Hello everyone,
Thought I would take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Genn, I'm a 32yr old housewife/stay at home worker in Port Angeles, WA and I have been a fish addict since 1994. I started out with typical petshop fish, kribensis, livebearers and such and by the age of 19 was really into bettas as well. Between 2003 and 2005 I hit as many local betta shows as I could tagging along with my friend Pam. In 2006 I got married to an army fella and moved to NC where I joined the Raleigh Aquarium Society and had alot of fun going to meetings, auctions, wild collection trips and even wrote a few articles for their newsletter. During that time I aquired some 30 plus aquariums and got into many more species expanding my knowledge on fish in general and particularly in dwarf cichlids, small rainbows and killifish. There isnt a fish I have owned that I havent bred or attempted to breed. In 2009 divorce struck and I lost everything that I couldnt fit into 8 suitcases, except my son and the dog I had at the time. Since my husband and I were seperating the army wouldnt move my things back across the US, my now ex-husband unwilling to help and myself too broke to do a thing about it. Since then I havent owned more than a single tank due to lack of space and the economy.

I just recently moved into a new home with my aging uncle and my fiancee who has been a friend of mine for 12 years now and find that, despite having a large rare African Violet collection(funded mostly by trading web and graphics work for plants), I have buttloads of spare room. My fiancee and I would like to get back into fish and I'd really like to start with Killies this time around as I really enjoy their colors, variety and the challenge they provide. Things will be slow going at first as I usually fund my hobbies by trading web and graphics work and theres been a lack of that in the fish hobby over the years as opposed to the constant thread of work I had in the hobby a few years ago, but I am determined to make it work one way or another. Wish me luck!

Oh... are there any killi people in my area?

Thanks,
Genn

Genn,

I know from previous exchanges with you that you had problems getting to meetings due to lack of a car. On the weekend of April 15 we will be putting on West Coast Weekend, a killie miniconvention, at the Red Lion Hotel, Portland. I hope you'll be able to make it. I'll be putting up more information and registration pages in the next couple of days.

Barry Cooper

Wow its been what... 6-7 years now? Thanks for remembering me. I was always a bit shy and unsure of myself around others in the hobby back then. I gained more confidence during my 3 years in NC, but still get shy from time to time. My silly self still hasnt learned to drive and still peddles around on a BMX bike... Much as I'd like I have neither a way to get there or the funds once I am there to attend. N I would LOVE to visit The Wet Spot again. That shop is SOOO sweet I could almost live there. I overworked myself the past few years and developed health problems that prevent me from being able to work a steady job so even rebuilding my fishroom is going to take time and be a bit by bit process. Far cry from the 30+ tanks I once had. I spoke to Pam last night for the first time in a while, she's been out of fish a few years as well now, and shes also looking to get back into the hobby too, though she still has all her equipment. We both play different areas of the same online game, but dont run into each other much anymore as I'm more into the creative building side of the game than actually playing(which is one of the ways I make spare cash here and there). I really miss our daily conversations... She's got the same idea as me and wants to work with killies this time round too! She's currently trying to get ahold of some gularis to start with, but not having too much luck finding them. I told her to wait till the weather warms up for shipping and she'll have plenty to choose from! LOL

Things are slow going as we are having to do some restoration work on our house and so what funds we have are a bit tight. Hopefully we'll be able to attend later conventions and shows, as my fiancee is interested too. His late father was a marine biologist and he remembers having many tanks in his home growing up. Somehow I seem to remind him of both his parents. I really wish I'd been able to meet them before they passed on.