Big Fish Aquarium opens in Galewood
Eddie Tanglao has loved fish and aquatic animals considering the fact that he was a kid — and now he’s turned it into a company on the West Facet.
Tanglao opened Big Fish Aquarium, 6816 W. North Ave., with a celebration Saturday. The shop will cater to regional fish hobbyists, marketing animals, materials and components — and fulfills Tanglao’s childhood desire.
The consumers “like the wide variety, the selection of fish in excess of below,” he stated.
Tanglao, 43, has 25 yrs of knowledge in the aquarium field and is enthusiastic to share his enthusiasm with neighbors. Large tanks span the partitions and blue spotlights showcase versions of fish, shrimp, crabs, frogs, anemones and other creatures for sale.
“There are some other pleasant fish stores in the town, but there is not a person above listed here,” explained Delaney Woodlief, an worker at Massive Fish Aquarium. “I feel persons are truly fired up to have a good fish retailer above here.”
Huge Fish Aquarium has been in the performs due to the fact April. Tanglao renovated the space — beforehand a COVID-19 screening facility — and designed stands for the fish tanks, he mentioned.
Among Saturday’s site visitors have been Nia Pitman, a Galewood resident who stopped by with her partner following looking at the retailer from the street. Pitman mentioned she’s experienced pet fish for the past calendar year and preferred a “mom-and-pop” to assistance as opposed to major-box outlets.
“It offers some levels of competition to some of individuals even bigger areas,” she stated. “They have a whole lot additional assortment than some of those people bigger chains.”
Gregory Feret, a suburban Oak Park resident who retains tropical fish, stopped by with a flyer for Van Oak’s Pet Store, a business enterprise that closed many years ago but once bought fish and aquarium accessories close to Big Fish Aquarium.
“I was shocked the new retail outlet opens like this in these to some degree striving retail occasions as you could describe them,” Feret said. “But I will do my finest to unfold what very little company I have close to right here in locations like this.”
Feret explained he’s been in the fish-retaining passion for many a long time and would like to carry on supporting neighborhood retailers like Significant Fish Aquarium that support him remain in the pastime.
Tanglao, who chatted at length with Feret about the area’s history and retaining fish, claimed a community aquarium helps make a massive difference by “having a friendly deal with.”
“You go down to PetSmart or Walmart and you are conversing to someone that likely doesn’t genuinely care a lot about fish,” Tanglao explained.
Tanglao claimed he hopes to someday open up much more aquarium retailers across the city so young ones can be introduced to the passion and have the ease of getting to speak to somebody in their community about their fish.
Outside of the retail facet of the enterprise, Tanglao strategies to offer you providers to customers, which include likely to their residences to clean up their tanks.
“I imagine that by by executing that listed here … we must be in a position to conquer any failures but but the shortcomings that other sources have produced,” he reported.
Massive Fish Aquarium is open 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-6 p.m. weekends.
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