Modern Aquarium by Dan Radebaugh

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Vol. VI, No. 4

April 1999

FEATURES Editor's Babblenest

President's Message

Why Is This So? (Op Ed)

The Blue Gularis

Rules For The Silent Auction

A Learning Experience

|||;;|||||Dto by Joseph Ferdenzr | | | | | G RE ATEB CITY AQUABtU M SQCif TY :

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Breeder Award ,

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NEC Delegate Report

In Memoriam: Eugene Baiocco

The Aquarist's Sketchpad

Amusing Aquarium (Cartoon)

Wet Leaves (Book Review Column)

FAASinations - FAAS Delegate Report . . . . .

Double Your Pleasure

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Editor iri Chief . J, ;Atexander rA^ Rrtest Illli^ :;! 11 ; ' . I l l l l l l l l ''Feuer; I ll^tor:: 11 i H| IJ 3sor:v;;||||||| Production "Direptpr. . ••iBemam :Harffgan Adverttsrng Mgr. , , . / ;:Mark:;Sob€rman •Editorial. Assistant/, Jiv'-i,;,, ::;;PatvPfCD!QJ>ex; Exeeutive Editor ... , _ . • ; ; Joseipii;'ferdenzi ,

G.C.A.S. Happenings Fin Fun (Puzzle Page)

19 20

Printing By Postal Press

Articles submitted for consideration in MODERN AQUARIUM must be received no later than the 10th day of the month, three months prior to the month of publication. Copyright 1999 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 during July and August. Meetings are the first Wednesday of the month and begin at 8:00 P.M. Meetings are held at the Queens Botanical Gardens. For more information, contact Vincent Sileo (718) 846-6984. You can also leave us a message at our Internet Home Page at: http: //ourwor Id. CompuServe. com/homepages /greater city

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by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

his issue of Modern Aquarium is being produced on a computer literally thrown together from discarded and obsolete left-over spare parts. As you can imagine, configuring an alternate system to do exactly what I've been doing with my (currently non-functioning) primary computer system has not been easy. It is also not particularly comforting to realize that only my computer is currently set up to preserve the same "look and feel" that our magazine currently has (and which has resulted in much praise and more than a little recognition and awards). What if I had not been able to set up an alternate system in time? Last September, when I announced that I was taking the reigns of Editor in Chief of Modern Aquarium, my first "Babblenest" column made several promises. I said that I would maintain the quality you've come to expect from this publication. Hopefully, I've made good on that promise (only you, the reader, can be the judge of that). I said I would provide space for members to give their personal opinions. For the second time since I became Editor, an "Op Ed" piece appears in this issue. I said I'd push for an Author Award Program, and such a program is now in effect, with interim standings printed last month. I said I'd provide more reporting of actions by our Board and of the NEC and FAAS. Regular President's Messages, NEC Reports and a "FAASination" column have, respectively, done that. I said that I'd be asking for suggestions, and our "Readers Survey" is now going on until May, with results to be announced in September. However, one thing I said I would do I have not gotten around to, until now. I said that, in addition to asking for articles (please, I still need them), I'd be asking for members to join the staff of Modern Aquarium.

What, exactly, am I asking for? Well, first of all, I am not asking for anyone to step in tomorrow and do my job. I've seen quite a few editors of other hobby publications recently step down because of "burn-out" (a very common complaint among editors). I may get "burned-up" while doing this job (especially if someone promises to give me something for publication and then fails to communicate to me until the last minute that he or she cannot deliver). But, burn-out is not a problem when you really enjoy what you're doing, and for me, Modern Aquarium is a real labor of love. On the other hand, if we are to maintain the high standards of this magazine, we need to be able to draw upon the skills of trained and dedicated volunteers who can be called upon to handle routine tasks, step in and take over in an emergency, and ultimately (and when they feel comfortable with doing so) take charge. I'll be describing what kinds of people we need in future articles. While the unfortunate fact is that this publication cannot be produced without a fair amount of computer expertise and familiarity with a number of computer programs, there is still plenty of room for people to just write, proofread, and transcribe. Now is the time to ask â&#x20AC;&#x201D; no obligation and no hard feelings if you finally decide this is not for you. Give your name to any Modern Aquarium staff member (listed on the first page of this publication) if you are even just a bit curious and possibly interested. Within days of this issue being distributed, the North East Council (NEC) of Aquarium Societies will announce their publication awards for 1998. Everyone who wrote an article in 1998 is eligible, and Modern Aquarium has done very well in the past. Later this year, the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) will announce the winners of their judging of 1998 articles and publications, and Modern Aquarium has done very well in FAAS competitions, as well. Wouldn't you like your name on a plaque or certificate? Wouldn't you like your name to appear every month on the first page of Modern Aquarium? Finally, and this is addressed to those members who do write articles, I want our contributors to know that they are entitled, upon request, to two "Author's Copies" of any issue in which one of their articles appears. This is in addition to the copy they are entitled to receive as a member.

April 1999

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

President's Message by VINCENT SILEO O AWAY!!! WE DON'T WANT YOU!!! You don't fit in, what with your own ideas and ways of doing things. You couldn't possibly contribute anything, so don't even bother. Before you know it you would be having fun, watching your ideas turn into actions. Worse yet, we might even have to concede that your contribution made our ideas even better! So please don't be concerned that a number of members of the board of governors won't be filling their positions next year. The less of them, the more often I get my way! No more being hindered by others. All my great ideas like mandatory uniforms and renaming the Society the "Flushing The Fish Down the Bowl" Society won't have anyone to stand in their way! Besides, what does it matter that your background is advertising and you would be a natural at promoting the Society. Or that you've helped to run the local PTA and your experience with fund raising could keep the Society in the black.

Op Ed Opinion:

Why Is This So? by WARREN FEUER his is not an easy article to write, nor is it particularly pleasant. I suppose I should submit this anonymously, but I want everyone who reads this to know who is writing it. I served on the Board of Governors of Greater City for 6 years before resigning due to health reasons. I edited the club's magazine, Modern Aquarium from its inception, for 4 years. I am currently serving as Technical Editor for Modern Aquarium, helping to assure that the facts presented in the magazine are correct. I tell you this not to brag, but to give you a perspective of where I am coming from.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Obviously, I'm being cynical and hoping that my attempt at reverse psychology might prompt some of you to put your two cents in. We really are losing a number of our active members on and off the board of directors. The reasons for their departures vary from having put more than their two cents in for over 12 years to those who do not have the luxury of choosing. The greatest loss will be the diversity of experience and knowledge. The board has been a melting pot of ideas whose flavor has gradually changed over time. But just like a cook using seasonings, too much of one seasoning can ruin a dish, while a mixture of seasonings in the right proportions can turn a dish into a wonderful meal. Please don't be intimidated, don't worry that you'll be overwhelmed. Just decide to have some more fun by giving a little of yourself to make our Society better. You don't necessarily have to join the board of directors. There are many other ways in which you can participate and influence the future of your Society. However, our elections will be held in June and as I have mentioned there is plenty of room for anyone who would like to contribute. Now is the time to step forward if you would like to join the board of governors or even if you'd just like to have a hand in running our monthly meetings or events. Please see me or another board member if you are interested. I promise we won't bite and you will have fun! Together we can make it better for everyone.

During the entire time I served on the Board at GCAS, our biggest problem was member participation. Greater City, as a society, tries to be very active, putting on a tropical fish show every two years, as well as having a presence at many local events, such as the Queens County Farm expositions. We do this not only to advertise ourselves, but also to get people interested in keeping fish as a hobby and to help those who need it. All of these activities require tremendous amounts of effort to undertake. Unfortunately, for the most part, it always seems that the same people are the ones volunteering to help. And usually, the majority of volunteers are the Board members. This simply should not be so. Why is it that most members show up once a month for a meeting, pick up a magazine, avail themselves of our coffee, soda, cake, and cookies, and do nothing else? Are you under the impression that the club runs itself? If you are, let me clear up that issue once and for allâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it does not.

April 1999

Joe and Mary Ann Bugeia were our hospitality hosts for more years that I can possibly remember. They made sure that there was coffee, cake and cookies at each meeting. They did it willingly and cheerfully each month. On the odd occasion that they could not attend a meeting, a true rarity in itself, no one would offer to handle this function. It practically had to be thrust on someone. Finally, after many years, the Bugeias announced that they would be stepping down as hospitality hosts. It took several months, as I recall, before someone volunteered to fill their shoes. Why is this so? One of the ways Modern Aquarium is funded (actually probably the main way, other than funds from GCAS) is from our advertisers. They graciously pay for advertisement in our magazine every month despite the fact that many of our members do not patronize their establishments. They do this in support of Greater City, because of the influence of some of our members who patronize their stores (the same members who, not surprisingly, are also doing most of the work for our club). On a recent Friday night, one of our advertisers, Pet Barn, located in Franklin Square (Long Island) offered our members the opportunity to come in and shop after the store was closed. The idea was to offer our members their merchandise at a discount, and provide some additional business for the store. It was a terrific opportunity to come and see Pet Barn, if you'd never been there before. The store's owners had gone out of their way to fill each of their many tanks with excellent fish, all at very reasonable prices. No one could possibly say there were none of the fish they keep. What was the turn-out like? I am embarrassed to say that 6 people from Greater City came. That's right, 6 people. Why is this so? I cannot accept the excuse that Pet Barn is too far away from Queens to visit. It took me all of 15 minutes from Forest Hills to get there. I know of several members who travel all up and down the East Coast looking for fish to purchase. No one can say they didn't know about the evening at Pet Barn. We mentioned it at our meetings for at least two months and ran advertisements for it in the magazine. I suspect many of you didn't even bother to read the ad. With this kind of member response, our advertisers may eventually tire of throwing their money at Modern Aquarium without any return. It is not inconceivable that eventually the Board may decide that putting out Modern Aquarium each month is costing the club too much money

and vote to cease publication. That would be a sad day indeed. I won't even go into the subject of contributing articles to Modern Aquarium, I have given up on that issue. In May 1999, we are planning our first "Fish Frolic." In addition to a (hopefully) giant auction, there are plans for several fish related events that week end. All of this activity requires people to get involved and help out. Based upon my previous experience, I suppose the usual people will do all the work. Maybe you'll bring some of the fish you've been spawning for years, and put 50/50 on the bags, indicating you want to split whatever the bags sell for. Try something different, and donate some bags to the auction, if this applies to you. It is my hope that after reading this, some of you will get the message and volunteer to help. Even, if it is out of embarrassment, maybe you'll help. And I'll tell you, if you don't participate, you should be embarrassed. This is your club. The less you are involved, the less you will get out of it, and the less the club will be able to do, while the greater the burden becomes on those who do help. Coming to a meeting each month and drinking coffee while bidding on fish at bargain prices is not what being a member of Greater City should be about. Eventually, those who are helping get tired of doing all the work, or have to stop for other reasons. Then who is there? Think about this the next time you come to a meeting. Get involved. If no one does, eventually there will be no Greater City. Editor's Note: This reflects the opinion of one member and not necessarily the opinion of the staff of Modern Aquarium. If all you -want to do is show up at meetings, you are perfectly entitled to do so. Your membership dues do not obligate you to do anything else. But if that's what you want and do, then don't complain that other societies have many more activities, or better publications. No one else is obligated to do anything more, either. I will not comment on participation in the "FISH FROLIC. " There is a flyer about it on page 8 of this magazine and last month's President's Message described the type of help we can use. However, I will comment on Warren's reference to articles for this magazine. In the six years I've been associated with this magazine, the contributions of articles is at an all time low. This, to me, is a disgrace.

April 1999

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

The Blue Gularis by JOSEPH FERDENZI hen I was about 12 years old, the friend who introduced me to the aquarium hobby showed me an edition of the Innes book. In it, I came across a color picture of the Blue Gularis (currently known as Fundulopanchax sjoestedti). I was instantly enchanted and, from that day on, I became a killifish lover. Coincidentally, the very same picture can be seen in the August 1985 issue of Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine on page 52. The author of the article describes the picture as "beautiful." Innes says the photograph was the first ever taken of an aquarium fish by the "natural color process." To my mind, Innes's photograph still remains the best photograph I have ever seen of the Blue Gularis. However, I was determined not to try the species until I had the proper set-up for keeping and breeding it. This did not happen until my wife and I purchased our first home. But, before I go on to my own experience, allow me to present to those hobbyists interested in the Blue Gularis, and especially those who have never owned it, a review of what others had to say about it in some of the popular literature. Innes1 describes it as a fish which "needs old water, plenty of plants, not much light, and a temperature of about 72 degrees." He notes that a male may "mutilate" the female when breeding. He further describes the fish as a typical "annual" spawner. Hence, he recommends a breeding tank of at least 20 gallons with a bottom substrate of sand under a layer of "natural sediment." He also recommends that salt be added to the water. Innes believed in separating the pair after five days of spawning, rejoining them in a week, and leaving the eggs in the aquarium. Innes also believed that the eggs should be kept in subdued light or they would not hatch. Vorderwinkler2 described the Blue Gularis (which he referred to as Aphyosemion gulare coeruleum) as a typical bottom spawner. He states the fish must "always" be provided with aged, soft, acid water. However, in a somewhat contradictory fashion, he then recommends adding a teaspoon of ordinary table salt per gallon. As far as tank size, he adds that a five gallon tank is sufficient for spawning. As far as the spawning medium goes, he alerts the reader to three mediums: finely ground peat moss in a !/2 inch layer over the bottom, fine sand in a

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

dish, or a nylon bottom mop. He recommends removing the eggs to a container kept in a dark, cool (65 degrees - 75 degrees F.) place, with the hatching water stained blue by a drop of methylene blue. According to him, the fry will hatch in three to five weeks, immediately eat newly hatched brine shrimp, and must be sorted by size to prevent cannibalism. Turner and Pafenyk3 also recommend slightly acid and soft water for Blue Gularis (like Innes, they refer to it as Aphyosemion gulare coeruleum). They note that many killifish are "ardent in courtship" and recommend two or more females to one male. For a breeding medium, they recommend a bottom spawning mop. The eggs are collected, placed in a covered shallow dish, and kept in darkness. The authors favor malachite green as the fungicide to add to the water which the eggs are stored in. After a 21 to 45 day incubation period, the fry are transferred to a rearing aquarium. They mention an alternative method to picking eggs from the mop. This procedure involves placing the mop with "three or four days' spawn" in a small dish of water, place a slow bubbling airstone underneath, and allow it to operate for six weeks. When the airstone is shut off, the sudden increase in the carbon dioxide level of the water often causes most of the eggs to hatch. They state that the fry can immediately eat newly hatched brine shrimp. Frey4 describes the Blue Gularis (again referred to as Aphyosemion gulare coeruleum) as "voracious, vicious, and predatory." He recommends a "roomy" tank, with a bottom layer of sand and a layer of peat mulm, kept in subdued light. He states that the fish is a typical "bottom spawner." Hence, he recommends a tank with soft, acid water (again, with "kitchen" salt added to the water, at a rate of one half ounce per ten quarts), covered with a bottom layer of sand. The eggs are removed and kept in dishes. They should be kept in dim light and acriflavine appears to be the fungicide of choice. To induce hatching after a period of four to six weeks, he recommends a change of water and a pinch of dry food. Terceira5 prefers a large tank (ten gallons) for the Blue Gularis (referred to as A. sjoestedti), with dim lighting. He apparently does not feel that water parameters are as strict as some earlier authors indicated. Accordingly,

April 1999

microworms, and, on about the third day, I shift them to newly hatched brine shrimp. When the fish are of sufficient size (approximately one half inch), they are transferred to five gallon aquariums. Now they are started on frozen brine shrimp and flake food. Lately, they have also been given a paste food made from the formula of another killie friend, Dan Katz. When the fry are about an inch to one and one half inches long, they are transferred to ten gallon aquariums. Blue Gularis fry and juveniles (adults too, for that matter) must constantly be monitored for cannibalism and savagery (I have lost dozens offish through their picking on each other). I do not find water pH and hardness to be critical. The fish seem flexible in this regard. I do add approximately one teaspoon of kosher salt per five gallons of water, and have yet to lose a fish to disease. All my tanks are tightly covered because they are notorious jumpers (knock on wood, no fish has yet jumped). The fish eat everything and are generally voracious. Be careful not to overfeed.

1iu!e# Jfor Cfje Silent Auction he Silent Auction is a Greater City tradition. It is held at the April GCAS meeting and benefits Greater City (which receives any amount over the "minimum bid" on the item's auction card). It lets hobbyists dispose of useful but unneeded items. The rules are simple. Each item has an auction card, which is a piece of paper with an "item number" (assigned by GCAS), the name of the item and the name and address of the person bringing the item to the auction (the "donor"), and a place to indicate the condition of the item. If the entire proceeds are to be donated to GCAS (thank you, very much!), the donor circles "Yes" next to "Donation," otherwise the donor writes in an "Opening" (or minimum) Bid of $1.00 or more. Whatever is bid over that figure goes to GCAS and the opening (minimum) bid goes to the donor. In the column on the right are the Official Rules.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

All in all, I believe the Blue Gularis deserves to be the emblem fish of the AKA and I recommend the experience to all new killie nuts out there. 'Innes, William T. Exotic Aquarium Fishes. 19th Ed., Revised, Metaframe Corporation, 1966. 2Vorderwinkler,

William. Publications, 1957.

Panchax Group.

TFH

3Turner,

Bruce and John W. Pafenyk, Enjoy Your Killifish. The Pet Library, LTD., 1968. 4Frey,

Hans. Illustrated Dictionary of Tropical Fishes. TFH Publications, 1961. 5Terceira, Anthony C. Killifish, Their Care and Breeding. Pisces Publishing, 1974. 6Ostrow,

Marshall E. Publications, 1981

Breeding Killifish.

TFH

7Axelrod,

Herbert R., et al., Exotic Tropical Fishes (Expanded Edition). TFH Publications, 1980

» For all items, regardless of the minimum bid marked on its card (of at least SI), the bids must be in increments of SOe7 or more. » Once entered, a bid may not be lowered by the same bidder. » Any cross-out by a bidder will disqualify that bidder for posting the winning bid unless that bidder enters a subsequent higher bid. » Winning bidders must submit cards and payments to the treasurer. » Unless all the proceeds are a donation to GCAS, the amount representing the minimum bid marked on the card will be refunded to the donor; the amount bid over the minimum represents the donation to the Society. » Items not claimed by winning bids or by their owners at the conclusion of the auction become the property of the Society.

April 1999

The Greater City Aquarium Society Proudly Presents Its First

At the Queens County Farm Museum 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004 Between The Grand Central Pkwy. & Union Tpke.

Saturday, May 22, 1999 Workshop â&#x20AC;˘ How To Successfully Start A Planted Aquarium - Produced and Hosted by reknown author Dr. Ted Colletti - Starts at 11:00 AM Sharp! Livestock Auction of Hobbyist Bred & Grown Fish & Plants - Registration Starts at 10:00 AM - Auction Starts at Noon - Many varieties of fish not commonly available - New Varieties of Plants - Opportunity to obtain breeding pairs and stock Displays by Local Pet Shops & Aquarium Societies - Showing what you can duplicate in your own home - Answering your questions regarding all aspects of the Aquarium Hobby Treasure Hunt - For Fun & Prizes. You will walk away knowing more about Greater City and The Aquarium Hobby! Queens County Farm Museum - A real working farm complete with livestock, crops and antiques of historical importance. For more information visit the Greater City Aquarium Society Web Site at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/greatercity or CALL Vince Sileo at (718)846-6984.

April 1999

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Neolamprologus meleagrisA Learning Experience by WARREN FEUER

f you read my article in the December, 1998 spawn. Soon after removing the outcasts, I issue of Modern Aquarium "I Guess No noticed three new babies in the tank. My theories were proving true. One Told Them The Rules," you would think that by now I would have been well on my I also realized that I had made a major way to a successful breeding program, as well as mistake in sexing the fish. The fish I presumed the development of a nice colony of to be the alpha male, was in fact, the brooding female, and vice versa. Their respective genders N. meleagris. became obvious as one fish grew larger and Unfortunately, this has not happened. slimmer (the male) while the other fish grew After the initial spawn of one in the 5 1A gallon wider (the female, carrying eggs). Interestingly tank, there were no more fry. Sensing that they enough, the male stayed rather drab while the needed more room, I moved the four adult fish to female is elegantly tinged with blue, violet and a 10 gallon tank. The one baby did not survive. yellow highlights. As they settled into life in their new I also learned home, I began to that these fish have no observe the meleagris pu*itr| 0f Brigirt . tak^ tolerance for more than more closely. Two fish, i|$i$^^ one generation of spawn which I assumed to be Illl^^ at a time. As soon as the alpha male and the the three fry appeared, dominant female had the adult fish began each selected a shell and merciless attacks on stayed in and around their previous spawn's their shell most of the ilipjl^ survivor. Soon the time. Based upon my j||$||^^ lllli older one was dead. observation that, in most i Unfortunately, I had cichlids, the male is the nowhere to relocate the more boldly colored, I older fry. assumed the same of my "pair," as one fish was That pretty much brings you up to date. noticeably drabber than the other. At this point, However, as I write this, in early March 1999, a both fish were about the same size. The other major development has occurred. I was not two fish mostly stayed near the surface and did feeling well and had pretty much ignored my fish not go into any of the other shells. for about two weeks. On a Sunday evening, as As the months passed, not much I fed them, I noticed several small fry in the happened. The fish continued to exhibit the same meleagris tank. Then I looked closer. There behavior and coloring. Then I noticed a single were between 20 and 30 babies in the tank! fry hovering near the alpha male's shell. None Based upon my experience with this fish, I knew of the adult fish seemed to pay very much the adults would eventually renew their homicidal attention to the baby. As this (again) single fry ways once again. Determined to raise the fry, I grew, my observations yielded several findings. removed the adults to another tank. I have To begin with, it occurred to me that the decided that enough is enough with these fish and "breeding pair" were spending more time chasing I am planning on raising the fry and then moving the other two fish than breeding. I decided to on to another fish. remove the two outcasts, leaving just the pair in So.... anybody interested in a breeding the tank with the one baby. It also occurred to pair of Neolamprologus meleagris! me that the two outcasts were eating babies, as I suspected there were more than one baby per

^^^^^fti^ni

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

April 1999

NORTHEAST COUNCIL OF AQUARIUM SOCIETIES 24TH ANNuAL

CONVENTION!!!

APRIL 9-11, 1999!!! COME ON!!! JOIN IN THE FUN!!! &

"TIE ONE ON!!!" ONE OF THE MOST MEMORAKM.fi "FISHY" EVENTS OF THE YEAR!!! HARTFORD MARRIOTT HOTEL,, FARMINGTON, CONN. USX IT 37 OFF 1-84)

CHUCK DAVIS-IT'S A MYSTERY! LEE FINLEY-LORICARIIDS! OLIVER LUC AN US-DISCUS! MIKE HELLWEG-PLANTS! RANDY CAREY-CHARACINS! THORNEY PATTENAUDEANABANTOIDS! GARY ELSON-APISTOGRAMMA! LARRY JACKSON-REEF AQUARIUMS! SCOTT MICHAEL-MARINE FISH! & "KINGFISH"LUCAS~MC!!!

/cflANT FISH AUCTION!!! PL.KASK CONTACT DAVID A JANINE HANKS 8O2-372-8716 dbanks(SHogether.net

April 1999

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

News From:

The Northeast Council Of Aquarium Societies by CLAUDIA DICKINSON i!!! Can you believe it ~ our countdown from 180 days to go seems like only yesterday and here we are ~ in only 3 days the Northeast Council will host its 24th Annual Convention! It is so exciting ~ I can barely wait! There are so many plans and preparations to be made life will be at that most wonderfully chaotic fast pace in the Dickinson household! Just home from seeing all of you here tonight and off to the north to meet up with you again for a weekend full of exhilarating fun, education and fishy socializing at its best! A quick checklist for making your plans in the next few days:

Prepare your fish for auction! • A good water change one to two days in advance. • No food one day in advance to prevent them from traveling in ammonia. • Bag them well ~ double bags are a must and much safer for the fish.

• Remember ~ 1/3 water to 2/3 air. • Label the bags clearly as to the species, number of fish, juvenile or adults, your name. • Good sturdy styrofoam containers kept at room temperature. • Let them know they're going to a good home!

Prepare for the arrival of new fish! (It may be late at night!) • Check the pH, hardness and buffering capacity. • Moderate to dark lighting. • A few plants and driftwood or PVC for comforting weary traveled newcomers.

The quarantine tank: • Do a water change. • Be certain to have plenty of thriving bacteria cultures. • Regulate the temperature to accommodate most species.

Free up an extra tank or two ~ just in case!

Supplies you may find handy while at the convention: Pump, airline, airstones Heater Water conditioner with ammonia neutralizer Bucket, net, syphon

• Bags, rubber bands • Styrofoam container(s) • Hair dryer, note pad for lectures, extra bags of decaf tea!

Prepare the household: • Do water changes. • Write out complete instructions for any fry or large cichlid feeding ~ the others should be okay for this amount of time. • Prepare birds, dogs, sheep, ducks, etc.

• Cook extra meals ~ make up packets with complete directions, i.e. oven temp, cooking time, etc. • Leave little notes to let others know how much you care about them and that you haven't forgotten them!

You're on your way! Soon you'll be in another whole world filled with a whirl of fish talk, friends, laughter and fun! Your head will be spinning with Characins, Apistogramma, loricariids, discus, Anabantoids, marine fish, reefs and plants! You will have the opportunity to discuss the fish and plants you are keeping with the experts ~ Chuck Davis, Oliver Lucanus, Lee Finley, Randy Carey, Gary Elson, Mike Hellweg, Larry Jackson, Scott Michael, Ray Lucas, and Thorney Pattenaude! The dry goods auction will fill your fishroom with all the necessary supplies for the year! The awards banquet on Saturday night will be a Grande evening for socializing and delicious dining! There will be great anticipation to see if some of our GCAS breeders, photographers and talented publication directors will place in the finals! On Sunday there will be the Giant Fish Auction where you will find hundreds of fish to choose from to bring home to add to your collection! I'm so excited, I can barely stand it ~ did I say that already?! Have Fun! Can't wait to see you there! ^ , ^ ... J Take Care!!!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

April 1999

Bernard Harrigan, Artist;

Warren Feuer, Research

Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata Common Name: Guppy Adult Size: 11/2" (4 cm) 3 - 1%" (6 cm) ? Native Habitat: Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela, Barbados, Brazil Water Conditions: pH 6.8 - 7.2 (neutral); temp. 76°-79°F. Degree of difficulty to keep: 1 (very easy) Degree of difficulty to breed: 1 (very easy - livebearer) GCAS Breeders' Point Value: 5 Last Bred in GCAS: 1998 Articles about this fish in Modern Aquarium: "Millions Fish" by Jose Perez - January 1995 • "Guide to Championship Guppies" by Stephen Kwartler - December 1995

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

April 1999

G.C.A.S. HAPPENINGS Last Month's Bowl Show Results 1) Tom Miglio - Aphyosemion australe "gold" 2) Bob Wranovics - Corydoras sterbai 3) Tom Miglio - Colisa lalia Sept '98 — June '99 Bowl Show Standings to date: 1) Tom Miglio - 22 points 4) Leonard Ramroop - 5 points 2) Bob Wranovics - 11 points 5),:(t|g),:.Pj|t Piccione and Jeff George - 3 points 3) Howard Berdach - 9 points,,:::^::;i::::iiSl'Tsu Yon£ KQX:T: 1 point

New mep&ers: Har|$;:Falif|nan, Fldrlice iscpes|||d M||e Rene\^:pg members: 'Ifjnce -& Rosie Sileo, Rodney Youiig:;

25, 1999 - GHLsun* Jp^

Jeîsji Center of West Hempstead • 711 Etogw<^î^f|?S:^Sst Hempsteai3|:||if Auction - 1PM x:;:::l::iî;::^;:::C:::::::x:>lP : Kgjjijiith: (516)589-0913 or Brandie Osmari||S!ip|^4i|I Nassau Soiiiy A.S. website - http://membei$>X:Q;S^^ ^ Jeri|f(<S^::^

Society

HoJo f iaza • Saddlebrook, N|^xit:|p;;:pa?-den State Regig^ion: 10am; Viewing: 'iNipn.;:;::^iiStiii»i: 1pm ... ^^^fc^S^:^,,.,.. 0^1^12)541-1392 • NJAS weil|g;g:rf//members.;tripo^ HerS:Wie";:meeting times

New York.arga: Aquarium Society

lfM: •Jbntacl

;:;Sp||er: Stari'Sibel l||: "Guppy Fever" Education Conseryiili'' (N.

Garden

e-iiiiail: East

4ssfciationi

Apfjlfgiiipipy ;:Meets:

;0||i^il; - 3rd ||piiiy of each tie Queens Bolgpical Garden Contact: Mr. Dona|^;liiirtin Telephones

Meets: 8:00 " month at the :Qene Baudier Contacts: Telephone: (7 1 8)428Long Island Aquarium Society

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Friday of each month at Holtsville Park and Zoo, 249 Buckley Rd. Holtsville, NY 11801 Contact: Mr. Vinny Kreyling Telephone: (516) 938-4066

Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 2nd Tuesday of each month at the William M. Grouse Post 3211 V.F.W., Rte. 107, Hicksville, NY Contact: Mr. Ken Smith Telephone: (516) 589-0913

North Jersey Aquarium Society

Norwalk Aquarium Society

Meets: 8PM - 3rd Thursday of the month at the American Legion Hall, Nutley, NJ (exit 151 Garden State Pkwy., near Rt. 3) Contact: NJAS Hotline at (201) 332-4415 or e-mail: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com

Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at the Nature Center for Environmental Activities, Westport, CT Contact: Mrs. Anne Stone Broadmeyer Telephone: (203) 834-2253

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

March 1999

Fin Fun 2fs<d Deceit April means, in addition to Spring and Income Tax, April Fools Day. More than a few of our aquatic friends are known for their ability to mimic or "fool" others into believing they are something that they are not. Draw a line from the common names on the left to the correct corresponding names on the right of some of these aquatic "foolers." Chameleon Sleeper

Petitella georgiae

False Barb

Selenotoca mult if as data

False Bloodfin

Corydoras leucomelas

False Neon

Rasborichtys altior

False Rummy-Nose

Hypseleotris guentheri

False Scat

Elassoma evergladei

Green False Rasbora

Hyphessobrycon simulans

False Spotted Cory

Aphyocharax dentatus

False Lionhead Cichlid

Steatocranus glaber

Solution to Last Month's Puzzle: Acidic (below 7.0)

Neutral (7.0)

Cyprinodon nevadensis Macropodus opercularis Apistogramma agassizii

^ /

Pseudotropheus zebra

Neolamprologus leleupi

Corydoras aeneus

/ /

Julidochromis dickfeldi Barbus conchonius

Aphyosemion australe

/ /

Synodontis angelicus

Alkaline (over 7.0)

April 1999

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)