I had an aquarium when I was a kid and always loved it. “The store is pristine clean, and all their products and fish are very high quality. John McKale, a semi-retired master mechanic from North Palm Beach, decided to get back into the hobby eight months ago and found Badfish Florida. Merlino said Borrego is knowledgeable and she wants to support women-owned businesses. My betta I bought from her is my favorite boy, he is so cute. “Right now, we have four fish, and I have more on order. I decided to stop in and see what she had,” Merlino said. I was Googling online and looking for a place. VIDEO: Hammerhead shark hunts blacktips in Florida's shallows during annual migration “I ask people questions, and I definitely take a lot of time helping beginners and experienced people alike, making sure all the fish get taken care of. They have to change the water, making sure the water parameters are right and that the fish is the right size for the tank,” Borrego said. “They are thinking they are getting an easy to take care of pet and not a responsibility. What's involved in maintaining an aquarium?īorrego said that while maintaining a freshwater aquarium is considered easier than keeping a saltwater aquarium, people need to realize there is work involved.

They are sometimes called dragon fish because of their shiny, armor-like scales. The shop’s best-selling fish is the silver arowana, a South American species. They are sustainably sourced from Thailand,” Borrego said. Those have brought me a lot of customers. “I have a lot of the betta fish that are imported. The plant selection includes the Amazon sword, anubias, Java fern, moss, floating plants and various pond plants, priced from $5 to $25.įish offerings include a wide variety of cichlids, bettas, dwarf shrimp, fancy guppies, discus, assorted plecos, koi and oscars, priced from 13 cents for a feeder guppy to $480 for the rare fogo peacock bass. South Florida radar picks up something beautiful, ghostly and unusual Not that many stores have a big selection of those.” A lot of people come in and they are surprised the fish are not saltwater,” Borrego said. “There are thousands of colorful freshwater fish. Aquatic plants are also a big sellerīorrego said a common misconception is that the colorful fish are saltwater varieties, and that the only colorful freshwater fish are goldfish. The last two orders have come on a passenger plane,” Borrego said. “They are usually shipped on a cargo plane, but with COVID, it’s difficult to get on a cargo plane. “So many young people take their education and utilize it somewhere else.” “It’s a beautiful thing when a local can add something to the area where she was raised,” Cori Borrego said. She is proud of what her daughter has accomplished so far. Her mother Cori Borrego pitched in to get the store ready, painting walls and staining the shelves that hold the rows of aquariums with fish in every hue from red to orange and blue. I couldn’t do any business, so we spent the time remodeling.” “I signed the lease right before we had the first COVID lockdown. I found a place and leased it,” Borrego said. “I found there was a high demand for the freshwater fish, shrimp and aquatic plants.

SUBSCRIBER ONLY: Loxahatchee Refuge closes section after owls harassed by paparazzi, hecklers and a fight She began selling aquarium fish from her home. After graduating from The Pine School, a private school in Hobe Sound, Borrego worked in retail jobs, mostly at fishing and tackle stores.

Freshwater fish store