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Aquarist interview questions and how to answer them

An aquarist interview is a test of whether you can keep animals alive when nobody is watching. Expect questions about water chemistry, sick fish and broken pumps, and expect at least one conversation that happens standing next to a tank. The panel usually includes a senior aquarist or curator who will spot a textbook answer from across the room.

11 questions6 minute read

Part 1

1.Walk me through how you'd respond to an ammonia spike in an exhibit.

Why they ask

Water chemistry emergencies are the core risk of the job. They want to know you'll act in the right order instead of panicking or guessing.

How to answer

  • Confirm the reading with a second test or a fresh sample before acting on it
  • Look for the cause: a dead animal, overfeeding, a failed biofilter or a pump problem
  • Stop or reduce feeding and start a partial water change with matched salinity and temperature
  • Tell the lead aquarist or curator and log every reading and action
  • Keep testing until the numbers recover and watch the animals for stress signs

2.What's your quarantine process for new animals?

Why they ask

One sick fish added to a display can wipe out an exhibit. They're checking that you treat quarantine as non-negotiable.

How to answer

  • Separate system with its own nets, buckets and siphons
  • Observation for behavior, appetite, skin, fins and gills over a set period
  • Prophylactic treatments only under the vet's protocol
  • Work quarantine last in the day or change gear and disinfect between areas
  • Clear records before anything moves to a display

3.Which water parameters do you test daily, and which less often?

Why they ask

It shows whether you've actually run a husbandry routine or just know the vocabulary.

How to answer

  • Daily basics such as temperature, salinity and a visual check of every system
  • Nitrogen cycle tests like ammonia and nitrite on a regular schedule, more often on new or stressed systems
  • Alkalinity, calcium and magnesium for reef systems
  • How you log results and look for drift rather than single readings
4.Tell me about a time an animal in your care got sick or died.

Why they ask

Losses happen. They want honesty, a clear-headed response and evidence you learned from it.

How to answer

  • Name the species and what you first noticed
  • What you did in the moment and who you told
  • What the necropsy or investigation found, if there was one
  • What changed in your routine afterward
5.How comfortable are you with life support systems? Describe one you've worked on.

Why they ask

Aquarists often troubleshoot pumps, sand filters, protein skimmers, UV sterilizers and chillers before the life support team arrives.

How to answer

  • Describe the flow path from the tank through each piece of equipment and back
  • Name a specific fault you found, such as a clogged intake or a failed skimmer
  • Explain how you isolated it and kept the animals safe while it was fixed
  • Be honest about where your knowledge stops and you'd call for help

Part 2

6.How do you prepare diets for different species?

Why they ask

Nutrition drives health, and diet prep is a big part of every day.

How to answer

  • Following diet sheets and weighing portions
  • Food safety: thawing correctly, keeping prep surfaces clean, discarding old food
  • Adjusting size and delivery method for filter feeders, predators and grazers
  • Watching and recording who ate, since appetite is an early warning sign
7.What's your dive experience, and how do you work around fragile exhibits?

Why they ask

A diver who kicks up sand or knocks coral creates hours of cleanup and can hurt animals.

How to answer

  • Your certification level and roughly the kind of diving you've done
  • Buoyancy control and awareness of fins near rockwork and coral
  • Following the facility's dive safety plan and buddy or tender system
  • Staying calm around large animals such as sharks and rays
8.A visitor asks why a fish looks sick through the glass. What do you say?

Why they ask

Aquarists talk to the public more than people expect, and a careless answer can end up online.

How to answer

  • Thank them for noticing and take the concern seriously
  • Explain in plain words what the team does to monitor animals
  • Check on the animal yourself and pass it on
  • Avoid guessing at a diagnosis in front of guests
9.How do you keep husbandry records, and why do they matter?

Why they ask

Records are how the team, the vet and future staff spot trends. Many facilities use a shared database or software such as ZIMS.

How to answer

  • Logging readings, feeding, behavior and treatments the same day
  • Writing notes someone else could act on without calling you
  • Using records to catch slow trends like creeping nitrate
  • Any record systems or spreadsheets you've used
10.Our schedule includes weekends, holidays and an on-call rotation. How does that fit your life?

Why they ask

People quit over the schedule more than the work itself.

How to answer

  • Say plainly that you understand animals need care every day
  • Give an example of a past job with similar hours
  • Mention how you'd handle an overnight alarm call

Part 3

11.Tell me about working on a team where you disagreed with a senior colleague.

Why they ask

Husbandry teams are small and close, and animal welfare calls can get tense.

How to answer

  • A specific disagreement, ideally about an animal or a procedure
  • How you raised it with evidence rather than opinion
  • What the outcome was and how the working relationship held up

Questions to ask them

Ask at least two. It shows you're picking them too.

  • How is the dive rotation set up, and who is the dive safety officer?
  • How does the husbandry team split work with life support staff when equipment fails?
  • What does training look like in the first few months, and when would I work a section alone?
  • Which exhibits or collections are you hoping to expand, and would this role be part of that?
  • How do aquarists here move up to senior aquarist or curator roles?

Related interview guides

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