All about me :)

[darkdep]

Hi all, I'm Chris, known here as DarkDep, and sometimes as the "APW" (which, BTW, stands for All-Powerful Webmaster, a joke someone started a while ago and the name stuck).

I am the webmaster for OVAS, and take care of most of the operation of the OVAS website.

I had a goldfish tank as a small kid (everything died!), then tried fishkeeping again when I was in my early 20's and out on my own (A 10gal that I sat right beside the window...man o man the algae...everything died).

In 2003 someone on our street was selling off a 33gal setup for cheap and, since I mentioned to my wife on several occasions that I'd like to try a tank again, she picked it up for me.  I did a LLLOOOOTTTT of reading and decided that African Cichlids were the fish for me.  I started out with a couple of Cobalt Blue Zebras and Yellow Labs, and everything DIDN'T die!  I still have these fish today.  What I didn't expect was that it would become such an obsession...one of my females was holding eggs about a year and a half later, and that started the flood.  Just another tank to hold the babies, then another and another...I have recently finished construction of a small fish wall in my basement, for which we renovated for months.  I now have a couple of 75 gal's, 6 40gals, and a bunch of 10's for babies, and have found the joy in breeding new species.  I've managed to breed 8 African species now, and hope to do many more. 

OVAS was absolutely the thing that fuels my passion for aquatic life.  But more than the fish, the people I've met have been fantastic and I have gained so much from this club.  I felt like getting more involved about a year ago and was able to take over the web site as the previous webmaster had other life commitments and OVAS needed a replacement.  I've worked very hard to give back all that I've received, and have been thrilled to see the club grow over the last year.

And, for all those who may think going to a "fish meeting" is a bit weird, go anyway!  It's not about the meeting, it's about the people

[babblefish1960]

Hello APW, your darkdepness sir, this may well be a good place to introduce the banned items list, such as Monty Python and cockroaches etcetera.
Might I suggest that we mention that you have a small fish food business that now encompasses not only your own brand of delicious frozen mixtures, but that you also import small equipment such as heaters, filters, and NLS premium dry foods.

I would like to point too at the fact that this fellow is attempting to have his synodontis multipunctatis breed, fascinating thread you should have a look at.