Natural Tropical Fish Store Reveals Secrets to NO Water Changes

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‎ Jimmy and Zenzo visited Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco, California to hear Justin's story about how he started a fish store more than 25 years ago that doesn't require regular water changes (besides water top offs). Find out Justin's secret to keeping beautiful fish and minimizing algae growth in a store full of planted aquariums.
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WHO WE ARE
------------------------------------------------
At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to Aquarium Co-Op and check out our weekly videos.
Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Justin’s Story
4:00 - Justin Gives Us A Tour
5:25 - Niching Down on Freshwater Nano Tanks
6:15 - Algae Problems in Aquariums
7:02 - Ocean Aquarium During The 1997 Earthquake
8:00 - DIY Co2 System
9:22 - Wholesale Supplier Problems
9:51 - Why Ocean Aquarium Doesn’t Have Staff
10:19 - Ocean Aquarium Store Tour
11:03 - Justin Doesn’t Like To Throw Things Away
11:25 - Catappa Leaves Commercial
12:28 - Dry Goods at Ocean Aquarium
13:14 - Aquarium Book Collection
13:38 - Why Justin Doesn’t Do Water Changes
15:38 - Betta Fish Rack
16:29 - Advising Your Customers
17:05 - Justin’s Oldest Aquariums
18:57 - Advise to New Store Owners
20:07 - Ocean Aquarium Fish Store Tour
#Fishstore #Aquariumfish #Fishtank

[@jimmygimbal]

Note from the editor : Sincerely, thank you for stopping by and watching this interview. Being an immigrant myself, I really wanted to display his wonderful story for you to see. Hope, it was worth the wait. Happy Holidays to you and your family and I’m sure I can speak for the crew at Aquarium Co-op when I say.. “Thank you for your many years of support, we appreciate every bit of it.” Edit : it’s only been 2 hours since this has been released and reading your comments brought tears to my eyes. This is really gonna make my week, let alone Justin’s day. Thanks again

[@-shmoopie-]

thank you so much for sharing his story... he and his wife are truly an inspiration!

[@kelleyforeman]

Happy holidays to you, Jimmy, and all the Co-op staff! 🎄🎄🎄

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Jimmy the way you captured the the beauty, heart and soul of Justin's and Ocean Aquariums story is amazing and truly touching! I so much appreciate him for sharing his journey and how Ocean Aquariums came to be!! Absolutely beautiful and I hope to one day be able to visit Justin!! Thank you Justin for allowing us to come by and visit and hear your story!! Thank you Jimmy fot all you do to bring us such incredible content!! And thank you to everybody at Aquarium Co-op for all you do! Happy holiday and Merry Christmas! I hope this season is full of love for all!! 🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

[@BallPythons9]

Very inspiring and the shrimp gifts at the end are beautiful!

[@deadpoet415]

Jimmy, awesome work! A very good representation of Justin and the beauty in his store

[@TMAquatics]

This is a man of morals. Not in it for a quick buck. Honest, hardworking and putting the customer first. He has an amazing story.

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

🙏♥️

[@norcalaquaticrealms6234]

He is definitely NOT AZ Gardens.

[@kchortu]

I think he puts the fish (health safety longevity) first and customer second.

[@byz513]

Yesssire

[@timlu7486]

I'm one of their customers. They will not sell you any fish unless you bring water sample and they make sure your water is cycled before they sell you any fish.

[@Mymysticmama]

This is what we've lost with big box stores + Amazon/online retail. Generations that have no idea what a "mom+pop" store truly is. A priceless blessing to any neighborhood community. Where everyone in a community is INTEGRALLY (inter)connected. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.....and the of course the goldfish merchant - overflowing in wisdom. Love it. Thanks

[@SamanthaNickole02]

Most underrated comment.👍🏼

[@kennykenny5273]

That’s a beautiful community of human society

[@kaykay8087]

We're becoming less human every single day...

[@kennykenny5273]

@@kaykay8087 I think it’s due to the digitalisation of everything.

[@kaykay8087]

@@kennykenny5273 agreed. It's convenient in the short term but detrimental in the long run. It takes a lot away from us. And people aren't realising this...

[@dcime1]

Glued to the screen, every word from this man’s mouth was peaceful and prosperous. Coming across a vid like this is rare. Those decades old tanks work as nature intends it, fluidly and natural. When this vid is viewed you really do get a sense of the size of his shop. I mean, the dedication, the wife as he compliments her as the “Greatest Feeder”. The entire time I am watching this I heard a lot of secrets. Wow, thanks for the great interview

[@AndrewLoui]

When I kept a coral reef tank, I learned a method called “Deep sand bed.” It is a good way to convert fish waste all the way into nitrogen. Most strong filtration systems convert fish waste into nitrate, which is deadly to corals and invertebrates. Nitrate might contribute to algae growth and slightly toxic to fish, it is one of the reasons people perform regular water changes. In order for “deep sand bed” method to work, one needs to get rid of all efficient filtration systems, and only allow sand bed to do its job as the Mother Nature does her job on oceans and lakes. The sand bed has to be deep enough for letting anaerobic bacteria to grow and convert nitrate into nitrogen and oxygen at certain depths. Hope more people will start to use this wonderful system.

[@DoStuff1958]

@@AndrewLoui How thick does the sand bed have to be, and how long does it take for it to get established?

[@Tayturs]

I actually got to visit this store yesterday!! I bought a female betta and some neon green tetras. The owners were SO NICE and gave me a hand-made cup+airline tubing for drip acclimation. So kind, and soooo many beautiful healthy fish!

[@janetlogan8954]

That is SO nice ❤ cool family

[@richcxx]

What is his store called? I don't see the name anywhere?

[@richcxx]

Never mind, I just watched the video again and realizaed they store his store front in the opening. I totally missed that the first viewing.

[@matao0661]

So how much gravel is he suggesting for a tank at a given size? I have a ten gallon but couldn't follow his suggestions.

[@kamotetops1572]

@@matao0661 21:40

[@Saternoc]

This store has a lot of charm and personality. I wasn’t expecting to watch the entire video to completion but his advice and journey captivated me. Great job!

[@iselabriones5157]

Same..

[@chrish.3067]

His integrity towards others is really rare these days. Be nice if we could some how help his business thrive..... Also, the information from his years of raising plants and fish is wisdom you can't look up.

[@scrapeape]

This guy's an absolute master after dedicating 25 years of his life to this. The importance of capturing his knowledge and philosophy cannot be overstated. Thank you for this. Please go back and visit him again when you can.

[@heatherclough8233]

I know, after watching this video I'm ready to tear down my tank and put his knowledge into action. I learned SO MUCH from one video, and will be re watching it.

[@kalieka]

Very well put!

[@williampescalia2665]

Praised the Lord for there's still a living legend of goodwill...I salute you ...! you' re such an inspiration to everyone....!!!

[@robfujisan585]

I absolutely adore the compassion Justin has towards his fish. I can just see the love on his face when he talks and honestly the world needs more of content like this. Thank you for uploading this and sharing his experiences.

[@azamaziz7139]

I came for the aquarium advice...left inspired (with aquarium advice too)

[@d3vi10]

I went to Justin’s store a lot as a teenager. He taught me a lot about keeping fish and aquatic plants. I am so happy to see him and his wife again. His daughter used to sit in the shop and do her homework. I noticed that some of the fish tanks are still the same tank from 30 years ago. Inside and out, still the same! I am trying to keep start a desktop nano tank again, and landed on this video, what a gem this piece of interview is! I miss that store and everyone there. And I miss San Francisco too! I need to make a trip out there.

[@MDFishTanks]

I HAVE to go to this place some day!! Right up my street!

[@Fishcentral]

I wanna start my own fish business one day

[@flavours22]

Md my Favourite AquaScaper Here ❤

[@stevecooper6653]

LOL LOL YOU LOOKING FOR IDEAS 💡 😉

[@apss5736]

Hello md

[@TazawaTanks]

If you make it over here, I’d be happy to show you around. This store is 10 minutes from my house.

[@JuanMoon032]

Honestly, we need a part2 of this store journey. I would like to try his no water change setup and more plants.

[@makosfishwater9562]

I know it’s not part 2 but this channel has a couple older videos of this store and I think Tazawa Tanks has at least one video of this store. Check them out if you are interested.

[@amymanoharan284]

I can help you get set up. I've been doing it for years successfully. ;) I love it!

[@fleshanthos]

@@amymanoharan284 So do you recommend TWO pounds of substrate per gallon for this instead of 1lb? Should I still use my air pump driven UnderGravel filter??

[@amymanoharan284]

@@fleshanthos what kind of substrate are you using? I never use below substrate filtration or air powered filtration. I use a combination of natural substrate (not rocks/gravel). I also prefer multi stage filtration systems. Bio/mechanical along with not over stocking and having alot of plants. What type of fish do you have and what size tank? I go from nano to 100 gals though I'm currently down to just nanos (moving is too hard with huge tanks).

[@fleshanthos]

@@amymanoharan284 40gal tall 2-4 angels, ~10 swordtails 10 neons, 2 ancistrus, 1 corydoras. Try to stock as much plants as possible, in sunlight(not direct) wisteria overtook the tank, but now out of sunlight, it is having a hard time. UG filter makes muck under the plate which plants grow their roots into and slurp up. Using 1/3" diameter gravel for 20 years now! HoB 50G filter has foam and Fluval ceramic cylinder bits, NO Carbon. Seachem Flourish every other week.

[@someguy3167]

Everything about this visit was amazing. Justin is full of knowledge and cares for his fish. One thing that really stood out and made me think very highly of him, that had nothing to do with the fish, was when asked why he doesn't hire any employees he says he doesn't feel its fair to pay someone a wage that they can't live on. That because his business doesn't make enough to pay a living wage he doesn't hire anyone and just does the work himself. That's very commendable.

[@KH-vv5dq]

I would gladly trade a few hours per week to help him around the shop in exchange for the knowledge this man oozes! A store like this is a gem!

[@jxiongpiano]

I’m literally in tears after watching this video. It’s not just a video of fish, it’s about meaning of one’s life. Thank you!

[@recycledfelines]

So happy it is not just me!

[@patxiaquariums]

I'm agree with you

[@toprudder1]

Same here. God bless this couple.

[@Peeingstickymilk]

Absolutely such a pure soul. Watching someone who has truly followed their heart and want to spread this with others. So rare it seems now a days people like this almost seem out of place. Was not expecting to have this deep of an impact from watching a tour of a fish store. Much love and prosperity on all of your journeys!

[@hkk3656]

Awe....don't cry 😢

[@alcab9943]

Just came here to see a tip about no water changes and couldn’t stop watching this video. Incredibly inspiring story we need more fish stores like this. Awesome video made my day.

[@recycledfelines]

same! moving

[@HotdogWithSauce]

Came to the comments to say the exact same thing.

[@Golgotha.]

Me too:-)

[@planetestargate719]

Same !

[@EyTonay]

This is my local fish shop! I’m stoked to see them featured in this video. I used their methods when setting up my 20 gallon tropical tank. They are always so super friendly and helpful. Thanks for creating this video!

[@melendezmike7]

I wanna know where this spot is I would definitely like to visit his store for support

[@EyTonay]

@@melendezmike7 Ocean Aquarium 120 Cedar st. San Francisco CA

[@planetestargate719]

Super ! J'adorerais pouvoir y aller franchement ! Ils ont l'air très compétent et honnête ! Mais du coup, j'arrive pas à comprendre dans la vidéo quel système de filtration il utilise? La traduction en français est nulle. J'ai compris qu'il fallait éviter les remous car ça donnait des algues ( on nous dis le contraire en France tss!) Du coup, il utilise des filtres carré à mousse?

[@jeremycarr9410]

Does he have a website? I'd like to support his business

[@upstatesinglespeed7177]

Can you tell me what he/you use as a substrate?

[@DindellaTheDefender]

As someone with some auditory processing and hearing issues, I wish I could display how truly happy it makes me to click on the video and see subtitles built into the video itself. Even when people do add CC captions, they tend to be clunky and obscure some of the video. It’s really exciting and relieving to know in under a minute that I’ll actually be able to be engaged in your content, even on days that might be more difficult for me. Needless to say, I’ll be sticking around! ❤️😸

[@RiverRat1953]

I hear you brother, this video was extremely pleasing and rewarding for me. The cc’s made it PERFECT!

[@DemDiddyDizzy]

You can feel the love and attention he gives to his store. He’s got his system and not only does he take the aquarium into consideration but also the environment around him that affects the aquariums. He truly cares and loves this hobby. It shows in everything he does from the way he talks. Thank you so much for sharing Justin’s story with us.

[@gihaycom5070]

@@oscarlindvall1053 I'm sorry about that

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@oscarlindvall1053 my adopted dad taught me: find a job that you love, and you will never work a day in your life. This is one of the best arguments for universal income. Imagine what a different world it would be, if we knew our health care, housing, food, and utilities would be covered, and people could do what they loved, instead of selecting the job that was most likely to pay the majority of the bills.... as long as we don't get sick. Past 2 years have been the way they have, because greed has outstripped our humanity. I firmly believe everyone has a calling that would bring them (and society) joy... but greed gets in the way. Too many people think money will buy their happiness, and then when it doesn't, they satisfy themselves by making sure others are just as miserable....

[@unoriginal1086]

@@Lazy_Fish_Keeper yes we need universal basic income!

[@nevillefidock1029]

000

[@nevillefidock1029]

Pl

[@selfawareness369]

I’m 4 mins into it and I can feel this man’s heart. He has a good heart and he deserves everything good that is coming his way.

[@martinbailey2822]

What a lovely honest man. He obviously cares a lot about his charges. Well done to Justin and his wife.

[@barbkrienke8400]

I would sure love to have him write down exactly how he starts a new tank and gets it running without water changes. That would be an amazing book written by someone who really knows the process and has honed it over the years!

[@rockjockchick]

Yes yes!

[@bweb6]

I would totally buy that book too. This man has so much experience and wisdom to pass on.

[@kippetjes4]

I think he cycles the tanks normally first. I have "selfcleaning" ecosystem tanks too, but it all took a while to get to that place. The balance of plants to environment required in able to process the waste/bacteria doesn't just come to be within a day (if u start with a couple new small plants). Maybe he knows by now the exact ratios of plant to gravel to lighting to waterflow etc. That he is able to set them up quickly like that. But then it would come down to simply putting enough plants in it right at the start, honoring the earlier mentioned ratios, and waiting it out.

[@Leddius]

Yes. I'd be a proud owner. What a wonderful human being. Loved every minute of it. Thank you guys! 🙏

[@dt4676]

@@kippetjes4 his substrate looks like river gravel, unwashed it's got all types of bacteria on it which is part of it

[@deadpoet415]

Oh my god this video made me SOOO happy! I learned even more from Justin, again! And I just saw him a few weeks ago! Justin was so kind to me when I first visited his store. He also made me an "acclimation cup" (like what you saw in the video). And I use it to this day! As a heads up.. the store is near the rough part of town in a tiny alley. And the store itself is going to seem very small and crammed. It is still worth the visit! And his tanks may seem oversimplified and archaic because it's so basic and super low tech. But wow they are ALL beautiful! Lush plants in every tank and a true experienced aquarist will recognize how healthy all of the fish are. Please support Justin and his wife. The pandemic was brutal to a lot of businesses here and that's why this video almost brought me to tears knowing more support is on its way. Cory, Zenzo, Jimmy, Aquarium Co-Op, THANK YOU.

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

I wish I was closer, I would find a reason to buy something daily.

[@djdup3819]

I am still looking where Hos shop is at? I assume it’s in LA, but however anyone know the address?

[@deadpoet415]

@@djdup3819 it's Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco, CA

[@sandraragole2679]

👍. Born raised SF 1950's. Northern California with 🐠🐟

[@caseypatel9746]

I'll make sure I won't miss it when I'm visiting SF all the way from Calgary, Alberta

[@derekw9358]

Can tell that Justin really went thru a lot of hard times over the decades... His facial expression tells the stories. I wish him great happiness and abundance in his life... may he be safe and surrounded by happiness.

[@kristat8139]

Can I just say... Give THIS MAN A KZbin CHANNEL! Love the co-op but dang this guy is special! Thank you Justin!

[@bgressett87]

Visited this store in 2014 while on vacation. Super friendly people. Got some great advice on fish care! They also gave me a plastic cup with dripper to slowly acclimate water in my fry tank. Wall to wall tanks and fish related products. No doubt my favorite fish store.

[@Ruunerwold]

How to remove nitrate without water refreshing?

[@johnnyburrell1417]

​@@Ruunerwold Plants use nitrate (no3) as food so adding aquarium plants will naturally help reduce nitrate. Proper cycling, feeding and plants will help your aquarium develop the beneficial bacteria that break ammonia into nitrite and nitrate (this is called nitrification).

[@Ruunerwold]

@@johnnyburrell1417 but a fish store has so many fish. The excretion of ammonia is probably much higher than the uptake of nitrate by plants.

[@samsterretsmas]

@@Ruunerwold the beneficial Bacterial in substrate also help reduce the nitrates he’s going with 3:1 fine substrate. Deep sand/gravel beds remove nitrates. This man is using multiple sources of natural filtration, sand, plants, most of his stock is also nano fish. The only high nitrate producers are the goldfish he states he sells and his Thai Ranchus . Key to a successful aquarium is to mimic nature.

[@0RandyHooper0]

I couldn't stop smiling through this entire video! His commitment and passion for fishkeeping made my whole day brighter!

[@jordanbabcock9349]

The water cleaning tip he shared, that he learned as a boy from his father.. what a golden nugget. I am sure he has a great amount of knowledge just from hardships, and he never allowed it to sour his attitude. Please follow up with a few more videos in the future!

[@twotone505]

This man genuinely loves his job. He sounds honest and humble, I wish there was someone running a store like that in my area.

[@mokko759]

I love the wild, overgrown look of the tanks. I get the beauty of the meticulously groomed and planned tanks but there is a real charm to the natural look of planted tanks where the plants are allowed to do whatever they want. Also, shoutout to the morality and ethics of the owner. I really respect the fact he doesn't want to rip anybody off and is perfectly honest and open about how he cares for the fish, how to do things on the cheap. Even understanding how unfair an employee's wage would be in his modest shop. I really respect that in a shop owner. I wish I leaved near this shop.

[@lafatte24]

I do live near this shop and it's been amazing. The second time I visited, I had bought a bunch of stuff and Justin basically vetoed everything lol. I'm glad I listened to him though cus it's about a month and a half later and my tank is newly planted, plants and fish are thriving, the cycling is complete and I feel really supported.

[@colo3000]

My favorite fish store tour yet! Justin is everything you’d want in an LFS owner. He has tons of knowledge from years of personal experience, and you can tell he really cares much more about the well-being of his fish and helping his customers than just making a profit. The shrimp straw sculptures at the end just summed up his passion for the hobby and for people!

[@nixnox3756]

Been for decades I live 2 blocks away Justin is a very kind and helpful person, it's really nice to hear him talk this much. as well as get his story straight from him. San Francisco is very lucky to have the store. I sincerely appreciate all their hard work and I hope it's there as long as possible.

[@aditimukherjee6434]

This place is amazing! They were kind enough to take my fish when I moved out of San Francisco.

[@socheattm]

i can sit down and listen to his story all day long. this 25mn is not enough. we love his moral and his hard working. get to know a lot of secrets as well! Thank you so much for this interview!

[@Brucelovesjulie]

This man can teach you so many things beyond just fish keeping. What a legend.

[@Mike-ig6ex]

This guy is amazing. So smart , hard worker , he made his American dream

[@frankschannel2642]

What a sweet tempered hard working man. I wish him all the best in his business.

[@darthjarwood7943]

Love this guys story...the American dream isnt always about getting rich and famous sometimes its about peace of mind and stability and a simple life. Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year!

[@naturesfinest2408]

That is what it was. The American dream was never to become rich, famous, with a huge house. It was about freedom, food, shelter, security. The ability to be free, stable, and at peace. To pursue happiness didnt mean to be at joy all the time. It meant to be content and at peace. That is still why people flock here. To start businesses and earn a right to live a comfortable life.

[@Gingerfrost]

@@naturesfinest2408 ugh what I'd give to have stability, and peace of mind. Totally stressed out over my mom not affording anything, my sister living at her aunt's just to have somewhere stable. And currently helping an online friend move in with me who is pretty much fed up if taking care of all their 8 siblings at 30, living with their parents... And barely making ends meet with working 3 weeks in a row in too of all that. Either way... Fish keeping is about closest I've ever gotten for mental stability. Though worry greatly for costs of everything going up and having no control over it. At some point I told my mom the American nonsense commercial dream was a lie. Working towards it just gets you disabled or lost of thousands. I can't even get mentally stable enough to want to have a kid. Sorry didn't mean to blabber......

[@WhoTheHellIsHarvy]

Man I would volunteer at least a couple hours a week to help this guy! If there was a store like this anywhere near me I'd be there all the time. Such an amazing human being and what a life story. Thank you for this!

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

I was thinking that if I lived close by, I would volunteer to work holidays so Justin and his wife could take a holiday. If it was something I only volunteered occasionally, getting "paid" in some of those plants would be more than sufficient.

[@Dr1709]

I totally agree with you 👍. I would love to get some of his insight on discus fish.

[@WhoTheHellIsHarvy]

@@Dr1709 The hobby really needs people like him, he is certainly a rare breed! I'm not sure how reachable this guy is, but have you tried getting in touch with Dean about discus?

[@Dr1709]

No I haven't but I'll look him up. Thanks

[@rcortez3899]

This man and his wife have a ton of experience, thanks for giving them a platform

[@zachkreinbring8102]

This man is such a proud and integral member of the fish keeping community. We need to protect him and other people like him from Being out competed by chain pet stores. Do some research and check if you have local fish stores. I know having local fish stores varies great on where you live but please shop local and support all small businesses when you can.

[@danceswith7wolves]

I used to go to visit Ocean aquarium and watch the fish and talk to Justin for hours, him and his wife are very nice people. He taught me so much about the art of fish keeping and helped me get away from relying too much on filters

[@anthonyt9380]

I could definitely see talking to this guy for hours 👍 it's so funny how wrapped in commercial side we get, then there's this guy, "deep gravel, no water changes." 🤣

[@btcbob11392]

As hobbyists we dont know or understand how these small fish live in nature. This gentleman is from Burma , if you ever been to Burma Asia Vietnam or any of the countries around there you will see fish living in any puddle you come across. We think they have to be in pristine scrubbed clean tanks like you see in petco, when the truth is just the opposite. A planted dirt tank is all you need for perfect fish health. no supplements no 500 $$ canister filters just water and plants and nature will take care of the rest.

[@artieoms]

Loved this interview. Such an honest and heartfelt chat, proving that good old fashioned service always transcends time. What an inspiration Justin is! Thankyou Aquarium Co-op!

[@RiskyR1CH]

What a lovely man, willing to share his knowledge and experience. Puts his customers first . Lots to learn here. His busy bee wife is a great support to him.

[@T_WC123]

Omg! I just came back from this store after visiting for the first time to try to get a tank set up and then the algorithm suggested this video! The owners are so nice, incredibly helpful, and I love all the beautiful tanks! And it was true that their store did not smell - I was so surprised!

[@raytrix1]

As soon as I saw the thumbnail I clicked SO FAST - I recognized it! Ocean Aquarium is one of my favorite fish stores. Walking through those doors feels like stepping into another world. I was overwhelmed with joy when I first walked in! Their selection is incredible and their fish are so healthy. I love the owners too. Thank you for covering this amazing store!!

[@hmrhuang]

i envy you. i live in a big city, and all the lfs are practically gone -- only the big, megastores service the area. they offer good stock, but you clearly get the sense they want to sell and make a quick buck instead of investing in the business RELATIONSHIP that will turn their customers into regulars!

[@user-tz9jh6pv2j]

@@hmrhuang But this shop is in SF and SF is a big city.... lol What city are you in? there are LFS like this in NYC, SF, LA, Miami, etc. All usually owned by Americans from Hong Kong lol (we love our fish).

[@soundandsavor7955]

Justin is the only aquarium shop owner who will try to talk you out of buying things and will teach you his DIY methods! Love visiting his shop and talking with him!

[@cagarden8808]

Yes, both of them talked me out of buying several items. LOL. I followed their advice and my tanks are healthy.

[@sanjaykumarchatterjee9913]

I'm 54 years old from India and have met hundreds of aquarium store owners so far, but none even close to this gentleman store owner. 🙏 Thank you so much dear for uploading this video 👍 Oh how I wish i could've worked for free for this store...just to learn! This is what you call an ethical educative business...god bless the store nd it's owners always.

[@zeus-io3hn]

honest, humble, and sincere. we need people like him.

[@keithduwe2647]

What a inspiration this man accomplished the American 🇺🇸 dream.May God bless continued success to you an wife

[@minanora5025]

One of the gals at my LFS and I were just talking about how amazing this store is. We live about 4 hours away but this is always a destination when we visit my brother-in-law in Oakland. My husband is always up for the adventure and I can hardly wait to take my son here.

[@RobertMaz]

Cory and Justin should team up and right a book series on fish keeping. Knowledge GOLD!!! MUCH RESPECT FOR THESE TWO AND THEIR PEOPLE

[@dwchen1]

Honest businessman with huge passion for his job with a long term vision, never stop learning, and customer satisfactory first in mind, money second. This kind of entrepreneur stays and survive longer at the end. Love this guy's honesty and kind heart and don't mind sharing knowledge.

[@absolutezero8473]

Get this man a partnership with aquarium co-op to sell those shrimp at a premium!! Hes doing an amazing job and people would love to buy art like that!!

[@sunriseeyes0]

Thank you to Justin for sharing your knowledge and joy about fish. And thank you to Jimmy for the interview! And thank you to Aquarium Co-op for loving to share so much with us! 🙏🏽💗🙏🏽

[@tichuang]

I used to live in the tenderloin, and went to this shop many times. Always great to see the couple run this shop and dish tons of advice for you to help you succeed with your own tank. They will do everything they can to help you save money and spend as little as possible while still getting great results. Because of them I had a 10gal planted tank with guppies that wouldn't stop breeding! They were so happy in there. When I had to move to a smaller place, they took in my goldfish that had gotten to be 5"-6" long. I'm sure they're still there if no one else bought them!

[@allisonwendell9942]

Honestly we need more stores like this for the hobby .

[@rgilroy1909]

Justin taught me so much when I used to live in SF. He is a wonderful man, amazing fish breeder and gorgeous discus fish keeper. His bio filtration system is crazy (overflow gutters)

[@alf.quijano7582]

This video randomly popped up in my KZbin feed this morning. Really glad I came across it. Went to visit the store and had a great chat with Justin. Very knowledgeable and encouraging. This is my 2nd attempt at a fish tank and first with live plants. After talking with Justin, I’m excited about this journey and sharing it with my Family. Will definitely be coming back to support this Family shop even though I love 35 miles away. Thanks for creating this video.

[@IThinkNowListenUp]

What did he recommend for plant food? He said 1 gallon to 3 lbs of gravel. I'd like to hear more tips

[@yolandalai6308]

I love this guy , because I can feel his love is not only for fish , is also for the environment and the people ! May God bless him and his family for his honesty blessings others !!!

[@jahcolby2315]

I visited this store as a kid. So cool to see it still in business and thriving.

[@sallycasas4170]

My niece attended San Francisco State and we stopped at this aquarium store one weekend when I drove up to have lunch together and shop. The store is magical. I want to revisit since, I have 12 goldfish in two 10 gallon tanks I maintain by changing the water. Justin's system is amazing and eco- ergonomically appropriate. I'm also fascinated by the decorative shrimp he created with straws. Also ecosystem conscious of him to create vs. dumping them into landfills. He's a genius! Compassion, integrity transparency & accountability for all!

[@simonspune]

Love this man, was an honour and a privilege to hear his story and what he had to teach about fish keeping, thanks Co-Op crew for bringing these people into our spotlight.

[@bennfetalvero4403]

Probably the best video I’ve seen about a fish shop - and I’ve seen thousands of them. God Bless that owner! Bless him, his wife and his business!

[@amberlikely420]

I wish this man was at my local fish store. It’s hard to find gems like him who are genuinely interested in the hobby and want to help fish keepers. Definitely shared some great insight too. I use a lot of gravel already and have been having algae issues with my planted tetra tank but now I know why. The plants I have are slow growing. I need to add a couple other plant types that aren’t as slow growing.

[@taye2427]

I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this story and this man’s Shop. As a fish lover born and raised in the SF bay area I found this truly amazing. I will be headed to this store as soon as I can.

[@misscoconutgirl]

Me too. I’ll be coming up from SJ to visit Justin’s store weekend after next. 🐠

[@taye2427]

@@misscoconutgirl I’m in the north bay and plan on going very soon. Let me know how it is!

[@kelly-bo-belly]

How was it!? I hope he gets lots of support from the area, because this place and he and his wife are a true gem in the hobby.

[@morosso1968]

this generous, humble man brings so much positive energy. a rare gem.

[@5gef]

25 minutes is not enough. Such an insight from a man! Hope to hear more from him.

[@thelifeofstephlo4271]

What a story! Love to see people succeed in doing what they love. You can tell he genuinely loves his fish and his work

[@YunYumSauce]

This was much more wholesome than what I was expecting

[@deansfishroom]

One of my all time favorite aquarium shops! Used to have an apartment less than 2 blocks from it and could easily have visited every day. It's definitely well worth the experience and you'll go away with tons of ideas and information. Plus really nice selection of fish, plants, and dry goods, including that which you may not often see in the industry. Oh, and really good job @Jimmy Gimbal!

[@houseofdivad]

This man is a treasure, he’s in for the love of the craft. Much respect to him!

[@user-tl8so4ry3r]

THIS IS MY LOCAL STORE! they're the sweetest. This honestly made my day

[@tastyfishsauce4410]

Good husbandry, hard work and patience are good foundation to have in this hobby. As an immigrant myself, it is truly inspiring to see and hear stories like this. Thank you for sharing this and good job Jimmy.

[@LittleMountainLife]

Oh man that was a fun fish store tour. Great story of a man chasing his dreams.

[@stayntune]

I have no pets, this video landed on my recommendation list and I decided to watch it. Amazing interview, so wholesome! I love walking through aquarium stores, seeing all of the display always bring a calmness to me. Every tank look well cared for in this shop. To still be open this long after many trials and tribulations, he's definitely doing something right. I wish this kind honest man a continual prosperous business.

[@summerbarrios3812]

A very well deserved quality of life boost is on its way for this kind hearted hard working man and his family. What a inspiring story .

[@hathux]

Was not expecting this video to be so wholesome. Thanks guys for bringing his story to the rest of us.

[@candyshop4200]

Ditto

[@niva8043]

What a nice man. I really like his store.

[@muhamedshahid733]

Man I wish I had a friend like him who is so honest, easy to talk to and just so damn friendly. My heart is overwhelmed by his kindness ❤

[@WTFlux-lh2tf]

This man is truly one of my favorites and I really enjoy listening to him as there's so much to learn. It's amazing how his fish keeping just flows freely minus the restriction of encumbering pretense. More or less he's a zen master fish keeper who knows how best to to achieve a working flow of interdependent harmonious balance. This guy just ROCKS!!

[@DannysAquariums]

*The story behind this store, it’s great! 🤩*

[@g.dochev]

I have a huge respect for this man and for you for giving him the publicity he deserves!

[@tajumochi]

What a wonderful man and fishstore. I kinda clicked on this video just to get a quick tip on how to reduce water changes but instead watched the whole video wholeheartedly! So much to learn from him as a hobbyist and mostly as a human with a giant heart. Loved this video!

[@Mimijona]

This guy, just wow! Amazing! Just returning to the aquarium world after an almost 10 year break and so much new stuff is around, but the basics of what he says are solid! And thank you for the subtitles!

[@juliemcgugan1244]

He is absolutely right about learning about water chemistry, before you expand. At first, when I started with freshwater fish, I was keeping the water scrupulously clean. Was doing daily water changes, so there was no dirty gravel. But plants would die and water would go bad and fish would then die. I was only a kid (1987-1995.) I didn’t understand that different plants had different needs. Didn’t understand that different fish had different needs. I just thought I wasn’t keeping the tank clean enough and everything was getting taken out by disease. But when I began to learn more online (‘97 onwards,) I came to understand water chemistry, beyond the basic ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle. Understood that my fish were stressed in my soft water, that the water changes were not helping anything, that the fish were stressed by the gravel vacuuming and water changes, on top of the stress caused by the soft water. So I began keeping a larger number of smaller tanks; single breeding tanks and more 4 and 5 gallon tanks, so I could separate out my fry into smaller batches, so there would be less competition between them. Then, my guppies began having bigger batches of fry, more from each batch were surviving and with the regular water changes of harder water (once I learned how to properly re-mineralize the soft water we had in n that part of the world,) I could grow my fry faster, sell them more successfully and invest that money back into my hobby, instead of always paying out for more replacement fish. The hobby actually became more enjoyable, more less volatile and I didn’t worry about going away for a few days. As long as they were fed sparingly, the tanks took care of themselves, as they were more stable.

[@ricardoalevicente]

Thank you Julie Mcgugan for sharing your experience/knowledge and helping more people staying in this amazing hobby. I’ve seeing so many people getting frustrated and giving up because they just don’t know how to take care, and big stores like Petco, Petsmart, mostly they just want to capitalize, staff have no Knowledge to share with new hobbyists. We all want this hobby to grow and see our loved pets healthy and happy. No any form of life in this planet deserve any kind of suffering. Could you share how do you te-mineralize your soft water? I would love to hear and learn from you. I breed guppies and I have a Reverse osmosis filter under the sink that I believe remove everything that is harmful, but I always wonder if it isn’t removing tooo much from the water and turning it unhealthy. Thank you for all. Love and Peace. Happy holidays!! 🕊🙏🕊❤️

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@ricardoalevicente are you in the Aquarium Co-op forum (C.A.R.E.)? Lots of nerms sharing information, experiences, and learning opportunities (aka 'failures) to improve the hobby for all. It's probably kept me sane during the pandemic. There are "remineralizing" aquarium specific salts and minerals. I can't afford RO, I just run my water through a good carbon filter, and then add 2 drops of SeaChem Prime to each gallon of water before adding to the tank. I live in the desert, we have liquid rock and the livebearers LOVE IT. I do have to mix it 50/50 with bottled water when I have shrimp, as there is actually too much calcium in the water for them to have a good shed... and I don't breed discus anymore. Really not a bad trade, tbh

[@rickbooher8224]

I liked the this video. This gentleman is passionate about his work and you can tell he has a philosophy if you educate your customer they will be happier, they will have more success and in doing so the money will come. I wished he was not across the nation from me I would gladly go to his store and support him and his wife by buying products but also to learn even more. It would be like going to a gallery of fish. I pray he has even greater success because of this video. I learnt a few things I heard about but didn't know the why's. Not only was it entertaining but educational. Great video.

[@MMmmmmBobbert]

This man is so hard-working and respectful!! I could listen to his stories all day!

[@plumbooks]

I love this story! Please have a series on Justin and his store. He has such a vast knowledge of keeping healthy fish in the most efficient, cost effective, and ethical way. I'll be re-watching this video another dozen times. Thank you Justin & wife for all of your dedication and perseverance.

[@lindfors009]

My absoule favorit videos on aquarium co op are the ocean Aquarium ones never stop doing These 🤩

[@ddailey]

An absolute jewel of a person and interview. Justin's passion and humbleness has made my heart warm. Thanks guys for doing this, earned a sub!

[@WayneTheSeine]

What a fantastic interview. Justin and his wife are such wonderful people who love what they are doing and making their dream a reality. What great Americans! This is how it is done folks....hard work, dedication, and loving life. What a great person!

[@dylanakent]

People should retweet this and help this guy. This is the kind of shop you want to stay in business. If I lived in San Francisco, I'd go buy a fish from him today! 🐠🐌🐙

[@veganhulksmash5412]

I am in tears. Such a positive person, Thanks for sharing Justin's story and tips with us!

[@ReneesZooTube]

Absolutely amazing! Really making me consider deeper substrate. No water changes is perfect for me, being disabled. Plus I'd love to get more into plants. Maybe a good project for me in the upcoming year... 😊

[@juliemcgugan1244]

You can’t go wrong with a deep gravel bed! Most fish keepers mistakenly believe that a deep gravel bed takes up unnecessary space and they will not be able to fit in more fish. But because the beneficial bacteria relies on deep beds as an environment where they can break down ammonia, nitrate and nitrite. A lot of people also believe that the milk on the bottom of the tank is dirt. But really, it has a high concentration of beneficial bacteria. Having a clean tank means a lack of these bacteria colonies. So ‘dirty’ tanks with deep gravel beds are much more stable and healthy than ‘clean,’ ‘spotless’ tanks. This gentleman is an absolute font of knowledge! They are becoming more and more rare in the business.

[@siz2344]

@@juliemcgugan1244 uuuu

[@ReneesZooTube]

@@juliemcgugan1244 I'm definitely not a believer in spotless tanks. I've got mulm in all my tanks. But a deep gravel bed might be the final part of the equation I'm looking for. 😊

[@barbkrienke8400]

Me too! I need to know more about how to make the deep gravel bed system really work well!

[@Lazy_Fish_Keeper]

@@ReneesZooTube are you in the members forum? (Aquarium Co-op forum, C.A.R.E.) I have a post in there on a Walstad inspired tank (10 gallon, almost no water changes) and several other people have posts/ journals documenting their journey exploring new and different ways of enjoying the hobby. If you aren't there yet, come join the Nerms. It's wonderful to be able to trade ideas with other aquarists who are also disabled (there's quite a few of us).

[@Gimpthulhu]

This man is a gem! I wish him and his wife much prosperity.

[@Murdoc2080]

This man is just pure grace. One of the most Natural humans I have ever seen..this man was not shapped from humanity, but from nature, and that shows with his shop, and fish. Love this guy and I don't even know him. Also his smile and knowledge for the fish environments. "Protect this man at all costs" vibe

[@LUCCI2202]

Amazing…. That’s a place where I want to spend hours. So much to learn from this gentleman, not only about fish. Thank you !

[@mattkinsella9856]

What a great guy! I have so much admiration for people who can move to a different country and start a business with a new language and culture. Doing that in your own country and native language is hard enough. He's really living his own American dream and he seems very happy. All the things he's seen and experienced and adapted to over 25 years is fantastic. So much knowledge and great advice too, I wish this was my local fish store.

[@thisorthatrecipes1149]

WHAT A GOOD SWEET MAN! He’s not all about the money and his business earns trust! Love this guy!

[@mirandag.3277]

"if i cannot pay enough then they cannot live and thats not fair" wow...i wish more employers were like this guy. he seems so awesome, wish i was in california to support this store