Inside , Rusty maintains around 90 tanks equating to over 5000 gallons of water all controlled by an automatic water changing system .
Hello Rusty , thank you for taking the time and speaking to the Central Scene . The first question is usually the hardest , but there ’ s always a beginning . When and why did you become interested in North & Central American cichlids ?
Lee : Back in the late 1980 ’ s ( a lifelong childhood friend -TJ Delahanty ) was In Belize and was working for the Peace Corp and was heading up the department in Belize City . At that time I was keeping mainly African Cichlids and TJ telephoned me and said I have to get down there to see all the cool cichlids in his backyard , so shortly thereafter I and a friend ( Garland Bird ) flew down and soon discovered a new passion of observing the fishes in their natural habitat . Ross Socolof , a retired fish farmer ( now deceased ) was my mentor and good friend . He had has visited Belize many times and took me under his wing and quickly taught me everything there was to know about collecting trips . So , from that point on there was no turning back and my 50 tanks or so at that time were soon teaming with the cichlids of Central America ( primarily Belizean and Honduran strains ) and quickly replacing the mouth brooders of Africa .
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