MARTINSVILLE – Joseph Fain hopes to make keeping fish as pets more popular locally.
In December, Fain opened JMZ Aquatics in the Holiday Shopping Center on Virginia Avenue near Collinsville. As far as he knows, it is currently the only store in Southern Virginia selling saltwater as well as freshwater fish. It also sells aquariums and supplies such as heaters, air filters, fish food, water conditioners and salts, and corals and small statues that fish seem to enjoy having in their tanks.
No longer do fish enthusiasts have to travel to large cities such as Roanoke or Greensboro, N.C., to find saltwater fish and supplies for them, Fain said.
He estimated there are about 100 tanks full of fish in his store. But if customers cannot find just the right fish for them, he can special order what they want and have it for them in about a week, he said.
Fain loves all kinds of fish. Having had them as pets for most of his life, he began breeding fish for sale about a year ago. After realizing there are many fish enthusiasts like him in Martinsville-Henry County, he decided to open his store to help meet their needs.
Since the store opened, “I’ve talked to a lot of people who said they didn’t know there was a fish store in Martinsville,” he said.
Upon walking into JMZ Aquatics, a visitor sees aquariums full of fish swimming around, sometimes coming over to the edge of the glass to see the person up close and blow fish kisses. That experience, plus the sound of gurgling water inside tanks and Fain’s soft-spoken voice when discussing the fish and products for sale, creates a sense a calm in the store.
Keeping fish is “good for your health,” he said, because it is relaxing.
That is why many soldiers who come home with posttraumatic stress disorder after tours of duty in battle areas overseas keep fish as pets, Fain said, mentioning that he provides a discount to members of the armed forces.
It also requires little work. After setting up an aquarium, keeping it clean and maintaining it requires maybe an hour of time per week, he estimated, beyond feeding the fish regularly, Fain said.
It is a misconception that saltwater fish require much more time and attention than freshwater fish, he noted. Basically, the only thing different is having to put salt in their water, he said.
However, “if you love animals, you’re dedicated to keeping them alive,” whatever work is required, Fain emphasized.
Originally from Ridgeway, Fain moved to Franklin County and graduated from high school there but decided to come back to Henry County. Opening a store at just 19 years of age, he is learning the ins and outs of running a business as he goes.
He plans to participate in the Startup Martinsville-Henry County session that starts Feb. 8. Startup is an annual program that teaches local entrepreneurs how to run businesses successfully.
But he already knows, he said, that providing quality customer service is a key to having a successful business, and that will be the emphasis of JMZ Aquatics.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. A grand opening event will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
In the near future, Fain plans to also offer a service in which he sets up and maintains aquariums in homes and businesses. All customers will have to do is feed the fish, he said.
JMZ Aquatics will share its space in the shopping center with another pet supplies retailer that is just now setting up displays. Although it will officially be two separate businesses, Fain said, “before summer is over, it will (essentially) be (one) full-fledged pet store” that sells and provides products for various types of animals including cats, dogs, birds and reptiles.
