Interview with: Ad Konings, Mar-97: Ad Konings, from Rotterdam (Now living in El Paso, Texas), well know worldwide cichlid specialist, speaker, photographer, observer, author, editor, publisher and good friend, kindly concedes this interview for the purpose of this home page. Ad devotes his life to his family, friends, and of course cichlids, on which he is among the few more knowledgeable persons in the world. The interview took place during a cichlid photographic expedition in Bacalar, México, near the border between México and Belize in March, 1997.

Interview with: Alf Stalsberg, Apr-97: Norway is a land of serious aquarists, people that love their fish and have a deep knowledge of them. Norwegian cichlid aquarists' flag is Alf Stalsberg, the best known and pioneer of them. Alf is a prolific and famous writer, an open person of honest and straight opinions, and a deep knowledge of cichlids. I am happy he agreed on giving me this interview, which I am even more happy to be able to share with you. This interview took place by e-mail to Alf Stalsberg in Larvik, Norway, during April of 1997. Thanks Alf!

Interview with: Anton Lamboj, Mar-2008: Anton Lamboj is nowadays one of the most active and influential ichthyologist dealing with West African cichlids. He has visited Africa many times and is the author of several ichthyological papers dealing with the cichlids of Western Africa. But Anton is also a passionate aquarist and is the author of the bible for West African cichlid enthusiasts, the book "The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa". Anton is an internationally invited cichlid lecturer and his talks are loaded with fantastic information about these cichlids. We are honored he agreed to answer to these questions

Interview with: Don Danko, Jun-99: Don Danko from Cleveland, Ohio, very well known president of the Ohio Cichlid Association, represents the good things that the Cichlid keeping hobby can bring to you. As he has been successful in every area of it. A great breeder, photographer, experienced collector, article writter, promoter by taking positions in organizations, like board of trustees of the American Cichlid Association and the Ohio cichlid Association and a good friend. Don has every bit of experience that people can learn from to develop into this fantastic hobby. This interview took place by e-mail during June 1999. Thanks Don!

Interview with: Felipe Cantera, Oct-2004: Felipe Cantera, from Uruguay, probably the person that better and more intimately knows the fish fauna of his country, has organized for many people along several years collecting trips to wonderful places in Uruguay. Felipe has been as well the discoverer of many new fish species

Interview with: Heiko Bleher, Jul-2010: Heiko Bleher, from Germany (Now living in Milan, Italy) is without a doubt one of the most influential figures in today's freshwater aquarium hobby, who has literally lived immersed in aquatic explorations during his entire life. Son of Amanda Flora Hilda Bleher, an important figure in what freshwater aquatic life was concerned during the first part of the 20th century, Heiko, an aquarist himself, has continued a family tradition of exploration, collection and worldwide distribution of aquatic life, discovering countless fish species for the aquarium hobby and science. He has also participated in the publishing of some of the most beautiful freshwater aquarium life journals and books ever published. He has agreed to give this interview for the Cichlid Room Companion, something for which we feel very distinguished

Interview with: Lee Newman, Feb-2008: Lee Newman, from Canada is a professional aquarist working as the Curator of the Graham Amazon Gallery in the Vancouver aquarium, his skills and contributions to the aquarium hobby and cichlid knowledge are many and widely known. Lee has been the first person to spawn in captivity such difficult species as Retroculus xinguensis and Satanoperca acuticeps, which he documented with wonderful pictures as he has done for many other species. Lee is also a sought after lecturer at cichlid conventions in northamerica and elsewhere. I am proud Lee has accepted to participate in this interview

Interview with: Les Kaufman, Sep-2006: Les Kaufman, noted lake Victoria cichlids specialist as well as leading research scientist in countless aquatic projects, speaks to Greg Steeves about his life and conservation views, a wonderful insight into his fascinating life

Interview with: Mary Bailey, Dec-2007: Mary Bailey from England is one of the most influential and well known persons in the fish world nowadays. Aquarist, editor and writer, Mary is author or coauthor of five wonderful books on aquarism, was the English editor of the wonderful and regretfully now gone Ad Konings' Cichlid Yearbooks and Heiko Bleher's Aquageo and the editor of Cichlidae, the journal of the British Cichlid Association, which under her editorialship transformed into a modern and world class bulletin. Mary's views are always food for thought. I am honored by her acceptance to participate in this interview

Interview with: Oliver Lucanus, Jul-2004: Oliver Lucanus, from Germany (Now living in Montreal, Canada), well know worldwide cichlid collector of South American and West African fish, he has travelled extensively to fish habitats around the globe and it is a well regarded international speaker at fish oriented conventions. Oliver owns a fish, amphibians and reptiles importing business at his home town. This interview took place by e-mail in Jul-2004.

Interview with: Pam Chin, Jul-2005: Pam Chin, aquarist, author, editor, speaker, cichlid hobby promoter and author of one of the most popular columns on cichlids there are or have been, Ask Pam, which has helped out cichlid hobbyists around the world for many years now. Pam has made important contributions to cichlid research and conservation. In short, there are few people in this world that have contributed to the cichlid knowledge the way that Pam has done it. I am very proud she has agred to give me this interview for the Cichlid Room Companion

Interview with: Philippe Burnel, Jan-2008: Philippe Burnel, aquarist, photographer, webmaster, editor, and writer is one of the most influential personalities in the French cichlid hobby and is known by his many contributions to cichlid knowledge worldwide. Philippe was for many years the editor of the "Revue Francaise des Cichlidophiles", the bulletin of the French Cichlid Association, and was an important part on the consolidation of the organization, one of the largest and more influential in the cichlid world nowadays. Thanks to Philippe to agree on answering to these questions

Interview with: Rainer Stawikowski, Mar-2009: Every working day, Rainer Stawikowski, from Gelsenkirchen, Germany, walks 256 steps through tall tree lined streets of this peaceful German city from his home to the editorial offices of one of the most influential aquarium magazines on earth, Die Aquarien- und Terrarien-Zeitschrift (DATZ). He has worked as the editor in chief for almost 26 years now. The best aquarium magazine could not have a better qualified editor; with 19 years of editing the Deutsche Cichliden Gesellschaft- Informationen, the bulletin of the German Cichlid Association, a profound knowledge on fish, particularly American cichlids, and above all, a charismatic and friendly disposition. Rainer is also a keen aquarist, traveller and fish related book collector. It is an honor to be able to present this interview, for which I am thankful to Rainer for taking the time knowing his very tight schedule

Interview with: Roger Häggström, Apr-97: Roger Häggström, the long time editor of one of the best Cichlid publications in the world, the "Ciklidbladet", of the Nordic Cichlid Association, gives me this interview for the purpose of it's distribution in Internet by The Cichlid Room Companion. Roger, of Swedish origin, has successfully kept and bred Malawi cichlids for many years, he has also participated in trips to Malawi and México to see its favorite animals in their natural habitat. Roger has also attended many Cichlid Conventions in Europe and the United States.

Interview with: Rusty Wessel, Apr-02: Rusty Wessel from Louisville, Kentucky, is a well known specialist in Central American cichlids. Rusty has visited Central American habitats for countless occasions. Rusty is a well known cichlid author and speaker. Much involved in the organized hobby, Rusty has taken many positions in several aquarium fancier associations, both local and national, and has been rightly awarded the highest honor of the American Cichlid Association, the fellowship status, for his many contributions to the cichlid hobby. Rusty is also a frequent contributor to the Cichlid Room Companion. This interview took place during April, 2002.

Interview with: Stuart Grant, Jul-85: Stuart Grant, for decads has made available to aquarists thousands of cichlids from lake Malawi that otherwise it would have taken much longer to be known. Owning the biggest collecting and shipping operation in the lake he ships hundreds of cichlids to many corners of the earth every week. Thanks to Stuart also many students of lake Malawi cichlids have been able to carry their works as he and his crew have host them and guide them through their visits. This is an old interview by David Herlong that took place in 1985 but shows many interesting facts still current. It will give you a very good insight on the history of Lake Malawi cichlids collecting and exporting.

Interview with: Wayne Leibel, Jul-97: Wayne Leibel, was for seven years the editor of the "Buntbarshe bulletin" (American Cichlid Association publication), he is a fellow of the ACA, columnist of TFH with his popular "Wayne's New World" column. Wayne is one of the world ultimate specialists in South American cichlids, a productive author, a regular and powerful speaker at cichlid conventions, a great acordion player, a Ph.D., and a nice guy!

Interview with: Willem Heijns, Sep-2007: World renowned in the Central American cichlid circuit, Willem Heinjs, from the Netherlands, over the years has been a prolific author and a key figure in the Netherlands organized hobby. Willems talents include being a wonderful aquarist and photographer, producing beautiful photographs and videos both at his home cichlidarium and the natural habitats. Willem has made several trips to Mexico, Belize and Nicaragua, looking for his beloved cichlids, from some of his visits to Nicaragua Willem produced probably the nicest video produced underwater in the crater lakes, showing for the first time unique cichlid behaviors. We are honored Willem has agreed to reply some questions for the Cichlid Room Companion

Interview with: Wolfgang Staeck, Apr-97: Wolfgang Staeck, from Berlin, Germany, has been involved with freshwater fish for most of his life, with the most part of this time dedicated to cichlids. A biology professor, Dr. Staeck is well known for his several scientific descriptions of cichlids as well as his several books, illustrated with dazzling pictures authored by him, another thing that has made Dr. Staeck famous. Wolfgang Staeck has visited cichlid habitats in Africa, Central American and South America, which has brought him a deep knowledge of the fish he talks about. The interview took place In Oslo during April 1997