Most of all it's the customers who, like me, just enjoy keeping fish. This is a great hobby. I want to make this a great fish store.