Fishing around for new hobbies - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Copperband butterflyfish. Splendid pintail fairy wrasse. Polyp stony corals.
 
The displays at Port City Aquastudio are mesmerizing, even somewhat mysterious. The shop, which opened in October in the South Front District, is a bountiful resource for aquarium hobbyists.
 
Port City Aquastudio's most valuable resources, however, are not found in an aquarium, but in the mind of owner T.J. Lysiak.
 
With 20 years of experience in the business and a marine biology degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Lysiak is passionate about aquariums and the creatures that inhabit them. The fact that he's earning a living at it is a bonus.
 
And business is good, not only for Lysiak but for the aquarium trade in general. Along with so many things, the COVID-19 pandemic has touched the aquarium business.
 
Chris Clevers is president of Hikari Sales USA, which specializes in premium aquatic food.
 
"From all indications, COVID-19 has people who were on the fence about an aquarium diving in and those already in the hobby spending time upgrading their tanks and spending lots of time tending to their fish as a welcomed diversion from the stress of being locked down," he told Pet Product News.
 
The lack of places to spend money along with stimulus checks has created a perfect storm for the aquarium industry, Clevers said.
 
"We see a big increase in consumer questions via our website, phone and email customer service areas, which means folks are engaged and eager to connect and talk about fish," he said.
 
Like most people in the aquarium business, it's been a lifetime hobby for Lysiak.
 
"As a child, I received my first aquarium at age 6, and I've never been without one since. Aquariums and fish just simply fascinated me, even as a child," Lysiak said. "I was the kid that would ask for National Geographic documentaries and David Attenborough documentaries for Christmas rather than a video game. My family always knew that it was a true passion for me."
 
Although Lysiak chose marine biology and ultimately earned his degree, neither teaching nor research had much appeal. Research work, he said, is too tied to grants – money that eventually runs out. And time in a classroom would be time away from where his passion lay – directly in the world of fish, corals and other sea life.
 
"This is not work for me," Lysiak said, standing amid the marine-life treasures he knows like the back of his hand. "Every once in a while I stop and I look around and I'm like, am I just goofing off? Is this even real? It's almost surreal to me. And so it's more than just an interest. It is a passion."
 
And that passion and knowledge, Lysiak said, are the most valuable things he can offer customers. For example, since Lysiak propagates most of his fish and corals, he knows exactly what kind of water and environment they need to be in and understands the importance of other factors, such as temperature and light acclimation.
 
Since Lysiak propagates fish and corals, it means fewer fish are taken out of the wild.
 
That is part of his conservation credo, which underlies his commitment to donate 10% of his gross revenue to groups that help marine life. It also satisfies one of his career goals, which is to make the biggest impact possible on his life's passion.
 
Blanton Hamrick also is in the aquarium business.
 
He and his wife, Ebby, opened Big Fish, 1616 Shipyard Blvd., about four months ago. As with Lysiak, Blanton Hamrick has been an aquarium enthusiast most of his life.
 
Before the Tar Heel native moved back to North Carolina a decade ago, he owned a pet store in Kentucky for eight years before selling it to a competitor, something he still regrets.
 
"We opened a bowling alley right across the street, and that's where all my time and money went," Blanton Hamrick said. "Honestly, I was really sad to let the store go."
 
But he didn't leave the fish world behind, even at the bowling alley.
 
"I've always done it. I've always had aquariums and reptiles and everything at my house," he said. "Even at the bowling alley, I had a little section of fish tanks and reptiles and stuff like that. It was pretty neat."
 
Shops such as Big Fish and Port City Aquastudio help fill the hole left by the commercial chains that trade in the lower end of the business. Today's aquarium hobbyists are more demanding, looking for unique – and sometimes rare – species.
 
"A lot of people are into little nano fish and the oddballs, the rarities that you can't find at Petco or PetSmart," Blanton Hamrick said.
 
At the same time, he said, his shop has something for everyone.
 
"A kid can get a starter aquarium, something easy. We have like beta fish, different little cheap fish that they can start off with and go from there," he said.
 
Even for those not into the hobby – or maybe just a little curious – specialty aquarium shops such as Port City Aquastudio and Big Fish are fun to visit.
 
"We really like them to come in and get the aquarium spirit," Blanton Hamrick said. "Maybe they'll get it in their blood and start new tanks or revive old ones. People come in and see this and they're like, 'Oh, you know, I'm gonna get back into the hobby.'"