Dave Schumacher has been an avid aquarist from a young age. Getting his first job at 16 as “the reptile guy” at a local pet store specializing in cichlids, he quickly found he enjoyed the fish even more than the lizards and turtles he had started with. Dave worked for Armke’s Rare Aquarium Fish while in college, which was the go-to source for cichlids in the hobby during the 90s and 2000s.

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 raises and breeds.

I have been a tropical fish enthusiast for years and cichlids are my passion. The organized hobby has been a big part of my fish keeping life and I enjoy the social aspect it offers. It has given me the opportunity to find the fish I desire, and to learn more about them. Over the years I have made lifelong fish friends and they have enriched my hobby even more.

Don Danko is a cichlid enthusiast, author, photographer, collector and speaker with more than 30 years experience with these amazing creatures. He has written many articles on collecting, keeping and breeding cichlids from Central America, Lake Tanganyika and other locations. He enjoys maintaining 28 large cichlid aquariums that are equipped with an automatic water changing system to make the experience even more enjoyable.

Steve Edie has been keeping fish since the Eisenhower administration. (ref: Wikipedia) He has kept almost every kind of fish available, and some that weren’t. He now keeps about 1,200 gallons of freshwater aquariums, with a preference toward Rift Lake Cichlids. He has had good success in maintaining many different species and moderate success at breeding them.