Profile: Eric Triplett, Exotic Aquatics: Work With What You Love

Interview by Leslie McGuire, managing editor

“I was really moved by Koi, seeing those huge fish swimming in a pond really touches you,” says Triplett. “Of all the fish, Koi are the most beautiful. Because I’m a fish freak, I decided to push us towards traditional Koi ponds, and I’m taking the company to the next level.

Eric Triplett of Exotic Aquatics and The Pond Digger hard at work! Photos courtesy of Exotic Aquatics

It all started when Eric Triplett got into fish as a hobby. He got a newt aquarium when he was seven and that caught his imagination. Triplett started his first business as an aquarium service… and it was almost accidental. He’d get phone calls in the middle of the night, “My fish are sick! What do I do?”

Then the calls started to get regular, and more and more random people heard about him. “I was such a fish geek that people would call asking for advice.” So, he started a small business taking care of aquariums and aquatic life in doctors’ offices and other businesses. Then naturally, people with ponds started calling. “I want to put fish in my pond. Can you help me?” So, Triplett started a service for existing ponds, and that’s when he really got into ponds as an extension of his love of fish.

“I was really moved by Koi, seeing those huge fish swimming in ponds, it really touches you,” says Triplett. “Of all the fish, Koi are the most beautiful.” But the aquarium service was a good turn-key business that made good money. “Visits were very fast, I was in and out in less than an hour. However, ponds turned out to be a lot harder.” If they were improperly built, or too shallow, he’d spend two to three times the amount of time and the pond still wouldn’t look that good—unlike praise he got before with the aquariums. “I worked twice as long and twice as hard and people said, ‘When is this thing going to look good?’” Then someone fired him- “Don’t bother, it doesn’t look that good!” Well, getting fired was not in his vocabulary. “If these people don’t want to fix the pond so it will work correctly, I want to be done with it. So I washed my hands of them and fired all my pond customers and didn’t touch ponds again for three years.”

At that time, Triplett was captured by ecosystem style ponds. Ecosystem ponds started to go crazy, so Triplett got his C-27 contractor’s license. He had worked in construction since he was 17—but quit when he went into the pond business so he was familiar with all the tools, estimating, bidding, etc. Because of his previous experience, it was a smooth transition.

It’s not as if they’re going to stop building ecosystem ponds but Triplett wants to be extremely versatile. By doing so they’re targeting customers that won’t be affected by a recession—people like football and movie stars. “Maybe soon, maybe in five years, everyone’s gospel will shift to traditional Koi pond construction. Who knows?”

He had worked in construction since he was 17—but quit when he went into the pond business so he was familiar with all the tools, estimating, bidding, etc. Because of his previous experience, it was a smooth transition from aquarium maintenance to pond construction.

“There aren’t many companies that do just 100 percent waterscape construction. This broadens our reach so we can do more installations. It’s now a part of our business.” There are two companies: Exotic Aquatics which is the retail and wholesale division. Pond Digger Inc. is the waterscape and construction division.

“All my employees are down for the new Koi pond building program. Five years ago they would have been resistant, but most of my guys have been with me for a long time, and they don’t want to do lawns or tree trimming or sidewalks. They love building ponds.”

Once Triplett got his license and his new business began taking off, he was able to sell his aquarium installation and maintenance company to a long time friend and devote himself fully to pond installation. About 85 percent of the ponds he built were straight ecosystem ponds. However, there’s a difference between ecosystem ponds, water gardens and Koi ponds. His main goal has been to push into traditional style Koi pond construction and then educate the masses to the difference between them. But, in the meantime, there are lots of things that can be done to hybridize the two.

There’s a rift between the two worlds of ponds. It’s between the professionals and the serious hobbyists. “The general public doesn’t want to get into the politics, they just want what they want,” says Triplett. He believes it’s his job to educate. “I interview each customer and extrapolate what they want. It’s not an easy task. Usually the pond is only for the wife, but then we build it and the husband is totally intoxicated and is always out there doing things with it.”

Triplett was captured by ecosystem style ponds. “I got a book, went to a trade show, and when that craze started to move, I picked up all the information I could, along with real philosophies about plants, filters, pumps, you name it.”

It’s difficult to build a true Koi pond when the people don’t care much one way or the other. An ecosytem pond is about $8,500, but a Koi pond might be $18,500. “But I try to shoot the middle,” says Triplett. “I say, ‘Let’s pick some things that are helpful and leave the pond open for modification in the future so you can graduate up if you like. This is where I think you’ll want to go, so based on all that, this is what’ll I’ll build for you.’”

A couple of years ago his interview process was what is described above. But in talking to a gentleman who was a traditional Koi pond expert, Triplett said, “I’ve interviewed 100s and 100s of people and they always choose the hybrid pond.” The gentleman replied, “Eric, it’s just the gospel in you coming out. People will do whatever you want them to do. I’ve had the same experience, and they always do what I want them to do, too.”

From the day he began to focus on building Koi ponds, Triplett decided to go in, educate people about the differences in construction, philosophy and styles. His main goal has been to push into traditional style Koi pond construction even though they have much more plumbing and are more labor intensive.

This new interview style has been difficult. He’s used to closing 80 to 90 percent of his interviews and then going straight into construction. 95 percent of the customers are thrilled with him, the job and the service. After five or six years though, they are ready to graduate to the next step. However the ponds he built 10 years ago aren’t that easy to modify.

“I don’t think there’ll be a lot of contractors that will step up to the plate and do what we’re doing however, because the sales end is much more difficult.” Triplett knows he can sign a contract in one interview. But now, sometimes it takes up to three interviews with different sketches, and they’re still not sure what they’re going to do.

Triplett had been wanting to expand his business into larger installations such as lakes. He went to Hawaii to meet all the big traditional Koi people and sat in on an Anthony Archer-Wills seminar, which was brilliant. He loved it, and after that, he had the confidence to go build a lake. When he did this lake project he used a lot of those philosophies and knew just what to do.

But Triplett prefers that because he likes to be challenged and he loves fish. “I’m a full-blown, 100 percent fish geek who has turned landscape contractor,” he says.

“It’s been a pretty neat journey over the past season,” says Triplett. “I had a company meeting (he has 10 employees and holds a meeting once a month). He told the staff, “We’ve been doing ecosystem ponds forever, and it’s all locked and loaded and really great, but I want to build $100,000 Koi ponds for people now.” The radius in which we work has been 60 to 100 miles over the years. (Sometimes they will travel to Georgia and Florida, but that’s not normal for them.) Because I’m a fish freak, I’m going to push us towards traditional Koi ponds, and I’m taking us to the next level. No longer will our radius be 60 to 100 miles.”

Once Triplett got his C-27 license and his new business began taking off, he was able to sell his aquarium installation and maintenance company to a long time friend and devote himself fully to pond installation.

His company has modified their web site and their business cards. They’re targeting customers that won’t be affected by a recession—people like football and movie stars won’t be affected. “That way, I’ll make the company recession proof.” There are two companies: Exotic Aquatics which is the retail and wholesale division. Pond Digger Inc. is the waterscape and construction division.

“Since we’ve made the change in the last 12 months, it’s amazing the number of calls we’ve gotten. This huge hotel in Maui had to redo four of their ponds. There are a lot of ponds that need help in Hawaii. A ton of them are old and need to be retrofit, rebuilt or modified. Imagine a five star hotel with a really dreadful pond. They’ll lose a star for that alone.”

Triplett now leaves components underground, already stubbed out so he can more easily modify the pond as customers grow into the hobby. Repeat business is built in. He has modified the older ponds when he can by hybridizing the system so they can handle more fish, keep the pond clear and reduce maintenance.

“All my employees are down for the new program. Five years ago they would have been resistant, but most of my guys have been with me for a long time, and they don’t want to do lawns or tree trimming or sidewalks. They love building ponds. The last couple of projects they’ve done have been very exciting. The hobby is infectious and they get as excited about it as do the customers.” When Triplett goes to speak at horticulture societies, he says, “I try not to push one way or the other and push my gospel on anyone. But maybe soon, maybe in five years everyone’s gospel will shift to traditional Koi pond construction. Who knows?”

If Triplett weren’t a purist, he’d be too scared to go to the next level. “It’s not about 25 feet of PVC pipe, it’s about 1000 feet of PVC pipe. The typical landscape contractor just doesn’t want to tackle stuff like that,” he says. “And I say this with caution and respect. I have dozens of my own fish.”

Ecosystem style ponds made so much sense to Triplett, he built one of them at his home because he loved them. Then his Mom wanted one, then his neighbor wanted one, then his Mom’s friend wanted one and his neighbor’s friends all wanted them too!

Says Triplett, “You have to follow your passion. If you aren’t having fun then don’t do it.” He turned his hobby into his business. As his hobby grows so does his business. He’s not saying jump out of the box, but do step outside your comfort zone. Part of the process is to grow and learn.” Triplett went to Hawaii to meet all the big traditional Koi people and sat in on an Anthony Archer-Wills seminar, which was brilliant. He loved it, and after that, he had the confidence to go build a lake. When he did the lake project he used a lot of those philosophies and knew just what to do.

“Definitely educate yourself,” says Triplett. “Lots of people don’t go to seminars because they don’t have time or money. But you learn so much that being outside your comfort zone is not so uncomfortable. If people want to step outside their comfort zone and know more about fish, tell them to call me, and I’ll help assist in the transition.”