It’s art: How one man turned his love for fish into a business

Corals, the perfect temperature, pH-balanced water, rocks and, most importantly, fish. Aquascaping may be seen as a hobby but to practitioners of the craft, it’s an art. The art of doing the perfect design for owners and inhabitants of an aquarium.

So, when Brian McGhee shows up for a client, he is working on a blank canvas that will serve as a home for fresh or saltwater fish and aquatic plants.

Aquascaping is the formal term for the art of arranging aquatic plants, rocks, stones and other materials for aquariums.

“It took me a while,” said McGhee owner of Aqua-Man’s Tank Cleaning Service, which services aquariums throughout Michigan. “It wasn’t overnight. It wasn’t instant. It was strictly trial and error.”

How did he get here?

It all started with a 29-gallon fish tank.

McGhee can remember growing up looking at his parent’s aquarium filled with a variety of fish and decorations. It would eventually end up in the basement of their family home collecting dust.

He really didn’t think much about the aquarium in his adult years until one day he saw a fish bowl at a friend’s home making him want to purchase one too.

“It was around 1998 or 99 and I had my first apartment,” said McGhee who is now 48 years old. “I had a fish bowl and that’s kind of how it started. The fish didn’t live long. I didn’t have a clue. I didn’t know what I was doing whatsoever. Not at all.”

But he didn’t give up. McGhee eventually headed to his parent’s home and salvaged his childhood 29-gallon fish aquarium from the basement.

It went from 29 gallons to 55 gallons to 90 gallons and finally to owning a 116-gallon aquarium in his home. But through his personal trial and error, McGhee learned the art of aquascaping.

“It just grew kinda by accident. I didn’t plan to do this,” said McGhee of his acquired skill. “My friend would always comment on how good my fish tank looked and asked me to clean his friend’s fish tank so I did. Then his friend’s friend asked me to clean his tank so it just grew.”

McGhee launched Aqua-Man’s Tank Cleaning Service nearly 15 years ago. He travels throughout Michigan to clean, advise and set up aquariums for both homes and commercial properties including libraries and bars. He currently has about a dozen loyal customers.

His business opportunity came at a time when he said he really needed a financial breakthrough.

“Sometimes when you’re in a tight spot financially you get creative,” McGhee said. “I said, ‘I know how to do this. Let me just put all my energy towards this and get some extra income.’ I really didn’t want a 9 to 5 because I have one already.”

So far, McGhee has changed more than 20,000 gallons of water for customers.

He said his journey hasn’t been easy and some friends and family didn’t really think he could make it.

“I would tell people to go for it,” said McGhee. “Go for it if they want to do something. Stay focused and use the negative comments to drive you and motivate you. That’s exactly what I did. Folks didn’t believe in me. They told me I couldn’t do it. They said I didn’t know what I was doing. I took all of that and I turned it around.”

For more information about ​Aqua-Man’s Tank Cleaning Service visit their website here.