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- The Gymnogeophagus of Uruguay
- An Introspective look into New World vs Old World Cichlids (New!)
- Fish Farmin' (New!)
- Collecting in Uruguay
- Collecting in The Republic of Suriname
- Completely Cyphotilapia
- Confessions of a Cichlaholic
- Fishin' For the Answers
- The Lure of El Prado ~ Collecting in Bolivia
The Gymnogeophagus of Uruguay
A closer look at the gorgeous genus of Gymnogeophagus from Uruguay. Like their Rift Lake cichlid counterparts the Gymnogeophagus species here almost all express a wide range of geographical variation and a fantastic kaleidoscope of colour varieties. This presentation will give a closer look at just the members of this genus from the country, many of which have never been imported for the hobby before.
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An Introspective look into New World vs Old world Cichlids (New!)
After being unable to answer which I am being a New World or Old World cichlid keeper this talk features the results of an extensive and ongoing survey of aquarists from around the world. This talk requires a minimum of 2 to 3 screens / projectors and can also be presented as New World vs Old World in general not just cichlids as well. Another light hearted geared towards banquet attmosphere
Fish Farmin'
A newer talk featuring many stops along my travels focusing on fish farms and plant nurseries. Included within is a look to African cichlid farms, Koi Farms, Guppy farms, Plant nurseries plus much much more!
Collecting in Uruguay
With water temperatures ranging seasonally from 8°C to 30°C+, the local fish fauna of Uruguay are one of the most unique collections in the world. This recent 2006 collecting trip focuses on the provinces Salto and Artigas in the far northwest corner of the country. Uruguay is host to a number of species of Crenicichla, tetras, Pimelodella, Loricariid types and some of the most beautiful and diverse Geophagine cichlid populations in the world, with nearly every water body showing a different geographical representation than the last.
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Collecting in The Republic of Suriname
2005 trip to the Republic of Suriname, one of South America’s smallest countries in size but not in biodiversity. A host of white- and blackwater habitats featuring a great diversity of freshwater fishes, many species seldom seen within the aquarium hobby. Cichlids, characins and loricariids abound!
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Completely Cyphotilapia
A detailed look at one of the most recognizable African cichlids, Cyphotilapia frontosa and Cyphotilapia gibberosa. The program will include looking into geographical variation of the genus Cyphotilapia, the husbandry, life cycle and tips towards breeding this great Tanganyikan cichlid within your home aquarium.
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Confessions of a Cichlaholic
A lighthearted look into the realm of cichlid hobbyists and what makes them fanatical aquarium hobbyists. The presenter will not only attempt to confess his terrible addiction towards these fish, but also try to show many of the symptoms of the addiction. Topics such as adaptation, speciation, breeding strategies, behaviour of cichlids and cichlid keepers alike will be touched upon, among many others. This talk can be presented in one or two screen format. Another one that is good for banquets, is PG13
Fishin' For the Answers
An interactive trivia show designed for your whole organization to participate in. Fully illustrated multiple-choice questions on all facets of the aquarium hobby. This informative talk can be tailor made to suit the host organization's interests. A great way to wind up a year or hand out donations to members!
The Lure of El Prado ~ Collecting in Bolivia
A seventy minute tour of the province Beni in northeast Bolivia. This collecting trip, done in 2004, features over 130 species of fish and a great deal of the local flora and fauna. Experience a remote corner of South America and one of the world's most bio-diverse locations.
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"Spence is a first-class speaker and should be invited to every major cichlid convention. He has an abundance of material, plenty of hands-on experience in the field as well as in fish breeding, has great photos, lots of new information, and a very entertaining way of presenting this all."Ad Konings
El Paso, TX
"We have had Spence visit us in Bermuda as a guest speaker three times and I can heartily recommend him to any club that hasn’t yet been entertained by him. A fish talk from Spence is certainly entertaining as he injects his Canadian sense of humour into his presentations. For his most recent visit, Spence doubled up as the judge and speaker for our annual fish show. The laughs started as soon as he walked into the venue wearing formal ‘bow-tie and tails’ - he jokingly said he figured he had to dress up as it was billed as the “Show Banquet”. Whilst light-hearted and entertaining, his presentations are also informative. Add to that his high quality photographs and you have a winning combination. Further, you don’t have to worry about a pretentious or demanding speaker when you invite Spence. He is very easy to please and spent one of his visits sleeping on my couch! He has become a friend of several of our members and will be a recurring speaker on our calendar."
Craig Morfitt, President
Bermuda Fry-Angle Aquarium Society
"Our club has had the pleasure of having Spencer speak on more than one occassion. His presentations are not only extremely interesting but also informative and amusing. The photography of the fish, fauna and flora on his trips is always excellent"
Kevin Kaschl, President
Saskatoon Aquarium Society
Saskatoon, SK
"A great speaker is one who is passionate about the subject matter, has in depth "hands-on" experience combined with a great sense of humor. Spencer Jack exemplifies these attributes and never failed to deliver a most enjoyable evening about fish!!"
Dick Au
San Francisco, CA
"It's easy to recommend you as a speaker for I have set in on several of your lectures over the years and the format, content and delivery are second to none. There is no doubt if it involves Cichlids you are the Man!"Rusty Wessel, famed Central American Cichlid collector
Louisville, KY
"I have been the speaker chairperson of the North Jersey Aquarium Society for over ten years, so I can easily tell if the audience is enjoying the program - there is no talking during the program (it's very quiet). This was the case when Spencer presented his program on his collecting trip to Uruguay.
Although NJAS is an all-species club, a large majority of our members are Cichlid keepers. His program was informative, and kept both beginners and experienced hobbyists enthralled. His pictures were amazing, and he was very entertaining throughout the evening.
His program and persona exceeded some national speakers I have heard, and he will be first on my list of speakers the next time we hold a weekend extravaganza!"
Christine Policastro, Speaker Chairperson
North Jersey Aquarium Society
Lyndhurst, NJ