There is a central theme in Mark’s life: WATER. WATER. WATER.
Growing up in Tennessee meant trips to the local lakes and rivers on the family ski boat. Spring break was always spent in Hawaii cruising the reefs and forever ingraining memories of the beauty of the ocean on his mind.
Mark’s first tank was the typical goldfish bowl. 1 gallon of water, some multicolored gravel in the bottom, a plastic plant and 1 fish. Seeing his keen interest in fish, his parents quickly upgraded him to a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium. When he turned 9, his father announced it was time to upgrade to “the real thing” – a 75 gallon saltwater tank.
Jump ahead 22 years, and Mark maintains a 375 gallon tank and mrsaltwatertank.com, a website dedicated to taking the confusion out of setting up and maintaining a saltwater tank.
Mark also is the creator and star of Mr. Saltwater Tank TV a web-based TV show that not only entertains audiences, but educates them as well.
Since starting Mr. Saltwater Tank TV in 2010, Mark has created over 260 Mr. Saltwater Tank TV episodes resulting in over 11,400,000 views worldwide. The show has attracted 50,000+ YouTube subscribers and 47,500 + fans on Facebook.
In addition to Mr. Saltwater Tank TV, Mark has authored and co-authored 6 books on including The No-Nonsense Guide to Setting Up A Saltwater Tank Volume One and Volume Two, The Ultimate Guide to Saltwater Tank Cruise Control, The No-Nonsense Guide to Preventing and Curing Nuisance Algae Outbreaks, The No-Nonsense Guide to Marine Fish Diseases, Treatments and Quarantine, and Pre-Travel Planning and Preparation: A Pocket Guide for Saltwater Tank Owners His writing also includes 5 authored or co-authored articles for international magazines such as Tropical Fish Hobbyist and Marine Habitat Magazine.
Public appearances include speaking at major fish trade shows – The Marine Aquarium Conference Of North America (2012 and 2013), Marine Aquarium Expo (2011-2015) and the Seattle Marine Aquarium Expo and ReefStock
Mark also takes Mr. Saltwater Tank TV on the road as he’s covered major saltwater aquarium trade shows including Marine Aquarium Expo (MAX), Seattle Marine Aquarium Expo (SEAMAX), Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA), and Reefstock
When he isn’t traveling or working, Mark maintains a 450 gallon mixed reef tank and spends time with his wife, 6 yr old son, 2 yr old daughter and his pug named Bart.