USA – Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, 2 August 2009
The Coast Fish Club, Costa Mesa in Los Angeles California, had invited Heiko Bleher to give two lectures on 2 August, 2009. I was a great event – the President Brian said it was their best and most attended since their foundation over 20 years ago…
The COAST Fish Club which has a scheduled meeting every first Sunday of each month, had invited Heiko Bleher to give two presentations on the 2nd of August, 2009, from noon to 6 PM at the COSTA MESA NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY CENTER, 1845 Park Avenue, Costa Mesa California
People have come from all over California and the President Brian Downing said it was their greatest event since the Coast Club foundation over 20 years ago. They never had so many people attending a lecture and he asked Heiko to come back in one or two years… Also a nice group of active Simplydiscus forum had come (top), members of the best American Discus Forum. Also the famous writer and collector, Stan Sung, had given party for friends the night before in his beautifully decorated home in Mission Viejo, California. It was another nice event. See also comments…
Heiko’s presentations at the Coast Club were:
1. Natural biotopes of fishes in nature around the world and how to apply it best to aquaria
Biotope of Melanotaenia angfa, Yakati River in New Guinea, above and below water
2. Characins in the wild and their captive husbandry and breeding
Biotope of Aphiocharax rathbuni, Rio Meta in Brazil
3. Heiko’s discoveries 2007-2009
For additional information go to http://www.coastfishclub.com/
This post is also available in: Italian German French Spanish Português
Dear Heiko,
I trust that you arrived home well, if not more than a bit tired. You truly have the strength of 100 men to do so well with all of the jet lag you must have been feeling! I would like to let you know that our members are still raving over your presentations. We were thrilled to have you as our speaker and even more thrilled with what you shared with us.
On behalf of the entire COAST Club, thank you very very much for traveling so far to give us your talks. I know we’ll be discussing them for a long time to come.
Sincerely, and with best wishes.
Brian Downing
Dear Heiko,
The pleasure was all mine!
I was honored that you came from the other side of LA just to visit and spend some time here. My only regret is that it was so noisy and the house was so full of people that we could not converse more. I did have a lot of fun however.
I loved the presentations! You never cease to amaze me. For me, no one in the aquarium hobby has been a larger influence and more admired than you are!
I will be in China from August 28 to around September 3. I will be closest to the city of Chengdu. We are going to collect and sample as many fishes as possible from this region. You say you will be in central Asia – well – if there is a chance that you are going to be at all close to Chengdu know. I hope we get those leptobotia elongata and other species as well.
Yes, please keep me posted on either the SA trips or the Turkey one. I know that I am going to be in the Mediterranean in the fall and in Burma / Thailand in the spring ( probably March). Just let me know as far in advance of any trips and there dates.
It was indeed great to meet you. You are a very nice person. I liked the way you patiently, and considerately listened to Charlotte ( an older lady) at the COAST club. That was so classy.
Keep in touch and I will continue to try to do work that will make you proud!
Best Always
Stan Sung
Hello Heiko,
I attended COAST’s 8-2 meeting as did Paul Salverson. I was so impressed with how informative your talks were. I was especially delighted with your second presentation talking about the various places around the world you’ve visited. My husband and I are travelers, but admittedly, we’ve not been to the remote locations you’ve visited. What a great job you have. If I were 40 yrs. younger, I would have loved to do what you’re doing, however, I don’t think I could have put up with such primitive accommodations that you are exposed to regularly.
I hope I have a chance to see you talk again. Thanks for coming to California.
Hello Heiko,
I wasn’t able to personally come up to you yesterday as you were quite swamped but I had a couple of questions for you if I may ask.
One is how many aquariums do you personally maintain at home in Italy, and secondly what do you do with all the fish and plants that you normally exhibit in your biotopes between exhibits?
Sincerely,
Paul Salverson C.O.A.S.T. Welcome Chair/Registration (sometimes).
Dear Heiko,
Seeing you speak again after so many years was such an honor. I loved the biotopes. What a professional way to display the beauty, tropical fishes bring to the world.
I had the joy of seeing you for the first time in 1989 at the International Cichlid Conference in Orlando. The second time, shortly after that, In San Francisco at the PCCA event in 1990. My memory of those two events has faded over the years and your talk Sunday brought back fond feelings of those get-to-gathers. Thanks for that.
For some one like myself, a hobbyist for nearly forty years and a cichlid enthusiast. Watching your presentations just renews my dedication to my passion. I never had much money to splurge on my tanks. So the selection of fish became very important to me when it came to breeding them. The success I would have is where the funds to support the fish would come from. Here I have been lucky. My daughter and I have grown our little fish room to about 29 tanks and containers. And the joy of doing this together brings us closer. She was in New York or she would have been with me Sunday watching a great speaker.
She goes with me every month to the meeting of the San Diego Tropical Fish Society. Jessica, my daughter, is 15 years old. She is also a student of the German language. Starting her 3rd year of High School this fall. She loves her German class and gets straight A’s. She would have loved to practice some with you. I took 2 years of German in Germany in 1976-1978 and can barely order a beer. That’s why I didn’t practice with you…HA HA.
Heiko, I hope it’s not another 20 years before I’m able to enjoy one of your talks again. But it was great see you and learning more about this world of fish.
With high regards.
Your fishy friend,
8 August, 2009
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=71228&page=3
I had a great time. I learned so much and is was good to get a better understanding of discus in their natural environment. The take home message I got was that I had to put white sand in my tank LOL!
Benedict – I am sure this meeting made it that much more difficult for you to part from your discus. I have a feeling you are going to have to set up a new tank once in the Philippines .
Meeting Heiko Bleher and listening to his presentation about biotopes was absolutely amazing.
08 August, 2009
I have to tell yah people, after attending this lecture with Heiko Bleher, a tiny voice (with a italian accent) is whispering… “go get wild discus, go get wild discus…. and build a BIOTOPE!” haha…
08 August, 2009
It was really informative and extremely entertaining. Heiko was great and truly perhaps the most travelled well informed speaker in the business.
Amazing. Great to see and meet all the Simply Discus members. Heiko also took a picture of our group to post on his Web site I assume.
08 August, 2009