Fishkeeping—you love it, live it, drink it. But could you be one of the 12,000 or so people in the UK who work it?
FOR ANY FISH enthusiast it might have crossed your mind once or twice, or maybe it’s a constant dream—can you work with fishes? Since the early days of my fishkeeping journey, I wanted to work with fish, although it isn’t always straightforward. It’s not easy to find the range of jobs available working with fish or to know what path to take to get to your desired end goal.
I think it’s easiest to split working with fish into three genres: scientific, veterinary, and husbandry. Each has its crossovers—for example, zoological collections and veterinary surgeons might contribute to science, while most university laboratories that work with fish often have their own aquarium and relevant husbandry specialists.
Husbandry
Probably the most diverse category given how vital fishes are for many aspects of society. Many hobbyists have spent time in this category at least once and maybe in multiple different types of jobs.
• Retail — This backbone of fishkeeping, and the job many fishkeepers have done, teaches skills vital to hobby and industry. Unlike a general hobbyist, you have access to a variety of different setups and way more fishes than any general hobbyist could dream of—unboxing fish and seeing new arrivals is one of the most exciting aspects.
More often than not it requires working weekends and bank holidays, and work might be quite physical depending on the store layout. Generally, sales assistants earn around £10.42 an hour (minimum wage) with pay rises depending on the level of management attained.
Running a store and owning one are different challenges. It will be a lot more time consuming and requires a lot of paperwork to run one. And, unless electricity costs improve imminently, it is a costly industry with narrow profit margins and heavy competition.
An alternative direction for sales would be to become a brand representative for a manufacturer or wholesaler. This involves abundant travelling and discussing with stores or maybe zoos regarding the products or services your company offers, but the initial pay rates can be much better.
• Aquarium maintenance — When I started working in the industry, I worked in the store offering this service, and it’s certainly a career choice few think of. Unlike working in stores there is a much stronger husbandry element, focusing almost exclusively on caring for fishes.
Largely it requires being self-employed, and building a reputation and customer base is arduous. It is a ph
