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If you’re a conservationist, you are probably aware of the Red List of threatened species that is produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). I have posted about it numerous times. You can search the blog for those posts. Just enter IUCN in either search tool.
Getting the opportunity to capture a piece of a hobbyist’s cichlid journey is a privilege that I don’t take lightly. And today’s interviewee, Mike Helford, has had quite the journey.
As comprehensive as I try to be with the overall content here on the blog, I try to be equally comprehensive with the interviews. As such, I do make a concerted effort to cover all types of cichlids from shellies to Discus to Angels. Today’s interviewee, Evan Rifkind, is a hobbyist who focuses on cichlids endemic to Madagascar.
I have posted many times about the benefits of attending various fish shows and conferences. In fact, I have pointed out that one of their greatest benefits, at least for me, is the opportunity to meet fellow fish keepers.
While there are numerous cichlid species available in the hobby, many of them can be difficult to find. Sure, your LFS can sometimes get that hard-to-find species and so can that online retail shop that specializes in cichlids.
As a big proponent of local aquarium and cichlid organizations, I make a concerted effort to bring awareness to these groups. The Aquarium Club of Maryland (ACM), a recently established 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Havre de Grace, Maryland, is one such group.
Today’s interviewee comes by way of a dinner gathering back in November, 2025. I didn’t know Mike McKinney until a group of hobbyists attending the 2025 OCA Extravaganza met for dinner at a restaurant in Strongsville, OH just outside Cleveland. Though the meal itself was a highlight, getting to meet Mike that evening was the real reward.
I have some new fish! At the 2025 Ohio Cichlid Association Extravaganza, I acquired three, adult Coelotilapia joka.
If you keep Lake Victoria cichlids, there is a new research initiative that could use your help. Called the CARES Fin Clip Genomic Study, the purpose of the effort (among other things) is to more accurately identify Lake Victoria cichlid species kept by hobbyists.
Though I have known about today’s interviewee as a cichlid keeper and breeder, I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting him in person. How do I know him and that he keeps some of the same species as me? Facebook.