Modern Aquarium March 2009

March 2009 volume XVI number 1

Series III ON THE COVER Our cover photo this month features Ferdenzus giuseppi, also known as the Joseph Ferdenzi.

For more information about this inimitable past President of the GCAS, see Claudia Dickinson’s story on page 16, and “Dear Joe,” on page 17.

Vol. XVI, No. 1 March, 2009

In This Issue From the Editor Bowl Show Rules President’s Message

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Photo by Claudia Dickinson

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Board Members

President Vice-President Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary

Dan Radebaugh Mark Soberman Jack Traub Warren Feuer Edward Vukich

Pete D’Orio Al Grusell Emma Haus

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

by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

Happiness Is...

Members At Large

Claudia Dickinson Artie Friedman Ben Haus Leonard Ramroop

Fish Bytes

Claudia Dickinson Leonard Ramroop Warren Feuer Mark Soberman Al Grusell Alexander Priest Claudia Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Warren Feuer

by Desirée Martin

Fishroom Challenge: My Perspective

by Rich Levy

Westerleigh Aquarium Relic of a Golden Age

by Joseph Ferdenzi

Flash Through the Past With the GCAS Photos of Past Meetings

by Claudia Dickinson

President Joseph Ferdenzi A GCAS Legend

by Claudia Dickinson

Dear Joe...

GCAS Letter of Tribute to Joe Ferdenzi Compiled and Edited by Claudia Dickinson

Fishkeepers Anonymous

by Susan Priest

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MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief Copy Editors

Exchange Editors

Photo/Layout Editor Advertising Mgr.

Dan Radebaugh Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. Priest Stephen Sica Donna Sosna Sica Jason Kerner Mark Soberman

Member Classifieds 2008 Modern Aquarium Article Index The Undergravel Reporter G.C.A.S. Happenings Fin Fun (Puzzle Page)

30 31 38 39 40

From the Editor

by Dan Radebaugh

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elcome back to a new season with the GCAS, and to a new season of Modern Aquarium. In case the cover hasn’t tipped you off, this is a special issue. In addition to our regular features, much of this March issue is dedicated to celebrating the tenure of our former President, Joe Ferdenzi. Unaware of our plot, Joe played into our hands by supplying us with a terrific article on the Westerleigh Aquarium. Joe’s curiosity and sense of history have been hallmarks of his own history in the hobby, so it’s fitting for this article to appear in an issue devoted to honoring his contribution to our club and to our hobby.

The credit for assembling, organizing, and editing the outpouring of letters we received into what became “Dear Joe…” goes to Claudia Dickinson. I must say that I think even Claudia was taken aback by the number of people who sent notes to be included in our tribute. It was also Claudia who worked tirelessly to assemble photos for inclusion in the article, as well as historical photos for “A Flash From the Past,” a brief photo history of GCAS highlights over the past decade.

In another happy coincidence, we have several story contributions that to a greater or lesser extent refer to the AFISH Convention this past Fall. Joe was certainly a moving force for that event, and so – once again – it is fitting for those AFISH-related articles to appear in this “Tribute” issue. Check out Rich Levy’s “Fishroom Challenge,” Desirée Martin’s “Happiness Is…,” and Steve and Donna Sica’s “Fish Bytes.”

Rounding out the issue, the Undergravel Reporter tells us about the solution to an underwater mystery, and we are presented with a new mystery to solve – who is the Anonymous Fishkeeper? Meanwhile, puzzle people will be pleased to be perplexed by a new installment of “Fin Fun.” Remember, 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!

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. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to gcas@earthlink.net. Copyright 2009 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

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March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

BOWL SHOW RULES There is a Bowl Show at every GCAS meeting, except our Silent Auction/fleamarket meeting and our Holiday Party and Awards Banquet meeting (December). These shows are open to all members of GCAS. Rules are as follows: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Only current GCAS members may enter fish in the Bowl Show.

There is a limit of 2 entries per member per meeting.

Unlike some other clubs, every month is an “open” Bowl Show at the GCAS (i.e., there is no “theme,” such that one month cichlids are judged, the next livebearers, the next anabantoids, etc.).

Any fish that wins any prize (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) may not be entered again in the same meeting year.

The current Bowl Show Coordinator is Leonard Ramroop, who usually also serves as judge (although guest speakers are often asked to do the judging honors).

2.5 gallon containers are available for use (brought to the meetings by the Bowl Show Coordinator), but entrants are responsible for providing enough (and suitable) water for their fish.

For a fish too large (or too small) for those containers, entrants must supply a suitable container, which must be clear on at least three sides.

Only one fish per container (i.e., no “pairs”).

No plants, ornaments, or equipment (filters, airstone, etc.) are allowed in the judging tank (an external mirror, or opaque cards between containers is acceptable, as is a cover that does not obstruct side viewing).

Points are awarded: 5 points for 1st Place, 3 for 2nd Place, and 1 for 3rd Place.

Ribbons are awarded: blue for 1st Place, red for 2nd Place, and green for 3rd Place.

The person with the most points at the end of the meeting season receives the Walter Hubel “Bowl Show Champion” trophy at the Awards Banquet.

The decision of the judge(s) is final.

A running UNOFFICIAL total of the points awarded is printed in Modern Aquarium. Only the tally of points maintained by the Bowl Show Coordinator is official.

In case of ties: 1st Tiebreaker – most 1st Places 2nd Tiebreaker – most 2nd Places 3rd Tiebreaker – most entries

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President’s Message

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by Dan Radebaugh

must admit that it’s more than a bit of a shock to be writing this column myself, rather than transcribing it from pages of Joe Ferdenzi’s legal pad. It’s just one of the things – and a rather minor one at that – we’ll all be getting used to. I’m certain to discover more daunting aspects of presiding over the operation of Greater City during the coming year than writing a monthly column.

One of the challenges most on our minds this year is the economy. To say that many of us are feeling the pressure is probably an understatement. Nationwide, many people are putting their pets up for adoption or taking them to shelters (or euthanizing them or just abandoning them) because they feel they can no longer afford to feed them or provide veterinary care.

Locally, three independent fish/pet shops near where I live have gone out of business within the past six months. As many of you know, Governor Paterson has announced drastic cuts – 55% this year, followed by total elimination next year – of state funds being allocated to institutions like the Bronx Zoo, the New York Aquarium, and other “living museums.”

Our meeting venue, the Queens Botanical Garden, also under financial pressure, has had to reduce its personnel, and cut back to a four-day work week.

The immediate result to Greater City is that we will no longer have access to the large parking lots at the back of the facility on meeting nights. The Botanical Garden just can’t afford to provide the additional security person needed to have those lots open.

So where do we stand as a Society in this tense new world? Time will tell of course, though as one wag cheerfully put it, “in the long term we’re all dead.”

In the interim though, are there things we should be doing differently during these trying times? It’s an old concept, but probably still true, that difficult times force you (if you wish to survive) to re-examine your habits and assumptions.

We probably will all be re-examining a lot of things during the coming year. Do we need to remind ourselves what a service Greater City and other similar societies provide – especially in difficult times? It’s entirely too easy for all of us – faced with financial (or other) setback – to “just sit here in the dark.”

Simply showing up for a meeting is a great reminder that there’s more to life than sitting around worrying.

So I believe it’s even more important for us to carry on in these difficult times than when things seem to 4

be easy. Besides, I can’t seem to recall a time when things actually were easy.

There are some positive things to look at.

For instance, Greater City’s dues are still almost ridiculously reasonable.

No, I’m not suggesting that we raise them – I’m suggesting that we celebrate them! We get to come together on a regular, monthly basis, to share our experiences with a diverse group of friends and acquaintances whom we likely would never otherwise have met. We have expert speakers to help us refine our knowledge. We have great raffles and auctions where we can pick up things we need (or just want) at a far lower price than we’d expect to find almost anywhere else. Oh, and I almost forgot – we have a pretty decent newsletter, as well. All for just $20 a year! Wow! Elsewhere in this issue (I’ll have to check with our Editor to be sure) you may find some mention of our past President, Joe Ferdenzi. I’d like to add a couple of small comments of my own. While I haven’t been around long enough to have any entertaining “Joe stories,” I can speak to what I have observed over the past few years. Setting aside his resonant tenor voice, which he uses to good effect during our meetings, I have found him to be consistently supportive, tactful, and positive in all dealings to which I have been witness. In short, a rare individual.

One of the refreshing things I have found at Greater City is a notable absence of the petty snobbery and one-upmanship often encountered among groups of people who know what they’re doing. My experience has been that group attitudes, whether positive or negative, tend to be influenced by leadership, so I believe Joe deserves some considerable credit for the healthy, supportive atmosphere I find here. I hope I don’t screw it up too badly. Thanks, Joe. One other matter needs mention. The GCAS Silent Auction has traditionally been held at the April meeting. At our latest Board meeting, we decided to postpone the Silent Auction to a later month this year. There were two reasons for this. First, to make scheduling speakers easier (April is a prime month), and second, now that our first meeting of the year is March, we felt that making the Silent Auction a little later in the year would give us all more time to prepare.

We’ll update you next month on the new Silent Auction date.

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An occasional column for society exchanges, guest appearances, articles, and items of general interest. We try not to bite off more than we can swallow. If you wish to offer comments, suggestions, or any information that you would like to see in this column, the authors encourage you to contact us through the Editor (gcas@earthlink.net), or at a monthly meeting.

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by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

uring 2008’s year-end holidays, I was perusing the February 2009 issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. The opening theme of David Boruchowitz’s editorial is the annual AFISH convention. The editorial featured a photo of Joe Ferdenzi presenting David with the prestigious “AFISH Award” for “distinguished contribution to the American aquarium hobby.”

I recently came across a photo in a magazine of a lionfish hovering above a green moray eel in its lair.

Until a few years ago, these two would never have come face to face in nature. A common belief still persists that Atlantic lionfish originated from landbased aquaria. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) has been studying lionfish since January, 2007. Lionfish have no known predators in the Atlantic, so they are free to live wherever they wish.

They breed year-round, and lay eggs that float, drifting on the ocean’s currents for hundreds of miles. This may allow them to spread into the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast of South America.

The July 2008 issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine contained an accolade on page 126 by Wayne S. Leibel to Richard Stratton, the recently retired author of its Q&A forum for the past twentyfive years. Leibel acknowledged Claudia Dickinson for her assistance in preparing his tribute.

“The Secrets to Guppy Breeding,” by Tim Mousseau in Tropiquarium include “don’t forget the basics,” such as water changes. Don’t crowd your tanks. Feeding is most critical; guppies like a variety of different foods. Feed your guppies brine shrimp once, or even better, twice a day. A balanced diet of vegetables and meats is necessary. Know what a show guppy should look like. If a line doesn’t improve after three or four generations, let it go.

Aspidoras dipinnai is a new species of Aspidoras to arrive in the United States. These catfish are similar Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

to Corydoras. They reach only about one inch in length, and have a blotchy pattern in black, gray, and silver or white…another stylish fish is Characodon audax, popularly known as the Black Prince goodeid, that sports a silvery body with black on the back and on the fins…still another neat fish is the (extinct in nature) cherry barb and its other strains – the royal cherry barb and the cherry vanilla barb (which is an albino strain). Many years ago an intense red strain was known as the super red cherry barb, which today is traded as the royal cherry barb. They can live as long as six years. This is the one fish that makes me thirsty – for an ice cream soda, of course.

In my never-ending pursuit of catching up on exchange publications, I just noticed that the JulyAugust 2007 edition of Missouri Aquarium Society’s The Darter reprinted not one, but two GCAS Modern Aquarium articles, “Gammarus Shrimp: My Favorite Live Food” by Charley Sabatino from the February 2005 issue, and “A Most Extreme Leaf” by Alexander A. Priest from the March 2006 issue. It’s good to know that Modern Aquarium is timeless. Ironically, it appears that so am I. The same March issue had a really interesting article about “The Black Barred Livebearer Carlhubbsia stuarti” by Mike Hellweg, who is, or was in 2007, the MASI’s president. Mike states that it’s a really good fish to breed, and quite colorful too!

I’m curious; does anyone feed their fish paramecia? Is it inhumane to pluck wingless fruit flies and then feed them alive to fish? After all, we do it to chickens…Circle City Aquarium Club’s Fancy Fins had an article just for me, “How To Grow Plants (When You Don’t Know What You’re Doing)” by Mike Matthews. Mike asserts that growing plants like Java moss and Duckweed don’t count. Now I’m really in trouble. But on my very own, I did find one use for large clumps of Java moss – strangling small

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fish – because with all that moss it couldn’t be the water quality. Could it? Anyway, back to real plants.

Mike’s simple solution was to upgrade his gravel and squirt in chemical additives once a day to each side of his tank.

For the past several months, The Central New York Aquarium Society has been sending out its Reflector via e-mail. You can print it in color or black and white, or check out the photos first, and then decide. By the way, the June issue has an untitled general spawning article by a member, Chad Mastbergen, currently serving in Iraq. Now that’s dedication – in more ways than one!

I learned from another Mike Matthews’ article in Fancy Fins on “Spawning the Electric Blue Crayfish” that there are three species popular in pet shops – two from the United States and one from Australia. While all three can be aggressive, stay away from Australia’s Cheraxq uadricarnatus, which will eliminate the others if kept together. Crayfish should be kept according to their species, and they require many hiding places. The males are larger, and can be harmful to the females.

Put one in a clear container to view it from the bottom so that you can sex it. Check between the back two pairs of walking legs. The male has an inverted V shape that is its gonopodium, to deliver sperm to the female. Many years ago I kept a male and female in a ten or fifteen gallon tank where they mated, but one day I found that the female was missing a claw, so I put a partition in the center. Her claw slowly regenerated, and I recall that they were still able to mate. Ultimately, the female had the last laugh by outliving the male. In fact, as a solitary inhabitant of her tank she began to develop a distinctive light blue hue that I could not attribute to her diet. After several months she returned to her natural coloration. I once observed large fish devour a crayfish in seconds, so I tried keeping several small fish with her, but she would catch and eat them at night as they slept.

This seabass sees and knows more than it’s saying. Don’t be fooled by that “I’m just another fish in the Caribbean” look.

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At the second annual AFISH convention I was seeking several small, and potentially colorful fish for an eight-gallon aquarium that Donna purchased for me as a birthday present last spring to replace a wornout acrylic six-gallon Eclipse. A vendor was selling threadfin rainbowfish, Iriatherina werneri, and what appeared to be Beckford’s pencilfish, Nannostomus beckfordi, or a very similar-looking species. I purchased six threadfins, and decided to bid on the pencilfish at the auction, since I already had two welladjusted ones (two survivors out of five) in the eightgallon. By the time the bidding stopped I had never raised my bid card, because if I purchased those three little fish I was very fearful of not having enough gas money to get home. Oh well, maybe next year. Since I don’t have the fish, maybe I should write about the fish tank.

These blackbar soldierfsh may have military-like discipline, but Donna knows how to make them talk.

Speaking of pencilfish, The Youngstown Aquarist reprinted an article by Tom Wojtech of the Milwaukee Aquarium Society, “Getting The Lead Out Of Your Pencils,” about the author’s breeding experiences. He kept a school as dither fish for his dwarf cichlids, but when in heat the males would chase away the larger cichlids. Eventually, pencilfish fry appeared in the dwarf cichlid tank. Fry would stop their motion when adult pencilfish swam by. The adult would lunge at the fry and stop short; the fry would dash into the plants. This behavior was observed for weeks. Wojtech conjectures the adults were training the fry to look out for predators.

November’s Greater Pittsburgh Aquarium Society’s Finformation mentions Corydoras similis, a small, two-inch fish with blue/violet spots on a pale gold body, and another spot on the caudal peduncle.

Author Regina Spotti bred five in a five-gallon tank using rainwater with no additives.

Finally, recipients of Modern Aquarium are fortunate. One trend that I observed in 2008 is that more and more publications are using reprints. The articles are interesting, but they are not originals.

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

HAPPINESS IS…

by Desirée Martin

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eing active in the fishkeeping hobby and belonging to a group like Greater City can lead to some once-in-a-lifetime, exceptional moments. I know, because attending the AFISH convention and the December holiday party led me to experience several of them over the past couple of months. Since they would not have been possible without the camaraderie and knowledge shared among us, I am passing these stories on to you. Hopefully you will get a chuckle or two as you read about my unusual (or usual) and delightful fishy experiences.

Okay, so what is the “Happiness Is…” thing? Here is my story.

This past November (2008), I attended my first fish convention at the Holiday Inn. Needless to say, I had a ball, and I bought some priceless gifts to share with others from vendors and at the auction. One gift was a blown glass mermaid made for our own Gyspy Mermaid that the vendor went home Saturday night and made for me to give to her on the very next day!!!

Nowhere else will you get this level of customer service and satisfaction! Yes, “Happiness is…” many things. Another great gift I found at the convention was a red and white Betta splendens, which I won at the auction and gave to my dear young neighbor on his 15th birthday, a couple of days after the convention. By the way, the fish’s name is now Pomegranate. Indeed, I arrived home from the convention with lots of new knowledge, gifts to give, and beautiful fish tales to share.

Another experience of happiness I’d like to share is that after I had finished bidding at the auction and closed out my number, Sharon (Barnett) had to run an errand and left her bidder’s card on her chair. I just couldn’t help myself! When I saw another item I wanted, I grabbed Sharon’s card and bid, much to Harry Faustmann’s chagrin. Over a month later, I still find this scenario hilarious – as does Harry every time he sees me!

Still another happiness moment occurred at my home last night. The doorbell rang, and it was my 15year old neighbor. “Ms D”, he said while handing me a cup with a gigantic fish in it, “I bought this fish, and he is trying to eat my other fish, and I don’t know what to do so, I came to see you. Please, what can I do?”

Of course, I told him not to worry, just give me the big fish, because I have an extra tank where he will be fine for the night. After I assured my young neighbor that all was well and we would talk about it the next day, I went back to bed chuckling to myself “So now I am the expert! How funny is that?”

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

In any event, I arose very early in the morning, scoured my Modern Aquarium issues, and found the article I wrote in September 2007 entitled “As Some of Us Know…. And Some of Us Don’t,” and noted that this was a “Must Read” for my young friend and new hobbyist. My first two points in that article pointed out that: 1) fish with larger mouths will eat smaller fish, and: 2) the more flamboyantly colorful smaller fish are usually eaten by the larger fish because they are most visible. These two points were in fact what sent my distressed young neighbor running to my door last night. What joy to have documented this in an article that GCAS was kind enough to publish! To have this kind of information was already in print and readily available to share with a young person – for me, this is what Happiness is.…

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Fishroom Challenge: My Perspective

by Rich Levy

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Fishroom Challenge Participants: Harry Faustmann, Joe Graffagnino, Jeff Bollbach, and Joe Ferdenzi

he AFISH 2008 Convention has come and gone, but the good memories and conversation continue. Congratulations again to our four participants, Harry Faustmann, Joe Ferdenzi, Jeff Bollbach and Joe Graffagnino.

Joe F. “talked” me into becoming a presenter. He explained what I thought was his concept, but later learned that he credits Chuck Davis with the original idea. Each of the four host clubs would select one master breeder’s fishroom to represent their club, and I would videotape the fishroom. Joe said I would be “great.” It didn’t matter that I did not have a video camera or know how to edit video. Be careful if he asks you to become President of Greater City. Mark Soberman lent us his camera, and I learned how to edit. Having Frank Laudato volunteer to narrate made the deal, as he turned out to be a natural.

The timing of this project was, I feel, more than coincidental. I had decided (actually my wife had decided) that my own fishroom needed a makeover.

It started with a new floor, but led to a completely new room – floor, ceiling, walls and the removal of a 8

darkroom partition. So at the same time I was redoing my room I was going around to other fishkeeper’s rooms and seeing them through the eyes of a video camera. Even though I had visited three of the four rooms many times, I now saw them through a different lens. What does it take to make a good fishroom?

Or as Joe put it “What is your favorite fishroom?”

This was a deliberately subjective question, but my scientific background was crying out for a more objective approach. I spoke with other educators – Anita Ferdenzi and Sue Katz – and came up with a quick data sheet which was added to the voting ballot.

We were hoping to discover some common criteria that people used in making their selections. Do they prefer all-natural, or do they like to include some artificial elements? Fish-only, or combinations? Biotope tanks, or breeding setups?

I was fortunate to have a lot of input (maybe more than I wanted) on the planning and design of my own room. My wife said that my room would win the contest, and I didn’t yet even have stands or fish in the room! (No, I did not vote in the contest.) She was

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thrilled with how our contractor renovated the room.

It was now up to me to turn it into what I wanted in a fishroom. I got weekly input from Bill Adams, Harry Faustmann, and Jack Guida. How many tanks, what size, where to put them, lighting, plumbing, aeration, viewing angles, etc. How lucky could I be that the winner of the Fishroom Challenge, Jeff Bollbach, built my main stand for me that was meant to hold twelve twenty gallon tanks end-to-end? (I ended up using nine end-to-end, with one section left for fry tanks and plants.)

Once the stand was in place, I began to question my decision. Was this really what I wanted? Jeff is a much better breeder than I, so he will maximize his available space to accommodate the most tanks. Endto-end does that. I, on the other hand, would rather have more display tanks and fewer tanks for breeding, so I added two large display tanks: one for African cichlids (stocked by Artie Friedman) and the other for some of Jeff’s koi angels. I realized that maybe Joe was right all along in making his question subjective.

It is your fishroom and should be mainly what you prefer.

Following are my perspectives on the unique fishrooms of our four entrants: Fishroom A belongs to Harry Faustmann, and Frank and I filmed it from a naturalist’s point of view.

Turtles, river tank, biotope setups specific to killifish – that’s Harry. What struck me while filming his room (I must have seen it over a hundred times before) was how organized it is! I hadn’t planned on having drawers in my fishroom, but I added them after filming Harry’s.

Need a bag, rubber bands, or some such item? Easily found, but out of sight!

Fishroom B is Joe Ferdenzi’s. Joe has turned his entire basement into a state-of-art fishroom. Filming it, we emphasized the antique theme of the room, but it’s also heavily biotope-oriented. There was so much to see that we elected to focus on the forest, rather than on the trees (in this case the ocean rather than the fish).

We didn’t really try to film fish, but concentrated on the other aspects of what makes up a fishroom. As was the case with the other fishrooms, we filmed using no light other than what was in use in the fishroom.

Looking at it now, I feel that additional light would have helped the way this room appeared on the video.

What did come through however, were the neatness, organization, and attention to minute detail.

Fishroom C, Jeff Bollbach’s, was brightly lit, and we focused more on the fish in this room than in any of the others. They practically jumped out at us, and this was captured very well by the camera.

Last, but by no means least, is Fishroom D, belonging to Joe Graffagnino. Joe is known as a master breeder, and he does programs on little tips to use in the fishroom. Our narrator Frank couldn’t attend this filming, so Joe did his own narration. I felt this worked well, and followed the theme of a master breeder demonstrating how to effectively utilize available space.

So returning to the question, “What do people want in a fishroom, and what should you do?” We had over 55 people in attendance at this presentation, and we asked for input on what they liked. “Allnatural” and “biotope” got the most votes. The most comments were on neatness, cleanliness, design, and lighting. My intent in requesting input was to develop a “criteria sheet” to use if we decide to do this again.

I’m now not sure that’s necessary. Each room was unique, and rather than focus on just a few people, maybe next time we should film many people, and ask for just one tip on what they do in their fishroom.

Photos by Joe Kopian

Cameraman Rich Levy and Narrator Frank Laudato with GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi

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Westerleigh Aquarium Relic of a Golden Age

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by Joseph Ferdenzi

was on the road, driving to see something that was the last of its kind in New York City. It was 2008, and the place I was about to visit was a remnant of what I like to call the second Golden Age of the American aquarium hobby.

Funny thing, but in all the years I’d been in the hobby I had never visited the place before. Of course when you’re a Queens boy like me, Staten Island might as well be on the planet Mars as far as any likelihood you’d visit it goes. Oh, I had often seen advertisements for it in the classified sections of aquarium magazines, but it had never occurred to me to actually go and see the place in person. Well, I’m sorry I didn’t, but now I was finally on the road there.

It had all begun about a week earlier, when Joe Graffagnino, President of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society, had phoned to tell me that the place was going out of business, and that they were looking to sell off whatever remained. Well, I thought to myself, here is my last chance to see the place. So I called Mark Rodberg, whose family owned the aquarium, and made an appointment for a visit.

The aquarium is located in the Westerleigh section of Staten Island, and that is how its name was derived. Westerleigh is not very far from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Traveling along its treelined streets of single-family homes, I imagined what it must have been like in former times – almost like a scene from the all-American small town depicted in an Andy Hardy movie. Soon I pulled up to the front of the Rodberg home. What I beheld was somewhat unusual.

The house was set fairly far back from the sidewalk, at least by New York City standards. In the front yard, seemingly attached to the house, sat an old-fashioned greenhouse. I later determined that the greenhouse was indeed attached to the main house, and could be entered from the basement (which was actually at ground level).

Mark greeted me in the front yard and took me around to the back of the house. From there I entered the greenhouse. Stepping into that greenhouse was like stepping back in time to something reminiscent of the 1960s (well, that’s as far back as my involvement in the hobby goes).

You could see that the place was a bit run down – just a shadow of its former glory (the reason for this I would be told later), but it was still an amazing place 10

to me. There were rows of concrete vats, the top edges of which were at waist height. Above them were metal racks, some holding tanks and other time-worn paraphernalia. There were catwalks between the rows of vats, and there was a staging area for cleaning and packing plants. It had everything one might imagine an aquatic greenhouse would have. I was amazed, and angry at myself for not having visited the place when it was in its prime.

Westerleigh Aquarium had its start around 1950.

It was founded by Mark’s father (also named Mark) and his grandfather Emil. From the very beginning they took great pride in the quality of their plants, and were meticulous about every detail in the growing and shipping of their products. As a result, Westerleigh developed a loyal customer base that stretched across the entire United States.

Even in 2008, after months of inactivity as a going concern, the vats contained lush growths of plants. Especially impressive to me were the dense stands of Italian Vallisneria growing in the sand and soil bottoms of some of the large concrete vats.

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From The Aquarium, January 1970 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Mark Rodberg (left), at about age 18,with his father Emil. Photo circa 1954

A portion of Westerleigh’s most recent sales flyer/order form Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

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From The Aquarium, January 1949

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Unfortunately, when the senior Mark Rodberg passed away in 2007, no one was left who could continue to run the business, and given the large expense associated with heating the greenhouse in winter, Mrs. Rodberg had reluctantly concluded that she could not keep it going even on a part-time basis.

The Rodberg family was very gracious, and they allowed me to purchase many of their beautiful plants and various artifacts, including two oldfashioned shipping cans embossed with the name of the Elsberry Tropical Fish Farm, that was once located in Gibsonton, Florida. These cans were vestiges of a time when Westerleigh also sold fish. But I was most especially pleased to acquire their Italian Vallisneria, a plant that was once a staple in the aquarium hobby, but is now carried by very few stores. I’m sure its lineage goes back decades, and I’m proud to carry it forward in my own fishroom as a living souvenir of a golden age.

One thing that was unique about Westerleigh Aquarium, especially in the last two decades or so, was that they actually grew their own plants. Most mail-order or Internet vendors of aquarium plants import their plants from huge growers in the Far East (sometimes also from Florida). This was not the case at Westerleigh. I’m not sure if there are many greenhouse growers of aquarium plants left in the United States (if there are, I believe they’re very few in number), but I know for sure that Westerleigh was the last of its kind in New York City, which was once the epicenter of the aquarium hobby in America.

The dedication of the Rodberg family to Westerleigh Aquarium is much to be admired. For over half a century they kept alive a piece of the aquarium hobby that none of us are ever likely to see again. I thank them for allowing me the privilege to experience a part of the aquarium world that is now, sadly, gone with the wind.

The Author’s Italian Vallisneria obtained from Westerleigh Aquarium Photo by Marsha Radebaugh

Author with old-fashioned fish shipping cans embossed with “Elsberry Tropical Fish Farm” Photo by Marsha Radebaugh

Elsberry Fish Farm advertisement in The Aquarium – November, 1949

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Flash through the Photos and Captions

Horst Gerber, Claudia Dickinson, Joe Ferdenzi, and Warren Feuer at ACA 2001 in New Jersey.

Joe with Charlie and Ginny Eckstein, September 2003.

Joe with Paul Loiselle, March 2002.

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Joe with Jack and Gloria Wattley April 2002.

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Joe with Al and Joy Klee, June 2004.

Joe with the late George Barlow at the 2001 ACA.

Joe with Julia and Alan Mark Fletcher, June 2006.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Past with the GCAS

By Claudia Dickinson

Mark Soberman, Joe Ferdenzi, TFH Editor-in-Chief David Boruchowitz, Warren Feuer, and Jason Kerner, June 2005.

Joe with Ian Fuller, June 2008.

Hmmm!

Joe with Anton Lamboj, AFISH 2007.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Joe with Rosario LaCorte, AFISH 2007.

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President Joseph Ferdenzi A GCAS Legend

F

by Claudia Dickinson

or nineteen of its 86 years the Greater City Aquarium Society has had the extraordinary fortune of having one of the most honorable men that I know to lead our club. President Joe Ferdenzi will go down in history as a truly inimitable leader and the strength behind the GCAS. We have many who are here to do our part, but we know that stems from, and is because of, one person. And that person is Joe. Joe, it is difficult and seems unimaginable to believe that you will no longer be our President. We do absolutely truly understand. You have sacrificed so much for so many years. But, you will be deeply missed. You have been the pillar of the GCAS. It was on June 6th of 2001 that the highest lifetime achievement awarded by the GCAS, the Role of Honor, found its true name, for on that date it became the “Joseph Ferdenzi Roll of Honor.” What we had to say to Joe rings as true today as it did on that evening in June of 2001.

Joe Ferdenzi President of the GCAS is a most distinguished and exceptional aquarist, a great leader, a skilled writer, a studied historian of the GCAS, and an eloquent speaker.

A most caring individual, Joe’s warmth and generosity permeates the heart of the GCAS and emanates all that we stand for.

Joe is a mentor to many, and an inspiration to all.

It is with great honor, respect, and pride that we, the Membership of the GCAS, on this day, June 6th 2001, dedicate our most prestigious award to Joe. Our Roll of Honor shall henceforth be titled the “Joseph Ferdenzi Roll of Honor” As we move forward, I have no doubt that we will continue to unite our common strengths and enthusiasm, and commit our full support to our new President extraordinaire, Dan Radebaugh, in leading the GCAS on the beginning of the path of the next 86 years. Joe will surely be happy and want that for the GCAS. In fact, he will be right amongst us, sharing in this joint venture!

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Dear Joe…

GCAS Letter of Tribute to Joe Ferdenzi

S

erving an unprecedented 19 years as our President, Joe Ferdenzi has gone down in the rolls of admirable GCAS history. Our GCAS Letter of Tribute to Joe rings throughout with a consistent sentiment of integrity, leadership, knowledge, kindness, warmth, compassion, friendship, caring, and inspiration.

Greater City Aquarium Society Queens, NY

March 4th 2009

***************************************************************************************** Dear Joe… I don’t think I could find the words which would fully express my thoughts about, and my feelings for, Joe Ferdenzi. He is a terrific person and a great friend. He has made my time with the Greater City Aquarium Society a wonderful experience, and his passion for the fishkeeping hobby and for the club has been very inspirational for me and my fellow club members. I always look forward to that first Wednesday each month when we have our Society meetings, with Joe always warmly welcoming us to them, and with the knowledge that we will be treated to a very informative lecture presented by some of the top individuals in the tropical fish hobby. I will definitely miss Joe’s repertoire of whistles, yells, and hand signals which he uses to get our attention and call the meeting to order (Translation: SHUT UP AND LET’S GET THE MEETING STARTED. WE HAVEN’T GOT ALL NIGHT! ).

Joe, thank you for all you have contributed to the success of the club and to its enjoyment by all its members. I do hope that I will still have the pleasure of seeing you at future meetings, even if it’s not as the President of the Society. I wish you all the best.

Your friend and fellow club member and hobbyist, Bill (Amely) P.S. Happy Fishkeeping.

Joe & Bill -- December 2008 ****************************************************************************************** I am so grateful to Joe for his many years of service as Greater City’s President. I feel as though he has been the glue that held the club together and am so glad that I was introduced to the GCAS, and to him!

Sharon (Barnett) ****************************************************************************************** I knew someone from Corona, Queens would be President one day—only I thought it would be of the United States. As a former resident of Corona, I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you for your long service.

Fred (Bellise) ****************************************************************************************** An aquarium society is much more than just a fish club. A broad definition of a society is a group of people bound together in an economic, social, and industrial infrastructure. Individuals need to play different roles in a society in order for this infrastructure to work. In our society there is one individual who excels at every possible role I

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can think of. This person would of course be none other than Joe Ferdenzi. Look up “role model” in the dictionary and I guarantee his picture will be there. If ever I am in a quandary as to how to proceed, all I have to ask is, “What would Joe do?” and the answer is clear.

Thanks Joe, for all your leadership, guidance, and friendship to so many.

Joe & Jeff — December 2007

Jeff (Bollbach) ****************************************************************************************** I think that Joe embodies and exemplifies the qualities that form bona fide components of a trusted servant (leader). The qualities are: charisma, intelligence, dedication, resilience, good health, stamina, an expansive fund of information, and the ability to use inflection with an enhanced volume.

LaMont (Brown) ****************************************************************************************** “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou Maya must have been thinking of Joe when she wrote these inspiring words. Joe, you always make each one of us feel special ~ thank you!

Love, Brad (Dickinson) ****************************************************************************************** Dear Joe, What great fortune came into my life on that May weekend in 1997 at the Greater City Aquarium Society’s 75th anniversary celebration. Not only did I discover a family in the GCAS, I found a most treasured lifelong friend in you. And, Brad was soon to find the same, too!

Thank you for all that you have brought to the GCAS, to us, and to every person that has the good fortune to encounter you along life’s path.

With Lots of Love, Claudia (Dickinson) ******************************************************************************************

Joe & Claudia — November 2007

Joe & Brad — December 2005

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Marsha and Dan Radebaugh, Joe Ferdenzi, Crystal Mattocks, Sharon Barnett, Harry Faustmann, and Rich Levy Meet the Members Night—June 2007.

I believe I first met Joe Ferdenzi in 1975, after joining the Long Island Killifish Association (LIKA). He was also a new member at that time and, shortly thereafter, went off to college, law school, in Boston. He left his killifish with us, LIKA, to offer for auction at a Long Island Aquarium Society (LIAS) annual show and auction. Nice of him to do that.

The next time I saw Joe was after he returned to New York from Boston. He re-joined LIKA, and became very active with the GCAS. Once he did that, there was no avoiding him. He was turning up everywhere. Club meetings, shows, auctions, and he always filled in as a last minute speaker for clubs in need. After running several GCAS shows, and an American Killifish Association (AKA) annual convention, he came up with the idea for the AFISH Convention, and chaired that for the first two years. It took two years to get the first one going. Somehow he got many of us involved in that.

After success with that, he now wishes to sit back and relax. I can’t see that happening, but he deserves it.

Hopefully, he won’t drag the rest of us into another of his crusades. So after knowing Joe for the past 34 years, I can only say, “Relax, and let the rest of us ‘ole’ timers relax, too!”

Harry (Faustmann) ****************************************************************************************** When I joined Greater City in the early ‘90s, Joe was already well established as the President. It was a “smaller” club back then. Somehow, each meeting felt more intimate. Certainly the membership was lower and the club operated on a much smaller scale with a budget to match. Modern Aquarium was nothing but a hobby magazine that Greater City had once published, and the club had not put on a fish show for many, many years. That first year, I came to meetings and listened and learned. I wanted to be more involved, but did not feel that I had anything to offer. At one meeting, Joe asked if anyone had computer skills and could help with the upcoming fish show. Being a technology person by profession, I raised my hand and volunteered my help.

That began a long ride that has included membership on the Board of Directors, Membership Chair, Editor of Modern Aquarium, Corresponding Secretary, and Co-Chair of the Breeder’s Award Program, along with many wonderful memories, experiences, and a world of knowledge.

As the years have passed, the club has grown and prospered. Its reputation and name have become widespread throughout the hobby. Joe would be the first to say that it is the combined efforts of everyone that has made this happen. And while that may be true, don’t kid yourself; it was Joe’s incredible leadership, inspiration, and tireless promotions and efforts that have gotten Greater City to where it is.

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It has been my incredible fortune and privilege to have become friends with Joe. We have done many things together, sometimes just the two of us, other times in the company of select close friends, and other times in large groups. There are many private memories that I have, and, I cherish them too much to share them.

Those who have been around Joe enough know what I mean.

Besides being a great friend, Joe has been my teacher. Sure, I have learned a great deal about fish from Joe, but it is the life lessons, skills, and knowledge that Joe has imparted on me that I treasure the most. Thanks Joe, for being a great and dear friend.

Joe & Warren — March 2006

As Dan begins his time as President, I want him to know that the support and assistance I have provided will continue. As long as I can, I will continue to serve Greater City in any capacity needed. I have great confidence in Dan, just look at the incredibly seamless transition in editors of Modern Aquarium. As a former editor, I can appreciate the work that goes into the magazine, and I am most impressed by the great work Dan and Marsha are doing. If it’s any indication of how Dan will handle the transition to President, we are a fortunate group.

Warren (Feuer) ****************************************************************************************** Joe, In this day and age it is rare to find a true gentleman. It is even rarer to have one as a friend.

Thank you for the support you provided to me while I served as President of the Nassau County Aquarium Society.

You were there at a moment’s notice to fill in as a guest speaker or to provide honorable guidance. Sometimes when I was weighing a difficult decision I would say to myself, “Self, what would Joe Ferdenzi do?” Even though you may not have known it, you made an impact which will never be forgotten.

I enjoyed all the time we spent working on the AFISH Convention Committee (except the night you made us sit in your backyard and get eaten by mosquitoes!). By your vision and leadership we were able to accomplish something wonderful for the hobby.

Lastly, allow me to welcome you into the elite Association of Past Aquarium Society Presidents (APASP)! Our local chapter meets the fourth Saturday of the month at Al’s Bakery. (And your family thought you would be staying home more!)

Michael (R. Foran) Past President Nassau County Aquarium Society ****************************************************************************************** “OH JOE, SAY IT AIN’T SO!” This is our early April fool’s joke—right????

Joe & Artie — July 2007

I’d like to thank you personally and from all of us at Greater City for all the years of your devotion and dedication to our club. Thanks for your knowledge and insight into the hobby. I am going to miss being able to “heckle” you constantly.

I look forward to spending many more years with you at our wonderful organization. You truly do deserve a break. All the best!!!!!!!!!

Artie (Friedman)

****************************************************************************************** Holy Cow! Has it been 20 years?

Any way you slice it Joe Ferdenzi’s service to the Greater City Aquarium Society is an incredible accomplishment and a patent example of dedication. It would be huge if it were to end there, but Joe is an active and significant 20

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contributor to the affairs of his sister clubs from Brooklyn and Nassau, to Long Island and beyond. And Joe, as we all know, was the genesis and coordinator of the wonderfully successful AFISH conventions, and his diligence is what ultimately led to their successful consummation.

We all enjoy our hobby more because of his supererogation. Thank you, Joe! Arie (Gilbert) ***************************************************************************************** Joe and I have been friends for almost 20 years. It’s funny how a love for aquarium fish can create a hobby and expand with others of the same interest.

This love goes into the creation of a society and branches out to other geographic areas where there are other beings who love the same interests and get excited over “fish in water.” Joe and I are like that. Greater City has always been the “sister” club to Brooklyn and vice versa. For decades our officers and Board members have served in both clubs, alternating in what club they would be officiating in. The beauty of that is it provides the strength and The Two Joes — December 2008 character required for leadership, and the hobby becomes stronger because of this leadership. New persons entering the hobby will learn and experience the many delightful methods of how the “old timers” can make complex applications easy.

I think that for Joe it was an easy step in sharing the love for the hobby and the strength of character it takes to provide the leadership to the Greater City Aquarium Society. His having maintained being an officer or Board member for over 20 years is a testimony to that. Joe’s love for the hobby and the people that make up the hobby goes well beyond the first Wednesday of the month. It is a day in and day out, 24/7 love affair that few can appreciate. Your family will suffer and at times, so will your chosen profession. Then there is the “burn out” problem and the aggravation problem. But you keep doing it because you love the hobby in all of its varied forms and you want to watch it succeed.

To my friend Joe Ferdenzi I wish you the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being you and for making the Greater City Aquarium Society what it is today—the premier Society of love, warmth, compassion, education, and enlightenment. Joe has been a great teacher, instructor, and friend both within the Society and outside the Society. I, and everyone who is in this hobby, am blessed for having known him.

Thank you, Joe (Graffagnino) President Brooklyn Aquarium Society ***************************************************************************************** To me Joe is the consummate gentleman, diplomat, and fish expert. It has been my pleasure to assist him in my own small way. I am also looking forward to working with Dan.

Al (Grusell) Joe & Al — December 2008

***************************************************************************************** I have met many dedicated hobbyists, but none with the passion of Joe. He will always answer questions from anyone, no matter how basic or complex, without treating you like a total dweeb. With all his knowledge and experience, he still manages to uphold what really matters most first...family and friends.

I am truly grateful and honored to know Joe, and to call him my friend!

Jason (Kerner) Joe & Jason — May 2006

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I’ve had the good fortune over the years to have shared many wonderful memories with Joe. Those of us who have only seen Joe as the President of Greater City have had a great run with him, but they still missed another unique and special side.

I must be a really good friend of Joe’s because he keeps telling me he only makes fun of the people he likes (except Rosario LaCorte). He makes up for that, because occasionally he tells me that he considers me a mensch.

So Joe, I think it takes one to know one and here’s to you.

Rich (Levy) ****************************************************************************************** We would like to thank you for always sharing your experience with our club members and we want you to know that the aquarium world will always be the better because you have been such a great part of its history. You have enriched the lives of all you have encountered by sharing yourself, your expertise, and your encouragement to further promote the hobby.

Long Island Aquarium Society ****************************************************************************************** Joe, I would like to personally thank you for the years of dedicated service you have provided, not only to the GCAS but to the Aquaria Community as a whole. I will definitely miss your presence up at the podium, politely asking for quiet...holding up multiple bags of fish at our auctions, and always providing a kind word.

Thanks so much, Bill (Luckett) ****************************************************************************************** I have only known Joe for a very short time compared to most of you; however, he is someone I always think of fondly. My fish tanks bring me much joy and, of course, warm fuzzy memories of GCAS, which is attributable to Joe and all of you holding it all together these many years. I can only say that I will miss Joe as President, but I am sure he deserves the rest!! I thank Joe’s family for sharing him with us.

Fondly, Desiree (Martin) ******************************************************************************************

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Very early last year I was asked to go to Joe’s house to pick up fish donations for the Brooklyn Aquarium Society (BAS). He had e-mailed me previously to let me know that he would not be home and that I was welcome to see his fishroom. Obviously, I was so happy as Joe’s fishroom is so famous and I felt so privileged to be allowed to roam in it.

Anyway, the day that I went to pick up the fish for BAS, Anita and her mom welcomed me to the house and directed me to Joe’s fishroom. It was amazing! They were not high tech tanks with major filtration or high output lights with CO2 gadgets. All the tanks were low tech planted tanks with fish in the most amazing shapes and colors. All of the fish were so happy and healthy. Some fish were guarding eggs and some charging the glass protecting their fry against this big bad predator gawking in their house. What a sight that was.

When I went to say goodbye to Anita and the family she showed me the fish that were packed in Styrofoam containers. In a separate Styrofoam he had packed eight harlequin rasboras that he raised in his tanks with my name written on it. He said that they were mine, and if I did not want them I was welcome to donate them or give them to anyone. You had to see the joy on my face. Thank you, Joe! I will never forget your generosity.

Jakleen (Minassi-Haftvani) ****************************************************************************************** My first meeting with Joe was in the eighties, when the club was having an auction at a hotel on Long Island. I think I bought every angelfish in the place. I joined the club that year but never attended a meeting due to working hours.

Years went by and I found the club again and joined back up. Joe was the President and doing a great job. In the years that I have been a member I watched him hold the club together, bring in more members, and keep them. He has helped a lot of people grow in the hobby with his boundless knowledge of the hobby and fish species.

I have a lot of respect for Joe and all the work he does behind as well as in front of the camera. He juggles work, family, hobby, and club with grace and tireless energy and dedication. He is so well known in the hobby that you cannot go to an auction, show, or convention without him knowing all of the big name hobbyists in the game there, and a lot of these big names ask him for advice.

We have all been lucky as all he#% to have Joe as the captain of our ship for so many years. I’m sorry to see him step down, but I know he will be in the background helping Dan the man to keep the club going strong!

Jerry (O’ Farrell) ****************************************************************************************** For a little guy, you sure leave behind awfully big shoes to fill. You are a consistent yet innovative leader, encouraging those around you to have the confidence to grow and achieve more than they would have thought possible. While we may not have always agreed on everything, we respected your conviction, determination, and willingness to take the blame and share the credit.

We belong to many organizations, and we would be hard-pressed to name a better president; no less one who held the job “willingly” for this long. (I still say you should have held on for “one more year” for the even twenty!)

You will be sorely missed and we wish you well in any new endeavors now that you have all this new found free time.

We also wish your successor as many good years of service as well.

Jim and Margaret (Peterson) ****************************************************************************************** The Secret Lust of Joe Ferdenzi So, you think you know him well. You may have been a member of the GCAS even longer than he has. You have visited his home in winter, spring, summer, and fall. You helped him disassemble his fishroom in Whitestone, and then helped him assemble the new one in Greenvale. You probably think that you know what his favorite fish is, but you probably don’t!

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There is something that Joe lusts after even more than fish. Do you know what it is? Go ahead; take a guess. If you think the answer is Anita, you are of course correct, but THAT’S NOT A SECRET! Let me give you a hint: it is something that you pour water into, but it isn’t wet.

There are a select few of you who know what I am talking about. After Al became the editor of Modern Aquarium, Series III, the editorial staff used to come to our house once a month. We held a combination proofreading and wrap session for the current month’s issue, as well as making a very loose plan for the next one. Those of you who used to attend these get-togethers (the word meeting is too formal to describe Joe with Sue and Al Priest them) know that on these occasions I always served the object of Joe’s January 2004 lust. Sometimes it was lime with fruit, sometimes it was orange with marshmallows, and sometimes it was shaped like an egg. But most often it was plain and pure, Joe’s favorite flavor, RED!!! I am of course talking about that All-American food group, JELL-O®! (Joe, can you get red Jell-O in Italy?)

So, now you know about Joe’s secret lust. If you are standing near him and you are wondering to yourself, “What’s that smell?” you are probably catching a whiff of Jell-O breath. If you happen to accompany him to his favorite watering hole, and he tells the bartender, “I’ll have the usual,” don’t be surprised when it is served with a spoon!

Susan (Priest) ****************************************************************************************** I remember when I first joined GCAS back in 2003…I walked into the meeting room along with my friend Priscilla. We heard a booming voice that projected itself loudly across the vast room. The thing that surprised us―no microphone was being used!!! We looked at each other and felt like we were in school again. Where was this person that belonged to the loud voice? We could not see him beyond the crowded room full of mingling club members. Shortly thereafter, everyone was seated and order was brought on by “the voice.” Alas! At the podium we saw the man behind the voice that would be heard, no matter how large or loud the members got! He introduced himself as our club President, Joe Ferdenzi.

Our first impression was that this man must be a tyrant type with his loud voice and all. By our second meeting and third meeting…we were in love with Joe! We saw a welcoming, respectful, charming, down to earth man.

Despite his position in the club, he never looked down on any of the members old or new. We looked forward to each meeting and enjoyed greeting and talking briefly with our President at every meeting.

I personally became a bit saddened when I learned that “the voice” would no longer be President of our club. I hoped (and hope) this didn’t mean he would no longer be blessing us with his presence and knowledge at future meetings. In my opinion, Joe fulfilled more than just presidential duties at our club. He has taught us that a President can be intelligent, humble, down to earth, accepting, and funny along with so many other great qualities possessed by our former President Joe Ferdenzi.

Many blessings are wished for Joe and his loved ones. He deserves it all! Thank you Joe for the five years I was lucky enough to partake in, with you as our club President.

Sincere and from the heart, Jannette (Ramirez) ****************************************************************************************** Joe,

Thanks for all your help over the years—you have always been the “go to” person when I had a question or problem.

Your enthusiasm and knowledge have made GCAS what it is today—the model for all aquarium clubs.

You are the greatest!!!!!!

Charley (Sabatino) ****************************************************************************************** 24

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Hail to Our Leader!

When we were asked to share our thoughts about Joe, we always think of well-organized monthly meetings, interesting and entertaining lectures, auctions, and bowl shows. But a few little things linger in our memories.

Shortly after joining GCAS, we were passing through Richmond Hill—Steve’s “old neighborhood” where he grew up. We decided to stop by Cameo Pet Shop, a place Steve hadn’t visited in almost forty years. Guess who was hanging out talking fish with the proprietor? You guessed it—our own Joe. Some of our favorite (especially Steve’s) Modern Aquarium articles were Joe’s “My Favorite Fish Tank” series.

And Donna is particularly grateful to Joe for pioneering the AFISH Conventions, and having them in close proximity to the Tanger Outlets!

Although we’ll miss Joe’s mellifluous voice, we know that Dan is going to be a worthy successor, as already exhibited by his editorship of MA! The best to you, Joe, on your future endeavors. We know you’ll be successful.

Affectionately, Donna and Steve (Sica) ****************************************************************************************** I just wanted to thank my dear friend Joe Ferdenzi for over 20 years of service to the Greater City Aquarium Society. Joe and I joined Greater City the same year. Joe was ushered into the Presidency soon after. I was subsequently recruited by Joe as one of the Board of Directors. As a result of Joe’s tremendous knowledge of fishkeeping, and his deep respect for the history of both Greater City and the hobby overall, we have garnered respect and admiration from aquarium societies throughout the United States. Joe has many great qualities but the two that I admire the most are his integrity and his compassion.

Joe & Mark — June 2005

Mark (Soberman) ****************************************************************************************** We both have always enjoyed Joe’s presentation and introduction to all of our meetings. Especially to new visitors, who were attending for the very first time. His cheerfulness and sense of humor always made for a very enjoyable meeting. Not to mention, his sharing of his own personal experiences in the hobby.

Regards, Sue and Peter (Steiner) ****************************************************************************************** I met Joseph Ferdenzi at my second meeting with GCAS. He announced at that meeting that the club needed a new treasurer. I volunteered to take that position and thus I became friendly with Joseph through Board meetings.

Being on the Board, I got to know Joseph well. It always amazed me that on being informed of a current mishap facing the Club, Joseph, without any sense of being upset by the aggravating circumstances facing us would come up with a solution, or tell me not to worry, it will all work out. Of course he was right and it did work out. Thus, it was very pleasurable to work with Joseph, because he always tried to arrive at a compromise to diffuse difficult situations, such as when Board members were at loggerheads over some issue facing the Club. He always had nothing but praise for the Board members and encouraged all of us to do our best for the Club. All the Board members looked up to Joseph as our leader and he never let the Club down.

Of course, being President, Joseph ran the club meetings and auctions. I do not think people realize how well he conducted the club meetings. What impressed me was that he never was anything but polite to all club members,

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regardless of their fish knowledge or lack of it. He always conducted himself as a gentleman and club members sensed it. He would make all feel welcome at our meetings. Thus going to the meetings was a pleasurable experience made more pleasurable by Joseph’s presence. Of course, it goes without saying, that he is a master auctioneer, making the auctions a very enjoyable experience for all. He never lost his patience, no matter what the provocation.

Joe & Jack — February 2005

I will miss working with Joseph, and it is with deep regret that I say goodbye to Joseph Ferdenzi as President of GCAS.

Jack (Traub) ****************************************************************************************** For months now, Greater City Aquarium Society has been obsessed with the idea of ousting Joe Ferdenzi. The problem delaying this action is the lame excuse that the President needs to hold the post for at least twenty years.

One of the reasons to oust him is his uncanny ability to exaggerate over the size of his pond, along with his Italian exaggeration of the size of other things. Like, “My fishroom is bigger than anybody else’s in the club.” Most Greater City members don’t seem to care about that. If Greater City truly wants to give Joe his walking papers, they should charge him with things he has done that have really irritated the club.

“Like what?” you ask? Like the following actions which should have every member rising and yelling: 1) For the destruction of the German dialect with his Italian accent.

2) OOPS!!!...I forgot what the other reasons are…must be one of those so called senior moments.

All kidding aside, I have been a member of Greater City since Joe was still playing with a goldfish bowl. And, I must say there have been some great past presidents in Greater City. To say it modestly, Joe ranks among the best.

Joe, you have been an excellent President for the past nineteen years.

You held the club together, smoothed out rough edges, and kept control of a sometimes noisy crowd—and I am not talking about noisy sauerkrauts, I am talking about Great City members. You entertained us or made us laugh with your endless sense of humor, you brought new and innovative ideas into the club, and you informed and taught us many things about tropical fish and the hobby.

Many of us look forward to the end of our meetings, not to have them end, but because of a fantastic auction, with an unsurpassed quality of fish, plants, and aquarium-related items, conducted by a hilarious auctioneer, none other than Joe Ferdenzi.

Joe always has time for everyone—even for Horst’s Boston Terrier, Sara, shown here in 2003.

Horst (Gerber)

We Love You, Joe! Your GCAS Family Photos by Claudia Dickinson

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March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

by SUSAN PRIEST

H

ow perfect could this month’s autobiography What was your favorite first fish? be? Did this person correctly guess the identity of the December 2008 Anonymous Livebearers. Any type is a favorite for me.

Fishkeeper, or is it simply another case of the Then and now. “mentor of the month?” If you will be patient for a few paragraphs, you will see what I am talking Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper. about.

Our March author has put “the When I was icing on the cake,” so to younger, I read a lot Suggested Questions speak, and has actually of books about how 3 Please introduce yourself. done so in more ways to keep fish.

3 Tell us about your favorite aquarium. than one, as you will Currently, my 3 What was your very first fish? see in April. You will education comes 3 Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper. all be smiling when you from our GCAS 3 Is there someone you think of as a mentor? figure out what I’m monthly meetings, Tell us about him or her. talking about, so read online research, our 3 Describe your “Fantasy Fish Tank.” on and grin! convention, and 3 If you were a fish, which one would you be? consulting other 3 Who is your “Hobby Hero?”

Anonymous Fishkeeper/ GCAS members.

3 What fish which you have never kept would March 2009 you like to acquire?

Is there someone Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!”

3 Please introduce you think of as a 3 Describe your most memorable fishkeeping yourself. mentor? experience.

3 What changes have you seen in the hobby I began loving the There have during your tenure as a fishkeeper? hobby of fishkeeping been many over the 3 What advice would you give to a while I was a child. We years.

My first beginning fishkeeper? always had a 50-gallon mentor was Uncle 3 What are your fishkeeping goals? tank filled with Jr., who had a - OR write a narrative story livebearers; guppies, spectacular platys, swordtails, and neons. If it was a livebearer, it was in our tank at some time or other.

As an adult, I've always tried to keep a tank going, since watching the fish is very relaxing for me.

Livebearers are my preference, but I have not always been able to keep up with the hobby due to time constraints.

Tell us about your favorite aquarium.

My favorite aquarium is filled with live plants.

Right now it is suffering from some malady which I have not yet identified. While the plants are thriving, the fish are not. Stay tuned on this one.

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50-gallon tank!

Describe your fantasy fish tank?

My fantasy fish tank would be a salt-water tank. I would love to have live coral, colorful fish, and live vegetation.

If you were a fish, which one would you be?

Something extremely fancy. A fancy guppy perhaps.

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

Who is your hobby hero?

Right now it is Harry Faustmann. Why? Because some of my recent memorable experiences have come from fish purchased at auction from Harry's collections.

Describe your most memorable fishkeeping experience.

My most memorable fishkeeping experience was seeing a fish ballet. The dance was beautiful.

I later learned that the ballet I witnessed was actually a mating.

What fish which you have never kept would you like to acquire?

At this moment? A mating pair of red cobra guppies and a mating pair of neon blue tux guppies.

Outside of livebearers, I would love to learn to breed seahorses, starfish and jellyfish.

Describe your most memorable blooper.

Mixing incompatible fish in a tank.

What advice would you give to a beginning fishkeeper?

Start small, and try to stay calm. The hobby is addictive, and in the beginning you will make many blunders. Have patience.

What are your fiskeeping goals?

To share with my family, friends, and whomever else I can, the love of fishkeeping. I plan to devote a lot of time to fishkeeping when I retire.

O

ur Anonymous Fishkeeper from December has frequently been named as a hobby hero and/or mentor by other autobiographers who have preceded him. As you have discovered by now, our Author for March holds him in equally high esteem.

You all know him. He has a soft-spoken humility, which is not to say that he is quiet. He is generous to a fault (just check out the auction table in any given month). In fact, he is a member of that very elite group of those who are “too good.” (Al and I have a friend who is so good that, instead of asking “What would Jesus do?” we say “What would Wally do?” I changed his name because someone in our club has the same name as him, and no, it’s not Artie!) Anyway, Harry is a member of that “too good” group.

28Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Harry Faustmann - “Hobby Hero” Harry has two main claims to fame in the aquarium hobby. The first is his love of and expertise in caring for killifish. Remember when he told us “I was very pleased when my first place winners went on to win the Best in Show.” Well, one of those wins was at an American Killifish Association national convention held in St. Louis in 2002.

His Best in Show fish was a Fundulopanchax deltaensis.

Second is his encyclopedic knowledge of live foods. Which foods are best for which fishes, and how to culture/grow/keep them is a topic on which he has spoken many times. Heck, he could write a book! Did he tell us any of this stuff about himself? Of course not. Then we might have guessed who he was!

So, if you find yourself puzzling over a fish problem, just ask yourself “What would Harry do?” If you’re still not sure, just call him up and ask him. He will steer you straight every time.

Thanks Harry, for being our hobby hero!

March 2009 March 2009

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March 2009

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Member Classifieds For Sale: 220 Long (84 X 24 X 30 high), includes all livestock, plants, and equipment. Filtered by two Eheim 2260 cannisters. Four single and two double flourescent fixtures on top. Buyer responsible for pick-up & delivery. Contact Charley to see the tank and to make an offer: Email BEADGC@nyc. rr.com, or phone: 917-837-6346

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March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

2008 Modern Aquarium Article Index THE AMUSING AQUARIUM (Cartoon Column) - by Bernard Harrigan “Contacts Always Seem to Dry My Eyes Out”

03/08

“Firemouth Cichlid”

04/08

“Lionfish”

05/08

“What Are You Looking So Sad About?”

06/08

“Archerfish On the Hunt”

07/08

“Upside Down Catfish”

08/08

“Pink Panther Grouper”

09/08

“My Best Friend, My Wife…”

10/08

“Glass Catfish”

11/08

“Calico Goldfish”

12/08

ANABANTOIDS “Don’t Be Leery of the Mosaic Pearl” by Alexander Priest

“Are You Truly My Honey?” by Alexander Priest

07/08 09/08

AQUASCAPING “Takasho Amani I Am Not” by Sharon Barnett

09/08

BARBS “Puntius rhomboocellatus” by Joseph Ferdenzi

03/08

BOOK REVIEWS WET LEAVES Column – by Susan Priest Focus on Freshwater Aquarium Fish by Geoff Rogers & Nick Fletcher

03/08

What Fish? A Buyers Guide to Tropical Fish by Nick Fletcher and Geoff Rogers

04/08

The Super Simple Guide to Breeding Tropical Fishes by Laura Muha

05/08

The Amazon Kindle Electronic Reader by Susan Priest

06/08

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Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life by Amanda Pisani

06/08

The Ocean at Home by Bernd Brunner

09/08

Back to Nature Guide to Catfishes by Dr David D Sands

11/08

Aquarium Care of Oscars by Neal Pronek & Brian M Scott

12/08

CATFISH “My One Thousand Year-Old Catfish” by Joseph Ferdenzi

05/08

“Catfish Hunter” by Dan Radebaugh

04/08

CICHLIDS “Victorian Delight” by Sharon Barnett

07/08

“Fossochromis rostratus” by Sharon Barnett

11/08

“The Case of the Hanging Cichlids” by Frank Fallon

04/08

“The Banded Severum” by Dan Radebaugh

05/08

“A Lot to Like About a Pike” by Jannette Ramirez

06/08

CYPRINIDS “A New Star in the Galaxy” by Alexander Priest

12/08

EXCHANGES “Fish Bytes” by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

04/08

“Fish Bytes” by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

06/08

FIN FUN (Puzzle Column) – by Alexander Priest

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“Rainbow of Fishes”

03/08

“Lions, Tigers, and Bears...Oh My!”

04/08

“Eye See, You See”

05/08

“Name That Cory”

06/08

“Ten Little Fishes”

07/08

“Stripes Forever”

08/08

“A Gourami by Any Other Name”

09/08

March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

“The Night of the Livebearing Fish”

10/08

“The Cats’ Meows”

11/08

“The Sky’s the Limit”

12/08

GCAS SOCIETY ISSUES 2007 FAAS Publication Awards

07/08

2007 Modern Aquarium Article Index

03/08

AFISH Letter & Photos by Jules Birnbaum

12/08

Bowl Show Rules

07/08

GCAS 2008 AWARDS

12/08

GCAS Author Award Program for 2008

12/08

GCAS Past Award Winners

12/08

GCAS Breeders Award Program 2008

12/08

“Google Back With Me” by Alexander Priest

11/08

“A Greater City Memoir” by Joseph Ferdenzi

11/08

Rules for April’s Silent Auction

03/08

GENERAL INTEREST “Black and White Refrigerator Chili” by Susan Priest

09/08

“The Fishkeeper Who Was Kept by her Fish, Part I” by Jannette Ramirez

11/08

“The Fishkeeper Who Was Kept By Her Fish Part II” by Jannette Ramirez

12/08

HEALTH/NUTRITION “A Protozoal Disease of Guppies” by Steve Berman

03/08

“The Chlorine Storm” by Joseph Ferdenzi

10/08

“My Microworm Recipe” by Alexander Priest

08/08

INVERTEBRATES “Are You Sure Your Shimp Is A Ghost?” by Sharon Barnett

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10/08

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MA CLASSICS “The Awful Truth” by Mary & Dan Carson

10/08

MEETING PHOTOS LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS – by Claudia Dickinson Our December 2007 Holiday Party & Awards Banquet

03/08

Our May Meeting

06/08

Our June Meeting

07/08

Our September Meeting

10/08

MEMBER PROFILES FISHKEEPERS ANONYMOUS Column - by Susan Priest Overview

03/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Jakleen Murk

05/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Jeff Bollbach

06/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Al Grusell

07/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Marsha Radebaugh

08/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Denver Lettman

09/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Artie Friedman

10/08

Anonymous Fishkeeper: Alexander Priest

11/08

NEC/FAAS NEWS & EVENTS “The Pirates of the NEC” by Claudia Dickinson

03/08

“FAAS Awards Photos” by Alexander Priest

09/08

OPINION AND/OR HUMOR MERMAID TALES Column – by Sharon Barnett and Guests

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“Victorian Delight” by Sharon Barnett

07/08

“And I think to Myself, What a Wonderful World” by Desirée Martin

08/08

“Takasho Amano I Am Not” by Sharon Barnett

09/08

“Are You Sure Your Shimp Is A Ghost?” by Sharon Barnett

10/08

“Fossochromis rostratus” by Sharon Barnett

11/08

March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

THE UNDERGRAVEL REPORTER Column – by The Undergravel Reporter “I Don’t Make This Stuff Up”

03/08

“It’s Never Enough!”

04/08

“No Tanks, Rube Goldberg”

05/08

“USB, or Undergravel Silly Bits”

06/08

“Fish-Flush Foolish”

07/08

“What’s Your Fish’s IQ?”

08/08

“Moses Supposes”

09/08

“Fishy Medicine”

10/08

“Lettuce Conserve”

11/08

“There’ll Always Be an England”

12/08

OTHER OPINION AND/OR HUMOR “Coming Home a Winner” by Elliot Oshins

09/08

“Unheard (of) Fishy Conversations” by Jannette Ramirez

05/08

PLANTS “My Favorite Aquarium Plant” by Stephen Sica

07/08

SPEAKER PROFILES - by Claudia Dickinson “Joe Ferdenzi”

07/08

“Izzy Zwerin”

03/08

“Greg Steeves”

09/08

THE TRAVELING AQUARIST “The Bahamian Lionfish” by Stephen Sica

04/08

“Catfish Hunter” by Dan Radebaugh

04/08

“French Angelfish of Aruba and Bonaire” by Stephen Sica

08/08

“My Trip to Madagascar” by Susan Priest

08/08

“Of Sharks & Democrats” by Stephen Sica

12/08

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COVER PHOTOS Puntius rhomboocellatus – Photo by Alexander Priest

03/08

Hoplosternum littorale – Photo by Dan Radebaugh

04/08

Corydoras schwartzi – Photo by Marisa Ferdenzi

05/08

Heros efaschiatus – Photo by Alex Apostolos

06/08

Trichogaster leeri – Photo by Alexander Priest

07/08

Paretroplus menarambo – Photo by Alexander Priest

08/08

Colisa chuna – Photo by Alexander Priest

09/08

Pterois volitans – Photo by Stephen Sica

10/08

Xystichromis phytophagus – Photo by Lee Ann Steeves

11/08

Celestichthys margaritatus – Photo by Alexander Priest

12/08

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March 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

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March 2009

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Three of a Kind Equals One Pair

A recent report by G. David Johnson, an ichthyologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Biology Letters, a journal of Britain’s Royal Society, indicates that these three fish are the same species at different sexes or stages in life. Researchers were able to A series by “The Undergravel Reporter” link the fish through comparative anatomical study and, once they obtained fresh samples, by their In spite of popular demand to the DNA. All three will now be classified as contrary, this humor and information Cetomimidae. column continues. As usual, it does The larvae are called tapetails because they NOT necessarily represent the grow long streamers. They reside within 600 feet opinions of the Editor, or of the of the surface, a region well stocked with food. As Greater City Aquarium Society. adults, they descend thousands of feet down into the dark ocean. There is scarce food there, and the females cope by developing a large mouth — a don’t know about you, but for me the surest way common trait among fish living in the deepest to kill a fish is to buy just one pair of a waters — and they even hard-to-get species, develop teeth in their gill and put them in a tank by area that can serve as an themselves under ideal additional mouth. conditions.

In almost Even stranger, every case, one of the pair ma l e s w h o r e a c h will die within days, and adulthood don’t eat at the survivor will live on all. Having gorged as for years, with me never larvae, their jaw fuses, being able to find a and they develop a suitable replacement mate. vestigial gut that only Finding a suitable stores shells from mate for a fish is hard previous meals. That’s enough when you know an advantage, Johnson what to look for. Imagine said, because in the deep the situation of researchers ocean “there’s not a lot studying members of the of food, you’re better off marine family taking your lunch with Cetomimidae, or “Flabby you.” The males gorge Whalefishes,” a type of as larvae and grow a whalefish. Cetomimidae giant liver, storing has been known since the energy there to live on.

19th century, but only “This thing was females had been found. basically a set of testes Seemingly related species looking for the female,” called Mirapinnidae, or An undated composite image provided by the Johnson said. tapetails, a n d Biology Letters of the Royal Society. From top, Males also develop Megalomycteridae, or tapetail postlarval stage of cetomimid whalefish a large nose to sense off Cozumel, Mexico; adult male of cetomimid b ignose fish, were smells in the dark water, identified in the 1950s and whalefish from the Gulf of Mexico; and juvenile female of cetomimid whalefish from the eastern and researchers had 1960s. Tapetails were North Pacific. Top image: Photo/Donald Hughes; noted that females have only found as juveniles, Middle image: Photo/G. David Johnson; Bottom some unusual tissue, and bignoses only as image: Bruce robison, Monterey Bay aquarium separate from the skin, males. research institute on their body. It’s not Although their luminous, so Johnson skeletons indicated that the three species were speculated that this tissue may produce a somehow related, there were so many differences pheromone that the big-nosed male can home in that no one believed they were the same fish. on.

I

References

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_sc/sci_fish_mystery;_ylt=Asr9WBmlyol.2XD23VKZPNQPLBIF

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S 17 (NY)

GCAS Happenings

March

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: April 1, 2009 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD 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 (347) 866-1107 Email: gcas@earthlink.net Website: http://www.greatercity.org

Meets: 1st Thursday of each month at at 8:00 pm.

Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd.

Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

Big Apple Guppy Club Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan & Feb) at 7:30-10:00pm.

Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd.

Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538 Next Meeting: March 13, 2009 Speaker: Bob Larsen Topic: The Glorious Guppy 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 Next Meeting: March 20, 2009 Speaker: Steve Abram Topic: Hands-on Building of Wet/Dry Filter Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm.

Greenhouse Meeting Room, Holtsville Ecology Center, Buckley Road, Holtsville, NY Website: http://liasonline.org/ Email: Margaret Peterson - president@liasonline.org

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Next Meeting: March 10, 2009 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

NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Brooklyn Aquarium Society

Long Island Aquarium Society

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Next Meeting: March 19, 2009 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD Meets: 7:30 P.M. Lyndhurst Elks Club - 251 Park Ave - Lyndhurst, NJ Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 Website: http://www.njas.net/ or Email: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com

Norwalk Aquarium Society Next Meeting: March 19, 2009 Speaker & Topic: TBD Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833 Email: jchapkovich@snet.net Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS Website: http://norwalkas.org/

March 2009

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Fin Fun

Vivaldi in the Fishroom This month’s meeting happens to fall on the birthday of Antonio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678). One of Vivaldi’s most well-known works was “The Four Seasons.” To pay homage to this great musical genius (and to find yet another a way to befuddle those of you who take up the monthly challenges on this page), we have a list of fish with somewhat “seasonal” common names in the left column below. Match each with its current correct scientific name (right column) to solve this month’s puzzle. Answers next month.

Common Name

Scientific Name Monocirrhus polyacanthus

White River Springfish

Pterygoplichthys anisitsi

Snowflake Bristlenose

Etheostoma hopkinsi

Snow King Sailfin Pleco

Crenichthys baileyi baileyi

Spring Pygmy Sunfish

Chrysiptera rapanui

Christmas Darter

Forbesichthys agassizii

Easter Damselfish

Liposarcus anisitsi

South American Leaf-Fish

Elassoma alabamae

Spring Cavefish

Parancistrus riveatus

Snow Pleco Source: Baensch Photo Index 1-5, Baensch Hans A http://www.fishbase.org/

Answers to the December 2008 Puzzle:

The Sky’s The Limit

Common Name

Scientific Name

Moonlight Gourami White Cloud Mountain Minnow Boesemani Rainbowfish Sky Blue Killie Angel Catfish Starred Pearlfish Orange Spotted Sunfish Comet Goldfish Fog Doradid

Trichogaster microlepis Tanichthys albonubes Melanotaenia boesemani Aphyosemion coeleste Synodontis angelicus Cynolebias stellatus Lepomis humilis Carassius auratus Rhinodoras dorbignyi

Source: Baensch Photo Index 1-5, Baensch Hans A

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