[He described Hoskins, of Danielson, Conn., as] a quiet soldier who could be counted on to do his duty. ... who always wanted to be where the action was. |
For beginners, I suggest trying freshwater first. The maintenance is basically the same. What differs is the cost of the fish. Freshwater fish start around 25 cents apiece, but saltwater are more like $5. |
I figured the worst they could do is tell me that there aren't any mistakes on my taxes, and that alone would have been a comforting thought. But they ended up recovering almost $10,000 in overpaid taxes for me. |
I have an emergency service. I'll go out any time to help someone figure out what's wrong. |
Liquor cycles, ... That's what everybody used to call them. |
People believe a 5- or 10-gallon tank is easier, but the truth is, the more water, the easier it is to take care of. I recommend that people don't go under 30 gallons. |
Reef aquariums are definitely the pinnacle of the hobby. |
The most frustrating thing for most people is that they have to wait. It's hard because most people are like, 'I want it now,' but you have to do the process, which is 30 days. Then you can come in for cycling fish. |
There are a lot of differing opinions on that. Some people think you should change out more, but I think changing just 20 percent is less stressful on the aquarium and fish. Once you get used to the regimen, it's pretty easy. |
They aren't your typical customers, |
We work closely with customers on what they can and cannot put together. You have to properly match them. Some fish just can't live with others. |
We've had a monster month, ... It's terrible what's going on with gas prices, but it's also forcing people to think differently, which has created a new market for us. It makes people realize that you don't have to drive a 10-mile-a-gallon vehicle every time you need to go somewhere, especially if it's just a couple of miles. |
When starting out, you should find a place where you can trust the information and you're comfortable. Then, if you have questions, you can always go back. When you start dealing with a lot of places, you get a lot of different opinions. |
With specific requests, it depends on what they want and why. |
You have to take the time to understand the process. |