Liu, Michael

I’ve been keeping tropical fish since 1983. I quickly developed an interest in Cichlids and one tank turned into 2, then 3, then 4, then 5 . . . you know the story. It turns out there are a lot of species and I wanted to keep them all! My interest narrowed to New World cichlids and my claim to fame in the cichlid world is that the first cichlid I successfully spawned was the Discus, King of the Aquarium as they were known back in the day. The second cichlid I spawned was the Convict. Yes, I took a step back and started at the bottom of the cichlid ladder. It turned out I really liked the Convict and for many years I primarily kept Central American cichlids with the aim of spawning every species I acquired. I’ve also kept African Rift Lake Cichlids, some West African species, and a few Madagascar species. Since 2013 my interest has shifted to the cichlids of the Lake Victoria basin. Virtually all of the cichlids from this region are at some risk and I’ve acquired a few species that are reported to be extinct in their natural habitat. I felt that after so many years in the hobby, I should devote a tank or two to endangered species. Well, one tank turned into 2, then 3, then 4, then 5 . . . you know the story. Programs: Central America Cichlids Lake Victoria and Its Cichlids West African Rarities – Cichlids Rarely Encountered (in the Hobby) Cichlids of Lake Victoria Basin