A FISH fanatic is living the dream as he launches his new aquatic business in Runcorn.
Steve Chester’s hobby of collecting tropical fish has seen his pastime turn into a dream career which has now led to an exciting business enterprise.
The former construction worker from Runcorn forged a new career ten years ago after successfully applying to an advert for an aquarium assistant which he spotted in one of the many fish magazines he purchases each month.
Suddenly the hobby he started to follow as a child led to him becoming an assistant at one of the UK’s largest aquariums, Blue Planet at Ellesmere Port.
Steve’s new business, Premier Aquatics, has opened at The Heath Business and Technical Park’s Conference Centre, after office space was transformed into a retail shop.
The Heath’s technicians undertook the external work, internal flooring, insulation and access to utilities preparing for the opening on July 2.
Steve took care of the rest of the shop fit-out and installation of 150 aquariums that are home to around 600 different species of fish that he imports from all over the world.
The former head aquarium keeper at Chester Zoo said: ‘‘The aquariums have around 18,000 fish in them in total which I import from places like Sierra Leone, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and European countries like Germany, The Netherlands and Czechoslovakia.
‘‘The Heath’s technicians have done a fantastic job to get the new premises up and running, and just days before our official opening on Friday, July 2nd, we were awarded a 5 Star Pet Shop Licence by Halton Borough Council’s Environmental Health Department.’’
Steve says his aim is for The Heath shop to be the first in a chain of aquariums he hopes to open around the country under the Premier Aquatics brand.
The self-confessed fish fanatic said: “I really am living my dream by turning my hobby into a business.
‘‘I’m self-taught but I have picked up invaluable knowledge through working with vastly experienced aquatic experts over the years and being able to take part in fish studies in Mexico and Brazil in the past.
‘‘I’ve also probably got one of the biggest private library collections on aquatics in the country, with stacks of books and magazines I’ve collected over the years.
Steve also has 90 aquariums at home in a special shed he built in his garden.
For more information visit www.premieraquatics.co.uk
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