Joey Mullen, The DIY Fishkeeper

This time my conversation is with Joey Mullen, widely known as the DIY Fishkeeper, and the The King of DIY. Joey came to rise in early days of YouTube, seeing a platform for expanding awareness and sharing his passion for aquariums. He never thought it would grow into an online empire of exposure, influence, and success at a scale previously unknown in the aquarium hobby. As one of the first online influencers, and before the term "content creator" existed on social media, Joey has seen it all from a unique position– the top. The arc of his online career and growth as a hobbyist has landed him in a coveted place of greater balance and a more intimate connection with his audience, though which he has found his lane and can truly enjoy the ride. From his new famous gallery and studio space where he has created an enviable collection of fresh and saltwater aquarium displays, Joey keeps the fires of inspiration, entertainment, education, and passion burning for tens of thousands of hobbyists around the world. Love him or not, this interview exposes the wit, intelligence and authenticity of one of the aquarium hobby's most recognized individuals.In this episode we discuss a huge array of topics including Joey's early days in the hobby, his true ambitions as an influencer, advice for aquarium content creators, internet trolls, fish behaviors, the state of the industry, and more. Joey even interviews me in the last segment by asking me several burning questions about planted tank aquascaping.