Meeting June 2019: Klaus Steinhaus presents "Tropheus are they really that scary"

Klaus Steinhaus presents "Tropheus, are they really that scary?"

Klaus says:
Cichlids have been my hobby for almost 50 years. At the age of 20, while still living in Germany my interest turned to cichlids and I was permanently hooked. Looking for more fish and information, I joined the German Cichlid Association (DCG) in the mid 1970s. I got involved with one of the regional chapters and started writing articles for their publication. The DCG was a very active group and where I learned a lot but also had much fun.

When I moved to Canada in 1982 I had to sell all my fish and equipment as I was unable to continue my hobby due to my new job. After things settled down a bit, the old Fish Tank Disease took over again. “I need another tank for my fry.” …and another and another. I ended up with 24 tanks in my fish room and my main focus has been the cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, specifically the genus Tropheus. However, lately my focus has shifted to the Central and South American cichlids, my interest especially peeked by the eartheaters. I have also set tanks aside to keep some endangered cichlids from different areas to help with the conservation effort. That is why I got involved with CARES.

To really enjoy a hobby, there has to be a social aspect to it. Being able to discuss your successes and failures with fellow hobbyists is one important part. The most important part however is to meet new people that have the same interests you have and make new friends. So I needed to look for an organization that not only promoted our hobby, but also included the missing social aspect. Since my main interest is with cichlids, I joined the American Cichlid Association. It is my opinion that we ‘old’ hobbyists have an obligation to give something back to this beautiful hobby that has given us so much pleasure over such a long time.

Klaus has dedicated immense time and efforts to CARES thoughout the years, serving as a liaison to CARES Member Clubs and spreading awareness as well as demonstrating how to implement the program as a CARES Speaker. 

Guests are always welcome at our meetings, however after your third visit we do ask that you officially join the club.

Meeting Agenda

• Presidents commentary and business affairs - (~10 minutes)
• Discussion & overview of upcoming events ( ~5 minutes )
• Introduction of any new members (~2 minutes )
• Short Break (10 minutes)
• Speaker (~ 1 to 1.5 hours)
• BAP Auction (~15 minutes)
• Members Auction (Did you know you can auction your fish off any meeting for a fee of $2 per bag to the club, max three bags)
• Dry goods raffle (2 minutes)
• After meeting networking and questions (unlimited)
• Food / Dinner after meeting at Portillo's (30 minutes)

Meetings generally are at 6PM on the second Sunday of the month, unless otherwise noticed, so please check our Events Calendar.

Each meeting is attended by 25-50 people typically. The meeting starts with a welcome from our President and some business affairs may be discussed. We usually ask if there are guests present, raise your hand and tell us what kind of fish you keep!

Following business, there is a short break when you can meet other attendees, take a look at the fish that are available for sales, buy raffle tickets for aquarium goods and see the fish in our Bowl Show.

After the break, a speaker or other program is presented. We bring in speakers from all over the US and other countries. These speakers are usually an expert in cichlids or an aquarium-related topic. The talk usually lasts about an hour.

Following the talk, we announce the raffle winner and begin the auction of fish.

If you like fish or cichlids, you should come to the next meeting.

DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT CHICAGO NORTH SHORE SUITES
1400 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025
PHONE: (847) 803-9800