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Club Mission
The Chicago Livebearer Society is dedicated to the advancement and/or dissemination of information related to all aspects of the biology of livebearing fish, their maintenance and breeding and captivity, and the conservation of habitats of livebearing fish.
Club History
The Chicago Livebearer Society was created in 2011 by Rick Borstein, a local area hobbyist and long-time member of the Greater Chicago Cichlid Association. Although an experienced breeder of cichlids, he had always been interested in livebearing fish. Like many hobbyists, he had kept livebearers like platies, guppies and swordtails as a kid. He picked up a few livebearing fish locally, but wondered how he would be able to locate some of the more unusual species.
In 2008, Rick attended his first American Livebearer Association convention which was an eye-opening experience. There he met many dedicated hobbyists interested in livebearers. He also learned about the poor conservation status of many livebearing fish in the wild.
The 2011 ALA was the aegis to make a difference in the local Chicago community. With the support of a few local livebearer hobbyists such as Mark Schmidt and Mike Schadle, Rick put out the word that he was starting a club.
The club first met informally in June 2011 in Wheeling, IL. Ted Coletti, Ph.D. the author of Aquarium Care of Livebearers, was the speaker and 17 hobbyists attended the first meeting.
On September 18, 2011, a constitution was drafted and signed at the second meeting of the club. A board was elected:
- Rick Borstein, President
- Mark Schmidt, Vice-President
- John Sobel, Secretary
- Jason Libasci, Vice-President
Notable Achievements
Each year, the Chicago Livebearer society hosts a Rare Livebearer Auction.
In 2019, the club donated $2500 to the American Livebearer Association's Goodeid Working Group which promotes conservation and reintroduction of species to the wild.
In 2022, the club donated $3000 and continues to support conservation as a goal of the group.
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While we are still in the formation stage, it is hoped to roll out the following programs:
Breeders Award Program (BAP)
The Breeder's Award Program recognizes member achievements in breeding various livebearing fish. The BAP objectives are:
- To learn to breed livebearers and further one's interest activity and knowledge in the hobby;
- To accumulate points at each level, as outlined below, and receive a plaque commemorating the achievement;
- To succeed in becoming a Master Breeder, as defined below, entitling the member to receive a lifetime membership in the Chicago Livebearer Society.
Point System
We haven't set point levels yet. Two different systems are typically used:
- One point per spawn
- Varying points per spawn
When the group officially forms, we will choose the system used.
Rick Borstein's Observation: I greatly prefer the single point system. It makes record keeping easier and helps to avoid disputes.
Eligible Spawns
Another topic that needs to be considered is what does a member have to turn in to count as a spawn?
My initial suggestion to the group is:
- Six (6) fry at least two months old
- Must know the species of the fish
- Location varieties may count as an additional spawn
- Color or fin varieties (e.g. line bred fish) do not count as additional spawns
Award Levels
As members turn in additional fish, they reach various goals and are awarded with certificates.
10 Points - Beginner
20 Points - Advanced
35 Points - Expert
50 Points - Master
Additional levels could be added.
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Etiam vel pulvinar mi. Ut vulputate urna commodo justo mattis cursus. Maecenas pellentesque mattis massa, in condimentum ipsum posuere id. Suspendisse potenti. Proin laoreet eleifend erat id luctus. Morbi mi nunc, congue eu dignissim eget, porttitor et felis. Phasellus in magna metus, eu egestas sapien. Maecenas posuere, sapien id euismod vestibulum, sapien enim tristique nunc, eget ultricies massa sem a sem. Suspendisse sollicitudin hendrerit iaculis. Sed at justo nulla, ut imperdiet leo. Maecenas eget ante vel lacus accumsan dictum vel non sem. Nam vel turpis lectus. Phasellus eros libero, rutrum eu consectetur pulvinar, elementum suscipit purus. Morbi non enim a magna varius congue.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut ullamcorper, tortor vel porta rhoncus, risus ligula ullamcorper massa, commodo condimentum arcu nunc at turpis. Suspendisse potenti. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Mauris eget magna est, at euismod mauris. Vestibulum lacinia pharetra leo non consectetur. Nunc non nisl justo. Mauris lobortis volutpat lectus, vel suscipit enim bibendum ut. Sed eget nulla felis, sed dapibus ipsum. Suspendisse vulputate elit eget quam dignissim fermentum. Ut vel libero justo, sit amet commodo ligula. Cras vulputate, nisl non imperdiet dignissim, purus eros tristique libero, quis sollicitudin sem ante eget ligula. Etiam mollis, elit sed posuere venenatis, lectus felis vestibulum lacus, id facilisis neque lacus fringilla orci. Nulla tempor condimentum mollis. Phasellus tincidunt rutrum metus, non porta felis pellentesque non. Pellentesque nec iaculis elit. Curabitur dignissim nibh et tellus interdum dignissim. Morbi aliquet, felis eu cursus adipiscing, lorem sem porttitor augue, et ultrices elit risus a purus. Vestibulum molestie viverra venenatis.
Etiam vel pulvinar mi. Ut vulputate urna commodo justo mattis cursus. Maecenas pellentesque mattis massa, in condimentum ipsum posuere id. Suspendisse potenti. Proin laoreet eleifend erat id luctus. Morbi mi nunc, congue eu dignissim eget, porttitor et felis. Phasellus in magna metus, eu egestas sapien. Maecenas posuere, sapien id euismod vestibulum, sapien enim tristique nunc, eget ultricies massa sem a sem. Suspendisse sollicitudin hendrerit iaculis. Sed at justo nulla, ut imperdiet leo. Maecenas eget ante vel lacus accumsan dictum vel non sem. Nam vel turpis lectus. Phasellus eros libero, rutrum eu consectetur pulvinar, elementum suscipit purus. Morbi non enim a magna varius congue.