Modern Aquarium December 2011 by Dan Radebaugh

December 2011 volume XVIII number 10

Series III ON THE COVER Most of us don't have enough tank space to keep this month's magnficently charismatic cover subject, Sphyraena barracuda. See Steve Sica's article on page 13 to learn the answer to, "Do Barracudas Bite?" Photo by Stephen Sica GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Board Members

President Vice-President Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary

Dan Radebaugh Edward Vukich Jules Birnbaum Mario Bengcion Tommy Chang

Members At Large

Claudia Dickinson Al Grusell Emma Haus Leonard Ramroop

Pete Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orio Ben Haus Jason Kerner

Committee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Bowl Show Breeder Award Early Arrivals F.A.A.S. Delegate Membership Programs N.E.C. Delegate Technology Coordinator

Claudia Dickinson Leonard Ramroop Warren Feuer Mark Soberman Al Grusell Alexander A. Priest Marsha Radebaugh Claudia Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief Copy Editors Exchange Editors Advertising Mgr.

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

Vol. XVIII, No. 10 December, 2011

In This Issue From the Editor G.C.A.S. 2011 Program Schedule Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message Our Generous Members Our Generous Sponsors & Advertisers Last Month's Caption Contest Winner Cartoon Caption Contest More Odds & Ends by Jules Birnbaum

Fish Bytes by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

Wet Leaves by Susan Priest

Do Barracudas Bite? by Stephen Sica

Mekong Rice Killies Oryzias mekongensis by Joseph Graffagnino

Pictures from our Last Meeting by Susan Priest

G.C.A.S. Past Award Winners G.C.A.S. 2011 Award Winners The G.C.A.S. Author Award Program G.C.A.S. Breeders Award Program 2011 G.C.A.S. Breeders Award Totals G.C.A.S. Happenings The Undergravel Reporter The Massage is the Message

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) Last Summer's Pond

2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 15

16 18 19 20 23 24 26 27 28

From the Editor by Dan Radebaugh remember the first time I saw a live barracuda. I should qualify that. What I first remember when I hear the word barracuda occurred after I had first seen them in real life, which was at the Miami Seaquarium, sometime in the mid ’50s. A few years later, while visiting an uncle and aunt who lived in Key Largo, I took a fishing rod down to a nearby boat basin that gave the appearance of having been blasted out of the coral, leaving an oval-shaped basin with a single entrance/exit. My intention (or at least my excuse for the walk) was to catch a few of the grunts that were almost always present there around the docks. After thirty minutes or so of pleasantly boring futility, a two or three-foot barracuda cruised through the entrance into the basin, and the whole experience changed in an instant. That fish had presence! He also stayed close enough to the surface to be in plain view as he checked the place out. I still had a shrimp on my hook, so I dangled it near his mouth, and bam, he hit the bait! He wasn’t really caught, though. When he realized that he’d grabbed a hook along with the shrimp, he just shook his head and snapped my light monofilament line, then continued his counterclockwise inspection tour of the boat basin. Steve Sica’s encounters with barracuda (see “Do Barracudas Bite?” later in this issue) remind me in tone very much of my own. They’re fascinating fish, with tremendous charisma. Steve also treats us to a new installment of his “Fish Bytes” column, where he shares with us what’s going on in other society magazines and newsletters. The great barracuda reaches lengths of over five feet and weights of over a hundred pounds. Most of us city fishkeepers have to stick with smaller stock, and Joe Graffagnino tells us about a tiny newcomer to the hobby, Oryzias mekongensis, often called the Mekong rice killie. This article appeared previously in Aquatica, but Joe is the President of the Brooklyn club, so we’ll cut him some slack for letting them publish it first. Jules Birnbaum checks in with a follow-up to his “Odds & Ends” piece from last month, giving us still more practical tips that range from the common-sense to the more esoteric. These are the kinds of things that it’s good to be reminded of from time to time. There are even a few words to the wise on the subject of household diplomacy!

Our cartoon caption challenge continues to draw many responses. Marsha Radebaugh (Where do I know that name from?) was the winner last month, and Elliot Oshins has a challenging new cartoon for us this month. For you other artists in our midst, come up with a cartoon of your own and submit it! Our Author Award Program was a very close, three-way race this year, and our winner is Susan Priest! Not only did Susan win the Author of the Year Award, and not only did she, in so doing, move up in the total points category to Senior Grand Master Laureate, and not only did she provide us in this issue with our familiar photo spread of last month’s meeting, but to top all that off, in her “Wet Leaves” review this month Susan reviews Modern Aquarium, Series III. For new members of Greater City or veterans, this is a great retrospective of the current incarnation of our flagship publication. Thanks, Susan! The December meeting is of course our annual Awards Banquet, so you’ll find listings of past award winners, followed by a listing of this year's winners. Then our Author Award Program and Breeder Award Program winners are listed, as well as a historical summary of points accumulated by our members in these contests over the years. Before our closing Fin Fun puzzle, reminding us that it isn’t summer any more, the Undergravel Reporter reminds us not to rub our fish the wrong way. I note in closing that we are now just two weeks removed from Thanksgiving, and I offer my thanks to our writers, photographers, artists, proofreaders, and everyone else who had a hand in producing Modern Aquarium this year. Without all of you, this magazine would not exist. * * * Remember, as always, we need articles! Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry – that’s why there are editors. If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to gcas@earthlink.net, or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

GCAS Programs

2012

t is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wish to miss a moment of our prominent guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy! Claudia

March 7

Meet the Experts of the GCAS

April 4

TBA

May 2

Jeff Michels Dwarf Cichlids

June 6

TBA

July 11

TBA

August 1

Silent Auction

September 5

TBA

October 3

TBA

November 7

TBA

December 5

Holiday Party!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to gcas@earthlink. net. Copyright 2011 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission. The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2011

President’s Message by Dan Radebaugh ell, tonight we wrap up another year by enjoying another festive Awards Banquet here at the Palace Diner. Congratulations to everyone who will receive awards, to everyone who participated in the various auctions, competitions, and programs, and to all our members for another successful year. Meeting turnout has been great, and I’ve received many positive comments regarding the quality of our speakers. All of the things we do here at Greater City―arranging for a place to hold our meetings, providing refreshments, judging the bowl shows and making sure there are tanks to use, being sure there is a projector for our speakers, running the Breeders Award Program, writing articles for Modern Aquarium, running the auctions, making sure we have raffle items and door prizes, mailing meeting reminders, updating the Web site, arranging Banquets, and on and on―require people to actually do them. Please take a moment this evening to look on the Contents page of Modern Aquarium, check out who are doing some of the jobs that make these meetings fun, efficient, and pleasant, and thank them for it. They might not admit it, but it makes doing their jobs a lot easier knowing that their efforts are noticed and appreciated by their fellow members. On this same subject, none of the above-mentioned jobs that we members volunteer for are lifetime appointments, and the time will come for each of us to step down and let another member step up. As many of you will have noticed, Claudia Dickinson has been finding it increasingly difficult to make the trek in from eastern Long Island to be at our meetings, and she has asked that 2012 be the year when she transitions out of her role as Programs Chairperson, a position she has filled with distinction for more years than I’ve been a member here. While there’s always an element of sadness in changes like this, we can all thank Claudia for a job consistently well done, knowing that whoever replaces her will inherit a tradition of excellence. Any members who may be interested in taking on this challenging position should please contact me directly, or any of the other Board members to let us know of your interest. Thank you, Claudia! In closing, I sadly note that on November 11, Frank Policastro lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Frank was a lifetime member of the North Jersey Aquarium Society, a founder of the Jersey Shore Aquarium Society, a member of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society, and board member of the North East Council of Aquarium Societies. Our sympathies go out to his wife Christine, his four children, and all of his family.

Dan

Our Generous Members Each month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was: Bill Amely Sharon Barnett Mario Bengcion Jeff Bollbach Jules Birnbaum Carlotti de Jager Pete D'Orio 4

Rod DuCasse Harry Faustmann Joe Graffagnino Al & Sue Priest Dan Puleo Ed Vukich

December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2011

November's Caption Winner:

Cartoon by Elliott Oshins

Marsha Radebaugh

This is hands down the worst Western Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever seen!

Computer Consulting Jason Kerner Consultant

Repairs / Upgrades Virus Removal Data Recovery DSL / Cable Setup Wireless Internet A+ Certified 6

(718) 469-5444 Jasontech1@verizon.net December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

The Modern Aquarium Cartoon Caption Contest December, 2011

Modern Aquarium has featured cartoons before. This time though, you, the members of Greater City get to choose the caption! Just think of a good caption, then mail, email, or phone the Editor with your caption (phone: 347-866-1107, fax: 877-299-0522, email: gcas@ earthlink.net. Your caption needs to reach the Editor by the third Wednesday of this month. We'll also hand out copies of this page at the meeting, which you can turn in to Marsha before leaving. Winning captions will earn ten points in our Author Awards program, qualifying you for participation in our special "Authors Only" raffle at our Holiday Party and Banquet. Put on your thinking caps!

Cartoon by Elliott Oshins

Your Caption: Your Name:

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2011

More Odds & Ends by Jules Birnbaum

must say something about some (not all) wives’ attitudes with regard to tropical fish. I’ve been married for 56 years, so I think I’ve heard it all and survived. Here are a few comments I can recall: “They are a pain in the butt.” “There is water all over the place, that fish is ugly, and I think the fish tank smells.” She also will say, “How come you are so neat when you go to work, and such a slob round the house?“ Other familiar refrains: “I have a household to run, and this stuff is in the way.” “You are always messing with the fish when I need you to fix something, take out the garbage, or lift something heavy.” How do you keep the peace? First, have your fish hobby away from “her” part of the house (Ha!). We all know that’s in a corner of the spare room, the basement, or part of the garage. You run a risk of her wrath when placing a show tank in the living room or den. I accepted that she was right in all respects, so I built my own fishroom in the garage. My wife Elaine really likes tropical fish now. Oh! And yes, the magic words are, “I’m sorry.” Next, I’d like to give you a hint about cleaning plastic pipes, tubing, filter pads used for polishing the water, and fish tanks. I use a onethird solution of bleach in a bucket, and dump all the dirty equipment in this overnight. If it is a tank , I empty it, then fill it with the bleach solution and let it stand overnight. Everything is rinsed thoroughly in clean water before being put back into service. Whatever has been cleaned should now look like new. Filter pads are something the manufacturers would like you to replace every time a filter is cleaned. Since I do water changes on a weekly basis, my pads are rinsed in aged water at that time. When the pads look like they are falling apart they are replaced with pads cut from sheets of poly fiber. This is much more economical than buying the precut pads designed for the filter. I also rinse the foam in the box filters and reuse it several times. I make sure to use aged water for this. I learned this by observing a number of top breeders who have multiple tanks. Be sure to clean filters on a regular basis, since the dirt, although out of the tank, is still in the water flow and the accumulation hinders the flow rate of the filter.

You can save big bucks by using fivedollar shop lights with inexpensive, long-lasting, compact-fluorescent bulbs instead of using bulbs designed for aquariums. For example, a nine watt compact-fluorescent bulb gives you the equivalent of 40 watts. Two five-dollar shop lights over a 20 gallon tank works very well, and the total cost is about $20. These can also be moved around and be placed directly over plants that might need bright lighting. With the clamps removed they look pretty sharp. There are now full-spectrum bulbs available, but the cost is much greater, and I’m not certain it’s worth it. The local weather patterns are changing. Notice I’m not saying there is Global Warming, for the few hard-heads that don’t believe in the term. Climate change means we are going to have more extreme weather, likely resulting in more frequent power failures. Make sure you and your fish are prepared. First, make sure all your filters are cleaned before a storm is predicted to arrive. Starting up dirty filters after a prolonged power failure (say 24 hours) can kill your fish with poisons that build up in the dirty filter. Next, have a few small inexpensive pumps on hand that run on two flashlight batteries. These inexpensive little pumps run for approximately 24 hours on the two flashlight batteries that can be replaced. Have the air stones run near the surface for greater efficiency. Do not feed your fish before or during the storm in case your power is knocked out. If you have a barbeque grill, heat some water, place it in a glass or plastic container, and float it in the tank. Place a blanket over the tank to keep the heat in. There are several websites that have interesting ideas on this subject. Finally, if you have a home with multiple tanks, you might want to investigate a natural or propane gas driven generator. This is going to cost you big bucks, but will make your wife very happy by running the heat, your filter, some lights, the TV, and the refrigerator. Be prepared for all the local regulations and permits that are necessary. Let’s hope Consolidated Edison and LI Power Authority keep the juice flowing while I think of more ideas.

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

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.

by Stephen Sica with Donna Sosna Sica

t’s becoming more difficult to write this column, because many publications are either using reprints, or do not include articles anymore. Also, many publications may include only one or two articles, or write basic primers about members’ fish breeding endeavors. Just how much interesting stuff is there about basic breeding techniques for a cichlid, or for most other fish for that matter? No offense is intended, because just as we do here at Modern Aquarium, the other publications are always requesting articles and the written word from their members. But many aquarists are fairly advanced―much more than I anyway―or may not be interested in breeding articles or such. If it’s the first time that you have done it, then I know that it is an exciting experience. One thing that did catch my eye was the cover photo of the September 2011 In Depth (The Tropical Fish Club of Burlington). It is a photo of Buster, a furry black cat (Angora?) gazing out a glass storm door with a birder’s book on the floor beside him. Let’s just assume that the cat wants to get out for some birdwatching because the storms and hurricanes of that month have kept him indoors. To quote the editor, he did not have any “fresh fish pictures.” If anyone has an interest in banded barbs, Paul Loiselle had an article in June’s North Jersey Aquarium Society’s Reporter. Of course the article is written with a scientific slant, so it went way above my head. But I’m rather short anyway. Did you know that there are at least two endemic species of killifish in Bermuda? Craig Morfitt’s “Killifish Update” in the Bermuda Fry-

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Angle Aquarium Society’s February/March 2011 Fish Tales informs us that these species are limited to several ponds, some of which are polluted by runoff and silt. DNA testing is trying to determine whether or not some of Bermuda’s killifish are different species, since they are all very similar in appearance. Killifish from a contaminated pond were sent to other ponds around the island, including a golf course, in order to increase their chance of survival. Some were also shipped to the Vienna Zoo to try to establish a captive breeding population. In the same issue, GCAS member Jules Birnbaum’s article “My Experiences With A Wild Original From Mexico” was reprinted. Eric Bodrock’s “Spawning Peckoltia sp. L134 Leopard Frog Plecostomus or Gold Banded Peckoltia” article, in Finformation of the Greater Pittsburg Aquarium Society, is a primer on breeding this catfish. (Editor’s note: Planet Catfish lists this fish as Peckoltia compta, L134.) I enjoyed our own Undergravel Reporter’s October “Naturally Artificial” column about artificial seascaping in the oceans. One of his examples is the SS Vandenberg, which is actually a decommissioned satellite/manned spacecraft tracking support ship. The Vandenberg was sunk on May 27, 2009. It is now the Florida Keys’ largest artificial reef. Coincidentally, Donna and I dove this huge ship on October 26th. It lies eleven miles offshore, in 140 feet of open ocean. The seas were rough, and visibility on the ship was poor, due to heavy rains in southern Florida. I’ll update the Undergravel Reporter’s account of “marine life…colonizing immediately” in a future column or article. The Vandenberg has already been underwater for two and a half years.

December 2011

Our latest shipwreck, the Kittiwake, has been column on setup, sexing, feeding, spawning, inhabited by numerous juvenile fish. communal and pond breeding, eggs and fry, and Dave Kelly, in his “The Water Column,” C.A.R.E.S. Rainbowfish breeders and hobbyists in the September 2011 issue of The Buckette, may likely find some worthwhile information and informs his readers that Jules Birnbaum’s July ideas…Derek is also an aquatic plant enthusiast. 2011 Modern Aquarium In his column (or article, “The Common article?), “My Green Wet Denominator of the Thumb: BULL****!” Successful Aquarist,” he says that the common advises the use of a and native cattail existed wall calendar to help a when dinosaurs roamed fishkeeper develop good the earth, was part of our habits and techniques. diet 30,000 years ago, In the October 2011 The has 26 global species, Buckette Dave was kind is used by some birds to enough to spotlight articles line their nests, is dipped from the August Modern in wax to use as a candle, Aquarium by Alan Mark can be lit to smolder to Fletcher, Dan Radebaugh, repel insects, and can be and myself under my used as a pond plant. Of maniacal pseudonym… course I didn’t know this, Sico. Since the column’s or know that I wanted author doesn’t know me to know this, but now I at all, I’ll accept it goodam very happy that I do. naturedly as a typo, since Derek can skillfully write it provided me with an a really good and wellopportunity to expand illustrated story. this column by a few extra Grunt: “Hey, watch that nose!” One of the reasons Trumpetfish: “Shush! I’m hiding from Donna. I’m a Pillar words. When Donna coral.” that I like to read proof-reads these columns, Fins and Tales is that she keeps reminding me that I’m supposed to Exchange Editor Zenin Skormorowski almost write about fish-related topics. You know what always mentions a Modern Aquarium article, they say; any port in a storm. Besides, Modern in addition to presenting excellent original Aquarium’s readers already know about fish. I articles. Eh!…their Canadians’ September Fins only wish that I knew more! and Tales is kind enough to take note of Dan The Pioneer Valley Aquarium Society Radebaugh’s “Carpy Diem! Part 1: The Old published a detailed article about breeding Guard,” Alexander Priest’s “A Small Mouthful,” Bolivian rams in the September 2011 issue of and Jules Birnbaum’s “Reflections of a Filter its Underwater News. It is entitled “Breeding Collector.” Jules’ “Aquarium Plants 101,” from Microgeophagus altispinosa, the Bolivian Ram,” our June issue, is another noteworthy article. by Edward D. Burress. It was so good that The Keep up the good work, Jules, and don’t forget to Buckette reprinted it! keep writing those informative articles! Derek Tustin writes a monthly column, Doug Van Pelt’s “Why Join A Fish Club?” in “Year of the Rainbowfish,” in Tank Talk, the the October 2011 The Granite-Fisher, explains publication of the Durham Regional Aquarium the reason plain and simple. Who else is there Society, a Canadian club. His column, “Breeding who will understand if something goes good or Rainbows” in the September 2011 issue, states something goes bad with your fish and aquariums? that he has bred many species of rainbowfish by His wife’s visiting lady friend asked if she could just stocking his outdoor pond and letting nature see Doug’s fishroom. Upon doing so she asked take its course. He has also had what he describes “What do they do?” Well, I guess that says it all. as indoor “accidental spawnings.” He says that “the more I work at it, the more elusive the results are becoming.” In any case, it’s a comprehensive 10

December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Over the years many hobbyists have been immortalized in the pages of MA. Some of them were widely known luminaries, such as Bill Jacobs and Ross Socolof. Others were best known among our own membership, such as Gene Baiocco and Dora Dong. Some fit into both categories, such as a Series On Books For The Hobbyist Joe Ferdenzi and Claudia Dickinson. by SUSAN PRIEST Let me cursor back to the word ave you ever had one of those lightbulb “immortalize” in the previous paragraph. One of moments, when something so close to you the most important, no, it is definitely THE most that it seems almost invisible suddenly important accomplishment of MA and its authors, becomes clear? Well, that’s what happened to me is making a PERMANENT record of everything after I had compiled my comprehensive list of Wet relating to the aquarium hobby in the tri-state Leaves columns (see the July 2011 issue). When I region and beyond. Annually appearing features looked at the list with an eye for what was missing, include an index of articles from the prior season, it couldn’t have been more obvious to me; I have reports on our Breeders Award Program and Author Award Program, as well never reviewed Modern as past and present GCAS award Aquarium! The publication to recipients (see page 19 of this which I was the closest was the Modern Aquarium issue for the 2011 winners) farthest from my mind’s eye. So, Series III The large amount of at long last, I refer all of you to the 1994-2011 information which can be found ubiquitous pages of Modern on the Happenings page alone Aquarium. Specifically, I will be could easily qualify as an entire reviewing Series III. The first issue of Series III was published in January 1994. issue of the newsletter for some other clubs. I The issue you now hold in your hands, December know this was true when Al and I were the 2011, represents the most recent entry in an exchange editors. (Is it still true today, Steve?) Such events as when unbroken chain of each of us joined the finformation spanning club, meeting dates, eighteen years. speakers, and contact The goal of this information for other article is to REVIEW clubs (as well as our Modern Aquarium, own), and much more, not to write a detailed are recorded there history of it. From this every month. point on, Modern I had a tough Aquarium will most time picking a favorite often be referred to as cover to illustrate this MA. review. My top five There is a light candidates included side as well as a serious the Betta splendens side to fishkeeping. Collage (October Many of our authors are 1994), the Apple Snail skilled at combining the (September 1996, two, which, in my which was the cover opinion, makes for the of the “Lazy Man” best articles. The pages issue), the Stamp of MA are overflowing Collage for the with such articles filled Around the World with information on issue (December 1998, fishkeeping which is which was the last pertinent to all issue of the fifth year), aquarists, but it doesn’t the Betta enisae (October 2001), the Kissing stop there. From poignant and personal remarks to Gourami (December 2001), the Pleco Sunset pointed opinions for each of us to evaluate as individuals, from the photos to the artwork to the (December 2005), the Mikrogeophagus ramirezi cartoons, every issue is eternally current as well as and Fry (November 2007), and the Lionfish (September 2011). Oops! Was that more than an historical record. five?

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

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

On rare occasions we would actually put a person on the cover, and it is one of these which I have chosen. The beaming smile of eleven year old Victoria Bohme as she shares her first aquarium with us kept tugging at me. This was the December 2004 issue. In her article A Fish’s Home: Safer in a Tank!!!, she wrote eloquently, knowledgeably, and passionately about the fishes, the aquascaping, and the element of conservation that her aquarium represented to her. Victoria says “You should (also) put many colors and objects in the tank as I have. These things make the fish curious and after a while they begin to like it. I believe that we should all give fish a safer and happier home.” Victoria is eighteen years old now, and the world around her has gotten smaller in some ways, and much larger in others. I can’t help but believe that her first aquarium is still influencing her thoughts and choices. I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say that MA is well known for its many columns. In any given season there have been from three to six regularly appearing columns, and that tally does not include the President’s Message(s) or the Editor’s Report(s). Some of them were complete within one season, and others have been part of the vertebral column which has supported this body of work for years. In no particular order, a FEW of them were/are: The Seahorse Chronicles by Bernie Harrigan Looking Through the Lens by Claudia Dickinson Catfish Chronicles by Charley Sabatino Antiquarium (classic ads) by Jason Kerner Aquarian Minds Want to Know by Jannette Ramirez Fishkeepers Anonymous by Sue Priest My Favorite Tank(s) by Joe Ferdenzi Mermaid Tales by Sharon Barnett Fish Bytes by Steve Sica The Undergravel Reporter by ????? (On a personal note, I would like to add that I am PARTICULARLY enjoying our NEWEST column, the Cartoon Caption Contest, by Elliot Oshins.) In 1997 the GCAS celebrated its 75th anniversary. As part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration MA ran a series of articles called the Modern Aquarium Treasure Chest. It featured articles from series I and II, and concluded with a gallery of artwork. Our predecessors were a talented group. Within the last couple of years there has been an occasionally appearing feature called MA Classics which is in a similar vein. Once or twice a year there was a theme issue. Some of the more notable ones were the Around The World issue (December 1998), The Ladies issue (May 2003), and the 100 Hints and Tips (January 2004), which was MA’s 100th issue.

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

Modern Aquarium Series III has received many accolades over the years. Almost right from its inception the FAAS Publication Awards and the NEC Article Competition took notice of MA. Space does not allow me to elaborate, but if you feel inclined to learn more, at least one or two issues in every season report on the results of these competitions. Do you have a favorite issue? I know that Jason Kerner does. I even know which one it is and why. He may not have actually READ the January 2003 issue, BUT he DIDN’T glue the photo onto the cover. This was the first issue for which the entire cover came out of a printer. From 1994 through 2002 Jason hand applied each and every photo onto the cover of each and every issue. He used spray glue, and he had a separate set of clothes put aside to wear for the task. (You can add your own expletive here!) He did this in order to make a color cover affordable for the club. Here is a little MA trivia. The smallest issue was the very first (January 1994), with just twelve pages. The largest was the Ladies Issue (May 2003), with 42 pages. The angelfish “tombstone” at the end of each article has been a fixture starting on page three of Series III, Vol. I, No. I. Fin Fun has been the anchor page starting with the second issue, as well as in every issue since. There are 179 issues in Series III. (Phew; that’s a lot of proofreading!) When long-time readers opened the March 2008 issue, they let out a gasp. Along with a new editor came a whole new look to MA. There was color on the inside!! This review wouldn’t be complete without naming the three editors of Modern Aquarium. Warren Feuer, Al Priest, and Dan Radebaugh are the sculptors of it all. I am pleased and proud to have been associated with MA Series III on many levels over the years. (I will leave stories about where the Jello fits in to be told by others.) I have tried —and feel quite sure that I have failed—to keep my love of everything about it from overshadowing my comments. It now falls to each of you, its readers and contributors, to put MA into perspective for yourselves. The next time we gather we will be embarking on the 90th season of the Greater City Aquarium Society. Between now and then we will be celebrating any number of holidays and special occasions which will distract us from the rhetoric of our hobby. When we return, Modern Aquarium will return as well, ready to be and become whatever we make it. See you then!

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

DO BARRACUDAS BITE? Story and Photos by Stephen Sica

o barracudas bite? Well, are elephants pink… after a few drinks anyway? Make mine a white zinfandel! Oops; delete that last one. I do know that fish sleep because I have a lovely book by Judith S. Weis. On page 64 she says that fish do sleep. But back to my question. Do barracudas bite? More specifically, do barracudas bite people? When I was a youth, I went to the movies with my older brother and saw Jacques Cousteau’s The Silent World. A few years later in my first year of high school, I took a book by Lloyd Bridges, titled Mask and Flippers, out of my school’s library. It was all about his scuba diving television show, that I faithfully watched every Saturday evening, and other Bridges’ exploits. “I’d like to do that underwater stuff,” I thought. But there was one problem; until I was thirteen years old, I never went into water above my knees because I was just plain fearful of any water except that in my bathtub. Fortunately for me, one Saturday afternoon at the end of summer that same year I had just taught myself how to swim―sort of―in the large, outdoor pool at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. That park is long gone. I assume it is now home to high-rise apartment buildings, but at the time I had no interest in local color and history. A year later I was in high school, and I couldn‘t wait to emulate Lloyd Bridges. When I was sixteen, I took diving lessons at Central Skindivers on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, where they had an indoor pool that was fifteen feet deep. Looking over the side, I thought that it was a long way to the Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

bottom. I could hardly swim but I didn‘t tell them. Somehow, I managed to pass the pool exam. The prior written test was easy, because I had already read every classic book about diving that was out there―all three of them! Now, at the age of sixteen, I was a certified diver―albeit one without dive buddies. My parents would drive me to Far Rockaway, where I’d beg the “pros” to take me along under Reynolds Channel. That was the nature of my diving until I could persuade an older friend who had a driver‘s license that I could teach him to dive. Once I did this, I had a reliable dive buddy. In the “old days” I believed everything that I read or saw in the media, including the hype about the big, bad barracuda and its bite. Some stories had it jumping out of the water to attack people in small pleasure craft. Remember, never wear shiny objects while swimming or a barracuda will bite off your pinky ring―and pinky too, no doubt. Luckily, I was too poor to own such a ring, or any kind of ring for that matter. Thank goodness, but I really don’t like to wear rings. I’m sure my ring dislike saved at least one of my fingers. Can you imagine nowadays, with both women and men wearing earrings? Half the swimming population would be missing an ear! The lack of rings must have saved me, because many years later I was snorkeling, by myself, in the early morning off a deserted beach on Aruba. On one free dive I went as deep as I could and came face to face with the personification of evil―a fully grown great barracuda. In less than a minute I was back on

December 2011

the beach calling it quits. What a close call! Was I relieved?! It was my very first barracuda sighting, even though I had been diving for many years in the Northeast. I had seen tropical fish, sharks, and even seals just a few yards offshore from the Far Rockaway beaches, but never a barracuda. Many more years later, when travel and vacations became affordable, I met the great Snaggletooth, a barracuda at least four feet in length that inhabited a Grand Cayman shallow dive spot called “Aquarium.” This fish would hover stationary in the water. When I first met the fish I was diving with a buddy who had been assigned to me on the boat. Neither of us had a dive partner or knew each other. During our dive, Paul spotted Snaggletooth and swam toward the fish, stopping about ten feet away. The fish never budged. “What’s wrong?” I thought. Now I swam towards the great fish. “Attack! Kill! Maim!” I mumbled into my mouthpiece. The fish did not flinch. For some unknown but probably stupid reason, I swam right up to the fish and stared into his mouth and left eye from no more than two feet away. The fish did not budge. After two seconds, maybe less, I backed away. Just in case, I had my arms crossed and my hands tucked under the opposite armpit. About ten to fifteen years ago, Snaggletooth disappeared. He was old and grizzled with numerous scars, so I think that he went to that great barracuda roundup in the sky―or maybe he just died from old age. It’s possible that

Snaggletooth could have been female, but I don’t think so, because the fish was just too plain ugly! Ironically, he was the only barracuda that I’ve met who was not afraid of humans. Except for a school or two here and there, barracuda seem to be either loners, or hang in small groups of a dozen or less. Every barracuda that I have met so far always maintains its space. They will allow you to swim only so close before they back or swim away. Maybe I’ll get that pinky ring after all. I have encountered many small loose barracuda schools in the Florida Keys. They also like to keep space between them and us. In the Caribbean islands, a solitary barracuda will hang in the shadows under the dive boat. On Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos islands, a very large barracuda was under the dive boat during every dive. When we took the boat several miles away to West Caicos there was another barracuda under the boat. It’s unlikely that the same fish followed the boat, because we had traveled too far. Besides, barracudas seem to like their own

territories. When a diver entered the water, usually by jumping from the back of the boat, the barracuda would occasionally swim rapidly out to see what the commotion was. I conjectured to Donna that the barracuda thought that the splash was a fish, and it was seeking a morsel of food. Maybe it thought that we were a fishing boat throwing scraps or chum in the water. Who knows, but I decided to splash less and let the other divers be faux food. Barracudas also like to suspend beneath the dive boats in the Cayman Islands. If you visit enough islands, there’s a good chance that sooner or later you will find a barracuda loitering beneath your boat. As you may know, the great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, has posed more of a poisoning threat to people who have eaten it than has any other fish. You may be attacked by a barracuda someday, especially if the water visibility is poor, or if you spear one. But remember, it is likely to be more harmful for you to take a bite of a barracuda rather than if it takes a bite of you! It’s true that you are what you eat, so please pass the barracuda―to someone else!

December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Mekong Rice Killies Oryzias mekongensis by Joe Graffagnino

was at the latest convention of the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies in Connecticut, and had no intention of purchasing any new fish, since my aquariums were already very well stocked. As I wandered around, I came upon Frank Greco’s sales table. Frank has the most interesting and rare fish that you will ever see. As I strolled around the table my eye caught something small flash by. It was a really small fish with a silver body; the male sports an orange-red coloration on its caudal fin. I had to ask, and that, of course, was my undoing. Frank told me that this particular fish was commonly called the Mekong red lampeye rice killifish. They are found in the Mekong River delta in northern Thailand. The adult of this species doesn’t get to be over a half-inch in size. There are approximately two dozen varieties of rice killifish. The nice thing about these fish is that they can live and spawn in aquariums as small as two gallons. All that is needed is a sponge filter and some java moss. Since these fish are really small, frozen baby brine shrimp works well for food (regular brine shrimp and daphnia are too large for them). They also thrive on live

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

microworms, vinegar eels, and crushed flake food. When the female is carrying eggs, she carries them on her body. The eggs are slightly adhesive, so when the female swims through java moss the eggs rub off of the mother and attach to the java moss. The male fish follows closely behind and fertilizes the eggs. At times I have seen one female carrying several eggs. The eggs are quite large for such a small fish, and they resemble clear to opaque killie eggs. As the embryo matures, the egg darkens. Within a week the fry are free swimming. The parents ignore the fry, so you don’t need another tank to rear the fry to adulthood. You can’t ask for better than that in a fish! The water parameters are basic, with the pH 7.0, GH of 3, and the temperature 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great and unique little fish, and quite prolific once they get started. Because of their small size, I would maintain them in a species-only tank. Enjoy them, and share them with other hobbyists!

Photo courtesy of PlanetCatfish.com This article previously appeared in Aquatica.

December 2011

Pictures from our

Ted Judy (left) with GCAS President Dan Radebaugh

Speaker Ted Judy preparing his program

Ron Kasman with Brooklyn A.S. President Joe Graffagnino

Horst Gerber and Leonard Ramroop

Joe Ferdenzi with Rich Levy

Rod DuCasse and Harry Faustmann

Tommy Chang and Marty Gallo

Ted Judy with Temes Mo

Jason Kerner and Warren Feuer

Mark Soberman and Michael Vulis December 2011 December 2011

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

last meeting Photos by Susan Priest

Welcome back to returning members:

Lincoln and Vanessa Brathwaite with Lisa Semper

“DJ” - Akinwunmi Durojarye

Last Month’s Door Prize Winners

Jules Birnbaum

Bob Hamje

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:

1st Place: Mario Bengcion

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

2nd Place: Richard Waizman December 2011 December 2011

3rd Place: Mario Bengcion 19

GCAS Past Award Winners JOSEPH FERDENZI ROLL OF HONOR Gene Baiocco Claudia Dickinson Joe Bugeia Charles Elzer Mary Ann Bugeia Joe Ferdenzi Dan Carson Warren Feuer

Herb Fogal Paul Hahnel Ben Haus Emma Haus

Jack Oliva Al Priest Susan Priest Herman Rabenau

Marcia Repanes Nick Repanes Don Sanford Mark Soberman

DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR (Since 1981) 1981-83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ginny & Charlie Eckstein 1994-95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 1983-85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rich Sorensen 1995-96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1985-86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yezid Guttierez 1996-97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Soberman 1986-87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1997-98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff George 1987-88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patricia Piccione 1998-'00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1988-89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 2000-01 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Soberman 1989-90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Francis Lee 2001-02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Priest 1990-91 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie Szablewicz 2002-05 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anton Vukich 1991-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dominic Isla 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warren Feuer 1992-93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 2007-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Bollbach 1993-94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR (Since 1990-91) 1990-91 . . . . . . Diane & Harold Gottlieb 2000-01 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernard Harrigan 1991-92 . . . . . . Doug Curtin & Don Curtin 2001-02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kerner 1992-93 . . . . . . Mark Soberman 2002-03 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carlotti De Jager 1993-94 . . . . . . Warren Feuer 2003-04 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Traub 1994-95 . . . . . . Steve Sagona 2004-05 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claudia Dickinson 1995-96 . . . . . . Alexander & Susan Priest 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anton Vukich 1996-97 . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Vukich 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al Grusell 1997-98 . . . . . . . Claudia Dickinson 1998-99 . . . . . . Vincent & Rosie Sileo 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Radebaugh 1999-00 . . . . . . Pete D’Orio 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete D’Orio WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPIONS (Since 1983-84) 1983-84 . . . . . . . . . Tom Lawless 1992-93 . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 1984-85 . . . . . . . . . Tom Lawless 1993-94 . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 1985-86 . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1994-95 . . . . . . . Carlotti De Jager 1986-87 . . . . . . . . . . Joe Ferdenzi 1995-96 . . . . . . . . Mary Eve Brill 1987-88 (tie) . . . Mark Soberman 1996-97 . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona and Mary Ann & Joe Bugeia 1997-98 . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 1988-89 . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Ryan 1998-99 . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1989-90 . . . . . Eddie Szablewicz 1999-00 . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Miglio 1989-90 . . . . . Eddie Szablewicz 2000-01 . . . . . . . . . Pat Coushaine 1991-92 . . . . . . . . . Steve Sagona 2001-02 . . . . . . . . William Amely

2002-03 . . . . . . . . Evelyn Eagan 2003-04 . . . . . . . William Amely 2004-05 . . . . . . . . Evelyn Eagan 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Vukich 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Vukich 2008 . . . . . . . . . . William Amely 2009 . . . . . . . . . . Mario Bengcion 2010 . . . . . . . Alexander A. Priest

GCAS PRESIDENTS (Post 1945 — number in parenthesis = consecutive terms) 1946-49 Elliott Whiteway (4) 1968-70 Walter Hubel (2) 1981-84 Brian Kelly (3) 1950-51 Robert Greene (2) 1970-72 Dave Williams (2) 1984-86 Jack Oliva (2) 1952-53 Robert Maybeck (2) 1972-73 Dan Carson (1) 1986-97 Joe Ferdenzi (11) 1954-55 Leonard Meyer (2) 1973-75 Herb Fogal (2) 1997-99 Vincent Sileo (2) 1956-57 Sam Estro (2) 1975-76 Richard Hoey (1) 1999-00 Jeff George (1) 1958 Leonard Meyer (2+1) 1976-77 Ted Tura (1) 2000-08 Joe Ferdenzi (11+8) 1959-64 Gene Baiocco (6) 1977-78 Gene Baiocco (6+1) 2009-11 Dan Radebaugh (3) 1965 Andrew Fazio (1) 1978-79 Louis Kromm (1) 1966-68 Charles Elzer (2) 1979-81 Don Sanford (2)

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

Greater City Aquarium Society

— 2011 Awards — To be awarded December 7, 2011

GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR AWARD JEFFREY BOLLBACH

DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR AWARD JOSEPH GRAFFAGNINO

WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPION RICHARD WAIZMAN

AUTHOR AWARD PROGRAM (AAP) AWARDS

Only authors making contributions printed during 2011 (or who received AAP points as a result of NEC and/or FAAS publication awards announced in 2011) and whose AAP levels changed are listed below. Jules Birnbaum . . . . . . . . Writer Jules Birnbaum . . . . . . . . Essayist Rich Levy . . . . . . . . . . . . Author

Susan Priest . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Grand Master Laureate Stephen Sica . . . . . . . . . . Master Laureate

Susan Priest is Author of the Year for 2011!

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

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2007

December 2011

e are very pleased to congratulate Jules Birnbaum, who again this year has moved up two steps in our rankings—first to Writer and then to Essayist. Also making significant advances were Rich Levy, who achieved Author status, Steve Sica, who moved from Senior Laureate to Master Laureate, and Susan Priest, who in the process of attaining the nearly unimaginable rank of Senior Grand Master Laureate, was also Author of the Year for 2011! Thanks and congratulations to all of our contributors. We hope to hear more from each of you in the New Year!

Overview of the Author Award Program The GCAS AAP awards points for contributions to Modern Aquarium. Persons acquiring a specified number of points will receive additional recognition in the form of a certificate for having reached designated Accomplishment Levels. (See “Accomplishment Levels.”) Each person making a qualifying contribution to Modern Aquarium (and that includes writing for our “Anonymous Fishkeeper” column!) receives points, as well as chances for a Prize Drawing at the Annual Holiday Party. Eligibility Any member of Greater City who makes a contribution to Modern Aquarium is automatically a participant. Points Five points will be awarded for an original article of 500 words or less. Ten points will be awarded for an original article of 501 words and over. Five points will be awarded for an original photograph, drawing, or illustration submitted with, and as part of, an original article. If more than two photographs, drawings, or illustrations are submitted with a related article, only two will be given points (this is in addition to the points awarded the article, based on its size). Ten points will be awarded for an original color photograph that is used on the front cover. Photographs must be the work of the member submitting them, and must not have been previously published, or submitted for publication, in any commercial or amateur publication. Two or more related photographs or illustrations submitted with captions, and occupying one or more pages, will be counted as two photos (10 points) and as an article over 500 words (10 points), for a total of 20 points. An example would be a photo spread with captions. An original article on a fish in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program will receive double points

(i.e., 10 points for an article of 500 words or less, and 20 points for an article of 501 words or more). Photos and drawings of a C.A.R.E.S. eligible species will also receive double points. Five points will be awarded for an original puzzle which is used on the “Fin Fun” page of Modern Aquarium. Ten points will be awarded to the winner of our Cartoon Caption Contest. Points are awarded only once for an article, drawing, puzzle, or photograph. No points are awarded for subsequent reprints, regardless of whether the original article was awarded points in the AAP previously. To be eligible for AAP points, a contribution must first have been submitted to Modern Aquarium. However, if an article previously published in Modern Aquarium is significantly revised by its author (as a result of new information or developments), and if such a revision is first submitted to Modern Aquarium, it will be treated as a new article. Points are awarded in the year the article is printed. Editorials and President’s Messages are excluded. An article deemed unacceptable by the Editorial Staff of Modern Aquarium for reasons of appropriateness of topic, suitability, or possible violations of copyright or libel laws, will be ineligible for participation in the GCAS AAP. Decisions of the Staff are final. Points credited to an author may not be carried over or credited to subsequent calendar years for the purposes of raffle prize chances or “Author Of The Year” designation. Bonus Points If, in the year following its publication in Modern Aquarium, an article is given a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place award by the North East Council of Aquarium Societies (“NEC”) or by the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”), an additional 10 points will be awarded if the author is a GCAS member in the year the NEC or FAAS award is announced. This applies only to articles (not to drawings, columns, cartoons or photos). These bonus points are credited in the year that the award is announced, not the yearfor which it is awarded. Prize Drawing For every 5 AAP points earned in a calendar year, the recipient is given one chance in our “Authors/Contributors Only” Raffle. Author of the Year The person with the most points in a calendar year receives a certificate as “Author Of The Year” for that year. This is our most prestigious

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

award, and the winner truly exemplifies the high value which they place on the contribution of experience and knowledge to the aquarium hobby at large. Accomplishment Levels For the accomplishment levels specified below, points are cumulative over the life of the AAP program.

Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 45 pts Correspondent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 to 95 pts Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 to 145 pts Essayist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 to 195 pts Journalist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 to 295 pts Columnist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 to 495 pts Laureate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 to 745 pts Senior Laureate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 750 to 995 pts Master Laureate . . . . . . . . . 1,000 to 1,495 pts Grand Master Laureate . . . . 1,500 to 1,995 pts Sr. Grand Master Laureate 2,000 to 10,000 pts Editor Emeritus . . . . . . . . . . . . over 10,000 pts

Author Award Program Report A Status Report - Points Awarded March to December 2011 Art Work (in points)

Author

Photo/ Drawing (up to two per article)2

Number of Articles1 500 words or less

over 500 words

Sharon Barnett

Awards

Total Points

Prize

Bonus3 Points

Current Year Total: March to December

Raffle4 Chances

Jules Birnbaum

100

Tommy Chang

n/a

Brad Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Joseph Ferdenzi

2 20

Joseph Graffagnino

1 1

Rich Levy

Elliot Oshins

Alexander Priest

150

290

n/a

Susan Priest

360

n/a

300

n/a

Dan Radebaugh Marsha Radebaugh

Stephen Sica

140

Undergravel Reporter

Edward Vukich

Points are doubled for each article on a fish in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program. Points are doubled for each photo or drawing of a C.A.R.E.S. fish used on the cover. 3 Bonus points are awarded to participants for awards (other than Honorable Mention) received from the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) Publication Awards, and The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies (NEC) Article Awards, in the year these awards are announced, not in the year for which they are awarded. 4 Modern Aquarium staff members are ineligible for the Raffle. Family members of staff ARE eligible. 1 2

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

December 2011 December 2009

Here are the total AAP points for all GCAS members as of December 2011. If you have questions, or feel that there are errors, please contact Dan. William Amely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Sharon Barnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Fred Bellise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mario Bengcion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Steve Berman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Jules Birnbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Tom Bohme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Victoria Bohme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Jeff Bollbach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Roger Brewster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tommy Chang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Donald Curtin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Doug Curtin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Carlotti De Jager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Les Deutsch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Brad Dickinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Claudia Dickinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,195 Al DiSpigna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Pete Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Rod Du Casse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Evelyn Eagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Frank Fallon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Harry Faustmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Anita Ferdenzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Francesca Ferdenzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Joseph Ferdenzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,285 Marisa Ferdenzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Alison Feuer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Warren Feuer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Michael Foran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Artie Friedman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Peter Foster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Jeff George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Horst Gerber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Steve Giacobello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Joseph Graffagnino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Steve Gruebel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Al Grusell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Bernard Harrigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,800 Jason Kerner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Denver Lettman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Rich Levy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Bill Luckett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 John Malinowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Desiree Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Tom Miglio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Jackleen Minassi-Haftvani. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Temes Mo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Jerry O'Farrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Elliot Oshins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Jim Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Margaret Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Alexander Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,570 Susan Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,240 Dan Radebaugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 Marsha Radebaugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

22 34

Jannette Ramirez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Leonard Ramroop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Mark Rubanow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Charley Sabatino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Donna Sosna Sica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Stephen Sica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,075 Vincent Sileo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Danielle Soberman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ilyssa Soberman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Robin Soberman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mark Soberman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Jack Traub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Undergravel Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,180 Anton Vukich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Edward Vukich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Michael Vulis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Greg Wuest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

December2009 2011 December

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

GCAS BREEDER AWARD PROGRAM 2011 NAME

SPECIES BRED

JEFF BOLLBACH

Points 1st - GCAS

CERT # 1810 BETTA MIDAS IRIATHERINA WERNERI 1811 1812 1813 1814

CARES

15 5

CYPRINODON FORTINALIS AMPHIPRION OCCELLARIS ORYZIAS WOWORAE Number of species:

6/1/2011 6/1/2011

DATE

Total Points

6/1/2011 6/1/2011 6/1/2011

WARREN FEUER 1819 1820

RINELORICARIA SP. "RED LIZARD CAT" L010A LAMPROLOGUS CONGOENSIS Number of species:

JOSEPH GRAFFAGNINO 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1815 1816 1817 1818 1821 1822

15 20 2

AEQUIDENS (BUJURQUINA) VITTATUS JORDANELLA FLORIDAE POECILIA CHICA COPIDICHROMIS MLOTO "YELLOW" HEROS SP. "ATABAPO" ORYZIAS MEKONGENSIS RINELORICARI SP. IRIATHERINA WERNERI TILAPIA SNYDERAE TANICHTHYS MICAGEMMAE ORYZIAS WOWORAE

9/7/2011 9/7/2011

U Total Points

3/2/2011

6/1/2011

10 15

6/1/2011 7/6/2011

7/6/2011

9/7/2011

11/2/2011

Number of species: 11

11/2/2011 Total Points

125

Total Points

RICH LEVY 1804

PELVICACHROMIS PULCHER

10 Number of species:

3/2/2011

EDWARD VUKICH 1779 1780 1781

CYPROCHROMIS LEPTOSOMA ARCHOCENTRUS MYRNAE MEGALAMPHODUS MEGALOPTERUS Number of species:

4/7/2010

10 3

4/7/2010 4/7/2010

Total Points

U��indicates first recorded breeding of the species in the GCAS Breeders Award Program Ì��indicates a species at risk that is listed in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2011

GCAS Breeder Award Totals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 24

NAME POINTS # BRED JEFF BOLLBACH 1,575 116 JOSEPH GRAFFAGNINO 1,060 75 ANTON VUKICH 910 70 JOSEPH FERDENZI 905 59 TOM MIGLIO 865 66 MARK SOBERMAN 805 42 STEVE SAGONA 655 47 WARREN FEUER 680 43 EDWARD VUKICH 555 44 JOHN STORA 540 47 JOSE ARANDA 505 47 JOHN IANNONE 485 45 THE ECKSTEINS 455 39 CARLOTTI DE JAGER 440 33 CLAUDIA DICKINSON 435 27 RICHARD SORENSEN 420 33 FRANCIS LEE 390 28 GERALD GORYCKI 370 41 CHARLEY SABATINO 360 20 THE REPANES 355 27 JACK OLIVA 345 42 HAROLD KETTERER 335 30 AL PRIEST 330 8 THE LOMBARDIS 325 32 GREGORY WUEST 310 30 DON SANFORD 310 25 TED KURDZIEL 295 24 TONY FERRARO 275 23 THE BUGEIAS 270 31 DOMINIC ISLA 235 20 STEPHAN ZANDER 230 14 YEZID GUTIERREZ 206 20 PHILIP INGENITO 205 13 ROD DU CASSE 190 14 THE DONATONES 175 18 JOHN MORAN 170 11 LOUIS KROMM 170 16 JEFF GEORGE 165 17 DICK MOORE 160 5

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 December 2011

NAME POINTS # BRED JEAN BRAUDE 155 12 BARRY LYNCH 150 18 SHARON MIRABELLA 135 10 THADDEUS TURA 135 9 JOE CUCINIELLO 135 9 JORGE RODRIGUEZ 135 9 HARRY EVANS 125 11 KEN BRUST 120 15 FRANK GANNON 120 16 JERRY SCHULTZ 120 11 THE KELLYS 115 12 GEORGE MAROTI 115 8 JOE MANCUSI 115 8 HERB FOGAL 100 13 JERRY MAYER 95 7 JOE FLANAGAN 95 12 DENNIS EGIELSKI 95 4 BRIAN KELLY 90 6 PETE D'ORIO 90 9 ROBERT MC KEAND 85 5 EDWARD SZABLEWICZ 85 7 NOEL RODRIGUEZ 85 7 BOB KUHLKE 80 7 LEONARD RAMROOP 80 11 BRADLEY PLOTKIN 80 6 JOHN LEE 75 5 DOUGLAS CURTIN 75 12 JOSE PEREZ 75 6 TOM BOHME 75 7 BOB RADAMACHER 70 9 DONALD CURTIN 70 10 PAT PICCIONE 70 7 SARA MONHEIT 65 6 CHARLES KUHNE 60 8 JOEL FORGIONE 60 4 BOB DU BOIS 55 5 HORST GERBER 55 4 BOB WRANOVICS 50 4 MIKE CASSANO 50 5 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

NAME POINTS # BRED WARREN BURKE 45 7 BRUCE WEILER 45 3 WILLIAM BRANDOFINO 45 4 CHARLES SHATAKA 40 5 CHARLES BENEFATTI 40 7 BRIAN STERN 35 4 ARTHUR MAYER 35 3 BARRY CENTER 35 3 THE MARTINS 35 5 VINNIE RITCHIE 35 3 AL PHANEUF 35 5 BRUCE WELLER 30 3 MICHAEL VILLANO 30 4 ROGER BEAULIEU 30 2 THE STEGMANS 30 3 ROB ALTONEN 30 2 GENE BAIOCCO 30 4 STANLEY WEGLARZ 25 4 VINCENT BABINO 25 2 EMMA JORDAN HAUS 20 3 DANNY SHEPARD 20 3 GUNTER HORSTMANN 20 3 STEVEN MILLER 20 1 PETER SCHLEISMAN 20 2 ARNOLD FREED 20 4 STUART KRICHEVSKY 20 3 JOE ARONNE 15 2 IGNACIO ARENCIBIA 15 1 THE FERNANDEZES 15 1 WILLIAM SADERA 15 1

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

December 2011

109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137

NAME POINTS # BRED DAN GAWIAK 15 2 KATHY BUSBY 10 1 ABE COOPER 10 2 BILL ARONNE 10 1 RICH LEVY 10 1 DAN RADEBAUGH 10 1 DIANNE SPELLMAN 10 1 JOHN MC CAFFERY 10 2 JERROLD MEYER 10 1 HORST MIEHLBRAD 10 1 FRANK FALLON 10 1 WALTER ROSTOWSKI 10 2 JASON KERNER 10 1 JAY LIEBOWITZ 5 2 ADAM KLEINROCK 5 1 EDYTH MONSOUR 5 1 KATHY FERNANDEZ 5 1 THE QUINNS 5 1 WILLIAM STALZER 5 2 JAMES BROOKS 5 1 RICHARD WALSH 5 1 BILL SMITH 5 1 DANNY CIRNIGLIAR 5 1 GEROLD COCH 5 1 BOB FUCHS 0 1 PETER SAGINARIO 0 5 DEAN ABRUMSON 0 1 VINCENT MASCOLA 0 3 JOHN HILL 0 1

GCAS Happenings

December

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners: 1 Mario Bengcion

Green & Red Delta-tail Betta

2 Richard Waizman

Double-tail Red Betta

3 Mario Bengcion

Green & Red Betta

Official 2011 Bowl Show totals: Richard Waizman 26

Mario Bengcion 24

Joe Magnoli 9 Harry Faustmann 5

William Amely 8

A warm welcome back to renewing GCAS members Akinwunmi Durojaiye, Vanessa George-Brathwaite, Horst Gerber, DesirÉe Martin, A. Wayne & Chriscita Morris, Elliot Oshins, and Donna and Steve Sica!

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: March 7, 2012 Speaker: TBA Event: TBD Meets: Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except January & February) at 7:30pm: The December meeting will be at The Palace Diner, 6015 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437 Email: gcas@earthlink.net Website: http://www.greatercity.org

Meets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Big Apple Guppy Club Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July, and August) at 7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

Next Meeting: December 13, 2011 Speaker: None Event: Holiday Party 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

Brooklyn Aquarium Society

NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Next Meeting: December 9, 2011 Event: Holiday Party Topic: N/A Meets: 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: December, 2011 Speaker: TBA Event: Holiday Party Meets at: THIS MONTH'S MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE MEADOWLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 Email: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com Website: http://www.njas.net/

Long Island Aquarium Society Next Meeting: December 16, 2011 Event: Holiday Party Topic: N/A Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on theState University at Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - president@liasonline.org Website: http://liasonline.org/

Norwalk Aquarium Society Next Meeting: No December, 2011 Meeting Speaker: No Meeting Topic: N/A Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833 Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS Email: jchapkovich@snet.net Website: http://norwalkas.org/

December 2011

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

The Massage is the Message A series by The Undergravel Reporter In spite of popular demand to the contrary, this humor and information column continues. As usual, it does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of the Editor, or of the Greater City Aquarium Society.

ave you done your fish chores today? Let’s see: Did you feed your fish? Did you do water changes where needed? Did you inspect each tank to verify there were no sick or injured fish requiring treatment, no “floaters” to be removed, no new fry requiring a grow-out tank or special food, and that all filters, pumps, and airlines were working? Finally, did you massage your fish? Yes, I said “massage your fish.” scientists have shown that surgeonfish which receive daily massages have lower How ‘bout a levels of a stress-related hormone, cortisol, in their blood.1 In the wild, coral reef-dwelling surgeonfish get a massage from the cleaner fish that usually picks parasites off their skin. The surgeonfish go to specific sites, known as cleaning stations, where they strike a pose to invite the cleaners to get to work. In the process, cleaner fish straddle the back of a surgeonfish, and use their pelvic and pectoral fins to massage the surgeonfish. Until now, scientists didn’t think the surgeonfish received any real benefit from the massage.

However, a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications indicates otherwise. To eliminate the possibility that other factors, such as social interaction or parasite removal, might have some effect, the researchers used fake cleaner fish resembling bluestreak cleaner wrasses. Some of these fake cleaners moved, offering massages with a soft brush on their ventral side, or stomach, while others were stationary. Surgeonfish collected from around the Great Barrier Reef near Australia were given access to one of these types of model cleaners for two hours per day for 10 days. On the 11th day, the researchers took blood samples from the fish to measure levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. Among humans, long-term stress, and subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones, puts a person at increased risk of heart disease, obesity, depression and other problems, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the fish study, researchers found that the fish that received massages from the models had lower cortisol levels than those with access to only stationary models. During a second part of the e x p e r i me n t , t h e surgeonfish were subjected to stress by being confined in a bucket. All of the confined fish experienced elevated stress. However, the fish that had been massaged by the fake cleaner fish had lower levels of cortisol, and those rub, mate? fish who received massages of longer duration showed the lowest levels of cortisol. The researchers compared the massages’ effects on the surgeonfish to those seen in humans who receive them from strangers with whom they have no social connection, and concluded that physical contact, even without any social factor, is enough to produce positive, short-term physiological effects in fish, a phenomenon previously demonstrated only in humans.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45306022

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

December 2011 December 2011

Fin Fun Last Summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pond

Someone forgot one lonely Paradisefish when cleaning out the outdoor pond and now, unless you help this fish navigate through the snow(man), it is in for a very tough winter. Guide the fish up and out and into the sun.

Answers to last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s puzzle Species Chromidotilapia kingsleyae

Found in Gabon X

Helostoma temminck Neolebias cf. ansorgii

X X

Rhadinocentrus ornatus Nanacharax parvus

X X

Monocirrhus polyacanthus Enneacampus ansorgii

NOT native to Gabon

X X

Badis assamensis X Source: http://tedsfishroom.com/2011/03/09/fish-from-gabon/ and fishbase.org

28 24

December2011 2011 December

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