[RML] Introduction

Benes, Phil (phil at netquest.com)
Tue, 21 Jan 1997 13:13:21 -0400

After reading the last few days of comments from some of the members about
people who have not posted to this list, I am feeling a little guilty, so
here goes.

I am the father (although I'm not sure I should admit to this public) of
the MSU undergraduate student who, according to his last posting on this
list, got his fish from my genes (or was it jeans?) and now lives with his
fish in his dorm room. I would like to point out that during the summer
recess, we both get to live with his fish. However, both of us share an
intense interest in keeping and breeding fish. While Chris' interests are
more broad than mine currently are, I have kept just about anything that
swims (most of the time alive) in fresh or salt water over the last 30 plus
years. I was keeping salt water fish when the only ones you could get were
either the blue ones or the striped ones, and the disease of the day was
called the dreaded "New Tank Syndrome"; if anyone else remembers back then!

The last 10 years I have focussed on cichlids, mostly African, and most
recently, Tanganyikan cichlids. I built my first fish room in 1985, as
this was the first house I owned that had a basement that allowed me the
space to have one. This room housed about 50 aquariums and was to point of
being almost complete when I changed jobs, and companies, in 1993 and moved
myself, my wife, and two sons to Michigan.

Unfortunately, building a new fishroom was not the number one priority in
the new house, so most of my fish were either sold or given away. My new
fish room, now twice the size of the old one didn't start construction
until December of 1994 and is now mostly complete. This room is in my
basement (don't live in Texas, as I found out by living there; no
basements) houses over 80 aquariums ranging in size from 1 gallon hatching
jars, lots of 10's, 20's, 30's, 50's and a hundred. We also have several
other tanks ranging in size from 40 to 125 gallons in other parts of the
house.

I have been building up my breeding stock as I prefer to start out with
young fish and allow them to grow-out to pick my breeders. While my main
focus is still on Tanganyikan cichlids, I am currently keeping 10 different
species of rainbows and blue eyes. The biggest problem I have had with the
rainbows has been finding quality fish as most of the pet shop animals are
junk. That is why I signed up for this list two months ago as I had hoped
to find a source of quality fish. Most of the fish have come through the
local auctions here, or from Delores Schehr at Wet Thumb Aquatics.

I am on the board of directors for the Michigan Cichlid Association and I
am the also the Breeder's Award Co-Chairman for that club as well. I am a
very lucky guy as I have a lovely wife of 22 years (the other Co-Chairman
or is it Co-Chairperson?) who also shares my love of keeping fish.
Professionally, I graduated from the University of Illinois, and work for a
company who contract manufactures powdered detergents, CCL Custom
Manufacturing. My title is Director of Research and Technology and I have
been in this type of business for the last twenty years, as there really is
a lot of science that goes into detergents. If anyone is ever in the
Detroit area (I'm about 45 miles northwest of Detroit where it's really
quite nice), please drop me a note as you have a standing invitation to
stop by and talk fish. If you are really in the mood, we can stop in at
Chris' dorm room in East Lansing, and you to can find out how to fit 20+
tanks into a closet sized room, and still have room left over to study. Or
at least I hope so!

Phil Benes

Michigan Cichlid Association