Sean McCanless has the perfect answer for anyone wanting no-hassle pets that will entertain you on a gray day, don’t have to be groomed, will not land you a big vet bill, and don’t have to be walked a couple times a day. He also may have the answer to the perfect educational family Christmas gift: an aquarium.
It’s an excellent tool for teaching and learning about ecosystems and community.
Sean has been around fish of one size or another all his life. He grew up in a house that had more than one aquarium and really became interested in learning more about the fish around age seven. His interest grew into zeal, and as a young man he began to work toward a degree in marine biology.
But life had other plans and his career with fish took a different, but just as wholehearted, direction. He worked with stocking and servicing large aquariums in businesses and retirement homes and branched into supplying, servicing and then building garden ponds; all while learning everything he could about the fish.
He had already built a business by the time he opened Sean’s Fishy Business – “the only fishy business you can trust” in Berryville in 2005.
Today there are 14 aquariums at his home – from ½ gallon to 150 gallons in size, plus a couple outdoor stock ponds – and about 19 aquariums in his shop in the Biz-Z-Bee, plus 7 barrels of fish outside – not counting the stock tank and several tubs in which he raises aquatic plants for the aquariums and garden ponds.
All this to say, the man knows his fish and the plants they love.
“I’ve done everything you can possibly do with fish,” Sean said. “It has taken my lifetime to know what I know about it, he added. “I’ve studied every kind of fish and have a lot of species in stock. In fact, I’m actually looking for local breeders.”
Sean has a library of books he lends to those interested in learning about the breeding, habits, and characteristic social behavior of different fish. “I like teaching one-on-one, and I have a few young men who come to my shop often and have learned a lot. I’m actually training them to be breeders to add to my stock,” he said.
It takes a bit of forethought to put together a successful aquarium. Not all those pretty little fish get along, for one thing.
Some fish, like the redtail shark, hang out at the bottom of the tank, and some prefer to cruise near the top. Some species want to be the only one of their kind in the group and others won’t thrive unless they can swim in a school of three or more. There are fish with beautiful flowing fins and tails that other fish will try to pick at and ruin. (Just watching them is a lesson in getting along in community.)
Sean has dozens of species ready to mix and match and knows exactly which fish will be compatible. Guppies are small and get along well with other fish, like tetras and corydoras catfish. They also breed easily, so they’re a good choice if you want baby fish. Similar in appearance to neon tetras, the cardinal tetra is a separate species with its own care requirements. Sean can suggest a plethora of good community fish.
As for equipment – starting small, the beautiful Siamese fighting beta fish can even thrive alone in a small glass bowl for a cost of $5 or less, depending on the container. A 1 ½ gallon tank with lots of plants can even support guppies without a filtration system.
For an investment of less than $40 for a basic 10-gallon tank and filter equipment kit, one can begin quite the educational journey personally or as a family with an expert fishing guide, Sean, to help you choose the right fish for the type of aquarium you want to create.
As a gift for kids, it’s educational on many levels. Given that some age groups don’t stay interested as long as others, Sean can even help there by providing fish based on life span. Some fish only live about a year and others up to 5 or 6 years on average, though some species can live 60 or more years.
Some fun critters Sean usually has on hand include dwarf aquatic frogs that never come out of the water, hermit crabs, and even chameleon lizards (when in stock).
Sean (and the fish) are available Weds. – Fri. after 2 p.m. at his location in Biz-Z-Bee on Hwy. 21N, 2 miles north of Berryville. Or text for an appointment (479) 667-6654.
Does he have any Trouser Trout?