Stacy (absoluteangels) was kind enough to be our first Forum interviewee.
Stacy was one of the first Forum members and has been with us through thick and thin. We love her and love to have her on the forum as everyone does.
Her title as Queen of DIY is apt and we all have respect for her craftmanship, skills and ideas.
She also doubles up as one of the members of the best Admin. Team on any Forum.
Thanks again for sharing Stacy.
The World Angelfish Forum User Name (can give your real first name, but is optional)
- absoluteangels aka Stacy Lund
What Country and State/Province do you live in now?
- I live in Shakopee, Minnesota USA
When did you get into breeding Angelfish?
- I got my first angelfish ever in 1999 but didn’t get serious about breeding them till 2004 when I acquired my first parent raising pair.
What led you into Keeping/Breeding Angelfish?
- Angelfish are just awesome. J I have always liked them. I’ve bred and raised bettas, african cichlids, livebearers and I always come back to the angelfish.
What strain of Angelfish is your personal favorite and why?
- If I could only choose one it would be the black….anything with the dark gene just catches my eye. Something about the darkness adds a bit of mystery to the fish. Followed very closely by the wild-type.
What Angelfish are you breeding for at the moment?
- At the moment I am working with a couple different lines of koi, silvers and a few different variations of dark. I’m more concerned with shape then color. I’m also in the process of starting a line of super veils with absolutely straight finnage. (I believe it’s in the genes as well as the water).
What is your worst fish keeping experience?
- I’d have to say my tap water!!!! Twice my local water company added something (not sure what it was) to the water at the treatment plant and it wiped out my entire fish room. The first time I was up to 10 breeding pairs and over 1000 juvenile angelfish…not counting the eggs/free swimmers. I lost 90% of my angels. It was heart wrenching…so I gave up angels for about 2 years. I got bit again by the angel bug and after about a year it happened again. Luckily I didn’t lose as many as the first time but it was either make some dramatic changes or get out completely and never look back. I invested in a 750GPD GE Merlin Reverse Osmosis Unit. Now I am in control. I will never have to suffer a loss like that ever again.
What is your funniest fish keeping experience?
- I think the funniest thing about keeping angels is their attitudes. I have a koi pair that parent raised their very first spawn. After that they would just eat the eggs. So I started pulling the eggs to raise artificially. They got wise to what I was doing so they laid the eggs on the floor of the tank. They made sure I saw what they had done and attacked the glass like they did with the first spawn that the parent raised. So I left them be…come back a few hours later….no eggs. They ate them. I swear they did it just to mock me. They are now on their 5th batch that they have successfully raised on their own. I can’t tell you why other then these fish have a mind of their own.
If anything, what would you like to see change in the hobby of keeping Angelfish?
- Off the top of my head, I’d like to see more open-mindedness in the hobby. In my opinion, a lot of breeders are set in their ways and not tolerant of change. This is sad to me because so many more doors could be opened if the mind is left open. Think of the possibilities if everyone was focused on the greater good!!!
What advice would you give to keepers who are new to Angelfish?
- Study up on care BEFORE you buy. Buy from a reputable breeder. ALWAYS quarantine new addition before adding them to an existing healthy tank. Always provide good food and CLEAN water. Angels are not hard to keep but they do require care to thrive. Also everyone makes mistakes. The best thing is to learn from them and not make those mistakes again. And the most important thing is to have fun!!!
~Stacy
