July 2010 volume XVII number 5
Series III ON THE COVER Our cover photo this month features Felis catus in a serendipitous pose. Our intention was to photograph some young cichlids in a 40-gallon long. As the kitten went behind the tank, the cichlids decamped from the frame, leaving this shot.
Photo by Marsha Radebaugh
GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Dan Radebaugh Mark Soberman Jules Birnbaum Warren Feuer Edward Vukich
Members At Large
Claudia Dickinson Artie Friedman Ben Haus Leonard Ramroop
Pete D’Orio Al Grusell Emma Haus
Claudia Dickinson Leonard Ramroop Warren Feuer Mark Soberman Al Grusell Alexander A. Priest Claudia Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Warren Feuer
MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief Copy Editors Exchange Editors Advertising Mgr.
From the Editor
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G.C.A.S. 2010 Program Schedule Our Generous Members President’s Message In Memoriam: Frank Gannon by Joseph Ferdenzi
Rules for August’s Silent Auction / Fleamarket FAASinations A Report on the Federation of American Aquarium Societies by Alexander A. Priest
Tonight’s Speaker: Jeff Bollbach by Claudia Dickinson
Is That Model Available in Turquoise? by Dan Radebaugh
Fame, but No Fortune
Committee Chairs
A.C.A. Delegate Bowl Show Breeder Award Early Arrivals F.A.A.S. Delegate Members/Programs N.E.C. Delegate Technology Coordinator
In This Issue
G.C.A.S. Sponsors and Advertisers
Board Members
President Vice-President Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary
Vol. XVII, No. 5 July, 2010
Dan Radebaugh Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. Priest Stephen Sica Donna Sosna Sica Mark Soberman
by Elliot Oshins
June Bowl Show Winners Photos by Claudia Dickinson
A Visit to a Living Legend by Jules Birnbaum
Mermaid Tales Holey Texas Rock, Batman! by Sharon Barnett
Looking Through the Lens Photos from Our Last Meeting by Claudia Dickinson
Wet Leaves by Susan Priest
Cichlidically Speaking by Claudia Dickinson
Member Classifieds G.C.A.S. Happenings The Undergravel Reporter Fin Fun (Puzzle Page)
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9 11 13 14 15 17
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From the Editor by Dan Radebaugh
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n her “Wet Leaves” column last month, Sue Priest reviewed Marc Morrone’s book, Ask the Fishkeeper. Mark, as you may recall from Sue’s review, used to host a television show called Petkeeping With Marc Morrone. The show can still be seen in reruns on some local channels, and Joe Ferdenzi tells me that Mr. Morrone owns a pet store in Rockville Center. Well, Sue sent Marc a couple of copies of last month’s Modern Aquarium, and shortly thereafter she received this email from Marc: Thank you, thank, you, thank you for reviewing my fishkeeping book! Of all the books that I have written that was the one that I was the most proud of and yet the only one that I had received absolutely no feedback on since it was published. Reading about how much a fellow fishkeeper enjoyed it was like drinking a fine wine. My Petkeeping show will be on again in Sept on The HallMark Channel every weekday at 1 PM. Sincerely Marc Morrone It’s gratifying to occasionally be reminded that our little fishkeeping society magazine can produce echoes outside of our club. In another set of echoes, the FAAS (Federation of American Aquarium Societies) has announced its 2009 FAAS Publication Awards. Modern Aquarium did very well, garnering approximately onethird of the awards handed out. Congratulations to all our award-winning authors, and special congratulations to Al Priest for being named Author of the Year! Please see Al’s summary of the awards, which appears on pages 7 & 8 of this issue. The results may also be found on the FAAS web site: http://www.faas.info/2009_ publication_awards_winners.html Several of our FAAS award winners have contributed to this current issue. In Sue Priest’s “Wet Leaves” column this month, she reviews Tetras and Barbs, by Randy Carey, while Elliot Oshins profiles some of our members in
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“Fame, but no Fortune.” Claudia Dickinson, in addition to her “Looking Through the Lens” and “Cichlidically Speaking” columns, introduces this evening’s speaker, Jeff Bollbach. Even I get in on the act with a brief profile of the turquoise severum, and the Undergravel Reporter continues to dazzle us with far-out fishiness. After a hiatus in 2009, the Gypsy Mermaid returns this issue, and Jules Birnbaum likewise makes a return appearance, chronicling a visit to aquarium hobby icon Rosario LaCorte. The issue finishes of course with the “Fin Fun” puzzle. We need articles! Remember, Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry—that’s why there are editors. If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to gcas@earthlink. net, or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
GCAS Programs 2010-11
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t is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy! Claudia July
Jeff Bollbach Fishroom Tour: Missouri Aquarium Society
August
Silent Auction
September
Ed Vukich Cichlid Breeding Tails
October
Rusty Wessel Mexico - The Panuco Valley: Livebearers and Cichlids of the Region
November
Joseph Ferdenzi
December
Holiday Party!
January
Winter Break
February
Winter Break
March
La Monte Brown Native Fishes
Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the
month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to gcas@earthlink.net. Copyright 2010 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission. The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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President’s Message by Dan Radebaugh
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’ll begin this column with a special “Thank You” to Mark Soberman, for stepping in last month with a wonderful talk on Corydoras catfish. It’s always a treat to hear Mark’s presentations, and this one was no exception. This month we feature another Greater City luminary, Jeff Bollbach, as he discusses his fishroom tour of the Missouri Valley Aquarium Society. This is the time of year traditional for vacations, and Greater City continues to provide a refuge for stay-at-home fishaholics who want to go to meetings during the hot months, but whose home clubs are on summer hiatus. For those of us who want to have our cake and eat it too―take a vacation and still go to fish meetings, there are venues available. The American Cichlid Association is holding its annual convention this month in Milwaukee, beginning on July 22nd. See their ad in this issue for details. Saltwater afishonados should note that IMAC West (International Marine Aquarium Conference West), which was to have run
from July 30 through August 1st, has been postponed, and will now be held bi-annually, beginning in May of 2011. This is according to their Web site, Imacwest.com. As you look through Modern Aquarium each month, you will see ads for various businesses―mostly aquarium shops―who support Greater City in various ways. You will also see a listing of manufacturers who lend us their support, most often by providing items for our raffles, door prizes, and auctions. While Greater City doesn’t specifically endorse any of these companies, you―our members―should be aware that these companies are directly contributing to the success of our Society, and to your fishrooms. I end my remarks this month on a somber note. GCAS Lifetime Member Frank Gannon has passed away. Please see Past President Joe Ferdenzi’s “In Memoriam” on the page facing this one, for more about Frank and what he has meant to Greater City over the years. We salute Frank, and send our condolences to his family and friends.
Dan
Our Generous Members Each month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was: Bill Amely Jeff Bollbach Carlotti de Jager Rod Du Casse Harry Faustmann Joe Ferdenzi 4
Rich Levy Michael Macht Elliot Oshins Al & Sue Priest Dan Puleo Ed Vukich July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
In Memoriam Frank Gannon 1940-2010 by Joseph Ferdenzi
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his year, Greater City has lost a treasured, living link to its glorious history. On May 26, 2010, Frank Gannon passed away. Frank was the most senior member of Greater City in terms of participation, having been in continuous membership since the 1960s. So outstanding was this record of longevity and dedication that, on December 17, 2007, Greater City proudly awarded Frank a plaque that granted him Lifetime Membership. As always, Frank received this honor in his usual understated and humble manner. But, as his loving wife, Diane, was later to recount, he was deeply touched by this expression of appreciation Frank was a perennial presence at Greater City meetings and shows. Although at six foot, four inches, Frank was a tall figure, he never sought to bring attention to himself. Rather, he helped the club in many quiet ways, whether it was by way of donations, or setting up chairs and show stands. However, anyone who spoke with him would be impressed by his shy smile, wry sense of humor, and depth of experience as an aquarist.
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Frank was born on September 15, 1940, and was a life-long resident of Queens, with the exception of his later years, when he and his wife moved to West Hempstead in Nassau County. Like his father before him, Frank was an avid hobbyist. He was especially fond of livebearers. At the time of his passing, Frank’s collection of fish included some of the largest and healthiest goodeids anywhere, and an especially striking heirloom variety of black molly. This collection was housed in a basement fishroom that included almost 40 aquariums, ranging in size from five gallons to 125 gallons. In his professional life, Frank had been a police officer―one of New York City’s Finest. Upon his retirement, he was able to devote more time to his beloved hobby, to the benefit of all his fellow members. Frank will be sorely missed. He was our final link to Greater City’s pre-1980s history, and a wonderful member. All of us express our condolences to his wife, Diane. May he rest in peace.
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GCAS Thanks You! Our Generous Sponsors and Advertisers The Greater City Aquarium Society extends our heartfelt thanks to the following manufacturers for their generous donations. Thanks also to our advertisers, whose contributions to our success as a Society are deeply appreciated. Please patronize our supporters. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Aquarium Technology Inc. Ecological Laboratories HBH Pet Products Koller-Craft Kordon, LLC Marineland Microbe Lift Ocean Nutrition America Omega Sea Red Sea
Rena Rolf C. Hagen San Francisco Bay Brand Seachem Zoo Med Laboratories Inc. Cameo Pet Shop Coral Aquarium Nassau Discus World Class Aquarium Zoo Rama Aquarium
Rules for August’s “Silent Auction” / Fleamarket Next month, Greater City has its annual “Silent Auction”/fleamarket. Here is a brief summary of the rules: i The seller sets an opening price for each item. i Bidders write down their bids in increments of at least $1.00 That is, your bid must be at least one dollar more than the previous bid, and you may only bid in even dollar amounts (such as $1.00, $2.00, $5.00, etc.) Bids of dollars and cents such as $1.50, $2.75 will be invalidated. i A bidder may not cross out his/her own bid to enter a lower bid. i The highest bidder at the end of the auction wins the item. i
Proceeds are split 50/50 between the seller and Greater City. (Of course, the seller may also donate 100% of the proceeds to Greater City!)
i Items not claimed by winning bids (or if there were no bids, by their owners) at the end of the auction become the property of Greater City. i Bids entered after the auction has been declared closed will be invalidated. The decision of the Auction Chairperson or President on whether this has happened is final.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
FAASinations A report on the Federation of American Aquarium Societies by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST he Federation of American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”) is an organization founded by and for aquarium societies of North, Central, and South America. In addition to serving as a watchdog organization to alert aquarium societies of pending state and federal legislation having potentially adverse impact on our hobby (the original reason for its founding in 1973), FAAS has an annual publications award competition, open to any FAAS member society. As a long-time FAAS member, the Greater City Aquarium Society has participated in the FAAS publication awards ever since our magazine, Modern Aquarium was revived as “Series III” in 1994. Modern Aquarium has generally done well in this competition, and has done so again, with 33 awards in the just announced 2009 competition. Complete details, with the names of each award winning article or column are on the FAAS website at: http://www.faas.info/2009_publication_awards_winners.html Listed below are the 2009 winners from all participating societies (see the identifying Legend at the end of this article). Our neighboring sister societies (Long Island Aquarium Society and Nassau County Aquarium Society) are also represented. Congratulations to all of the winners!
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Best Editor and Publication More than Six Issues 1) Cam Turner - KWAS 2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS 3) Greg Steeves - HCCC Best Editor and Publication, 6 or fewer issues 1) Jim Ellenberger - PCCA (cc) 2) David Fraguglia - PCCA (cb) Best Changing Cover - Original Art 1) Cam Turner - KWAS 2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS 3) Greg Steeves - HCCC HM) Patricia A Smith - LIAS
Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words 1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS 2) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS 3) Diane Tennison - HCCC HM) Greg Steeves - HCCC HM) Jim Ellenberger - PCCA (cc)
Best Exchange Column 1) Pat Smith - NCAS 2) Kurt Johnston - ACLC 3) Stephen Sica and Donna Sosna Sica - GCAS HM) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS Best Review Column 1) Susan Priest - GCAS 2) Susan Priest - GCAS 3) Susan Priest - GCAS Best Spawning Article Under 500 words 1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS 2) Greg Steeves - HCCC 3) Allan Abrahams - HCCC HM) Tony Spinelli - HCCC JL 1) Griffin Quigley - KWAS
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
Best Spawning Article, 500 - 1000 words 1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS 2) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCAS 3) Greg Steeves - HCCC HM) Jerry Rothermel - AAAA HM) David Ramsey - AAAA HM) Daniel Spielman - PCCA (cc) HM) Vern Smith - PCCA (cc)
Best Article on a Genus of Fish 1) Dave Hansen - HCCC 2) Greg Steeves - HCCC 3) Michael Risko - AAAA HM) Susan Priest - GCAS Best Article on a Species of Fish 1) Phil Maznyk - KWAS 2) William Amely - GCAS 3) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCAS HM) Jim Everson - MAS Best Marine Article - Fish 1) Stephen Sica - GCAS 2) Stephen Sica - GCAS 3) Margaret Peterson - LIAS
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Best FAAS-Related Column 1) Patricia A Smith - LIAS 2) Pat Smith - NCAS Best Article on Aquascaping or Design 1) Dave Hansen - HCCC 2) Michael Risko - AAAA JL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS Best Article on Plants 1) Ed Koerner - KWAS 2) Ed Koerner - KWAS 3) Ed Koerner - KWAS Best Show Article 1) Pam Chin - PCCA (cc) 2) Diane Tennison - HCCC 3) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCAS HM) Rich Levy - GCAS Best How To or Do-It-Yourself Article 1) Ed Koerner - KWAS 2) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS 3) Steve Abrams - LIAS JL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS Best General Article on Society Management 1) Pat Smith - NCAS 2) Ken Smith - LIAS 3) Jim Peterson - LIAS HM) Jack Traub - GCAS Best Article on Health or Nutrition 1) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS 2) Phil Maznyk - KWAS 3) Terry Clements - KWAS Best Collecting Article 1) Margaret Peterson - LIAS 2) Jim Peterson - LIAS 3) JB Edmundson - HCCC JL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS
Best Traveling Aquarist Article 1) Rein & Char Breitmaier - KWAS 2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS 3) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS Best Humorous Article 1) Marsha Radebaugh - GCAS 2) The Undergravel Reporter - GCAS 3) The Undergravel Reporter - GCAS Best Original Artwork 1) Patricia A Smith - LIAS 2) Bernard Harrigan - GCAS 3) Elliot Oshins - GCAS JL 1) Lillian Schweikert - LIAS JL 2) Donald Schweikert - LIAS JL 3) Lillian Schweikert - LIAS Best Cartoon 1) Bob Kulesa - ACLC 2) Bob Kulesa - ACLC 3) Elliot Oshins - GCAS Best Continuing Column 1) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS 2) Ed Koerner - KWAS 3) Rein & Char Breitmaier - KWAS HM) Susan Priest - GCAS HM) Claudia Dickinson - GCAS Best Article All Other Categories 1) Terry Maxwell - HCCC 2) Evan Bowers - HCCC 3) Bob Channen - KWAS HM) Bob Kulesa - ACLC HM) Andy Hudson - MAS Author of the Year for 2009 1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS 2) Ed Koerner - KWAS 3) Pat Smith - NCAS 4) Dave Hansen - HCCC 5) (Tie) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS 5) (Tie) Susan Priest - GCAS
Legend AAAA - Atlanta Area Aquarium Association - Fish Talk ACLC - Aquarium Club of Lancaster County - Tank Tales GCAS - Greater City Aquarium Society - Modern Aquarium HCCC - Hill Country Cichlid Club - The Lateral Line KWAS - Kitchener-Waterloo Aquarium Society - Fins and Tales LIAS - Long Island Aquarium Society - Paradise Press MAS - Milwaukee Aquarium Society - SPLASH NCAS - Nassau County Aquarium Society - Pisces Press PCCA (cb) - Pacific Coast Cichlid Association - Cichlid Blues PCCA (cc) - Pacific Coast Cichlid Association - Cichlidae CommuniquĂŠ HM - Honorable Mention JL - Junior Level
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
The G.C.A.S. Proudly extends a most Warm Welcome to
JEFF BOLLBACH Speaking on A Fishroom Tour with the Missouri Aquarium Society by Claudia Dickinson
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eckoned by the water of woodland streams and ponds, Jeff Bollbach spent his inquisitive childhood years balancing on the bank’s edge, peering under rocks, and sporting the muddy sneakers of a budding naturalist. A favorite photograph of his parents depicts their 18-month-old son holding a fishing pole, complete with a fish on the end of the line! Jeff was not the only one in his family with a love of nature and fish. His father bred and raised guppies, selling the offspring to Jeff’s uncle’s remarkable pet shop, the ‘Golden Guppy.’ Jeff recalls the eye catching, six-foot-long sign on which his father had carved and goldleafed by hand an enormous guppy. The sign hung over the store’s doorway, inviting customers to step inside and enjoy the wide array of fascinating animals. It was during one of his own excursions into the Golden Guppy that Jeff’s eye was caught by the massive and stunning South American mata mata (Chelus fimbriatus) turtles housed in a prominent display. From that time on, turtles remained a part of Jeff’s passion. The father and son team had their own fishroom, where the racks and fittings were built by his father. As a teenager, Jeff maintained around 40 tanks, and from this era in his fishkeeping career, recollects his memorable large pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
gibbosus) and bullhead catfish (family Ictaluridae). He also bred bettas, had a successful spawn of angelfish, and raised numerous fancy swordtails. At the age of 17, Jeff moved out into the world, taking a hiatus from fish. Then, 35 years later, our own Harry Faustmann came into his life. It was in 2001 that Jeff walked into Harry’s fishroom to be mesmerized by a beautiful river tank and all of the inhabitants of the many other aquariums. He found the killifish interesting and was particularly enticed by the idea of breeding fish. Returning home, Jeff went about setting up his own river tank. When the fish began to breed, he was once again captivated by the behavior of the fish and their interactions with one another. He and Harry have remained great buddies ever since. Living 15 minutes apart has made it easy to spend time sharing fish and experiences with one another, not to mention traveling to fish club meetings together. Jeff attributes much of his own knowledge to listening to Harry, as well as the counsel of the celebrated and legendary Rosario LaCorte. Currently, Jeff maintains 65 tanks, that range in size from 2.5 to 90 gallons, with the majority being 15 to 20 gallons, in an 8-foot by 15-foot fishroom off of
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the house. A wide variety of species inhabit the tanks, as anyone who knows Jeff’s breeding record will attest that no fish is left unchallenged. His lovely wife, Barbara, does not keep fish herself, but is supportive of her husband’s hobby and glad for him to have the friendship of fellow hobbyists and the various clubs that he is active in. In addition to the tanks in the fishroom, three planted show tanks, housing rainbowfish and African cichlids collectively, are kept in the couple’s living quarters, where the inhabitants can be readily enjoyed. Livebearers are placed into any one of the three outdoor ponds as soon as the temperatures warm up in the spring, and his beloved turtles live a superlative lifestyle in the yard, where Jeff ensures that their natural habitats are replicated to perfection. Renowned for his amazingly numerous breeding successes, Jeff Jeff achieves his second GCAS Breeder of the Year Award in achieved our GCAS 2008, presented by Past GCAS Breeder of the Year Award President Joe Ferdenzi.
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in both 2007 and 2008, and in 2006 and 2007, Nassau County Aquarium Society honored him with the same. His speaking engagements began amongst the close friendships of fellow Long Island Killifish Association members in the informal setting of his own living room, and have since expanded exponentially, his most recent taking him to the prominent Missouri Aquarium Society. Aside from his vast accomplishments as an aquarist, in the ‘real world,’ he is a luthier, specializing in the making and restoring of the bass viol. Jeff is a strong advocate of joining as many fish clubs and attending as many meetings as possible. What great fortune for us that he is a member of the GCAS family, where he altruistically shares not only the many fish that he breeds, but his knowledge and friendship! It is with great warmth and pride that we welcome Jeff tonight as he presents A Fishroom Tour with the Missouri Aquarium Society.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Is That Model Available in Turquoise? by Dan Radebaugh
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n my article, “The Banded Severum” (Modern too small to be more than a snack. Any good stick or Aquarium, May 2008), I mentioned that there pellet food will be willingly accepted. Insects, small were some newly introduced, natural color worms, freeze-dried krill, and so on make nice treats, variants showing up in the hobby, such as “rotkeil,” and they will eat small live fish. and “turquoise,” to name two, but it was uncertain as Like other severums of my acquaintance, they to whether these populations prefer a pH neutral to represent different species, slightly acidic, and are fairly or were just regional color relaxed about temperature, variants. The rotkeil had by though bear in mind that the time of that article been they are true tropicals. A around for long enough that large water change using I had seen a few, both in slightly cooler water than person and on the Web, but normal tank temperature I had not yet seen any of the will often trigger spawning, turquoise variety. Well, that for which they seem to prefer has changed. a vertical surface such as a Several months ago rock, a piece of driftwood, I came across some young or other decoration. I can’t ones at Coral Aquarium, yet say anything about fry near where I live in Jackson care. Heights. I obtained four to What about the grow out, and recently a pair Young male turquoise severum; Note “squiggles” on face “turquoise” part? As (and snails on glass). formed and they have begun fry, these fish are striped spawning. No fry yet―so far they’ve eaten the eggs and colored very similarly to the familiar “green” each time within two to three days, but they remain severum―dark stripes on a silvery body. In fact, I’d committed to the effort up to that point. be very hard-pressed to tell the two varieties apart So what have I learned from these fish, and how until they begin to approach three inches or so in do they differ from “normal” severums? To begin, length. Maybe there’s a key difference before that, their temperament, diet preferences, and spawning but so far I haven’t noticed it. However, once they practices are consistent with the banded severums I approach maturity, there is most certainly a discernible have been familiar with for years. difference from the “green” variety. That silvery base Sexing can usually be determined by the color begins to shift to a more blue-ish hue, especially “squiggles” on the face and gill plates of the males. noticeable along the flanks, whereas the “green” Males often also have longer fin extensions, but that severum’s base color remains (to my observation at isn’t always a reliable indicator. least) a series of greenish and brownish dots on a stillThey’re easy to feed. They like meaty foods, with rather-silvery base, plus the distinct vertical banding. occasional vegetables, such as peas, corn, broccoli, and Of my four specimens, only one (a female, I so on, though they aren’t nearly as eager about veggies believe) has retained any significant banding. Perhaps (other than the peas) as are some of my other cichlids. she’ll keep the stripes, perhaps she’s just maturing They quickly learn to feed from the top, though one more slowly than the others—time will tell. They all might guess from the shape and placement of their still have some growing to do, and she’s currently the mouths that this is likely not their normal feeding style smallest. At their request, the breeding pair now resides in the wild. They seem to me to be most comfortable alone except for a small pleco, which I’ll probably feeding in the middle of the water column, or from the move elsewhere to see if the egg disappearance bottom. (They always closely follow the gravel-vac ceases. around to see what it may stir up). All told, this is a very attractive fish of moderate When young, tubifex worms or bloodworms size and temperament (I’d suggest 40 gallons as are eagerly taken, but as they grow, these worms are minimum space for a pair), and provides a little
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they are distinct species. At the very least, we should clearly identify the fry of cross-breeding experiments so that future keepers and breeders will know for sure what they own.
Youngster still clearly showing stripes. I’ll be interested to see whether they fade away or remain.
different look than the severums traditionally familiar to most of us. The question remains as to whether the turquoise severum is a new species, or just a “horse of a different color.” We still seem to be in taxonomic limbo when it comes to the Heros genus. Efasciatus, appendiculatus, notatus, and severus are all currently valid species names, but these could all very well end up referring to only one “true” species.* Funding for research plays a very large role in how quickly questions like this can be answered, so it may be a while before conclusions can be drawn. In the meantime, I believe it would be prudent of us to keep these naturally-occurring, variant populations separate in our tanks, so as to preserve their genetics as well as possible until we find out whether or not
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Turquoise Pair spawning.
Photos by Marsha Radebaugh *What exactly defines a species? The answer isn’t as simple as we might prefer. Wayne Leibel devoted a recent “Cichlidophiles” column (Tropical Fish Hobbyist, December, 2009) to this question, and to it’s various answers. It’s an excellent read, not only for cichlid enthusiasts, but for all of us who deliberately set out to breed fish (or any plants or animals, for that matter).
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
FAME, BUT NO FORTUNE by Elliot Oshins
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ndy Warhol, one of the greatest artists of our time, wrote in a catalog for one of his shows in Europe, “In the future everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.” I don’t know about 15 minutes, but I believe everybody will have at one time some form of recognition. Let’s say Andy Warhol is right. I will give our members 15 minutes of imaginary fame. And also, members can write about their 15 minutes of fame. As they say, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” I hope they all take it in good humor. I’ll start with two of the finest members of our club, Al and Sue Priest. Al Priest, an expert on tropical fish, is also a great photographer. As his great pictures for the covers for Modern Aquarium, had Al lived in biblical times, and had they cameras, his 15 minutes of fame would have resulted from his pictures of Jonah and the whale. His name would be in the Old Testament. Had Sue Priest lived in the time of the American Revolution, I am sure Sue, and not Betsy Ross, would have sewn the American flag. Her 15 minutes of fame. Artie Friedman, a/k/a “The Maven,’’ has many talents―too many to write about. Being a sound engineer and being in the right place at the right time, he would have recorded the Beatles and Elvis Presley. His 15 minutes of fame. Mark Soberman is in the dental field. Had Mark lived in the time of the American Revolution, he no doubt would have been responsible for getting George Washington his false teeth. In those days it was very hard to make false teeth. They were made out of gold, ivory, or animal teeth. You had to have good teeth or you suffered. His 15 minutes of fame. Claudia Dickinson, a top aquarist, writes great articles on tropical fish, as well as a book on the same subject. Claudia also travels to the Amazon, quite a feat in itself. Had Claudia traveled to Africa looking for fish in October 1876, she would have been the first person to come across Dr. Livingstone. And she, not Stanley, would have said, “Dr. Livingston, I presume?” Her 15 minutes of fame. Steven Berman, being a physical therapist, has helped me a lot, when I had some problems. Had Steve lived in England at the time of Sherlock Homes, Steve, and not Dr. Watson, would be the detective’s right-hand man. His 15 minutes of fame. Harry Faustmann. When it comes to Killifish and live food for fish, Harry is your man. Harry was a detective with the New York City Police Department. Had Harry lived in California at the time of O.J. Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Simpson’s trial, Harry’s 15 minutes of fame would have been for catching O.J. When I get to a meeting and I see Rod Du Casse there, I know there are going to be those plastic containers of snails that only Rod can bring for the auction. When Steven Spielberg makes his fantasy movies in 3D of giant snails at war with New York City, Rod will be the technical adviser on the movie, which will win him an Academy Award, and his 15 minutes of fame. Jack Traub used to work for the Internal Revenue Service. Had he been working there today, he would be on all the TV stations as the agent who caught Bernard Madoff. His 15 minutes of fame. July 2010 13
Jeffrey Bollbach. Besides bringing in top fish to the auction, Jeff is in the music business, and repairs bass fiddles. Had Jeff lived in the time of the Roman Empire, he would have repaired the fiddle that Nero played when Rome was burning. His 15 minutes of fame. Joe Ferdenzi. Besides being a great President of Greater City Aquarium Society and a great aquarist, through his work in the District Attorney’s office I believe Joe may have had many more 15 minutes of fame than he would like to talk about. Let’s say that if Joe lived in the early 1900s, he would have prosecuted Al Capone and sent him to jail. It would have been in all the Chicago newspapers. His 15 minutes of fame. Edward Vukich is a top salesperson, and a great auctioneer for the club. He always gets top dollar for the club. The famous auction houses could use him with all the fine art they have to sell. Ed would have sold the Hope Diamond for his 15 minutes of fame. My imaginary 15 minutes of fame would be if I painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However, it was painted by Michelangelo, who was probably the greatest artistic genius who ever lived. Working toward my real 15 minutes of fame, years ago, when
I was in business, one of my customers was Liza Minnelli, who during that time was doing a onewoman show at Carnegie Hall. My wife and I thought it would be nice to go to opening night, so I called her secretary, and she checked with Liza, and she said it was fine. I offered to pay for the tickets, but Liza wouldn’t hear of it. Her secretary called later to advise me the event was “Black tie.” When I got to Carnegie Hall, everybody in the orchestra had way more than 15 minutes of fame. It seemed like hours. I think all the paying customers were in the balcony. Liza put on a great show―I know we both enjoyed it. Black tie does something to you; it puts you into a fantasy world. It changes you. Leaving Carnegie Hall there’s always a crowd looking for “Show Business Royalty,” movie, theater, and TV stars. I remember some peasant (ha-ha, only joking) pointing at me and saying, “He must be somebody.” Finally, a step closer to my 15 minutes of fame.
Illustration by Elliot Oshins
June Bowl Show Winners Photos by Claudia Dickinson
GCAS President Dan Radebaugh awards Bob Hamje a 3rd Place ribbon (above) for his red HalfMoon Betta, and the 2nd place red ribbon (left) for his copper & black Oranda goldfish.
Mario Bengcion’s Red Delta Guppy earned him 1st Place, as well as the unofficial lead in the Bowl Show competition so far.
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July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
A Visit To a Living Legend Story and Photos by Jules Birnbaum
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f they ever build a hall of fame for our hobby, breeding. There are approximately 60 tanks, and Joe Rosario LaCorte would be one of the first inductees. informed me that he has cut down from the separate He has contributed greatly to the knowledge of fish house he had in 1960 holding over 200 tanks. keeping and breeding tropical fish. Rosario has fish From this writer’s observation, Rosario’s fishkeeping named in his honor. The emperor tetra, Nematobrycon is all about the fish, not about show tanks. lacortei, and the killifish, Maratecoara lacortei are The four of us helped him do some water two that have been named for him. He has authored changes, which are becoming increasingly difficult for many articles, several books, and is a leading authority him. This was old-school stuff, utilizing buckets of on breeding tropical fish. aged water, and plastic jars to transport the water to Rosario grew up in some of the higher tanks. Elizabeth, New Jersey, Joe discussed utilizing a and his first fish were water changing system killies that he collected that did not involve lifting in the Kill Van Kull. He buckets, and Rosario says he owes much to seemed receptive to the Herbert Axelrod, founder idea. Joe and others are and publisher of the currently putting the Tropical Fish Hobbyist, parts for such a system who suggested that together. Rosario come along on Many of the tanks some of his trips to the look to be 20 to 30 gallon tropics. Rosario also had breeder configurations, a friend, Ross Socolof, and are very old. Some owner of a wholesale are chrome, and each tank tropical fish business, has a large water surface who supplied him with area, many without tops rare fish. or substrate. The lighting On Friday, June 11th, is subdued, even dark in I had the opportunity to spots, and he uses simple visit with Rosario, thanks sponge filters, usually to Joe Ferdenzi, who is a one per tank, in most close friend of Rosario. of the well-populated Four of us drove out in the tanks. I noted that most afternoon—Joe Ferdenzi, of the tanks were half Mark Soberman, Harsha filled. Was this to make Perera, and myself. it easier to make changes Harsha drove his large Rosario reveals some of his secrets to Mark Soberman. in the water parameters, van, and also took or to keep the fish from pictures of our visit. jumping out? I never found out. I should mention that Rosario currently has a There were so many rare tetras that I could not serious health problem, so we were thrilled that he possibly remember all their names. asked us to visit. He and his wife Jeannie live in New Rosario knows what is going on in every one of his Jersey, about an hour and a half from my home on Long tanks, and which ones could use some fresh water. Island, in an unassuming, well kept, ranch-style house. Brine shrimp were being prepared in a couple of places The property has both a pond and a stream. Now in using simple soda bottles. There were no heaters that their 80s, the house is well suited to their needs. I could observe, and he has one large air pump that Being good hosts, the LaCortes served some services all the tanks by use of PVC pipes and simple refreshments, and we sat and talked. Rosario showed valves. us some of his 8 X 10 fish pictures before taking us We saw several before and after examples of fish to his fish room. The fish room has several simple he has received and then made into something special. wooden racks with tanks containing rare fish he is Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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I’m guessing that one of his secrets is what and how he feeds his fish to trigger them to spawn. Although he did not tell us so, I think he gets the fish hungry and then feeds them large amounts of live food. The water changes, the low light, and the feeding strategy
all contribute to Mr. LaCorte’s magic. I suspect he also plays with the pH until he comes up with a winning formula. I must admit I have not read any of his books. One interesting piece of memorabilia he showed us was an old advertisement for “Instant Fish.” At one time he used to package fish eggs that were sold in a kit by a chain store to be hatched by the buyer. I never did ask him where he sells his many breeding successes. I would have loved to use his breeding methods with one or two of his tetras, but I did not think it proper to ask him about it. I’ve heard he sold to local pet shops, as well as to selected friends through the years. When our visit was over, Rosario gave us the honor of writing a note in, and signing his guest book, where he has the names of the many visitors to his fishroom. Rosario has one love greater than his fish, and that is his wife Jeannie. They have been married for 60 years, and are still very much in love. They don’t make too many men like Rosario, or too many wives like Jeannie.
Rosario and Joe Ferdenzi display an old advertisement for Rosario’s “Instant Fish.”
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July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
by “The Gypsy Mermaid” (A.K.A. SHARON BARNETT)
HOLEY TEXAS ROCK, BATMAN!
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ome time ago, in a shopping frenzy (a condition to which I am highly susceptible), I did something really dumb. I bought a 79 pound piece of Texas holey rock which I could barely lift. How I ever thought that I could place it in a tank without breaking the tank, I’ll never know. The only way that I’d be able to use the rock would be if I broke it into several smaller pieces. Limestone dissolves very readily in water, which makes it perfect for buffering African Cichlid tanks. When you rub wet fingers on it, it dissolves easily. But don’t be misled—limestone is very hard. I tried dropping it on the concrete, and hitting it with a hammer—no luck. I bought a wedge/chisel thingy, thinking I’d be able to break it using that and a hammer. No such luck. My dad said I was going to need a sledgehammer. Hmmph! And just where was I going to get that? I decided to go online to get some advice from my buds on cichlidforums.com. One suggested that I try a masonry bit to drill a series of holes in a line where I wanted the rock to split, then break it off using a hammer and chisel. I have no problem with a hammer and chisel, but I am petrified of power tools—I can’t even stand the sound of them. Another suggested that I put the rock in a bonfire, let it get really hot, then roll it out of the fire with iron rods and hose it down with cold water to shatter it. The problem with that idea is that I’d probably end up with Texas holey gravel! Not to mention the fact that I’d probably get pelted with shards of Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
superheated limestone. And just what do you think my neighbors thought when seeing me take delivery of a giant rock, throw it off the back porch onto the concrete, then attack it with a hammer? If I’d tried that bonfire thing, I’d surely be wearing a very tight jacket and answering questions about inkblots!
Superdad to the rescue!! My dad, Jesse (aka “John Henry, steel drivin’ man”) broke the rock into four pieces with very little waste using a tool from his days at Long Island Railroad (He told me three times what it’s called, but I keep forgetting...a line-something or other. It looks like a five foot long chisel). Anyway, he finally broke it for me after I nagged and whined at him because he’d put the rock on top of some of my seedlings—grrrr! Anyway, he made up for it when he solved my giant holey rock problem. Photo by Author
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Looking through the Photos and captions
A heartfelt thank you to Mark Soberman for his extraordinary presentation on “Keeping and Breeding Corydoras Species”! Sharon Barnett is polishing up on her French in order to enjoy to the fullest her Door Prize win of L’Art De L’Aquarium!
The lens is on Richard Waizman for his featured photo in this month’s issue of Modern Aquarium! We are so glad to have South American cichlid aficionado, Peter Goldfien, as a part of the GCAS family!
Carlotti De Jager may just have to pick up a few new species of Corydoras after the evening’s inspiring presentation!
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July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Lens with the GCAS By Claudia Dickinson
Harsha Perera and Warren Feuer have had another great evening with the GCAS!
Ronald Wiesenfeld holds the lucky Door Prize winning ticket for an excellent book on Corydoras species.
Joe Ferdenzi and Marsha Radebaugh take a few minutes to enjoy conversation during a busy night of handing out Modern Aquarium.
Elliot Oshins can barely wait to get started on his next article for us to enjoy here in Modern Aquarium! Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Ron Kasman is looking forward to reading the newest issue of Modern Aquarium!
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there can be more distance between territories. (You can count on Randy to tell you which species are territorial and which are not.) Beginning hobbyists will be tempted to purchase one, two, or three of a kind, but our author advises that more specimens of fewer species are the way to go. If a Series On Books For The Hobbyist you need some aquascaping ideas, he recommends that you try browsing the internet. by SUSAN PRIEST If it could be said that there is a theme to this book, it would be that thoughtful consideration and omewhere along my journey as an aquarist, I planning will lead the aquarist to the attended a presentation by Randy Carey. I aforementioned success. Our author repeats this have also read a couple of articles authored by advice throughout, phrasing it in many different him. Based on these previous experiences, I ways. For example: “The key is that you set up a approached this book with high plan and hold yourself expectations. In his subtitle, “a accountable for your fish and complete guide to the successful aquaria.” Tetras and Barbs care and breeding of two of the That last piece of advice By Randy Carey most popular groups of aquarium comes from my favorite T.F.H. Publications, 2009 fish,” he challenges himself to a chapter. It is called “Best lofty goal. Care Practices.” Under In chapter seven, discussion in this chapter are “Breeding,” our author challenges US. “Most basic husbandry topics such as water changing, aquarists who are engaged with their hobby can be food and feeding, and quarantine practices, but our successful in breeding and rearing [egg] scatterers, astute author fine tunes his recommendations to the but it almost always requires an effort that is specific needs of the tetras and barbs. We also sustained and learn that Randy is a deliberate.” Don’t tidy guy. He reminds us worry; he will be there to clean the glass (when to guide you every step is the last time you did of the way. that?), straighten up the Randy’s breeding fishroom, and clean the technique of preference fishroom floor. for tetras and barbs is Most of the photos “trapping.” He gives us have rounded-off detailed instructions as corners. With every to how to construct a turn of the page I felt as trap. He uses this trap if I were watching a because it allows him to slide show on a carousel observe every detail, projector, and I was “from how many eggs controlling the clicker. were spawned to Sometimes I went hatchling behavior to backwards (what was the well being of the the Latin name of that tiny fry.” There is so ticto barb a couple of much information in slides back?). this one chapter alone No one book can that the temptation for inform and instruct me is to continue every level of aquarist quoting from it, but I on any given topic of know I must move on. fishkeeping. Multiple resources must be consulted The chapters on “Tetras and their Relatives” in order to achieve the highest level of and “Barbs and their Relatives” are too accomplishment. If, however, a single resource comprehensive to review here. Let me just say that could come close to the goal of orchestrating a they make you wonder why more of your tank space comprehensive treatise, then this would be it. It is not occupied by these fish. “The Tetra and Barb would be hard to find a more “complete guide” Aquarium” is overflowing with advice and ideas. within the confines of two covers. We are advised to establish a tank with a long footprint which spreads out the terrain. In this way
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ModernModern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. Aquarium - Greater City(NY) A.S (NY)
Cichlidically Speaking Your Link to the American Cichlid Association www.cichlid.org
by Claudia Dickinson
First appearing in the February 2001 issue of the American Cichlid Association’s Buntbarsche Bulletin, my ‘Cichlidically Speaking’ column ran until August of 2005. Its commentary covered current ACA news, as well as relevant cichlid research and conservation efforts. As your ACA Club Delegate, I continue to bring you that column here in the pages of Modern Aquarium. Let us think of it as ‘Volume II,’ or now on its second year with the GCAS, ‘Volume III’?!
ACA Convention 2010 The event that we all look forward to, our annual ACA Convention, is almost here!
July 22―25, 2010 Hosted by the Milwaukee Aquarium Society Olympia Spa and Resort Have you registered yet?!?! Register today at www.ACA2010.com! Be sure to get your room reservations now by calling 800-558-9573. The group code for our special convention rate is MAC10. It’s all about cichlids, and cichlidophiles. We can barely wait to see you there!
Cichlid Research and Conservation Please remember to bring an item to the convention for the celebrated Babes In The Cichlid Hobby annual silent auction! Support cichlid research and conservation. The Babes, and our cichlids, need you! For more information, contact Pam Chin at Pam@cichlidae.com. Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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ACA Spawn of the Year This year’s submissions for ACA Spawn of the Year included an impressive number of interesting, rare, and challenging cichlid spawns. Twelve species were chosen from the entries by a panel of highly qualified cichlid authorities. Some of these species are truly difficult to spawn. Some are at risk of extinction and in need of captive propagation to ensure their future. Some are rare in nature and/or in the hobby, and some are a challenge just to maintain. Whatever the reason, breeding any one of these species is worthy of recognition. Members of the ACA make the final decision of the winner of Spawn of the Year. How to Cast Your Vote There are two ways to submit a vote. A poll has been started in the members only section of the ACA forum at http://www.cichlid.org which will run until July 21, 2010, the day before the start of the 2010 convention in Milwaukee. The second method is at the convention where all registrants will have an opportunity to cast a vote. The ballots will be tallied and added to the online results in time for the winner to be announced at the convention banquet. This means that it is possible to cast two votes if you are registered on the forum and you attend the convention. By signing up for your member privileges on the ACA forum and going to the convention you can vote twice! The results will be announced at the convention and posted on the ACA website and forum. Good luck to all nominees!
Nominees for this Year’s ACA Spawn of the Year Contest Dicrossus filamentosus (Ladiges 1958) Eretmodus sp. 'cyanostictus north' Geophagus pellegrini Regan 1912 Hoplarchus psittacus (Heckel 1840) Krobia sp. Nanochromis teugelsi Lamboj & Shelly 2006 Neolamprologus buescheri (Staeck 1982) Pelvicachromis signatus Lamboj 2004 Pyxichromis orthostoma (Regan 1922) Spathodus erythrodon Boulenger 1900 Taeniacara candidi Myers 1935 Xenotilapia bathyphilus (Poll 1956) News On The Cichlid Scene Nanochromis teugelsi Lamboj & Schelly 2006 Recently described and rare in the hobby, Nanochromis teugelsi of the Congo Basin in West Africa resides in soft waters with a conductivity between 50-150 microsiemens, a pH around 7.0, and temperatures with seasonal fluctuations ranging between 24º–26° C (75º –79º F) (Lamboj, 2007). The current is relatively fast flowing, running over a moderate number of rocks which have layers of sand in between (Lamboj, 2007). With no concrete data to date, it is assumed that, like its congeners, the diet consists of small insects and their larvae, aufwuchs, and detritus (Lamboj, 2007). Due to its scarcity, as well as challenges in its maintenance and breeding, N. teugelsi is among the twelve excellent candidates nominated Photograph by Ted Judy for this year’s ACA Spawn of the Year. 22
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
A Warm Welcome to ACA CARES Conservation Awareness Recognition and Responsibility Encouragement and Education Support and Sharing Register in ACA CARES today! E-mail Claudia@CARESPreservation.com
http://www.cichlid.org Thank you for your invaluable contribution towards preserving our fish for generations to come!!!
Because of you, we are making a difference! Photograph of the Rio Negro by Claudia Dickinson.
Lake Victoria CARES Conservation Through Education Update The main blower and central air system equipment arrived at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in Kisumu on June 16th. The majority of this impressive gift, which is valued at $800, was donated by John Maier of Jehm Co. John has gone above and beyond in accommodating the Project, switching the equipment to the necessary 220V and taking much time to go over all details to ensure that it has the opportunity of a long life in Africa. Heartfelt words of deep appreciation to John for his great kindness and generosity! On the day of arrival Dr. William Ojwang reports:
Dear Claudia, It is with great pleasure to let you know that the box with air pump and the accessories arrived as you can see in the attached photo. Thanks so much for your continued kind gesture, as well as for John’s. Meanwhile we are working on the big tank and we will shortly embark on fitting the pipes and having the new pump running. I’ll keep you posted. Kind regards, William Photograph courtesy of Dr. William Ojwang
A warm and heartfelt thank you to those of you whose immense generosity in donating funding, equipment, supplies, and assistance have made this noteworthy endeavor possible!
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ACA Call for Nominations The ACA is seeking nominees to serve on the Board of Trustees for the term 2011. Please consider placing your name on the slate! A letter or email of submission, accompanied by a resume of 120 words or less stating your qualifications for the position and a statement of your goals if elected, is due to the Elections Coordinator by July 31, 2010. For further information, please contact ACA Elections Coordinator Ken Davis by email: fishfarm@mindspring.com.
Join the ACA! Be certain that you are a part of the ACA by sending your dues through PayPal to acapaypal@mac.com. or you may prefer to print out the membership application at www.cichlid.org and send it to: Marty Ruthkosky ACA Membership Chair 43081 Bond Court Sterling Heights, MI 48313 Please feel free to contact me during our meetings with any questions that you may have, or e-mail me at ivyrose@optonline.net. I’m sure you will find becoming involved with such a special group of individuals as rewarding as I have!
Until next time‌ Keep on Enjoying Your Cichlids! Claudia
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July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Member Classifieds EQUIPMENT: 1 Rena Filstar XP3 Cannister Filters -- Up to 350 GPH -- $50 each 1 Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel HOB Power Filter $30 1 Coralife Turb Twist 18 watt with 3 extra (never used) UV bulbs $50 All nearly new, in original boxes. Call (631) 563-1404 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-10’s---complete $15 each 2-20 Longs complete, no lights 20 each 1-20 high-complete, no filter 20 2-29’s complete 30 each Refrigerator 30 1-55 complete 60 1-65 with canister filter, full lighting, Laterite in gravel metal stand---$250 Some large wood, meds, rock, caves. “Complete” means heater, filter, full lighting (they were used as plant tanks), canopy. Call Charley: (917) 837-6346 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------46 bow tank, light, stand, all oak finish $250 Call Ron: 718-464-8408 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Moving to Florida 1 parrot fish-10 4 large barbs-10 1 red hook-10 2 weather loaches-5 1 flagtail catfish-5 1 iridescent shark-10 3 blind cave fish-5 4 cory catfish-5 3 bosemani rainbowfish-30 2 flying foxes-5 2 spotted raphael catfish-10 2 dozen assorted small fish-livebearers, tetras-12 125 gallon tank fully equipped w/wood stand-300 75 gallon tank fully equipped w/ hand crafted wood stand-150 30 gallon tank fully equipped w/iron stand-50 Contact Steve Dash: (516) 889-4876 noon till 8pm -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Filters: Eheim 2076 (for tanks up to 90 gallons) $200 Marineland C-160 (tanks up to 30 gallons) $50 Call Temes: 646-249-3521
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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GCAS Happenings
July
Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:
1 Mario Bengcion Red Delta Guppy 2 Robert Hamje Red Half-Moon Betta 3 Robert Hamje Copper & Black Oranda
Unofficial 2010 Bowl Show totals to date:
Mario Bengcion 14 Al Priest 11 Robert Hamje 10
Richard Waizman 1
A warm welcome back to renewing GCAS members Frank Bonnici, Akinwunmi Durojaiye, Ron Kasman, Desireé Martin, Elliot Oshins, and Michael Vulis! A special warm welcome to new member Peter Goldfien!
Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area: Greater City Aquarium Society
East Coast Guppy Association
Next Meeting: August 4, 2010 Speaker: None Event: Silent Auction Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437 E-mail: gcas@earthlink.net Website: http://www.greatercity.org
Meets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399
Nassau County Aquarium Society Next Meeting: September 14, 2010 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave Rockville Centre, NY Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766 Website: http://www.ncasweb.org
Big Apple Guppy Club Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July, and August) at 7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538
NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Brooklyn Aquarium Society Next Meeting: September 10, 2010 Speaker: Jeff Bollbach Event: A Year In The Fish Room Meets the 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NY Call: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455 Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org
Long Island Aquarium Society Next Meeting: Se[tember 17, 2010 Speaker: Joseph Graffagnino Topic: The History of Catfish in Africa and South America Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Greenhouse Meeting Room, Holtsville Ecology Center, Buckley Road, Holtsville, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - president@liasonline.org Website: http://liasonline.org/
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Next Meeting: July 15, 2010 Speaker: Omar Mojena (Hikari) Topic: Proper Nutrition for Your Fish Meets: 7:30 PM Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 e-mail: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com Website: http://www.njas.net/
Norwalk Aquarium Society Next Meeting: August 19, 2010 Speaker: Tony Orso Topic: Australian Fish Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833 Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS E-mail: jchapkovich@snet.net Website: http://norwalkas.org/
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
“Hooked” on Phone-ics A series by “The Undergravel Reporter” In spite of popular demand to the contrary, this humor and information column continues. As usual, it does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of the Editor, or of the Greater City Aquarium Society. was watching a PBS special on the 125th anniversary of the Boston Pops when it hit me. Several pieces of music written by Leroy Anderson were played because the Boston Pops under its first Conductor, Arthur Fiedler, was the first orchestra to play many of these pieces. Among the works played were the “Syncopated Clock” and “The Typewriter.” Both of these rely on sounds that many, if not most, of those who are teenagers and younger today will not recognize. A clock that goes “tick-tock,” instead of providing a totally silent digital display or a word processing device whose keyboard makes “clicks” with every key pressed and that rings a bell at the end of every line -- these are not of this generation. Among o t her things that are not of this current generation is the telephone booth. Does anyone here remember the original Superman comics and television series? When mild mannered reporter Clark Kent turned into the Man of Steel, he more often than not changed in a telephone booth. Then there is the Time And Relative Dimension(s)
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
In Space (or TARDIS), the time machine and spacecraft in the shape of a British police call box that “The Doctor” (A.K.A. Dr. Who) uses to roam the galaxies in the British Broadcasting Corporation’s long-running science fiction television program. Other than seeing one in an old movie or on television, when was the last time you saw a real telephone booth (not just a kiosk or just a phone stuck on a pole)? What happened to all of the real “booths” (and will Superman now get arrested for indecent exposure when changing his clothes out in the open)? Well, I don’t know what happened to all of those old telephone booths, but I do know the fate of one in Lyon, France. An ordinary phone booth was transformed into an aquarium by artists Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino as part of the Lyon Light Festival. The designers stated: “With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of exotically coloured fish; an invitation to escape and travel.”1 Unfortunately, Clark Kent would not be able to make much use of this particular telephone booth, but perhaps Aquaman, or Aqualad could use it? Oh, I’ve done it again -these superheroes are also of a much earlier generation. Well, I know that the most recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had a balloon of a cartoon sea sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants. At least HE could change HIS pants in THIS phone booth!
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http://thepirata.com/the-aquarium-phone-booth/
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Fin Fun Most of your fish have traveled much further than you ever will before arriving in your aquariums. Match these fish with their continents of origin: Fish
South America
Africa
Asia
Temminick’s Bristlenose Reticulated Barb Striped Glass Catfish Banded Petrochromis Badis badis Peter’s Elephantnose Japanese Ricefish Croaking Tetra Pearl Cichlid Gold Spot Halfbeak
Answer to our last puzzle:
Word For Word
Word
28 24
Definition Genus
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A group of closely related species
Bifid spines
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Small sharp erectile spines beneath the eyes of most loaches
Crepuscular
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Active at dawn and dusk
Rheophilic
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Lives in running waters
Ichthyologist
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A scientist who specializes in the study of fish
Gravid spot
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Dark patch near the vent of a female livebearer when she is almost ready to give birth
Demersal
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Eggs that sink or are laid on the substrate
Labyrinth organ
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An accessory breathing organ in the head of some fish
Operculum
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Gill cover
Lateral Line
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A series of pores along the flanks of fish which allow them to sense vibrations.
July 2010 July 2010
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)