AQUATIC
AMAZONAS
Gary Bagnall,
Zoo Med founder, in
his San Luis Obispo,
California, facility.Inset: The company
founder in the
early years with a
Shingleback Skink.Zoo Med at 40
article & images by Gary Bagnall • introduction by Michael
J. Tuccinardi • Anyone who has taken part in an aquarium
society event in the United States is probably familiar with
Zoo Med Laboratories—they donate a wide array of aquatic
products to support clubs across the country. But few in
the hobby realize that the founder and president of Zoo
Med, a leading manufacturer of products for reptiles and
amphibians, is himself a lifelong aquarium hobbyist. Gary
Bagnall, in addition to being an unabashed and enthu-
siastic fish geek, has a personal interest in keeping the
aquarium hobby thriving and ensuring that national and
regional aquarium clubs and societies can continue their
work. He has devoted a significant amount of his own
money and resources to this cause, and maintains an im-
pressive collection of rare fishes among the more prominently featured turtles, lizards,
and frogs at Zoo Med’s headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California.
Zoo Med is currently celebrating its 40th year in business, and we had the distinct
honor of having Gary Bagnall—an unsung hero of the aquarium hobby—share an inside
look at the history of the company and some of his personal aspirations for the future.
—M.J.T.ar
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MA Serious Case of Hobby Pox: