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Speakers

Entertaining speakers share their journey and wisdom

Here are the speakers for the 2023 Keystone Clash (click to jump to bio):

You can also see the speakers from previous years' Keystone Clashes.

Andreas Tanke

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Sponsored By

  • Delaware County Aquarium Society

  • Pleco Hotels

  • Karen Haas

  • Super Cichlids

  • Fishroomer

Presentations

  1. Corydoras in Theory and Practice

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 1 PM - 2:15 PM

  2. ​The World of Apistogramma

    • Sat Sept 23, 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

Background

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Biography:

Already in my youth I had my first contacts with aquaristics through my parents. At about 10 years old, I got my first own aquarium and started to gain my first experiences with this exciting hobby. In the 1990s, due to my studies in mathematics / computer science and the founding of my IT company, other things came to the fore. However, I returned to the aquarium in 2002.

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After the first beginnings in the Usenet newsgroup de.rec.tiere.aquaristik (d.r.t.a) I developed my social network of aquaristic acquaintances and friends more and more. For years now, I have been a member of the German Cichlid Society (DCG), the VDA Zwergcichliden (AKZ) and the International Community Barben-Schmerlen-Salmler-Welse (IG BSSW), or their predecessor, the BSSW working group in the VDA.

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My interests are clearly in the underwater fauna of the South American continent, especially in the dwarf cichlids of the genus Apistogramma and the Harnischwelsen. In the meantime, I have cared for more than 25 different Apistogramma species, most of which I could multiply. My biggest passion, however, are the catfish and especially the genus Panaqolus, of which I currently hold about 10 species and increase.

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In 2008, for the first time, I had the opportunity to experience my fosterlings live in the wild. I traveled with some friends to Suriname and the Brazilian state of Roraima. Meanwhile, I also went on expeditions to Peru, others to Brazil and with the company JBL I accompanied as a guide a tour group to Venezuela.

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Presentations

  1. Building a Backyard Biotope

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM​

Background

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Biography:

Jen's first aquarium, acquired at the age of seven, housed a humble mix of guppies, barbs, tetras, then cichlids through the years. As an adult, she discovered the much bigger world of fishkeeping via a most fateful encounter one afternoon involving a Craigslist ad, former Army Lieutenant, mention of Takashi Amano, and suggestion to attend a club meeting. One club meeting later, the much bigger world of local fish clubs, planted tanks, and full-fledged aquaphilia had captured her. Ever since that first GWAPA meeting, Jen has been a passionate aquarium hobbyist and a dedicated enthusiast.

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Currently she keeps and breeds an eclectic assortment of fish, with a recent love for biotopes and native fish, and actively competes in aquascaping competitions both live and virtual. Jen has served on the board of the Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association (GWAPA) since 2007, in addition to serving as an Aquatic Gardeners Association (AGA) Board Member since 2015. As an aquascaper, Jen is the most decorated in the US for live events, and since 2008 has won numerous awards in competitions at Aquafest, Aquamania, the Big Fish Deal, The Aquatic Experience, and Aquashella. She has also competed in the IAPLC and AGA online contests with a highest international ranking of #224 in IAPLC, and “Top Five” on two occasions in AGA. Jen is also an official Ambassador for Oase, a German-based filtration company, and represents them at tradeshows and store demos across the US.

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Outside the tank, Jen holds a degree in Graphic Design and runs her creative business, Jen Will Design, from her home in Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington, DC.

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Eager to grow the hobby in the US, Jen enjoys traveling to events and clubs nationwide to give presentations, aquascaping demos, inspiration, and encouragement to future ‘scapers.

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bentley pascoe

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Sponsored By

  • Robert Mennel

Presentations

  1. Beautiful Idiots: A Journey with Rainbowfish

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 4 PM - 5:15 PM

  2. Finding Balance: How to make Planted Tanks Easy

    • Sat Sept 23, 1 PM - 2:15 PM

Background

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Biography:

Fascinated by tropical fish since childhood, Bentley's family has been in the fishkeeping hobby since the 1950s. After rediscovering his love of aquariums in 2016, Bentley has completed Greater Seattle Aquarium Society's Master Aquatic Horticulturist 10 times. Having propagated over 200 species of aquatic plants and flowering over 30 of those species, Bentley has taken his love of plants to his YouTube channel, providing tips and tricks on how to have long term success with planted tanks. Beyond plants, Bentley is an avid Rainbowfish enthusiast and has a personal mission to increase the number of people keeping Rainbows in the hobby.

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jason adams

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Presentations

  1. How to Save Money in the Aquarium Hobby

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 9 AM - 10:15 AM

  2. Introduction to the Cichlids of Lake Tanganyika

    • Sat Sept 23, 9 AM - 10:15 AM

Background

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Biography:

Jason started keeping fish at the age of six and has almost 40 years of freshwater fish-keeping experience. His background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Biology, a Master's Degree in Biotechnology and Chemical Science as well as a Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture and Fish health. He and his family started Prime Time Aquatics to help people of all ages and experience succeed in the freshwater fish-keeping hobby.

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dan hodnett

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Presentations

  1. How to Ship Fish so they arrive Alive 99% of the Time

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM

  2. Building a new kind of Fish Store

    • Sat Sept 23, 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Background

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Biography: Dan Hodnett is the founder of DansFish.com, a company on a mission to improve the aquarium fish industry. His goal is to be the store a fish would choose to go to if a fish could choose which fish store it ended up at. To this end, he built a state-of-the-art retail facility where fish receive "spa resort" pampering before they are sent to customers via uniquely humane shipping practices. The final result is that almost 99% of fish sold arrive alive and stay alive for customers. Here at the Keystone Clash, Dan will be sharing the details of his company's facility,
processes, procedures, and mindset in the hopes that others will experience the same success and that our aquarium fish will enter a kinder, gentler industry and hobby.


Dan is a fish breeder at heart. Since he began keeping fish in junior high, he has bred and raised hundreds of species from many fish families. His favorite fish remain the ones he started with...the killifishes.

Sponsored By

  • Fat Kitty

  • Animals Everywhere

  • Karen Haas

  • Jan Williams

Speaker 5

kelley foreman

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Presentations

  1. What's Glowing On With That Fish - Glowfish Genetics

    • ​Fri Sept 22, 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM

  2. CO2 - You can do it

    • Sat Sept 23, 4 PM - 5:15 PM

Background

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Biography:

Kelley Foreman has been keeping fish since she was eight years old.  She fondly remembers the days of bubbling undergravel filters and community tetras.  Kelley  discovered her twin passions of growing aquatic plants with CO2 and rainbows fish while getting her PhD in molecular genetics.  Kelley is most excited by sustainable, long-term aquascapes that focus on the health and longevity of fish. 

You can catch Kelley every week on StephenP2003 Awkwardics’ YouTube channel for Wet Your Plants, an interactive discussion of growing aquatic plants.  You can also tune in each week to Kelley’s own channel for Science is FUNdamental, a Q&A session on science where she answers your burning science questions.  Finally, Kelley is an administrator of Rainbowfish Live, a group of 10,000 ‘bowheads’ from around the globe on Facebook. 

Sponsored By

  • Didi's Fin Den

  • Erik Why-Rock

  • Charles Hutchinson

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