Today, we’d like to introduce you to Pascal Reyes. Pascal was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Roger Ma.
Pascal, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
I am so lucky to have been raised in this city by such loving parents who ignited a love of nature in me. Despite their humble beginnings, they were able to secure annual family passes to both the San Diego Zoo and Sea World as they saw it as an invaluable educational opportunity for their children. I was blessed to see the parks throughout most of my childhood. Seeing these creatures sparked a fascination and love for animals, especially aquatic life. This lead me to frequent many of the local fish stores and binge many youtuber’s videos of the craft to feed my voracious curiosity.
Since then, there has always been a need for nature in my life, whether it be from hiking or snorkeling to having an aquarium or homemade ecosphere on my desk. Currently I am loving my time at my favorite fish store, Pet Zone Tropical Fish. Since working here, my knowledge and passion for the hobby have exploded, and I’m still growing and learning about this industry every day.
Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What should we know?
I’ve been building and designing tanks since I was ten years old. I have designed, scaped, torn apart, and rebuilt over forty tanks and ecospheres- and counting! My favorite styles of tanks to design are jungle and nature. Jungle-style tanks are more focused on wild, low-maintenance plants, while nature-style tanks focus more on capturing a scene out of nature, such as a valley or a mountain range. Much of my work is displayed on the Pet Zone Tropical Fish Instagram and as display tanks in store.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Roger Ma and Pet Zone Tropical Fish and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Pet Zone Tropical Fish.
I first discovered Pet Zone and Hakkai in 2020. My at-the-time girlfriend (now fiance!) had started to show interest in creating her own planted tanks. We stopped by Pet Zone’s convoy location, and were greeted with beautiful, inspiring tanks curated by the staff! We were enthralled. The location was well stocked, the tanks were immaculate, and all the employees were helpful and informative about our many questions.
From then on, we quickly became regulars. I became interested in designing even more tanks than the ones I had at home. So naturally, when I started looking for a job, Pet Zone was one of the first places on my mind. Not only would I have the chance to connect with new and old aquarium enthusiasts, but I would be able to learn in one of the best ways possible- hands-on!
Ever since I joined Pet Zone’s team, I have met hundreds of passionate, inspired people. I have had the pleasure of sharing my knowledge with them through Pet Zone’s many curated planted tank classes. I now lead many of the same demos and classes my fiance and I used to attend.
It is a real pleasure working with Roger Ma, as he has become a mentor and friend. He really invests in his team with his wealth of knowledge and know-how. He has given me so much good advice for the hobby, business, and life! Even now, I still learn something new each day! Roger takes an interest in every individuals strengths and helps find ways for them to excel as a valued Pet Zone team member.
Every day, I wake up excited to go to work. I am extremely lucky to work in such a supportive and knowledgeable environment. Pet Zone is worth the stop, even if it’s just to view our beautiful aquascapes.
Website: https://www.petzonesd.com & www.hakkai.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petzonesd & instagram.com/hakkaisd
Twitter: @petzonesandiego & @hakkaisd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetZoneSD
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PetZone
Other: https://hakkai.com/blogs/hakkai-news/fabulous-exciting-jungle-class-at-hakkai-today-nov-5th
Image Credits
Sean Pham & Rophael Velasco
