It’s been a long since I started this wet and wild journey in the aquarium trade, and interestingly enough, when I started I knew nothing about fish, except that they were delicious. When I was old enough to start working, I skated around town with my buddy searching for odd jobs, and by odd I mean like shoe repair or vacuum sales. Turns out we weren’t qualified for that but we ended up in front of the old Fish Haven tropical fish store in Escondido. The following week we were working there.
I got my first tank shortly thereafter, and ever since I have had at least one in my home, if not more. Fast forward through 14 years of daily aquariums, after working 6 different aquarium shops, 3 servicing companies, and earning a degree in marine biology, I bought the 25-year-old Fish Haven. It was the first step towards my dream, The Love Aquarium. I pictured an aquarium shop that builds community. A shop where folks could easily learn more about aquariums at their leisure and grow their appreciation towards something they already love. In my experience, the more you know about some things, the more fully you can enjoy them. This is especially true with aquariums, as more knowledge usually means less work and more awesomeness. I have always strived to teach people to be better aquarists since my first years at Fish Haven, and now I have the only full line aquarium shop in North San Diego County!
My sister (former long-time Fish Haven Superstar) and I, with the help of some awesome aquarists and friends, we have been evolving our shop and its experience slowly but surely. We have been meeting cool and enthusiastic hobbyists from all over San Diego and beyond. We know there are many more of you out there, so we’re looking forward to meeting as many we can. So come in, rock out, and see what’s in stock!
Doug is also an Eagle Scout, as well as SCUBA certified, and enjoys playing electric guitar and The Simpsons in his free time.
I got my first tank shortly thereafter, and ever since I have had at least one in my home, if not more. Fast forward through 14 years of daily aquariums, after working 6 different aquarium shops, 3 servicing companies, and earning a degree in marine biology, I bought the 25-year-old Fish Haven. It was the first step towards my dream, The Love Aquarium. I pictured an aquarium shop that builds community. A shop where folks could easily learn more about aquariums at their leisure and grow their appreciation towards something they already love. In my experience, the more you know about some things, the more fully you can enjoy them. This is especially true with aquariums, as more knowledge usually means less work and more awesomeness. I have always strived to teach people to be better aquarists since my first years at Fish Haven, and now I have the only full line aquarium shop in North San Diego County!
My sister (former long-time Fish Haven Superstar) and I, with the help of some awesome aquarists and friends, we have been evolving our shop and its experience slowly but surely. We have been meeting cool and enthusiastic hobbyists from all over San Diego and beyond. We know there are many more of you out there, so we’re looking forward to meeting as many we can. So come in, rock out, and see what’s in stock!
Doug is also an Eagle Scout, as well as SCUBA certified, and enjoys playing electric guitar and The Simpsons in his free time.
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Samantha Clark - Past Aquatic Specialist and Loving Alumni
Samantha Clark, aka Sam, is one of Fish Haven’s long-time superstars. Much like her brother Doug, she began working at the ol’ Fish Haven when she became old enough to get hired. She also had no previous aquarium experience, and had instead spent much of her life building expertise with regards to dogs and cats and other relatively dry animals. Her brother and the other senior employees had begun to pass on much of their knowledge and experience to her, as they should. For the next 9 years she continued to sharpen her skills and knowledge under the guidance of some of San Diego’s elite aquarists. She eventually became the Manager of Fish Haven, handling most of the store’s operations from shop maintenance to ordering to training new hires.
After a long stay at Fish Haven, she moved to PETCO as a knowledgeable and skilled aquatic specialist, often enjoying caring for other animals too. She was only there for a year when her brother had announced his plans to take over Fish Haven and create The Love Aquarium. She happily came back to the shop to help Doug create one of San Diego’s favorite spots for tropical fish. Since her return to her old shop in early 2016, she has been a critical piece of The Love Aquarium's success. Her vast knowledge of all store operations, customer service, aquarium care, fish compatibility, African cichlids, and more have helped to brand The Love Aquarium as a friendly inviting shop for everyone to enjoy and explore. Her name often shows up in 5-star customer reviews on Yelp and Google, and with her decade-plus track record of helping San Diegans keep successful tanks, it no wonder why. Sam will be unfortunately leaving The Love Aquarium soon, as is currently pursuing her own dreams of becoming a humane law officer with the San Diego Humane Society. She is also a black belt in Taekwondo, an avid Chargers football fan, and offers pet sitting services when she’s not bagging fish at TLA. |
Doug Clark, Jr. has 14 years experience in aquarium services. He has a degree in Marine Biology, is SCUBA certified, and is an Eagle Scout. It’s been a long since I started this wet and wild journey in the aquarium trade, and interestingly enough, when I started I knew nothing about fish, except that they were delicious. When I was old enough to start working, I skated around town with my buddy searching for odd jobs, and by odd I mean like shoe repair or vacuum sales. Turns out we weren’t qualified for that but we ended up in front of the old Fish Haven tropical fish store in Escondido. The following week we were working there.
