A good time was had by all at grand re-opening celebration Saturday, hosted jointly by the and the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce.
The new owners of the The Fish Cove, Melinda and Bruce Ferris, graciously welcomed the community with free balloons and dollar hotdogs. The enthusiastic guests enjoyed gazing at all the familiar and exotic species in the numerous aquariums along their spacious shop.
“Fish lovers are interesting and fun," said co-owner Melinda as she was helping a young customer. "People come in and start talking with Bruce. I’ll have to leave for something and they’re still here talking to Bruce when I come back.”
“The prior owner, Curtis Michael, had been at this location for 22 years, since the late 1980s,” offered co-owner Bruce, “and he had a shop before that up the street. He was very popular in the community and customers still ask about him when they come in.”
Crescenta Valley Chamber member, Laurie Myers, mentioned that the former owner was a great community supporter. "When my kids were younger and we'd go to some of carnivals in the local park here,” she said, “they'd often come back with a Fish Cove gift certificate. They were good community supporters back then and I'm sure the new owners will be just as community-oriented.”
Bruce said he had was a regular customer of The Fish Cove for 18 of those 22 years, and when he heard the shop was for sale (on Facebook of all places), he knew he had to buy it.
Adrienne Webb was enjoying herself with her three children at the event. "We came from Acton and are leaving with several salt water fish and a new tank. What's great is we got the aquarium on sale today." she said smiling.
Webb and her children don't want to make any mistakes caring for the fish, and experts like manager Jason Cardinal are happy to offer suggestions in caring for fish. Cardinal mentioned that beginners often overfeed their new pet fish which can be a big problem as it pollutes the water and harms the fish.
But Cardinal also mentioned that fish can live a long time. “Some fish like gold fish live just up to a year,” he said. “Koi fish can live up to a hundred years and sometimes you can tell their age by their scales and their size."
Melinda chimed in to point out that fish have five senses, as well as emotions, and that Koi in particular are known for those traits.
From the prosaic to the exotic, The Fish Cove staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and are sure to be a great help to both the novice and the veteran fish enthusiast alike.
The Fish Cove is located at 3902 Foothill Blvd. and can be reached at 818-249-7518. The Fish Cove is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
