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I remember the first time I had the fish bug. All I wanted was a fish bowl.
I was around 3 years old..Yeah, three- when I have my first recollection about wanting to keep fish. My dad was an avid guppy breeder, and we had a little fish room with a dozen or so tanks full of guppies in the house. I was literally raised around aquariums.
My favorite tank was 20 gallon community tank that he had in the living room, with guppies and a few other fishes. I must have spent hours staring at that tank! I got my first goldfish bowl for my third birthday! After much pleading, my dad gave me some baby guppies one day when I was about 3 and a half, maybe 4. I had goldfish bowl full of babies, and I raised them to adulthood with dried food and live baby brine shrimp that my dad and I hatched out. It was as cool as it gets for a three year old!
When they were old enough, we’d place them in one of his 10-gallon tanks. I remember how proud I was of the fish I raised. I learned all about water changes, feeding, and general fish care. It was awesome. My dad was really proud of me for the way I took care of my fishes.
When I was 5, I got my first fish tank- a 5-gallon, metal-framed aquarium (second hand). It had the requisite hideous rainbow gravel, plastic plants, and an inside corner filter and heater. It was my springboard to the world of tropical fish. I had all sorts of fish in there. Then I tried live plants, Cichlids, Catfish, Loaches, Tetras, Killifish…You name it, I had it. I was completely bitten with the fish bug, and I’ve had an aquarium in my life in one form or another ever since.
On my 10th birthday, my dad decided that I needed a new tank, so he got me a full-on 10 gallon setup, with an under gravel filter, stand, light- the works! I remember that I was so excited the night before we went to the fish store, I could hardly sleep! And I remember the smile on my dad’s face when I picked out my aquarium. He was really happy to see me so giddy. It was so cool.
I had that tank for years…tried everything in it. I had 8 tanks in my room at one time, breeding everything from Kribs to Killifish, and during that time, my dad was always supportive, helpful, and excited to see what I was up to with my fishes! It was a full-on obsession, started by him- and being a typical fish guy himself, he was all-too-happy to support my obsession.
I remember when I was 13, and I converted that tank to a saltwater tank, complete with crushed coral, dead coral skeletons, and…a Sebae anemone! Believe it or not, that anemone lived with me for about 6 years…all the way through high school and into college. It lived in a few different tanks, hosted many clownfish. My dad loved that anemone. And never once got mad at me about the salt spray from that tank that literally rotted the drywall behind the aquarium. I mean, he was a fish geek…He understood that this is what happens.
I had my first true reef tank with a wet-dry filter in 1986, and my dad got a big kick out of the technology- and the corals. We used to reflect back on my old aquariums while admiring the 60 gallon reef I had. What a cool tank!
Since the 1980’s I’ve been very hardcore “reef”, and my dad, although he no longer kept fishes, loved talking about hem with me. He gave me a lot of his freshwater insight, and used to tease me about not being a “real” fish geek until I had a tankful of “championship show guppies!”
I used to rehearse my talks with my dad and long-suffering mom before I took them out on the road to clubs and conferences. In my dad’s office in my parents’ house, he had copies of every magazine article I’d ever written, and printouts of the online stuff I wrote. Guess he was quite a fan!
When we started Unique Corals, I took my dad to our facility, and he was like a kid in a candy store! Just went crazy over all the cool corals. And, being a brilliant businessman, he saw the way we were operating and the potential to make a living at this thing, which delighted him to no end. He was telling me how wonderful it was that I could make a living doing something that started out as a hobby.
I remember thanking him and giving him a big hug in our warehouse for starting me on that amazing aquatic journey, which has become a huge part of my life.
My dad passed away last night at age 77 after a brief, yet valiant battle with cancer- just too young, for a guy that was so vibrant and athletic.
I will miss him beyond words, and yet, he lives on in every aquarium, every fish-related thing that I do. For that matter, he lives on in everything that I do.
My advice to you: If you have kids that are into fish, baseball, ballet, knitting- whatever- do what my dad did: Encourage them, nurture them, and support them. Let their interests become lifelong obsessions, enriching their lives and those of the other people that they touch. Share, be ready with a kind word of encouragement and support, and a hug when they fall. Teach them right from wrong. Give them courage, strength, and dignity.
Please give them a hug right now. If your parents are alive- tell them how much they mean to you. Let any trivial disagreements or differences evaporate, and enjoy the gift of their presence in your life.
Love them with all your heart. Tell them every day that you love them. I’m not embarrassed to say that my dad told me that practically every day that I saw him, including when he passed away in my arms last night.
In the end, the love is what we always get to keep forever…
I love you, dad. And I always will.
And to all of you- my extended “fish family” here in our community- I truly love you too. Thank you for the many words of encouragement that you have given me throughout my father’s battle. Thanks for participating, and making this community- and our lives- just a bit more fun. I apologize for some spottier than usual customer service at Unique Corals of late. I was a bit, well- preoccupied, as you might imagine.
We’ll get back to normal next week, because that’s what my dad wanted me to do. I just need to spend a little time with my family this weekend.
Next week, we will also be launching our charity, “Corals for the Cure”, which will support the American Cancer Society. Look for an announcement soon. We hope that you will be supporting it, to honor my father, and the millions of other people whose lives have been touched by this disease.
And to all of you…and most of all, to my dad-
Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
I was around 3 years old..Yeah, three- when I have my first recollection about wanting to keep fish. My dad was an avid guppy breeder, and we had a little fish room with a dozen or so tanks full of guppies in the house. I was literally raised around aquariums.
My favorite tank was 20 gallon community tank that he had in the living room, with guppies and a few other fishes. I must have spent hours staring at that tank! I got my first goldfish bowl for my third birthday! After much pleading, my dad gave me some baby guppies one day when I was about 3 and a half, maybe 4. I had goldfish bowl full of babies, and I raised them to adulthood with dried food and live baby brine shrimp that my dad and I hatched out. It was as cool as it gets for a three year old!
When they were old enough, we’d place them in one of his 10-gallon tanks. I remember how proud I was of the fish I raised. I learned all about water changes, feeding, and general fish care. It was awesome. My dad was really proud of me for the way I took care of my fishes.
When I was 5, I got my first fish tank- a 5-gallon, metal-framed aquarium (second hand). It had the requisite hideous rainbow gravel, plastic plants, and an inside corner filter and heater. It was my springboard to the world of tropical fish. I had all sorts of fish in there. Then I tried live plants, Cichlids, Catfish, Loaches, Tetras, Killifish…You name it, I had it. I was completely bitten with the fish bug, and I’ve had an aquarium in my life in one form or another ever since.
On my 10th birthday, my dad decided that I needed a new tank, so he got me a full-on 10 gallon setup, with an under gravel filter, stand, light- the works! I remember that I was so excited the night before we went to the fish store, I could hardly sleep! And I remember the smile on my dad’s face when I picked out my aquarium. He was really happy to see me so giddy. It was so cool.
I had that tank for years…tried everything in it. I had 8 tanks in my room at one time, breeding everything from Kribs to Killifish, and during that time, my dad was always supportive, helpful, and excited to see what I was up to with my fishes! It was a full-on obsession, started by him- and being a typical fish guy himself, he was all-too-happy to support my obsession.
I remember when I was 13, and I converted that tank to a saltwater tank, complete with crushed coral, dead coral skeletons, and…a Sebae anemone! Believe it or not, that anemone lived with me for about 6 years…all the way through high school and into college. It lived in a few different tanks, hosted many clownfish. My dad loved that anemone. And never once got mad at me about the salt spray from that tank that literally rotted the drywall behind the aquarium. I mean, he was a fish geek…He understood that this is what happens.
I had my first true reef tank with a wet-dry filter in 1986, and my dad got a big kick out of the technology- and the corals. We used to reflect back on my old aquariums while admiring the 60 gallon reef I had. What a cool tank!
Since the 1980’s I’ve been very hardcore “reef”, and my dad, although he no longer kept fishes, loved talking about hem with me. He gave me a lot of his freshwater insight, and used to tease me about not being a “real” fish geek until I had a tankful of “championship show guppies!”
I used to rehearse my talks with my dad and long-suffering mom before I took them out on the road to clubs and conferences. In my dad’s office in my parents’ house, he had copies of every magazine article I’d ever written, and printouts of the online stuff I wrote. Guess he was quite a fan!
When we started Unique Corals, I took my dad to our facility, and he was like a kid in a candy store! Just went crazy over all the cool corals. And, being a brilliant businessman, he saw the way we were operating and the potential to make a living at this thing, which delighted him to no end. He was telling me how wonderful it was that I could make a living doing something that started out as a hobby.
I remember thanking him and giving him a big hug in our warehouse for starting me on that amazing aquatic journey, which has become a huge part of my life.
My dad passed away last night at age 77 after a brief, yet valiant battle with cancer- just too young, for a guy that was so vibrant and athletic.
I will miss him beyond words, and yet, he lives on in every aquarium, every fish-related thing that I do. For that matter, he lives on in everything that I do.
My advice to you: If you have kids that are into fish, baseball, ballet, knitting- whatever- do what my dad did: Encourage them, nurture them, and support them. Let their interests become lifelong obsessions, enriching their lives and those of the other people that they touch. Share, be ready with a kind word of encouragement and support, and a hug when they fall. Teach them right from wrong. Give them courage, strength, and dignity.
Please give them a hug right now. If your parents are alive- tell them how much they mean to you. Let any trivial disagreements or differences evaporate, and enjoy the gift of their presence in your life.
Love them with all your heart. Tell them every day that you love them. I’m not embarrassed to say that my dad told me that practically every day that I saw him, including when he passed away in my arms last night.
In the end, the love is what we always get to keep forever…
I love you, dad. And I always will.
And to all of you- my extended “fish family” here in our community- I truly love you too. Thank you for the many words of encouragement that you have given me throughout my father’s battle. Thanks for participating, and making this community- and our lives- just a bit more fun. I apologize for some spottier than usual customer service at Unique Corals of late. I was a bit, well- preoccupied, as you might imagine.
We’ll get back to normal next week, because that’s what my dad wanted me to do. I just need to spend a little time with my family this weekend.
Next week, we will also be launching our charity, “Corals for the Cure”, which will support the American Cancer Society. Look for an announcement soon. We hope that you will be supporting it, to honor my father, and the millions of other people whose lives have been touched by this disease.
And to all of you…and most of all, to my dad-
Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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Oh how much I love that guy. You bet after reading this I will hug him a little tighter. Hang out with him a little longer, and give him a little thicker red envelop for chinese new years. He's 74 this year and and thank god doing great but I understand that every moment I have with him is still a blessing. Thanks for sharing this with us. I wish I knew how write better and say more to help you go through this but I'm not so great with words. Every time I hear this song I get choked up and teary eyed.. its a great song and will give you many great memories.... 
