Fish Tank has been serving aquarium fans for 50 years in Daytona ... - Daytona Beach News-Journal

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DAYTONA BEACH — Like many novice aquarium owners, Brad Lewis had his share of unsuccessful attempts at keeping tropical fish alive in bygone childhood fish tanks.

Now, the lessons learned in those long-ago failures provide the foundation of knowledge that he passes along to customers at The Fish Tank, an independently owned aquarium store that has been a fixture for 50 years in Daytona Beach.

"We had a fresh-water tank at home when I was a kid, but we kept killing the fish all the time," said Lewis, who has owned the store for the past 11 years. "Now, years later, I know exactly what we did."

With the tranquil murmur of dozens of aquarium pumps and a wall-to-wall sea-worthy blue color scheme, the vibe at The Fish Tank is just as serene as its name suggests.

Yet business is booming on a recent afternoon, as the 10-member staff hustles to unpack boxes of new inventory, a shipment that represents a portion of the hundreds of tropical fish, coral and invertebrates that arrive at the 3,800-square foot shop each week.

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Every inch of wall space is lined with tanks of all sizes filled with everything from neon tetras, one of the go-to staples for fresh-water tanks at $2.99 each, to a rarer species such as the saltwater Achilles Tang at $699.

Except for the weeks immediately following the start of school in the fall, business is steady all year long, Lewis said.

"In the past few years, we've even done pretty good for Black Friday," he said.

For Lewis, 42, the path to ownership of The Fish Tank started in his early 20s, when a marine biology class at Daytona State College inspired him to become serious about fish, installing 30-gallon and 125-gallon tanks at home.

Later, he would work for several years as assistant aquarist at the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet before joining the staff at The Fish Tank under its founder and original owner Rich Pence. When Pence decided to retire from the business, Lewis jumped at the chance to take the reins.

For Fish Tank founder, banking led to aquarium business

Pence, 78, who owns four fish tanks at home, still works two or three days a week at the shop that he opened on a "shoestring budget" in 1972 after souring on a banking career.

Over 50 years, The Fish Tank has remained in the Holly Hill Plaza, at the corner of Mason Avenue and Nova Road, although it did move four doors to the south within the plaza at one point during an expansion.

"I graduated from Stetson as a finance major and went to work for a commercial bank," said Pence, recounting his own fish tale. "Then, I got interested in the hobby and realized there was really nothing in town."   

To finance the new business, Pence parted with his 1967 Corvette convertible, using the $2,500 he generated from the sale to buy lumber and concrete blocks to build display shelves, he said.

In the five decades since, he has watched both the business and the hobby evolve.

"The biggest change is the technology," Pence said. "It has affected everything from lights to pumps to filters, evolved from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. Everything is well advanced, so it should be easier for the hobbyist because the products are better."

Even so, Pence advises newcomers to take things at a moderate pace and learn as much as they can.

"People need to take their time, get established in the hobby," he said. "It's all about creating a balanced, stable environment for the fish."

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'They've been there for me'

At The Fish Tank, longtime customers such as John Uebel, 37, of Ormond Beach, attest to the knowledge and experience of the shop's employees.

"I've been in this hobby for about 20 years, but I always enjoy learning more about it with these guys," said Uebel, a self-employed car dealer. "They've run out to my house before to do water changes. The times I've really needed help, they've been there for me."

For Lewis, customer service is one of the main factors in the shop's longevity.

"We try to guide everyone in the right direction," he said, "because their success is our success."   

If you go 

WHAT: The Fish Tank

WHERE: 820 N. Nova Road, Daytona Beach

HOURS: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

CALL: 386-255-2253

ONLINE: thefishtankdb.com 

Made Just Right: About this series

The Daytona Beach News-Journal is spotlighting area businesses that have been around long enough to be an important part of our collective history. If you are the owner of a business that has been in operation for at least 25 years, or if you want to nominate a business for recognition, please contact reporter Jim Abbott at jim.abbott@news-jrnl.com Be sure to include your name, phone number and a little bit about the history of the business.

Timeline: 1972

When The Fish Tank opened its doors in 1972, here's a snapshot of what else was happening in the world:

• Five burglars were arrested for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., setting in motion the Watergate scandal.

• Eleven Israeli athletes were murdered by Arab gunmen at the Munich Olympics.

• The United States and Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and an interim treaty following the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I) talks in Moscow.

• Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky to become the World Chess Champion in Reykjavik, Iceland.

• The last U.S. ground troops were withdrawn from Vietnam.

• The Equal Rights Amendment, which provided for the legal equality of the sexes, was passed by the U.S. Senate.

• "The Godfather" was the year's highest grossing film.

• Singer-songwriter Don McLean released the sprawling hit single "American Pie."