What got you into shrimps etc. in the first place - and how long ago? Did you keep fish before that?
As so often, everything started in my childhood, when I was about five or six years old. My brother gave me some guppies I put into a tank where I used to spend hours just sitting and watching. That was back in the 70s, and there was not much aquarium technology and decoration around.
Several years later, when I was a teenager, I saw yellow Labidochromis caerulus in a local fish store and fell in love. I then put up a 720 l tank I kept Malawi cichilids in. I spent many nights studying the literature in order to find out more about them, and pretty soon breeding started to be successful. However, the hobby gained even more momentum when I saw some electric blue crayfish in a fish store where I used to work as a side job during my studies in philosophy. I was totally fascinated by these curious animals and asked my colleagues where they came from and about their behaviour, but no one really knew anything about this species. To my very big surprise I found only male crayfish among those offered in the trade. I regularly examined the new shipments from the wholesalers for females, and after a long and intensive search I indeed was lucky. This might have been a mistake by the wholesaler, as I had heard over and over again that they only shipped males in order to prevent hobbyists from breeding them and thus to keep the price stable. Other said, however, that the reason for this phenomenon was that males grow faster.
By now I am led to believe that price policy must have played the bigger role; after breeding thousands of crayfish I couldn't really detect that big a growth difference between males and females.
What's the most unusual/difficult species you have bred or kept and why?
As I found my way to inverts directly after keeping Malawi cichlids, I didn't really have time for other fish species.
I'd say my interest changed rather early from breeding different crayfish species to systematics and taxonomy, and that I'm rather interested in new freshwater invertebrate species and their distribution.
What are you into at the moment?
At the moment I have many different things to work on.
Of course, I go on several expeditions a year to search for new species or to find some less well-known ones, moreover I write and photograph for 12 aquaristic magazines in all the world, I hold lectures in Germany and abroad, I'm a research assistant for several museums and universities and I also do consulting work for some large aquaristic companies like Dennerle or Tetra. Together with Dennerle, I developed the Nano concept, which has been a great success.
In addition, I'm currently working on a fish atlas for Chile, "The Freshwater Fauna of Chile", and I'm also involved in several projects of the US Department of Fish and Game, I'll be doing several posters and books on their freshwater fauna. A new project is also going to be launched this year, dealing with the freshwater fauna of Sulawesi, whose newly discovered shrimp have caused quite a stir recently.
I have also been able to publish a few books about inverts and nano aquaristics, this year alone four, and at the end of 2011, there will be another four.
There are also three crayfish species newly described by me, and I'm currently working on describing another two.
What's your greatest achievement/proudest moment?
I have become the father of a daughter quite recently, and I have to say the moment of her birth is absolutely one of them. In addition to that, I have to mention the successes me and my bands "Atrocity" and "Leaves Eyes" were able to celebrate on the stages of this world. We did two world tours and innumerable shows on nearly all continents. So I can rightfully say I've seen the Rock'n Roll side of the world as well as the aquaristic side, on my over 40 expeditions. There are far too many moments in my life that were truly exciting and interesting to name them all.
When you're not shrimpkeeping, what are you doing?
Actually, I don't really have a lot of time for other things. I have given up making music as I wanted to fully concentrate on aquaristics. Of course, life as a Rock'n Roller is turbulent and exciting, but I'd like to put all my energy and strength into my hobby, aquaristics, and into exploring nature.
What's the biggest challenge you've had (even if it didn't work out)?
Another project I have launched is the Aquaristik Task Force.
Together with almost all aquaristic companies and the German Minstry of Education I was working on a concept to familiarize kids with aquaristics and thus with nature. In November 2009 I invited all the marketing department heads to Stuttgart in order to present them the draft of "Kids go Nature". My aim was to put up a tank in all the schools in Germany and to offer teachers and children a project to explore nature in this aquarium. A side effect of this is of course winning over these kids as future tankkeepers. This is a huge challenge and the project per se is an immense task. At the moment I am working on a huge project with Oliver Knott. We are Aquascaping 50 Aquariums for a book. I am sure that Aquascaping is a new trend we should put an eye on. I for sure will support this !
What's your worst aquatic-related experience?
I had a very traumatic experience in my childhood when my guppies were cooked by mistake. The heater hadn't stopped, and in the morning, when I wanted to look after them, all the fish were dead, unfortunately.
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult/dangerous position in pursuit of your interests?
Thinking of dangerous situations I have to say these were mostly in connection with humans rather than with animals. I accidentally treaded on snakes, and I also swam with alligators by an oversight, but nothing bad has happened to me so far. One dangerous situation arose when I was collecting crayfish in the mountains of Mexico, and suddenly some armed Mexicans on horses first called me a gringo and then wanted to have my camera equipment. I explained that I'm not Santa, which made them really furious, and thus I had to take to my heels and run. During this flight my rental car was damaged and unfortunately one of the houses blocking my way, too.
Who is your biggest fish/shrimpkeeping hero and why?
Up to now I haven't really found one. However, there are scientists I deeply admire, like Prof. Holthuis, who worked at the Museum in Leyden/The Netherlands and was curator of the Crustacean Dept. there, or Horton H. Hobbs, who was with the Smithsonian, USA ,and who described innumerable crayfish species. These people have made an incredible contribution to our knowledge of our beloved crustas. Both were also great human role models.
What's your biggest aquatic-related dream?
I think I've been able to fulfill most of these dreams. Be it collecting crayfish in Missouri or Australia, or fish in the Chilean Andes or in the Desert of Atacama, observing fiddler crabs in Panama or shrimp in the clear waters of Hong Kong.
Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi I did during the last 12 month so infact I have to look for new challanges now.
