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Brian Lawson
Assistant Manager
How long have you been keeping fish?
I have been keeping fish for 32 years!
What was your first aquarium and what fish did you keep in it?
I kept a Hexafun aquarium with five neon tetras.
What was it that made you decide to turn your fishkeeping hobby into a career?
At such a young age I became so amazed at the number of different species and colours of fish there were and the amount of people that were aquatic hobbyist. From then I started to read varies books and magazines, I became more and more interested as I got older and I knew aquatics was the route I was wanting to go down.
Which species do you most enjoy keeping and why?
Marine species, I find marine life absolutely stunning down to the fish, corals and invertebrates. Also it's more challenging regarding water parameters, lighting and temperatures etc.
Which species haven’t you had a chance to keep yet but dream of having one day?
I would love to hatch and keep Banded Cat Sharks.
What pearl of wisdom would you give to first time fish keepers?
Do your research, after making your decision that aquatics is what you want to do then go ahead. Decide on what fish you want to keep, buy the largest aquarium you can, be patient, and stock slowly. Make sure you don’t over stock and don’t over feed! Be committed and keep up your maintenance of your aquarium.
What’s your favourite aspect of your work at Maidenhead Aquatics?
I enjoy working with so many different species of livestock, meeting new people and also working with my team.
What’s your favourite/most useful piece of fishkeeping equipment and why?
My most useful and favourite piece of fishkeeping equipment would be LED lights as you can control the colour spectrum to suit and show off a wide variety of colours in your corals, fish and inverts.
What do you think is the future of fishkeeping and what developments would you most like to see?
I would love to see more young people getting into the hobby.
How many aquariums do you currently keep at home, and what are these?
Currently I have a 500L marine setup keeping different Sturgeon Fish, Clowns and Blenny’s, also a variety of corals and inverts.
What’s the most unique species you’ve ever cared for at Maidenhead Aquatics?
The most unique species I have ever cared for at Maidenhead Aquatics would be Tropical Flounders.