Rich Armandi, President
Birthday : December, 1970
Hometown : Philadelphia, PA
1st Aquarium : 1985: 30-gallon freshwater community
Current Aquarium : In addition to the over 125 customer aquariums I am responsible for, I keep a 230-gallon reef tank at our headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
Favorite Aspect of my Work : I have always been called by the oceans. I would watch every Jacques Cousteau TV special when I was growing up and, like most Philadelphia kids, my family vacations to the Jersey Shore were a highlight. I would snorkel in the surf all day long to collect shells. When I was in college in Las Vegas, Nevada, I learned how to SCUBA dive. I took trips to southern California and explored Pacific Kelp forests, then to Catalina Island to swim with the inhabitants like Blue Sharks and Garibaldi Fish. I was hooked and knew I wanted to dedicate my life to the ocean and its creatures. But, I didn’t know how. My business has allowed me to follow my dreams and work with these animals on a daily basis. It has been said that we only protect what we love. My job is to promote awareness of the beautiful oceans through the creations of aquariums. Maybe a child who sees one of my aquariums will be inspired to devote his or her life to the aquatic sciences and maybe that child will be instrumental in saving our delicate oceans for the next generations to enjoy.
Daniel Heredia, Office Administrator
Birthday: June, 1989
Education: B.S.B.A. in Management at University of Nevada Las Vegas
Hometown: Brawley, CA
1st Aquarium: 5-gallon African Dwarf Frog tank
Current Aquarium: 10 & 15-gallon freshwater tropical aquarium
Favorite Aspect of my Work: Learning and reading about new fish is always exciting. I enjoy teaching and answering questions to help newcomers grow into experienced hobbyists. I love encouraging proper aquarium care as a way to appreciate and respect the environment.
Other Hobbies: Coin-op arcade games, record collecting, Pokémon Go
Peter Delaney, Aquarium Technician
Birthday: February, 1989
Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY
Education: B.S. in Environmental Biology at ESF
1st Aquarium: 20-gallon African Clawed Frog
Current Aquarium: 75-gallon Suriname Toad tank
Favorite Aspect of my Work: I love helping people bring a little life into their homes. Exposing ourselves to nature daily is fundamental to our well-being, and whether that’s a big reef tank or a simple fresh water, it’s a joy to provide that for people. If you can’t always get out to nature, bring nature inside with you!
Other Hobbies: Fatherhood, caring for my 17 y/o African Grey, painting tabletop miniatures, and cooking Indian food
Frank Bolles, Aquarium Technician
Birthday: October, 1996
Hometown: Greenwood, DE
1st Aquarium: 20-gallon freshwater community
Current Aquarium: 7- 40 gallon, 1- 25 gallon, 1-3 gallon rimless aquariums all custom built by myself
Favorite Aspect of my Work: Is the amount of freedom there is to create a great looking tank for my customers, and the fish that live inside their tank. Being able to do something I love makes everyday a good one and allows me to share my passion with those around me. Another favorite is getting to be hands on with species of fish I have never seen or have the opportunity to own.
Other Hobbies: Breeding and raising fish, custom knife making, Airbrush fishing lures, and fishing.
Bob Quartarone, Aquarium Technician
Birthday: May, 1987
Education: B.S. Multimedia Design, Wilmington University.
Hometown: Newark, DE
1st Aquarium: 20 gallon freshwater community tank.
Current Aquarium: 210 Gallon Eel, predator and reef tank.
Favorite Aspect of my Work: Caring for a wide variety of fascinating aquatic life. Creating beautiful ecosystems that please the eyes and nurture marine life. Designing and installing fishtanks and aquatic life support systems and all the intricacies that tie those systems together such as plumbing, filtration, electrical, networking, ect. Always being on the move to a new location, with new people to meet, new fish to become familiar with, new tank to design or look after. Always learning new things and growing my knowledge and passion as an aquatic caretaker.
Other Hobbies: Aquariums and fishkeeping. Camping, hiking, live music, dogs, cooking, disc golf, travel, history, collecting historical artifacts.
Brandon McCracken, Aquarium Technician
Birthday: November
Education: North East High School, MD
Hometown: Newcastle, DE
Current Aquariums: 25g Ball python terrarium, 15g dart frog vivarium, 30g dart frog terrarium, 60g red eye tree frog vivarium, 100g reef display
Favorite Aspect of My Work: I’ve always had a great love for animals since is I was a kid. Wether they have paws and claws, wings or fines. During my summer breaks my family spent many summers going around to Zoos and Aquariums. It was my favorite part of my break. Better than the roller coasters and the beaches. I enjoy recreating the beauty of natural environments that our fishy friends thrive in. Showing my passion for animals through my work is a dream come true.
Other Hobbies: Fast Cars, fast bikes, paintball, fishing and traveling
David Krull, Aquarium Technician
Birthday: September 1996
Education: BS in Biology with a specialization in marine and aquatic ecosystems from Bowling Green State University
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
1st aquarium: 20 gallon brackish water aquarium with mudskippers.
Current aquarium: 16 gallon mixed reef.
Favorite aspect of work: I am passionate about learning new information and techniques about fish keeping and helping to spread that knowledge with fellow hobbyists. I enjoy teaching clients about the biology and of the animals they keep in their displays.
Other hobbies: camping, backpacking, snowboarding, fishing, reading, trying new boba teas and cheering for the Bills and Sabres
Tyler Cave
Birthday: April, 2002
Education: B.S. Biology Education
Hometown: Kennett Square, PA
1st Aquarium: 10 Gallon freshwater community tank (2008)
Current Aquarium: 32 gallon nano mixed reef, in addition to a 7 gallon macro algae aquarium
Favorite Aspect of Work: Always learning new things
Other hobbies: Passionate about the outdoors, avid hiker, camper, and PADI certified open water. Additionally, thrifting and brewing are other passions of mine.
