DiSpigna, Al

Al DiSpigna has been a member of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society (BASNY) for the past 40 years and was president for 4 years. Al says he knows everything about fish keeping, but he’s not being arrogant — he really means it, and his 40 years in the hobby has proved it. His passion and dedication to conservation and ecology had become a way of life for him. His fish room has never housed less than 25 tanks at a time. Al has managed commercial aquarium shops, and has his own aquarium installation and maintenance business. He has designed and built aquarium systems for commercial as well as scientific laboratories within the U.S. Al has taught classes for members and the general public run by the BAS, and classes for teachers on how to maintain aquaria. He has also taught classes to marine biologist and college professors at the Museum of Natural History in New York City on setting up, maintaining and keeping marine fish alive. He’s been  featured on Japanese television speaking on sunfish. Al and his daughter Olympia, who has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Stetson University,  were both featured on Dish Networks’ Collective Intelligence in a program titled; 20 Tips for Collecting Tropical Fish, which aired here in the U.S. Al has also been  certified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department in their endangered species program, to keep endangered species. Programs: You Got Questions, Al’s Got Answers