About Us: Paul Lewis "LEW" Rothlisberger Jr. (Owner/Founder)
Lew has been keeping tropical fish since his earliest memory. His father,
Paul Sr., kept a number of aquariums at home and even was co owner of a small
aquarium shop in the 50's when Lew was just a toddler. So to say Lew grew up
with fish is not an exageration. While growing up in Havre de Grace, Maryland,
fish keeping was never far from the top of his list of priorities and
activities.
After graduating from Harford Junior College in 1970 with an AA
degree in Arts and Sciences, Lew went on to the University of Maryland. He
supported himself and worked his way through college as a musician, playing
drums in several bands. He considered a carreer as a drummer but never strayed
far from his love of fishes. Lew graduated from University of Maryland in 1972,
earning a Bachlor of Science degree from the zoology department. His majors were
Life Sciences and Mathmatics. He continued his studies with graduate level
courses in Vertebrate physiology, Ecology, Evolution, and a class titled "The
life of Fishes" professored by well known Dr. Eugiene Clark. (Dr Clark is a
famous shark expert who appeared numerous times on Jacques Cousteau and other
documentaries ) Lew also completed a 100 page thesis on the schooling behavior
of fishes, portions of which were published in a work by Dr Clark. The
Smithsonian Institution's Natural History building, the National Aquarium, and
the U of Md's Marine department on the Chesapeake Bay were Lew's favorite hang
outs during these years.
After college, Lew joined a large aquarium shop in
Maryland. It was there that Lew discovered the "business" part of the aquarium
business. Working closely with the owner, Lew became general manager and the
company grew in the 70's to 5 retail stores and a warehouse. One of Lew's jobs
during this time was purchasing fish. He not only bought from the local fish
wholesalers, but also ordered from transhippers in Los Angeles and Miami. And he
would travel to New York to see and buy from the big importers. And several
times he traveled to Florida to visit and purchase directly from the fish farms.
This is when he fell in Love with Florida but it would take 20 years to come
back to stay. Along the way he managed a fish shop in Houston, Texas for a short
time, and one in Orange County, California. He worked as an salesman for A-1
Aquatics, a major importer/wholesaler in Los Angeles in the late 70's. Then for
a California fish farm called Experimental Fisheries. Then, due mostly to the
recesion of the late 1970's Lew left the fish industry to persue another career:
The tile and natural stone industry.
Lew met and married Reina in 1980. Son Paul
was born in 1982 and daughter Jennifer in 1985. His time in the tile and stone
business included 5 years as a manager of a Color Tile Store, owner of his own
tile shop for 2 years, travelling the western United States for 3 years as sales
manager for Iberia Marble in Los Angeles, and then as Vice President of Sales
& Marketing of America's Best, Inc., a large supplier/contractor in the
tile, marble, and floorng industry. All during this time, Lew never got away
from the "hobby" of tropical fish keeping, maintaining as many as 30 tanks at
home, breeding numerous species, and selling to local fish stores.
In the early
90's, Lew began looking for a way to get back to the industry he loved: tropical
fish. He used every oportunity to research and bring himself up to date. In 1991
the entire family went on a 3 week trip to Central America, Reina's homeland.
Lew spent virtually the entire time researching the possibilities for the fish
business and even did some observing and collecting. He saw wild cichlids,
livebearers, etc., but his most vivid memory was of a canoe trip down a small
stream to a brackish bay in which he observed a large group of wild Anableps
anableps skimming the surface. Then the decision was made, and lew left the
successful career in the tile industry to re-enter the fish business by taking a
sales position with Poseidon Aquatics of Gardena, Ca.
Two years later he was
offered the opportunity to manage the new company: Poseidon Aquatics of Florida
to be located in the Tampa area. Realizing a dream, the entire family relocated
to Central Florida and finally Lew was back in the place he had loved so many
years before. Things did not go well for Poseidon Aquatics of Florida, however
as the major chain store which they were supplying fish to was bought out by
another larger chain. So Poseidon Aquatics of Florida reorganized. The name was
changed to Tampa Bay Aquatics, and they began supplying fish to independent pet
shops. Lew continued to manage TBA until early 1998, when he left the company,
but remained in Florida. After a very short stint working with Seaview Wholesale
Marine Life, Inc., he finally put together the final stages of his lifelong
dream and opened his very own Florida tropical fish wholesale company: TAMPA
EXOTIC TROPICALS.
In addition to tropical fish keeping and selling, Lew's other
interests are sport fishing, bowling, and he loves to spend time just hanging
around the numerous parks and beaches in Florida, obserivng the abundant
wildlife. He enjoys spectator
sports and is an avid Tampa Bay BUCS fan. He takes an active interest in his son
Paul and his daughter Jennifer's school activities, especially their respective
bands as they are both becoming accomplished trumpet players. Although its been many
years since Lew played music profesionally, he still dabbles at it occasionally
and is still considered a pretty good drummer.