History of My Fish Keeping:
I have been keeping fish since I was 5 years old. My first tank was a 29 gallon
high. This tank was setup as a "community" tank. My locally fish store started to
carry a new type of fish. My first exposure to Cichlids were Red Tiger Oscars.
I setup a 15 gallon tank for two 1" Oscars. I did not expect to see them grow so
fast!! When they reached about 4" in size, They could eat 8-10 guppies in one feeding.
I knew they needed more room. Before I could find a larger home, one of the Oscars
was found on the floor. The remaining Oscar lived in the 15 gallon tank for 4 years.
One morning, I awoke to my mother's screams. My now large Oscar cracked
the side glass of the tank and all but 3-4 gallons were now on the living room
carpet. The Oscar's next home was back at the fish store.
I maintained the 29 gallon tank until I became a teenager. The fish keeping
took a back seat to all things which keep teenagers busy..
I started keeping community fish again about 4-5 years ago. One day in a local
fish store, I was speaking with the store owner. I explained to him about the Oscar
experience. He pointed out several fish with long confusing names. He further explained
that all of these fish are Cichlids, but unlike Oscars, they will not grow as large
nor require "feeder" fish. I had to have some. My first Cichlid purchase was several
small("fry") Lamprologus Leleupi. The price was a bit high, but they were worth it.
Several months later I discovered an aquarium club with its focus on Cichlids.
I have been a member of the Michigan Cichlid Association since 1996. I found the
meetings a great way to learn about Cichlids. MCA holds two auctions annually.
Auctions are a great way to obtain new and sometimes rare Cichlids. I would
encourage everyone to join an aquarium club.