Welcome to the
Columbus Area Fish Enthusiasts

What is CAFE?

CAFE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of the aquarium hobby. CAFE hosts a number of events and meetings throughout the year sure to interest novice and veteran aquarists alike. If you have more questions, need advice, or just want to chat with fellow hobbyists, CAFE is the place to be! More information on who we are and what we do is available here on the site, and of course, don't forget to visit our Forum.

Membership

CAFE Membership

The cost of a CAFE membership is $15/person or $20/family. This is a steal if you look at all of the benefits that the club membership provides…

GREAT EVENTS!

AWESOME DEALS!

MEMBERSHIP COMRADERIE!

The Winter Swap Meet
The Spring Auction
Native Fish Collection Trips
The CAFE Menu – Our Quarterly Club Newsletter
Fish Room Tours
The Summer BBQ Party
The Fall Auction.

The Winter Holiday Party
…and we are striving to add even more value to a CAFE membership!

Upcoming Events

February 25th, 2023

CAFE WINTER SWAP

Join CAFE for our first Swap Meet of the year on February 25 2023, At the Hilliard Moose Lodge 2236 located at 5370 Grace Street, Hilliard Ohio, 43026. If you are looking to add high quality, locally bred/cultivated fish and plant, as well as aquarium equipment sold by members and CAFE VENDOR SPONSORS, then this is the place to be! The Swap Meet is also an excellent opportunity to meet fellow aquarium fish enthusiasts and establish friendships to last a lifetime.

ADMISSION IS FREE!

April 8th, 2023

CAFE Spring Auction

Join CAFE for our first auction of the year on April 8th At the Franklin County Fairgrounds. If you are looking to add high quality, locally bred/cultivated fish and plants to your aquarium this is the place to be! The auction is also an excellent opportunity to find that unique and rare fish or plant you have been hunting for at great prices! Auctions are free for anyone to attend.

Sellers please review the Auction rules and register prior to the auction!

Buyers please review the Auction rules prior to the auction!

Date TBD

Join us for a fun-filled look at some of the adventures of travelling to South America in search of rare catfish.

About Speaker:

Jeremy Basch lives in Columbus, OH but is originally from Westlake, Cleveland, OH. He started keeping fish over 30 years ago after his father took him to a pet shop. At around 16, Jeremy started working at one of the largest fish stores in the Midwest and was hooked! During his 12 years working at the local fish store, he learned about many fish species and met many lifelong friends.

Jeremy has kept numerous aquarium setups and finally in 2004, set up his first fish room. Currently, he is on his fourth modified fish room design which now contains over 125 aquariums ranging in size from 10gallons to 150 gallons. Over the years, Jeremy has bred various species of fish including cichlids, catfish, rainbowfish, killifish, live-bearers and invertebrates. Jeremy’s focus is on the catfish of South America including the families of Auchenipteridae – the Wood Cats, Callichthyidae – Cory Cats and Loricariidae – Plecos, Whiptails and other related species. Jeremy is probably best known for the first documented captive spawning events of the Jaguar Catfish, Liosomadoras oncinus. More recently, he has also raised the first juveniles of Balroglanis schultzi, Duringlanis altae and Tatia gyrina.

A member and former chairman of the Columbus Area Fish Enthusiasts (CAFÉ) in Columbus, OH, Jeremy also belongs to other fish associations including the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society, the Ohio Cichlid Association, the Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society and the Catfish Study Group. He can regularly be seen attending auctions and conventions throughout the Midwest and beyond. Jeremy has written a few articles in the Buntbarsche Bulletin, his hometown club, the CAFE Menu, Amazonas magazine and provided images for Steven Grant’s book on Banjos, Dorads and Woodcats. He was also documented the first successful breeding and captive-raised Liosomadoras oncinus, the Jaguar Catfish, and Balroglanis schultzi. Jeremy has also contributed material to the well-known website, PlanetCatfish.com. He hopes to continue writing for various publications sharing his knowledge with interested aquarists alike.

While many people dream of the beach, Jeremy dreams of collecting fish in South America. He first travelled to South America in 2010. He now travels, when possible, to the captivating country of Colombia, where he has seen both common and rare species in their natural habitat. Jeremy hopes to inspire the next generation to not only keep fish but to also understand the complex and rich ecosystems from which they come from. With the ultimate goal to help with the survival of the fish species, we love so much!

Jeremy also maintains a website: AmazonTropics.com as well as an informative Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/AmazonTropics