Greater Chicago Cichlid Association

GCCA Classic

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GCCA's Annual Cichlid Classic is a fun cichlid-themed weekend for everyone. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the hobby, buy and sell fish, and have a great time with fellow hobbyists.

What is the GCCA Classic?

• Speakers from across the country with a full day of presentations 
• A fish show where breeders and hobbyist display their favorite and best fish (and often sell them at the end of the show)
• It is raffle where over a $$$$ of goods will be raffled and auctioned away
• It is a social event with a dinner party (banquet) and hospitality suite
• It is a place to buy fish and supplies from vendors
• It is where over hundreds of fish books are for sale
• It is where vendors will be displaying their latest products
• It is where people put fish for sale up on bulletin board (typically people from other clubs)
• It is a huge cichlid auction on Sunday
• It is for newbie's and cichlid nuts a like
• It attracts people across the Midwest

Agenda

Thursday May 24th - GCCA volunteers load, unload and set up over a hundred fish tanks (make sure to thank them)

Friday May 25^th Saturday 26^th  - Fish show, fish & vendor sales and networking events

Saturday May 26^th - Full day of speakers, fish show and judging, fish & vendor sales

Saturday May 26^th evening - Banquet & presentation

Sunday May 27^th - Huge cichlid only auction (note fish show & vendor sales will be closed on Sunday)

Featured Speakers and Talks

Kevin Plazak

Kevin has been keeping fish since he was 13 but started in earnest at 18. When the tanks slowly started taking over the house he had the good sense to heed his wife's suggestion (read: clear threat) that the tanks need to be out of the house. This lead to a breeding cooperative then a wholesale business. His focus had been on live bearing fish and cichlids prior to the business but fish stores like a wide variety of everything that goes into a fish store so Kevin has been captivated by almost everything that swims under fresh water lately and a few like the Climbing Perch and Mudskippers have been taking up more of his thoughts of late.

Kevin will be presenting two talks: 1) Dwarf Cichlids and 2) Peacocks

Peter Durkin

When people here Peter Durkin they associate it with Tropheus. He is a successful breeder of Tropheus at a commercial level which fewer than handful of people have accomplished, he successful breeds Tropheus at an amazing quantity. Pete is also a major fish importer from South America and often brings fish to the area that others have never seen before. Peter is frequently at GCCA swaps, well now you can hear him share his experiences, tips and few secrets.

Peter will be presenting two talks: 1) Tropheus and 2) Importing Fish

Rusty Wessel

Rusty maintains over 8000 gallons of freshwater aquariums in a state of the art fish house constructed specifically for fish. The 90 plus aquariums predominantly contain cichlids and livebearers, which he successfully raise and breeds. Rusty\'s specialty is Central American fishes. He has taken his hobby to a point where he has successfully collected fish from the countries of Africa, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Mexico, from 1983 to the present, for over 100 trips to this date. Considered by many to be the ultimate collector, he has introduced many new species of fish to the aquarium hobby. If it lives in the water, chances are that Rusty has either caught it or been bit or stung by it. Dr. Robert Rush Miller, emeritus professor of the University of Michigan named a beautiful and elusive cichlid discovered during one of his expeditions to Honduras, after Rusty in the June 1996 edition of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine, Theraps wesseli.

Rusty will be presenting his talk entitled "Keeping Thoricthys"

Rick Borstein

Rick Borstein is one of only nine Master Breeders in the GCCA. He has spawned over 190 species of cichlids. Rick is webmaster of the GCCA, President of FAAS and President of the Chicago Livebearer Society.

Rick will be presenting a new talk called "Sixty Tips in 60 Minutes".

Mike Schadle

Mike Schadle is the proprietor of an aquarium book seller, expert auctioneer and a fixture at many tropical fish events.

Mike will be presenting an update to his popular "Cichlid Quiz" talk. Bring Jack Daniels. You'll understand why when you get there.

Giant Cichlid-only Auction

Sunday, May 27, 2012 10AM – till the last fish is sold | Register at 8:30AM

Join GCCA Online

Want to join GCCA?

You can conveniently join our club online and pay via Paypal or a major credit card.

Want more information around joining and the benefits of membership?

http://www.gcca.net/about/whats-up-with-membership

Where do I go to join?

http://www.gcca.net/about/join-gcca

What do I get?

Paid membership in GCCA offers you access to members-only sections of this website, more favorable Auction splits, preferred registration for our swap meet tables (planned for later in the year), the ability to participate in members-only events and more.

You will also receive access to our publication online via this website or, at optional extra cost, mailed to you.

More importantly, your support goes to support folks who care about cichlids and the aquarium hobby.