Meeting IRG 2025: Report from the German Bautzen

I have been fascinated by rainbowfish for quite some time. When Zdeněk Dočekal mentioned IRG - Internationale Gesellschaft für Regenbogenfische (International Society of Rainbowfish Breeders) in the interview I did with him last year, I paid attention. However, I left the idea of membership as just a plan for now, until I have breeding experience with rainbowfish and deserve membership more.

By coincidence, the chairman of the Czech group Jaroslav Dvořák had to stay home this year after a difficult back surgery. Therefore, I was approached by long-time members Zdeněk Dočekal and Pavol Sedlák to see if I would like to go with them to the conference, become a member, and help with translation. The date did conflict with the Hradec rock festival Rock for People, but my priorities have been clear for some time now. I limited my festival attendance to two days, and we were already heading towards Germany, specifically to the city of Bautzen.

The conference was planned so that it was possible to participate starting Friday, June 13, 2025. This day was dedicated to a joint trip and sightseeing. We arrived on Saturday in the early morning hours, just in time for the Saturday market. We both sold and also bought.

At the market, I briefly passed by the table of the chairman of the association Harro Hieronimus and ordered his book "Regenbogenfische" (Rainbowfish). Harro wrote a dedication in it for me and included a story about how he came to his books from 1997 during a visit to a local antiquarian bookstore. Sometimes, certain coincidences are at least surprising.

Since this conference, I have proudly become the owner of my first rainbowfish. I am curious to see how I will do with them and whether I will be able to breed them. In any case, I am very much looking forward to observing them in the aquarium.

Christel Kasselmann - New and Unusual Aquarium Plants

I was looking forward to the lecture by Christel Kasselmann, one of the most renowned experts on aquarium plants. She chose the topic "New and Unusual Aquarium Plants". This is an area that is incredibly interesting to me, and I couldn't wait to learn what new things I would discover. As a small teaser, I bought her book "Aquarienpflanzen" (Aquarium Plants) from 2023 at the market.

The overview alphabetically arranged of 200 species of plants with descriptions of their requirements will be useful to me. I am already browsing through it to see if the plants in my aquariums have the right conditions for successful growth. I also bought Bacopa salzmanii "Purple," which immediately caught my eye.

As is often the case with speakers who master their field excellently, I could hardly keep up with taking notes on information, recommendations, and tips on how to best propagate the plants, what the little plants are called, and where they come from. After a part where we learned about the novelties, there was a section that I found immensely interesting.

Christel Kasselmann had to remove the plants from the interior of her house due to health issues - either throw them away or otherwise get rid of them. The first smaller outdoor greenhouse from friends didn't take long to arrive, and then the construction of a new greenhouse in the garden followed. The individual insights and experiences from the preparation, including practical recommendations, were incredibly inspiring to me. I would love to build such a structure in our garden as well. The plants in the photographs looked fantastic and the system was well thought out.

Gunnara Loibl - Sulawesi 2023

Next was a lecture about the trip to Sulawesi in 2023 by Gunnar Loibl. He traveled to this destination in collaboration with Sulawesi Keepers and Markéta Rejlková. I had read several articles about the program of this non-profit project and had visited Sulawesi as a tourist - diver, so I was curious to learn what I would discover from an aquaristic perspective. The lecture was structured to inform about local culture, nature in general, but also about the locations of animal finds (fish, snails, and shrimp) and the conservation program. I was a bit disappointed that rainbowfish were not included in the lecture content and that the video playback in the presentation failed, but it was still pleasant to reminisce about this fascinating island for a moment.

Gerd Bartz - Presentation of Very Beautiful and Delicate Rainbowfish from My "rainbowfishstable"

After a short break, we fully immersed ourselves in the world of rainbowfish in Gerd Bartz's lecture. Gerd Bartz owns dozens of aquariums and species of rainbowfish, is an active breeder, and contributes to maintaining pure lines of rainbowfish in captivity. His presentation was impressive both visually and in content. For those who do not yet know rainbowfish well, I must say that the world of these fish is truly colorful and fascinating.

IRG Meeting

During the meeting, the members listened to and approved the report on the activities of the association, elected a new treasurer, and heard reports on the activities of individual national or regional groups in the past year. I presented the one for the Czech Republic, on behalf of Jaroslav Dvořák, who, as mentioned above, had to excuse himself from the conference for health reasons.

Evening

At dinner, I occasionally heard the question of whether I have an aquarium. I wasn't sure if I should be offended. However, I understood later that it was quite a common question because the lectures are so interesting and the members of IRG are so friendly that some participants really do not keep rainbowfish but simply enjoy participating. I also found out that some keep other species of fish or shrimp or other animals, so I quickly got involved in interesting discussions that continued even in the morning at breakfast, and I soon regretted that we hadn't arrived on Friday.

Wim Heemskerk - Blue Eyes from Cape York

This year, the conference was conveniently located for the Czechs within a pleasant travel distance, but some locals had to travel over 600 km home and left right after breakfast. I think the chairman of the association Harro Hieronimus was right when at the end of the Sunday lecture by Wima Heemskerk titled "Blue Eyes from Cape York" he said that those who left would regret not seeing it.

The lecture firmly seated me in my chair, and I couldn't believe my eyes. It offered wonderful photographs of visually striking fish found in the Cape York area with precise descriptions of the location of the finds documented photographically, including water parameters. In some cases, the water was as high as 32°C and very acidic. The fish were shape and color perfect, and in fact, one was more beautiful than the other.

Conclusion

The last lecture resonated with us even on the way home, and I can’t wait to dive into detailed studies of rainbowfish. A great role model for me is Pavol Sedlák, who not only can immediately name all species in Latin but also knows their habitat, requirements, and possibly who breeds them and if..

As a member of IRG, I now also receive a magazine that is published twice a year. In issue 2/25, I was immediately drawn to an article by Michaela Schmitz with the striking title IRG - an association that creates friendships. That was exactly the atmosphere of the entire conference – friendly, inspiring, and very motivating. I am really glad that I could become a part of this exceptional community.