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.
Darron Allred interview
Dave Schumacher
New fish arrived!
I posted previously about some new fish I ordered from Dave Schumacher at Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish. They arrived earlier this week on Tuesday.
New fish on the way!
I have some exciting news (well, it’s exciting for me). After acquiring new tanks, as well as considerable planning and rearranging, I have some new fish coming soon. What am I getting?
Dave Schumacher interview (#2)
As a long time cichlid keeper, I have sourced my fish from a variety of vendors – both online and my LFS. I have made it no secret here on the blog that one of my favorite online sources is Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish. Owned by Dave Schumacher and specializing in African cichlids (mostly the rift lakes), this San Antonio, TX based business is first class. From the quality of the fish to expertly bagged, boxed, and shipped orders, Dave does it right. Some of the best fish I have ever had (and still have) came from him.
Outstanding new Altolamprologus compressiceps
Looking for some color in your Tanganyikan tank? Check out the line of Altolamprologus compressiceps, being offered by Dave Schumacher at Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish.
Online cichlid vendors
Back in 2018, I posted about the online vendors that I’ve used. Since that time, I have added another. Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish out of San Antonio, TX is a vendor you should consider adding to your list. Besides the fact that owner Dave Schumacher is just a nice guy, I can vouch for his fish.
I did an interview with Dave back in 2019. Check it out to learn more about his business. He and I are working on a second interview now.
A new cichlid tank, pt. 2
If you read my post on May 9th, then you know I ordered some new fish. They delivered on May 15 and still look great. Currently, they’re all in quarantine. Yes, I quarantine all my new fish regardless of where they come from. My typical quarantine is 4-6 weeks. Many illnesses and maladies will reveal themselves within that timeframe.
A new cichlid tank!
Back in March, I posted about losing a seal on my 55g and about 40 gallons of water as a result (yes, that sucked). That was my dwarf mbuna tank. Since I moved all those fish to another tank, I was left with a 55g stand and no tank for it. Yes, I could have resealed the 55g but, because I get a discount on my tanks, it was cheaper for me to buy a new one than reseal the 55g (see my post on time vs. money). So I bought one, a 33g long to be exact. The 55g and the 33g long have the same footprint and bottom dwellers are planned for the new tank. I don’t need the extra height of a 55g, which would end up being wasted space. Yes, I could get some dithers, Cyps, or some other mid-water occupants but…
Dave Schumacher interview
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Dave Schumacher |
About a year ago, I was looking for some cichlids that were proving to be difficult to find. I began thinking to myself “Who might have these fish?” I remembered hearing about a guy in Texas who often has some of the more difficult to find species, so I went to his site – Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish. The owner, Dave Schumacher, didn’t have what I was looking for, but I thought “Why not ask him to do an interview?” I did, and he agreed. As a kid, Dave was always into reptiles and amphibians. He got his first job in high school at a fish store in Houston that focused on cichlids but the store owner was wanting to carry reptiles. The owner didn’t know how to care for them and didn’t want to handle them. It was at that store that he became fascinated with cichlids. After high school, he moved to San Marcos for college at Texas State University, and while there, got a job at Armke’s Rare Aquarium Fish. He worked there for a couple years, then bought the business in 2006. Not long after, he moved everything a short drive south to San Antonio. Currently, his shop houses more than 200 cichlid species. |
Dave’s been an active member of the Hill Country Cichlid Club, alongside Greg Steeves (who I interviewed back in 2017), where he’s been on the board and even served as secretary of the American Cichlid Association. He travels a few times each year speaking to clubs about Mbuna, Lamprologines, building his shop, and basic cichlid genetics/nomenclature.
Let’s get this started!
Cichlid vendors
UPDATED 9/28/26: In the previous post, I listed my portfolio of cichlids. Now that you know what species I keep, where did I get them? Fortunately, I’ve acquired some good quality fish from several places. All of my cichlids came from one of these five vendors (Updated 3/2/24):
Cichlid Lovers (Alan Bliven) in Tuscon, Arizona
Mike’s Cichlids (Mike Szumigala) in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Staten Island Cichlids (Anthony Stissi) in Staten Island, New York
Dave’s Rare Aquarium Fish (Dave Schumacher) in San Antonio, Texas
Imperial Tropicals (Mike Drawdy) in Lakeland, Florida
Aquarium Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee
They all have reasonable prices and do a great job bagging their fish. When I order fish online, I try to get them shipped same day rather than overnight. I have only ever had one problem and it was with an overnight shipment. I lost two juvenile L. signatus, a small shell dwelling species from Lake Taganyika in Africa.
There are many vendors out there with quality fish, some of whom offer a variety of shipping methods. However, because I’m in a small market, my same day air freight options are limited. If you have Southwest service at your nearby airport, consider yourself lucky with respect to air freight. Their prices are the best, and most vendors I’ve talked to use them.
If you’ve never ordered fish online, you should consider doing so. I would encourage you to support your LFS when you can, but sometimes your options there may be too limited.