SOUTH HADLEY — Miguel Pacheco didn’t need another job. He drives as far as south as East Longmeadow or as far north as Turners Falls to install and maintain aquariums up to 600 gallons in size.
When he’s not tending to fish, Pacheco clocks into his second full time job at Trader Joe’s in Hadley. Then, he’s greeted at his South Hadley home by his dozen dogs — 10 of which are puppies — and many brightly-colored fish of his own.
But after Smithland Pet and Garden Center announced the closure of their nearby locations, Pacheco realized that local spots to buy fish are drying up quickly, and he had the means to swim against the industry’s current.
So Pacheco added a 5 to 9 to his two 9 to 5s.
Located at the 14B Main St. in South Hadley Falls, Miguel’s Fish & Aquatic Maintenance offers local fish enthusiasts all the supplies, labor and aquatic creatures required to build and upkeep an aquarium at home. The storefront is a bit of a hidden gem in the Falls, tucked away behind a laundromat. But inside one can glimpse into the many fish species from oceans across the world.
“Besides the color and beauty, fish are very peaceful,” Pacheco said. “That’s the one thing I love about coming here, listening to the water is very quiet and chill. It’s like stress-relief.”
One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish
Small 10-gallon tanks line the walls of the store. There’s a wall for freshwater fish, a wall for saltwater fish and a wall of African cichlid’s and beta fish. Creatures in the middle of the store, like the turtles and a yellow stingray, are permanent residents of the shop, but customers are welcome to enjoy them and ask questions.
In the middle of the store — right behind Pacheco’s yellow stingray — are three tanks with running water for live coral. The marine invertebrates are kept company by species that typically live in reefs, such as sea stars.
“They like the current because in the ocean, they’re right close to shore, and in deeper water, there’s different types of currents too,” said. “So the lower you go, the more colorful the corals are, and the higher you go, there’s more waves and light they have. Soft coral are lower, and the higher levels have more stony coral.”
Pacheco sells both soft coral such as mushrooms or leathers and stony corals like trumpets and toadstools. He’s happy to help customers find a combination of saltwater fish and corals or freshwater fish and aquatic plants that meet their needs, so long as the fish can coexist.
“I have a customer that has coral tanks with shrimps and everything, but they want pufferfish. They’ll eat the corals and they’ll destroy everything. That’s what they do in the wild,” Pacheco said. “Some triggers, you get away with them, you know, like they don’t bother invertebrates or even the corals, but they can be just as destructive.”
Build-A-Tank
Fish tanks always adorned Pacheco’s home growing up, but he only learned how to install tanks and filter systems after leaving western Massachusetts for college. Pacheco worked at an aquatics store while studying at The University of Puerto Rico, and he never stopped.
“I went from graphic arts to fish tanks,” Pacheco said. “They’re both decoration, in a way.”
Pacheco moved back to Hampshire County to began his own business. Occasionally, he also helped the late Ed Pecord, former owner Fish Frenzy Tropical Fish & Accessories, with tank installations and sold his products to customers. Pecord also lived in South Hadley, and now Pacheco is operating his store in the very location that Fish Frenzy once operated.
Each fish tank installation begins by pouring rocks at the base of the tank and burrowing in live or fake plants. Then, Pacheco sets up the filtration system to keep the water clean and filter out organic matter like fish waste or uneaten food. Even the smallest changes in water temperature or nutrient concentration can be deadly for fish and coral, so Pacheco’s filtration systems can include several layers to ensure the tank’s inhabitants remain happy and healthy.
“We always learn in this field,” Pacheco said. “[I learn] a lot from customers too, because when they read about fish, they tell you something I never knew either. We all teach each other.”
After installing the filter, Pacheco mixes salt or supplements into the water at appropriate levels for the tank’s inhabitants. The water is replaced one to two times a month, especially during cleanings. Pacheco said some cleanings can take up to eight hours for larger tanks.
“You first see what you have,” Pacheco said. “Sometimes I go to a cleaning and there’s a coral tank that’s full of algae. You start siphoning, carefully without knocking the corals. Sometimes you take a toothbrush and clean around the coral. It depends on how good of a cleaning they want.”
Pacheco charges $80 an hour for his services, but the cost of fish, tanks and decor vary depending on the size and quality.
However, Pacheco recommends that people interested in keeping fish start with small tanks or a single fish. Research is key to keeping fish alive. He suggests beginners buy a single fish, like a beta fish, to get into the habit of cleaning a tank, and then work up to other species.
“You to have time. You to have patience,” Pacheco said. “Once you don’t have the patient, you should start adding stuff. You kill everything.”
