Seattle_Aquarist
Well-Known Member
**FREE Presentation - Loaches for Life; Not just for Snails - Mark Duffill (UK) ** - Greater Seattle Aquarium Society (GSAS) - October 11th
Mark Duffill, from the UK, is coming to GSAS to give a presentation on Loaches! This is part of a whirlwind visit to the United States where he is visiting various aquarium societies around the country, including the Greater Portland Aquarium Society on the Sunday before our Tuesday meeting.
Mark Duffill was born in 1972 and had an interest in fish from a very young age. He got his first fish when he was 6 years old and was ‘hooked’ immediately. As soon as he was old enough he became a junior member of the local fish keeping club and soon got the bug for showing fish and winning prizes, Mark progressed in the club as a committee member and eventually club secretary. As well as the fishkeeping Mark owns and helps out with several websites and Facebook groups including Loach Fanatics.
This aside he also advanced to become an A-class judge for the North East Federation of Aquarist Societies. The hobby of fish keeping took a back seat for a while due to work commitments, however unfortunately his career as an electrician ended in 1999 when he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and spondylosis in the spine. Since then he channeled his time, energy and passion for fish to keeping, breeding or catching and collecting them.
Mark works primarily with Loaches, Rasboras and other Asian species, although he has periodically diverted his attention to other fish including African Rift Cichlids, Characins, Corydoras, Discus, Livebearers of all descriptions and even at one point had nothing but Rainbow fishes, but no matter what he has kept he was always drawn back to Loaches, Barbs, Danios and Rasboras.
In 2009, Mark became the founder of the International Loach Association, formerly Loach Association of Great Britain. Mark has written books on loaches and also had his articles published in several magazines around the world and had them translated into numerous languages and has been invited to travel to clubs within the UK and now around the world to give presentations on Loaches.
Mark’s passion for Loaches has seen him successfully spawn numerous species, which for some time Loaches were considered unbreedable but thanks to Mark and people like him, this myth has been dispelled. So far he has spawned 20+ loach species including Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki, Micronemacheilus cruciatus, Sewellia lineolata, Sewellia sp spotted, and Acanthocobitis zonalternans, also firsts such as Botia kubotai, Botia histrionica, Botia striata, Acanthopsoides species and Yasuhikotakia splendida.
The presentation, which is open to the public, will be Tuesday, October 11th, 2016 at 7:30 PM at Seattle Pacific University; Otto Miller Hall; Room 109; West Nickerson Street and 3rd Avenue West.
Doors will open about 6:30 PM for a 'social hour'; the meeting will start at 7:30 PM.
After the meeting please join us for our monthly auction and help to support the club that brings us all our these outstanding speakers.
Guests are welcome; no entrance fee
Family friendly but no childcare provided
Free parking, accessible building
No furry or feathered pets
Go to Greater Seattle Aquarium Society (gsas.org) for more information and directions
Key words: Tropical Fish Tank Fishtank Tanks Aquarium Aquariums CO2 Aquatic Plants Aquascaping LED Lighting Loaches
Mark Duffill, from the UK, is coming to GSAS to give a presentation on Loaches! This is part of a whirlwind visit to the United States where he is visiting various aquarium societies around the country, including the Greater Portland Aquarium Society on the Sunday before our Tuesday meeting.
Mark Duffill was born in 1972 and had an interest in fish from a very young age. He got his first fish when he was 6 years old and was ‘hooked’ immediately. As soon as he was old enough he became a junior member of the local fish keeping club and soon got the bug for showing fish and winning prizes, Mark progressed in the club as a committee member and eventually club secretary. As well as the fishkeeping Mark owns and helps out with several websites and Facebook groups including Loach Fanatics.
This aside he also advanced to become an A-class judge for the North East Federation of Aquarist Societies. The hobby of fish keeping took a back seat for a while due to work commitments, however unfortunately his career as an electrician ended in 1999 when he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and spondylosis in the spine. Since then he channeled his time, energy and passion for fish to keeping, breeding or catching and collecting them.
Mark works primarily with Loaches, Rasboras and other Asian species, although he has periodically diverted his attention to other fish including African Rift Cichlids, Characins, Corydoras, Discus, Livebearers of all descriptions and even at one point had nothing but Rainbow fishes, but no matter what he has kept he was always drawn back to Loaches, Barbs, Danios and Rasboras.
In 2009, Mark became the founder of the International Loach Association, formerly Loach Association of Great Britain. Mark has written books on loaches and also had his articles published in several magazines around the world and had them translated into numerous languages and has been invited to travel to clubs within the UK and now around the world to give presentations on Loaches.
Mark’s passion for Loaches has seen him successfully spawn numerous species, which for some time Loaches were considered unbreedable but thanks to Mark and people like him, this myth has been dispelled. So far he has spawned 20+ loach species including Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki, Micronemacheilus cruciatus, Sewellia lineolata, Sewellia sp spotted, and Acanthocobitis zonalternans, also firsts such as Botia kubotai, Botia histrionica, Botia striata, Acanthopsoides species and Yasuhikotakia splendida.
The presentation, which is open to the public, will be Tuesday, October 11th, 2016 at 7:30 PM at Seattle Pacific University; Otto Miller Hall; Room 109; West Nickerson Street and 3rd Avenue West.
Doors will open about 6:30 PM for a 'social hour'; the meeting will start at 7:30 PM.
After the meeting please join us for our monthly auction and help to support the club that brings us all our these outstanding speakers.
Guests are welcome; no entrance fee
Family friendly but no childcare provided
Free parking, accessible building
No furry or feathered pets
Go to Greater Seattle Aquarium Society (gsas.org) for more information and directions
Key words: Tropical Fish Tank Fishtank Tanks Aquarium Aquariums CO2 Aquatic Plants Aquascaping LED Lighting Loaches
