I’m Doug the Fish Geek.
Before I started Fish Geeks I worked at nearly every level of the aquarium trade, but it’s as a hobbyist where my story really begins. I obtained my first aquarium second-hand from my older brother in second grade and later I cut my teeth working as a retail fish-net jockey for several prominent aquarium specialty retailers in both the Twin Cities, MN metro and Chicago, IL as well. In addition, I spent several years working for a prominent local Twin Cities aquarium maintenance company during my college years before I embarked on my professional Aquarist career.
I earned my B.S. from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and immediately moved to Chicago to immerse myself in a Graduate Certificate in Zoo and Aquarium Studies through Western Illinois University. I started as a professional Aquarist at nationally renowned facilities such as the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago, IL) where I worked in their Amazon Rising exhibit and later in their Quarantine section where I worked closely with staff pathologists and veterinarians. I also worked as an Aquarist/Zookeeper for the Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN), where I garnered experience with a variety of aquaria as well as complex life support systems.
When you choose Fish Geeks, you’re not only getting enthusiasm and a dedication to excellence that is unrivaled by most in the industry, you’re also choosing the utmost expertise available.
At every stage of my aquarium career history beginning in the mid 1990s at a local pet store to my first days as a Public Aquarist, I’ve been that really geeky fish guy. I started my own aquarium service business in 2010 putting into service the moniker I’d suffered for years, and Fish Geeks LLC was born.
In addition to having a lifelong dedication to aquarium-keeping excellence, Fish Geeks has work experience in nearly every facet of the aquarium industry.
As a Fish Geeks Aquarist, I employ the knowledge I garnered at public aquariums and combine it with the experience I amassed working in the aquarium trade, as well as with what I taught myself as a hobbyist, to provide the best possible aquarium service and advice available.
Fish Geeks earned its legitimacy and evolved from my side-hustle entrepreneurial effort into my primary endeavor and the next step in my aquarium career in 2011, when Fish Geeks began curating Cabela’s public-aquarium displays in the retailer’s Minnesota locations. Fish Geeks continued providing curatorial services through the sale to Bass Pro Shops in late 2017.
We offer a range of service options, from a simple cleaning, to expert consultation, to a project so big I’ll literally immerse myself in my work! Our professional experience has prepared us to provide expert level care unlike any other maintenance company.
Preparing your driftwood to add to your home aquarium or terrarium requires that it be both clean and sterile. There is real potential to bring pests and pathogens into the captive environment if proper techniques aren’t followed.
The first consideration you should make when considering going on a driftwood collection trip is the rules in your local municipality.
oaking the pieces for a few weeks to saturate them with water can work, but can be time consuming. Additionally, not all pieces will take on enough water to achieve negative buoyancy. Weighing the pieces down with rocks during soaking can speed the process…but sometimes that’s not enough.
Preparing your driftwood to add to your home aquarium or terrarium requires that it be both clean and sterile. There is real potential to bring pests and pathogens into the captive environment if proper techniques aren’t followed.
The first consideration you should make when considering going on a driftwood collection trip is the rules in your local municipality.
oaking the pieces for a few weeks to saturate them with water can work, but can be time consuming. Additionally, not all pieces will take on enough water to achieve negative buoyancy. Weighing the pieces down with rocks during soaking can speed the process…but sometimes that’s not enough.
Preparing your driftwood to add to your home aquarium or terrarium requires that it be both clean and sterile. There is real potential to bring pests and pathogens into the captive environment if proper techniques aren’t followed.
The first consideration you should make when considering going on a driftwood collection trip is the rules in your local municipality.
Preparing your driftwood to add to your home aquarium or terrarium requires that it be both clean and sterile. There is real potential to bring pests and pathogens into the captive environment if proper techniques aren’t followed.