June 2022 Meeting

Topic: Joel Antkowiak

Speaker:  Komments on Killiekeeping

Born on the Southside of Pittsburgh in 1962, Joel's first brush with the organized hobby came in 1976 when he found an ad for the American Killifish Association in an old aquarium hobby magazine. Having always appreciated the beauty of these fishes from the color plates in the old "Innes book", and not seeing them in local stores, he joined in order to acquire some. A few years later Joel found the Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society, where he was a member for a few years before graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and moving out of the area. Joel is now living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where he is an active member of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County where he is a lifetime member. Joel has earned many of the club's annual awards, and was the FAAS Author of the Year for 2012. Joel has been awarded the club's annual "CARES Member of the Year" award for each year from 2011 thru 2016, and in 2019. Joel has

maintained anywhere from a few to about 60 tanks at any one time throughout his adult life and has kept many different species of fish. He is often amazed at how some species were once very common and now seem to be non-existent despite their attractiveness and ease of care and husbandry, seemingly pushed out of the hobby by the "next great thing." Joel has most recently been added to the official CARES speaker list and is honoured to be able to work with some of the greats in the hobby in this capacity.

Stay for the Raffle, Door Prize, Auction, and Refreshments

For more information, contact Joel Antkowiak: mrkillie@comcast.net