Hello again from an old member

[Karl Nurmi]

I gotta say, things have changed in a lot of ways since I was last active in the MCA. This is my first post in this forum and I;m normally a fairly low tech guy  , so I'm experimenting here. I"ve been a fish keeper most of my life on one level or another. Back in my 30's  1990 till maybe 96 or so I got hit hard by the "cichlid bug" so I joined up with a group of other fanatics in the MCA and ACA that were also smitten with this amazing family of brightly colored fish that practiced all kinds of brood care strategies. and were both being discovered in all parts of the world and being made available to hobbiests even before they were described formally. Then with the eco-disasters in places like Lake Victoria , and Madagascar they were going extinct before we could even discover and identify them! Exciting stuff!!! Through the clubs, I got to meet and rub shoulders with some of the people at the leading edge of the fight to preserve these amazing fish and utilize hobbiests in coordination with ichthyologists and aquariums worldwide.
In those years I kept my fish room records and breeding logs on an old Packard Bell on 5-1/2 inch floppies,, and our interactions were all face to face by visiting each others fish rooms and our club meetings and events. Tilapia farming was a new concept!!
Lot has changed , but a lot seems to be the same, and the MCA seems to have not only survived the changes but stayed current and vibrant and full of people who still love these cool fish.
I'm trying real hard this time around, to limit the size of my collection, to limit the # of tanks, but as you all , I'm sure know, that's easier said than done!
Glad to be here, and hope to enjoy some great times, before life points me in another direction again.
Once a fish nut, always a fish nut!

[Regalblue]

Welcome back,  Karl! 

Was good meeting you at the meeting last night.  You picked up some super nice species in the BAP auction. 

- Blair

[JG]

Glad to have you back in the hobby Karl!

Jay