the
Scavenger
Red Tail
Sharks!
A Trip to the 2012 ACA Convention
Breeding the Synodontis catfish
June 2013
Synodontis petricola
Louisville Tropical Fish Fanciers
President’s Message I’m often amused by the different fish keeping styles of aquarists that I meet. No two people do it the same way. Some are artistic in their fish keeping practice, decorating their tanks with lots of style, while others are much more utilitarian, preferring to forego decoration in favor of a simpler more easily maintained aquarium.
Board of Directors and Select Offices President Robert Slaton Vice President Morris Spillman
Robert Slaton
Some see their fish as family pets and give them names. “Goldie” might live for a decade in such a comfortable life, and receive a proper burial at his/her demise. Other fish keepers have Darwinian tanks where survival of the fittest is acted out, and a fish upon dying becomes another tank mate’s meal. Over the years I have enjoyed visiting many fellow club members’ homes to look at their aquariums. I’ve been impressed many times by the dedication and skill with which various fish keepers care for their fish.
socchessfishki4@aol.com MDH180@insightbb.com
Secretary Sherry Lindle
sherry.l.lindle@us.army.mil
Treasurer Rusty Wessel
rusty@wesselinsurance.com
Membership Doug Skidmore
dbskid86@yahoo.com
Breeder Awards
uaru02@yahoo.com
Brian Carson Scavenger Editor
Along with their aquaristic practice, all club members have a unique way of expressing themselves and interacting with others. Whether shy, outgoing, business oriented, technical, easygoing, meticulous, or comical, their personality relates, and coalesces with others to form a community of shared experience (a club). It’s the interplay of our shared interests, and our differences that makes Louisville Tropical Fish Fanciers so enriching. Take every opportunity to talk to, spend time with, visit fish rooms, trade fish and plants, attend meetings, and lend a helping hand with your fellow club members. You and your fish will be glad you did.
Alan Farrow
ambeach2000@yahoo.com
Auctions
Dave Smith
dsmith9319@aol.com
Donations
Kevin Laslie
InTheNyte@aol.com
Refreshments
Vanessa Johnson
lizzj70@yahoo.com
contributors Robert Slaton Robert is the president of LTFF and an avid aquarist for over 25 years. He keeps mostly Central American and African cichlids and catfish. In his spare time he enjoys chess and refereeing soccer games.
Editor’s Message Welcome to the new LTFF newsletter! I am really excited about this project and have been working hard since Robert offered me the opportunity to become the new editor of the Scavenger.
Kenny Tapp Kenny is a talented aquarist who uses carbon dioxide and RO water to enhance his fish and plant keeping. He has many tanks going, and has really become an exceptional catfish breeder.
Mike McMichael Mike is a long-time aquarist who is also an avid fisherman. He maintains several large show quality tanks and is very knowledgeable about Lake Tanganyika cichlids.
Alan Farrow
This is a publication by the members of LTFF. Without your input and participation, it would just be another collection of internet information. I want to publish what I hear from you, the members. Tell us what you are doing in your fishroom, what species you have bred and what you have learned that can be passed along. Brag on that tank in the family room, share those tips we all learn along the way… I have ideas for several new monthly columns. But I need your input… Member of the Month - Show us what you have! Tips and Tricks Column - We all know a few. Two for Dinner - We keep them and sometimes we eat them! Your favorite recipes. Food! – Alternative food sources. I look forward to hearing from you!
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the
Scavenger
A publication of Louisville Tropical Fish Fanciers
May 2013
Cover Stories
2012 ACA convention in Indy……………………………….………5 Robert Slaton tells us about his trip to the show
Breeding the Synodontis multipunctatus……………………………….…..…9 Kenny Tapp explains how he bred this unusual cat
The Red tail Shark……………………………………………………………10 An elegant and beautiful fish with a long history
Synodontis petricola.............................................................................14 Mike McMichael’s adventures with the pygmy leopard catfish
Regular Columns Did you know……………………....4 If I had a Million…………..……..12 Food!.............………………………15 Breeder Awards…………………. 16 Upcoming events…………………16
Cover Story Cichlid Heaven
A beautiful shot of a community tank taken by Robert Slaton at the 2012 American Cichlid Association
did you know… Q. Where does the word “fish” come from? A. The Latin word piscis became the Germanic word fisch, which became the Old English word fisc, which became today’s word, fish. Goldfish were first bred in China during the 11th century from the occasional colorful specimen found among carp bred for food.
Archerfish
Q. Fish live in water, of course …but how much of a fish is water? A. 70%. There are more than 2,000 different types of catfish Richard Pryor was originally cast as Sherriff Bart in Blazing Saddles, but turned down the role due to “creative differences”. Imagine that…
Actor who got the part: Cleavon Little
“I double dog dare you to squirt him there”
There are more species of fish than all the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals combined. 40% of all fish species inhabit fresh water, yet less than .01% of the earth's water is fresh water. The smallest fish is the Philippine goby that is less than 1/3 of an inch when fully grown.
LTFF to host the
2014 American Cichlid Association
JUNE 1
Convention! Louisville Tropical Fish Fanciers and the ACA will be hosting the ultimate cichlid experience in our local hometown. Come hear some of the top speakers in our hobby, go on exciting side trips and see some really beautiful fish as well.
Mark Your Calendars!
COLLECTING NATIVE FISH
July 10-13, 2014 Crowne Plaza Hotel
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My Trip to the Indy 2012 ACA Convention
Spectacular! My Trip to the Indy 2012 ACA Convention By Robert A. Slanton
As soon as I heard that the Circle City Aquarium Club in Indianapolis would be hosting the 2012 ACA convention, I knew I would have to go! You see, I grew up in Plainfield, Indiana, just a few miles West on I-70, and I knew that the housing for my convention trip would be free. Couple that with a relatively short car ride to the convention, and my son living in Indy at the time, and I had plenty of incentive to go see lots of amazing fish! I contacted my son about attending the convention (my treat) and he agreed to go with me. I was pretty excited to be able to share the event with him. He keeps fish himself, and worked at a couple of pet store chains during high school and college. He also had his tanks filled with some really nice Astatheros robertsoni juveniles. He had bred them from a pair that I had gotten from Chris Harper that were from Rusty Wessel’s stock. He and I thought that the ACA would be a good place to sell some, and of course, buy something new to keep. Andrew and I both had time free from work, and our adventure began. I arrived at the Wynndam hotel on Thursday afternoon. I walked around looking at the vending room and showroom areas. Right off the bat I met Heiko Bleher! I was Heiko’s Facebook friend already, and actually started the ball rolling on his invitation as a speaker by getting him and Mike Matthews together for the official invite. He remembered me, and very patiently and graciously paged through his amazing discus book with me. He must have spent 10 minutes with me. The crowed had yet to arrive, and I was pretty much in awe of being able to spend some quality time with Heiko Bleher! I also shook hands with Ted Judy, who was set up just opposite Heiko in the vendor’s room. Ted, who used to be an LTFF member, was also a Facebook friend whom I had met only once before. It was apparent that Facebook was making a huge difference in how fish keepers meet, and interact with each other. I got a picture with Heiko, and went to the registration desk to meet Andrew and register for the convention. The author meeting Heiko Bleher
The author and his son Andrew at the auction
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We got our packets and walked around looking at all the fish on display and on sale. Right away Andrew posted an attractive flyer about his prize robertsoni on the bulletin board for fish sales. He was excited to think that someone might buy some of his fish. The Reef fish store had a large setup in the tank rental room. Andrew had done some buying and trading in of fish at The Reef before, and I had been to the store a couple of times when I visited Al Anderson, a fish keeping guru in the Indy club.
The author meeting AJ Fish, John Niemans, and Vin Kutty
When I found out that all the tanks for rent were sold out, I was not sure what to do with the juvenile albino ansistritus that I had brought to the convention to sell. I asked the owner of The Reef if he was interested in purchasing them. He said that he would sell them for me out of his tanks. Wow, that was a very kind offer, and even though they only sold a few, he paid me for all of them at the end of the convention. I’m impressed by that type of flexibility and compassion, so I have a lot of respect for that business. Their plant sales tank was very decorative and spacious, with great prices on desirable, healthy plants. While walking the halls later that evening, we ran into Heiko. I introduced my Son to the legend, and got a picture of them. Andrew and I ate at the hotel restaurant, and since he had to work early the next day, I spent that night at my sister’s house in Plainfield. Paraneetroplus gibbiceps
Friday I took my sister, my niece, my nephew, and his girlfriend to Gray Brothers Cafeteria (in Mooresville, IN) for lunch. It was nice to be able to visit family while up for the convention, and Gray Brothers is my all-time favorite cafeteria. That afternoon, Andrew and I met at the convention and attended some presentations given by excellent speakers including Heiko Bleher, Anton Lamboj, Ad Konings, Paul Loiselle and others. Each topic was well presented and included some great pictures and videos. We went to about 5 or 6 presentations over the course of Friday and Saturday. Between presentations Andrew and I walked around looking at display tanks, show tanks, vendor’s displays of fish and fish keeping products, and the fish for sale in rooms. On Friday we saw AJ Fish, John Niemans, and Vin Kutty as they arrived at the convention. The author with famed fish photographer Mo Devlin
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I had been AJ’s Facebook friend for a while after I found out about him from another FB friend, Stan Sung. It was my first time meeting the group from California, and I had Andrew take a picture of me with them. It was nice to meet them. Though I only spoke briefly with AJ, I knew that the meeting would strengthen our on-line friendship. Another Facebook friend, Dan Ye-Jennings, whom I had met once before briefly at the 2009 ACA convention in Cincinnati, was at the Indy convention showing off her spectacular collection of show fish. Her fish were amazing! I had a brief conversation with her and her husband in the hospitality room. Once again Facebook was vital to making and strengthening friendships. Spotted discus
Andrew and I attended the BABES auction, put bids in on silent auction items, and ate a couple of times at the hotel restaurant. Andrew got a call from someone about his robertsoni breeding pair. Sunday morning on the way to the big auction we stopped by the room and sold the pair to a very knowledgeable fish keeper named Lew Carbone. He placed them in a tank with a nice Plexiglas divider diagonally between them. You could tell that Lew was a meticulous fish keeper. I was happy that Andrew had that successful experience selling his breeding pair for $50 at the convention. After that it was on to the Auction. LTFF member Kenny Tapp likes the pretty fishes
LTFF member Phil Pearson missed his lunch while Morris Spillman looks on Andrew Slaton with the Legend
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Aulonocara Eureka Red
I bought some Protomelas Steveni “Taiwan Reef”, Aulonocara baenschi, and a bag of 25 Chuco microthalmus. Each bag was both a good value, and an exciting addition to my fish room. I was not positive on my ID of microthalmus, so I talked to Phil Pearson before bidding to make doubly sure that they were what I thought they were. He said that they were the fish I was hoping to get, so I felt confident and excited about my purchase. Andrew bought some Gymnogeophagus exmeridianalis, (Muerte Creek). He had bid unsuccessfully on some Bolivian rams, so I was glad to see him win on the two bags of Gymnos. Surprisingly, the auction only lasted a few hours, so prices did not really drop much toward the end.
It was very entertaining checking out all the auction items, and listening to the bids. Andrew and I had a pretty good idea what we wanted to get, and they would only be coming up to auction in the last hour of the auction. We sat in the front row, taking in the whole experience, and bidding occasionally on fish of interest. In the auction room were other LTFF members. I recall Mike Thompson, Mike McMicheal, Bill Merkley, Vanessa Johnson, Sandy Carson, Nathan Callaway, Phil Pearson, and Morris Spillman. I’m sure I missed one or two others. When the bags of fish that Andrew and I were interested in came up for auction, we were ready. We bid aggressively, knowing that it was now or never! I generally think of the price per fish when bidding. If I’m interested in something that I have space for and want a lot, I will bid at or above retail price. Usually that is plenty for an auction.
What happens at the ACA Convention, stays at the ACA Convention
Soon the auction was over, and Andrew and I went back to his place, (I had spent Friday and Saturday night at his apartment) and I packed and said good bye. I think Andrew enjoyed his first ACA convention, and I hope we can share more in the future. ACA 2012 was a great experience, especially because my son was there to share it with me. All my fish are continuing to grow and do well. As our club begins to think of hosting the 2014 ACA convention, I hope that we do as good a job as the Circle City club did at the 2012 convention. It was lots of fun, and there were bargains, interesting people, and fantastic fish at every turn. Good luck LTFF with hosting the 2014 ACA convention! Geophagus pellegrini
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Breeding the
Synodontis multipuntatus By Kenny Tapp
I have always loved the look of this Synodontis species. What is really attractive about them is their constant movement throughout the tank during the day. One of the biggest drawbacks to catfish is their nocturnal tendencies. I bought three fish which happened to be one male and two females. I placed them in a 55 gallon aquarium with 12 Gephyrochromis moorii “orange tops”. The tank had a large Hydro sponge filter and a Penguin 330. The heater was set on 76 degrees and the tank had weekly water changes of 30%. These fish were all young so some time had to pass before any breeding activities took place.
QUICK FACTS During this time I fed them frozen bloodworms, minced tilapia and flake food. After several months of waiting I saw two female G. moorii’s holding. I was really excited but when I stripped the females there were no Synodontis fry. This cycle continued for about 3 months until I found catfish fry. There were 8 little catfish and several G. moorii fry. I placed all the fry into a livebearer trap and floated it in the same tank there were bred in.
The author’s fry in the rearing tank
Origin: Africa - Lake Tanganyika Water Conditions: 75-82° F, KH 10-20, pH 7.5-9.0 Diet: Omnivore Family: Mochokidae This species is also known as an upside-down catfish, as it will hang in an inverted position.
I placed a Tetra brilliant G sponge filter in the tank and diverted the filter discharge over the lip of the livebearer trap. This made a mini filter that constantly placed fresh water into the trap. These little guys grow fast. In two days the remaining G. moorii fry were eaten and the catfish aggressively ate microworms and flake food. After two weeks in the livebearer trap I moved them to a 5 gallon aquarium. At eight weeks old they grew to 1 ¼” to 1 ½”. This catfish is really easy to breed and to raise the fry. You just have to be very patient to let everyone mature and become comfortable in the tank. I bought my catfish as adults but I read that it can take years for young Synodontis to sexually mature so if you are not that patient be sure to buy adults. 9
the red tail shark Epalzeorhynchos bicolor The Red tail shark is a member of the genus Epalzeorhynchos in the minnow and carp family Cyprinidae. The scientific name for the red tail shark used to be Labeo bicolor, but it has today been changed to Epalzeorhynchos bicolor (commonly misspelled as Epalzeorhynchus bicolor). Just like many other popular aquarium fishes with “shark” in their common name, the Red tail shark is not really a shark. The Red tail shark is very popular in freshwater tropical aquariums. It is very beautiful with a vibrantly red tail that contrasts against a pitch black body. The intensity of the coloration can indicate how well your Red tail shark is doing since a diseased or stressed Red tail will certainly develop a more dull and listless coloration. A well cared for Red tail can live up to 15 years.
the facts… Water Conditions: 72-79° F, KH 10-15, pH 6.5-7.5 Maximum Size: 4 inches Diet: Omnivore Origin: Farm Raised, Thailand Family: Cyprinidae
The Red tail shark is popular in Asian biotope aquariums as well as traditional community tanks. It is very territorial and keeping several Red tail sharks in the same aquarium will usually result in a lot of fighting. It can also be aggressive towards other species, especially if those species look similar to the Red tail shark. Keeping it with robust fishes that will not tolerate being bullied is therefore recommended. Keeping your Red tail shark with other fish from the same genus is generally a bad idea, and the Siamese Algae Eater and RedFinned shark should also be avoided. Young specimens are usually more peaceful than older fishes. The Red tail shark has been successfully kept with big Tetras, Barbs and many other types of sturdy fish species.
The Red tail shark can grow up to 12 centimeters and should not be kept in an aquarium that is smaller than a 29 G. A well decorated aquarium with plenty of plants and rocks will be appreciated since it resembles its native home in Thailand. Bogwood and artificial aquarium decoration can also be used to provide hiding places. The Red tail shark should be kept in a closed aquarium, since it might otherwise jump out and die. Since the Red tail shark is native to the tropics, the water temperature in the aquarium should be kept in the (7279 F) range. The water should be rather soft and the pH 6.5 to 7.0. Slightly acidic water is better than neutral, but neutral water will be tolerated. The Red tail shark is an omnivorous species that will eat worms, insects, crustaceans and plant matter in the wild. Combining meaty food with some vegetables, algae or plant matter is therefore necessary. Most specimens will eat live food as well as flakes and pellets. Since it is a bottom feeder with an under-turned mouth, pellets are more suitable than flakes.
Thais really love their fish!
Breeding the Red tail shark in aquariums can be difficult, and the Red tail sharks in fish stores have therefore usually been imported from Thailand. In Thailand, large amounts of Red tail sharks are produced in fish farms each year. Only occasional reports of Red tail shark spawnings in aquariums exist. One of the problems that must be overcome if you want to breed Red tail sharks is the fact that they are very aggressive. Keeping more than one Red tail shark in the same aquarium will usually result in a lot of violence, and this is naturally a problem if you intend to breed them. Sexing is also difficult. Females may have a less pointed dorsal fin.
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The Red tail shark is endemic to Thailand, but it may already be extinct in the wild. Since it is so popular in the aquarium trade, it is produced in aquacultures and tens of thousands of Red tail sharks are exported from Thailand each year. Scientists are still not certain about the current wild status of the Red tail shark, or even why the wild population decreased so dramatically. Many people believe that the Red tail sharks popularity among aquarists led to over fishing, but there is actually no proof to support this theory. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, habitat modification is a more probable reason behind the sudden decline of the wild population. The many dams that were created in Thailand during the 1970’s affected the natural habitats. The Red Tail shark should be able to withstand even heavy harvesting, since it has a minimum population doubling time below 15 months. During the 1970’s, this fish was introduced to the Philippine waters, but questions remain as to whether or not there exists an established population. Occasional specimens have also been found in the Mekong River.
A beautiful specimen
When the Red tail shark was still commonly found in Thailand, it inhabited the Chao Phraya basin. It lived in permanent rivers, streams and creeks in the Chao Phraya wetlands. Since the native habitat of the Red tail shark is fast-flowing streams, it will appreciate a strong water current in the aquarium. The Red Tail shark is a bottom living species, but very little is known about its wild habits and habitat since it has not been found in the wild for so long. Chao Phraya is one of the largest rivers in Thailand and it runs from the central plains in the north and all the way to Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand in the south. The Chao Phraya River has always been extremely important for the region, and major cities like Bangkok, Singburi and Ang Thong can be found along the river. In older maps, it is simply referred to as “The River” in Thai (Mae Nam or Menam).
Clarksville, Indiana
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If I had a million… Setups we can Dream about
As long as they don’t learn how to work the remote
Tanked!, of course
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Who needs a wine cellar this small? The old master at work again‌
Rumor has it they come with Nemo toilet paper‌
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Michael McMichael talks about his
Synodontis petricola the pygmy leopard catfish Recently I was able to obtain a male and female pair of Synodontis petricola from Kenny Tapp. Kenny had bred this pair a few times, so they were accustomed to the breeding lifestyle. When I first received these great little catfish, they were near their full maximum size of 5" and were as healthy as can be. The petricola, also known as the pygmy leopard catfish, can be found in its natural habitat in Lake Tanganyika on the Northern side of the lake near Mahale Mountain National Park and prefer to be in groups. What is nice about this catfish is that they really keep the spots with some nice white edging on their fins and make for a beautiful specimen in the aquarium with their constant moving about the tank. I really enjoy watching this species swim around gracefully. When it comes to food, the petricola are not picky eaters and will consume the common fair when it comes to today's foods. They will eat live foods like brine and small shrimp. They will accept flakes and freeze dried foods as well but in my opinion they love pellet sticks with a high protein content. Not only are the different types of foods great for them but will also condition them for their next breeding session which they will do often. On a note to err on the side of caution, they will eat their own fry if given the chance so care should be taken to remove the fry once you notice that they have spawned. My breeding experience is that while I was conditioning the pair in a smaller aquarium until I could move them to a bigger tank, the female took up residency in a Pleco cave and established her ground. Soon after, the male kept going into the cave with her. At this time, I do believe she had laid her eggs and the male had fertilized her batch. Then he came out and took over a perimeter of the tank. By mistake, I removed the parents and placed them in their new bigger aquarium for permanent residence, not realizing they just spawned. A few weeks later I was able to notice very small yellow to tan colored fry swimming around the gravel substrate resembling small Bristle Nose Plecos. At this point, I kept an eye on them and in about a month I was able to view their transformation that led them to their spotted color pattern. I was now a proud owner of a brood of baby petricolas. Their growth rate while fry was surprisingly faster than I thought and at an inch they looked like little miniatures of their parents. Just stunning! They relished the common fair of foods but like their parents, they really enjoyed the pellet foods nibbling away at the pellets while the food softened in the water for consumption and occasionally they would take flake foods. The mom and dad now reside in a 120 gallon aquarium and to this day they still continue to breed but with them in a sand reef rocky habitat, they spend most of their time separated and only to meet up to do their breeding ritual. I do keep my Petricols's with other Tanganyika specimens and it seems that they keep the number of fry down due to predation. As for the other Tanganyika's, seldom do they bother the catfish only to chase them off in the event that a pair is getting ready to dig a pit or to breed. Some key points in that I keep my Petricola's in a larger aquarium along with Texas Holey rock (they love the holes in the rock) on a sand substrate with excellent filtration provided by canister filters. Lighting is provided by two 48" Coralife T5 10,000K and Blue Actinic. Foods I use include Ken's fish foods high protein Krill pellets and Earthworm stick pellets along with Ken's flakes like Super brine shrimp flake and Earthworm flakes. In conclusion, if you get a chance try these beautiful catfish in a group setting, their antics and gracefulness will amaze and stun you in their tranquil behavior in the aquarium.
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Food! Fine aquatic dining
Other foods for our fishy friends By Alan Farrow
What do you do when the fish food you feed your finny friends finally exceeds the monthly power bill and creates its own line item in the family budget? Tell the little lady, “Sorry, no Olive Garden this week, the fish must eat”. Chances are you will be camping out on the living room sofa faster than the perpetually unemployed brother-in-law. Since kids notice the tension, they’ll sense trouble in the homestead. Dollars are short and soon they start hanging out with the wrong crowd, begin sneaking out at night, then bringing home the BAD Report Card with that “going on your permanent record” notation, and eventually one Saturday morning your little angel rides off on the Harley clutched around Spike like the squid in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea while sporting 2 new tattoos you just noticed on her windblown back and ankle. Soon enough she will be bringing home the new addition to the family tree for Grandpa and Grandma to raise. And then there’s Junior… But wait! There is an answer to save the marriage and the life savings! Have you ever tried homemade fish food? It is surprisingly inexpensive and very nutritious. Usually you can poke around the fridge and find most of the ingredients. Just a few things to remember: -There is no set recipe; there are many options. -Never use regular canned vegetables, too much salt. Use fresh or frozen or the “no salt” canned veggies. -Meat trimmings are those small, raw pieces from preparing chicken, beef, fish, organ meats, etc that are too small for anything. Keep them in the freezer in a ziploc so you can add as they accumulate. Use them raw, cooking changes too many enzymes. Fish eat their dinner raw.
A word of warning for you fellows out there who decide to use the family blender, DO NOT even think about it. If the wife comes home and finds you stuffing raw shrimp, chicken livers and whatever else into the blender she was planning on using to serve the morning daiquiris at the next Ladies Luncheon, you will be better off knocking over a few parking meters for spare change or taking up stamp collecting. Scour a few yard sales, Goodwill, or plunk down $20 at Dollar General. DO NOT skip this step. Alright, let’s make a batch. ½ lb raw shrimp, all shells removed. ¾ to 1 cup of Meat trimmings 2/3 cups + frozen mixed vegetables ½ cup frozen spinach 3-4 cloves garlic, skinned Any flake food leftovers; bottom of the can, etc Add if have in small proportions: Broccoli Fresh green peppers, small amounts Fresh or frozen green beans Can’t go wrong with: Zucchini or any squash Brussel sprouts A few purged earthworms A healthy pinch of microworms Toss the well rinsed shrimp into your new blender with a small amount of water. Grind 10 sec or so, then toss in the meat trimmings. Meat is more fibrous and needs extra grinding. Grind another 10 sec or so. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until a thick mush. Be careful not to over grind. Stop before you think, “just one more…”. Put ¼ cup or so in a sandwich bag, squeeze the air out and press thin to about 1/8 in. Lie flat in the freezer. This will give you about 8 bags. When ready to feed, just break off a small piece and place in a cone feeder or a net lying across the tank. This filters out the big chunks and assures that almost all is eaten; nothing floating down into the nooks and crannies to decay. Break up a whole bag into a Tupperware container and keep in the freezer for easier feeding. Happy Feeding!
Avoid adding too many beans… 15
Breeders awards LTFF BAP Standings (As of January, 2013) Master Breeder
600 points and 10 classes 4 Star 400 points and 7 classes
3 Star 300 points and 3 classes Kenny Tapp 520 Doug Skidmore 405 Kevin Laslie 345 2 Star 200 points and 2 classes Brian Carson 420 Morris Spillman 235
1 Star 100 points and 1 class David Smith 370 John Filiatreau 195 Michael McMichael 185 Up and Coming Breeder Bill Merkley Arther Parola David Forrest Linda Stith Marcia Bersaglia Terry Riggs Jeremy Phillips Horace Harrod
70 30 15 15 10 10 10 5
Upcoming events June 1
Bill Merkley hosts a trip into the local creeks and streams for a collecting trip along with experts David Cravens and Josh Blaylock
June 9
Phil Benes talks about his experiences with rainbow fishes
July 14
TBA
Aug 11
Liz Marchio promises a most interesting talk on her trips to Belize and her adventures as a self-described “fish nerd�
Sept 8
LTFF Fall Auction
Oct 5
Missouri Aquarium Society Swap Meet, St. Louis
Oct 13
Jason Baliban and planted aquariums
Nov 10
Les Wilson tells us more about Lake Tanganyika cichlids
Nov 22-24
Ohio Cichlid Association Extravaganza 2013, Strongsville, OH
July 2014
LTFF Hosting the ACA Convention
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