Modern Aquarium by Dan Radebaugh

modern

AQUARIUM ON THE0QVER ||||||Lir

Fifth

Anniversary, ^we

are .';

W^jjjj. issued : To: : represent ?tftis:{: We ha^e^chosen a;: collage; of starnps/from;|$!|j$^^ this montH : 's^covef:v, :: We srnGerel

; created : tsy^lexan^er/' GREATER CITY AQUARfU IV! SOCIETY

|j[;||||ent | . | | . . . ; . . . Vincent Sifea |||||f|restdent: , . ,'.^:> , •:;:':/:; :I0rn;Bohme;;: :::JrfeasiMf;^^ i l | | | | . Secretary . . V ; . . Sreg V^uestv Secretary ;:_,:. PatPicctone:

Series

Vol. V, No. 10

December, 1998

FEATURES Editor's Babblenest

President's Message

NEC Report

This Month's Speaker

Heterandria formosa

Corydoras Catfish

Weather Loach

Neolamprologus meleagris

A Jewel of a Special Event

Nanochromis transvestitus

Pseudotropheus demasoni

Giant Danio

iiiiiiii..... - ; ; •,','•'":'•;•:.

Madagascar Lace Plant

Forktail Rainbowfish

;^:i;|i|Sli:i|iJi|gl^

The Amusing Aquarium

Surfing The Pubs (Exchange Column)

1998 North Jersey Extravaganza

Wet Leaves (Book Review)

Have You Ever

G.C.A.S. Happenings

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page)

| : ; 111 Mary: Ann Bugei;a 1 • :vloe:Bugeia: ' Onto | H ||| ;:G a rtotti.De Jag e F : :

; : : :i Greg Wuest ;;:;|a;r[^: Arrivals; | | | i | | | i. teonar:||j|||

MODERN AQUARIUM

i|||||lllllii||)||S|ii|p lli|i|:;llili;iilplllll^ | | ; | | : J3s;on: : |i^p| ;::;Be;rnaf^;:;:Ham9afii;:^||^|iri;p|:|i^|n| ;::|)feoyive:>|||a|;|:||;;|| Printing By Postal Press

Articles submitted for consideration in MODERN AQUARIUM must be received no later than the 10th day of the month, three months prior to the month of publication. Copyright 1998 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission. The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except during July and August. Meetings are the first Wednesday of the month and begin at 8:00 P.M. Meetings are held at the Queens Botanical Gardens. For more information, contact Vincent Sileo (718) 846-6984. You can also leave us a message at our Internet Home Page at: http: //ourworld. CompuServe. com/homepages /great ere ity

wot

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

his is a very special issue for several reasons. First of all, it's a theme issue with a twist: "Around The World With Modern Aquarium." It's easier to understand by reading it than by me explaining it to you. I want to thank (and I urge our members to thank) all the many contributors to this issue. I know I've been on everyone's neck about deadlines and details for this issue, but I hope you'll agree that it was all worth it. I have plans for future theme issues. Among the themes I've been thinking about are: "Aquatic Plants," "Disease Prevention and Treatment," "Fish For The Advanced Aquarist," and "Sex" (the aquatic variety, that is). If you have other ideas, let me know. If you want to contribute, definitely let me know. Remember, our very own Author Award Program starts next month! This issue is also special because it marks the end of our fifth year of publishing Series III of Modern Aquarium. I am fortunate to have been associated with this magazine since before the first issue went to press. That issue, a meager 12 pages, while nowhere near the quality of what you are holding in your hands now, still looks pretty good, especially considering the technology of the time and the inexperience of the publishing staff. I'm not going to list everyone who helped and worked on this magazine during our first five years, for fear of unintentionally

slighting anyone. However, I will mention three people who were there at the beginning and are with us today, and without whom this magazine would not exist. First, of course, is Joe Ferdenzi. This project was Joe's idea and vision. He pushed it and, as Jean Luc Picard might say, "Made it so!" Then, there is Warren Feuer, our first Editor and still active on our Editorial Staff. He devoted more time than anyone (other than his wife) will know to starting us off right. Finally, Bernie Harrigan, you know the big guy with the devilish smile at our auctions (not him â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the GOOD looking one!). His illustrations, cartoons, and most of all, willingness to provide professional quality printing services at amateur rates, makes every issue a collector's item. This is also a special issue in that it is our biggest (in the number of pages and original articles) ever. For this Fifth Anniversary Special Theme Issue, we raided our storehouse of articles and actively solicited contributions. That means that we have no articles left in reserve. Wouldn't YOU like to see your name in print? If you read the articles this month, you will see a wide variety of styles and approaches. There is no one right way to write an article. Write in your own style, and we'll do the rest! Watch for a Members' Survey on Modern Aquarium next year. Your responses will be anonymous. But when you put your survey into the sealed box, you will be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate that can be used at the store of the Modern Aquarium advertiser of the winner's choice! Still no word on the FAAS Logo Contest. FAAS has a habit of changing its rules after the fact (and they wonder why participation is decreasing). Another example: new Publication Award rules will be mailed this month, for the 1998 entries. (That's like giving tickets for parking last month in a space in which a "no parking" sign was put up only this month!) Finally, since this is our last meeting before Chanukah (Hanukkah), Christmas, Ramadan, Kwanza (Kwanzaa), and New Year's Day, I want to extend to all of our members and their families wishes for health, safety, and prosperity in the coming new year.

President's Message VINCENT SILEO

hat do you expect from the Greater City Aquarium Society? All of us joined the Greater City Aquarium Society for our own reasons. Many of us, I believe, shared the same or similar goals and expectations when we joined: to learn how to successfully maintain an aquarium; to learn about new and exotic tropical fish; and to discuss our experiences with someone whose interests were the same as our own.

These are only a few of the common threads that hold the Society together. But I believe that there are some universal qualities which we would all like to see in our Society. These qualities have little to do with fish or aquariums. They have more to do with human nature. We want to be proud of our membership to the Greater City Aquarium Society. Our affiliation shouldn't be something we are ashamed of, or fear that we may be ridiculed for. We want to be able to hold our head up high when acknowledging our membership or when representing the Society. I have enjoyed this privilege on many occasions, mainly due to the actions of our members. Society members have taken an active roll in breeding fish and raising plants, participated in other society's shows or auctions, shared their knowledge with others, and generally behaved admirably when representing the Society. At times, I have been pleasantly surprised to learn about these acts, many of which have been accomplished without my prior knowledge. But we cannot simply depend upon the accomplishments of the past. Everything we do reflects upon our Society. Our actions can either make us proud of our Society or not. How do you want the general public to perceive the Greater City Aquarium Society? As a bunch of tropical fish nuts? Misfits who spend time and money on a "useless" hobby? More interested in saving the habitat of an "inconsequential" tropical fish than "improving"

the quality of life for people who never had the "conveniences" we have? I have heard statements like these more times than I would like and, being the type of person who would rather avoid conflict, I haven't challenged them on many occasions. This has been a mistake. One of the aims of the Society, as defined in our Constitution, is to teach the public of the value and benefits of tropical fish and the aquarium hobby. I believe that the more we strive to meet this goal, the less we will be confronted by statements like these. Action and attitude will make the difference. Keeping the meetings and events free to the public, and participating in the Queens County Fair are some of the actions we have taken to educate the public. These events can be improved upon. New events and programs can be created. All it takes is the action of our members to make it happen. Don't wait for someone else to do it. If you have an idea for improvement, speak up. Together we can develop your idea into a plan of action and make it happen. The second part of this equation is attitude. Think positive. Try not to react negatively when confronted with statements like these. And don't fly off the handle. That will only make you appear less credible. Take the time to listen to the other person's point of view. Get them to explain it to you until you are able to repeat it back to them. This will show that you respect this person and they will in turn respect you â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and your opinions. Now you are dealing with a more receptive person, someone who is more willing to see your point of view. No one has all of the answers. We cannot simply cut off communication with those who don't see things our way. If we do, we will be perceived as a bunch of dweebs who tinker with our aquariums because we can't deal with people. That's neither the image that I, nor I hope most of you, want for the Greater City Aquarium Society.

News From:

The Northeast Council Of Aquarium Societies by CLAUDIA DICKINSON Vince and Rosie Sileo and I met at the NEC General Meeting in Hartford, Connecticut on Oct. 11th, and brought back a lot of good news to share with you! 4

Annual Convention Dates: April 9 ~ 11, 1999! Only 118 days left to go! The speaker line-up is adding up to the most eventful year ever! The newest addition is none other than the legendary Chuck Davis bringing us a Mystery Topic that's sure to be a highlight! Oliver Lucanus will treat us to his experiences with Discus. Add these names to the renowned Lee Finley, Mike Hellweg, Thorney Pattenaude, Gary Elson and Ray Lucas as Banquet MC, and it makes up a most incredible weekend! So make your plans now to have a Grande Time and "Tie One On!" with some great fishy folks at the lovely Hartford Marriott in Farmington, Connecticut! Please see me with any questions, or you can call David and Janine Banks at 802-372-8716.

NEC Breeder's Award Program: Congratulations to Carlotti DeJager and Greg Wuest for achieving the first Greater City Aquarium Society NEC breeder's award points at the North Jersey Aquarium Society Extravaganza last month. The purpose of this program is to distribute fry from one club to other clubs. It is a wonderful way for club members to find new and exciting fish to work with that possibly are not being raised locally. Any fish that you bring to the auction of another NEC member club is eligible for points. It's that easy!!! The green handout that you received at the meeting gives details of the program, and the yellow paper you received contains your credit slips for each entry. The credit slips are easy to fill out (you can fill out one and photocopy the basic information; i.e., your name, club, etc.). Just as you would have BAP eligible spawns "witnessed" at a GCAS meeting ~ an official of the NEC member club initials your credit slip as a "witness." The completed slips can just be handed to me and I will be happy to submit them for you. Please don't hesitate to ask me any further questions that you may have. Take care for now!

The GCAS Proudly welcomes our scheduled speaker for December:

JMLike Speaking on: "A Variety of Successful Breeding Techniques Used with Neotropical Cichlidae"

he distinguished Mike Sheridan has kept fish since he was a child, and worked with various breeding techniques on Central and South American cichlids since the early 1960's. Mike's interest in neotropical cichlids was fueled upon reading "Search of the Mayans" by Ross Socolof, an article which narrated the discovery of Central American cichlids. This eventually led to his breeding of over a hundred species, for which he has developed skills in working with particularly aggressive fish. Significant precautions for the female's safety are a major consideration in his curriculum. A collecting trip to Peru became the inspiration for Mike's very successful breeding program of the Cichlasoma trimaculatum. At the time, this fish was relatively unknown, and Mike was able to disperse it into the hobby. He is known for his overwhelming generosity in sharing fish, as well as his knowledge. Upon entering Mike's home, one is greeted by a wonderfully ubiquitous array of bubbling tanks. These range in size from 21/2 to 75 gallons and house a wide variety of cichlids. Mike's expertise as a judge and speaker has kept him in high demand across the country. A very active member of the North Jersey Aquarium Society for many years, Mike was awarded a lifetime membership. Mike is truly a great all-around person to get to know, as well as a staunch supporter of the hobby! We are so fortunate to have his voice and knowledge to assure the hobby of a strong and lasting future.

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Corydoras Catfish — South America by MARK SOBERMAN

the wrong name. The fish are either orydoras catfish from South America misidentified by the shipper or the wholesaler. are probably my favorite group of fish. Once I bought some fish that were sold as Over the years most people thought of Corydoras gossei. They turned out to be Corys as little spotted fish you buy to eat the Corydoras seussi. The fish look very similar, but detritus from the bottom of your tanks. In recent years, many books have been written on catfish, Corydoras seussi has a long snout. A point of such as David Sands' Catfish of The World and interest here: when you see two Corys that look alike except for the snout, they probably have the Aqualog series from Germany. As a result of these books, and articles different feeding habits in the wild. The long like them in aquarium magazines, more hobbyists snout being used to dig in the substrate. In the are setting up species tanks in order to keep and home aquarium the long snouted fish are better breed these interesting little creatures. To date, equipped to dig worms out of the gravel. over a hundred species of Corydoras have been Last year my friend Paul Schuermann, identified. And now for the point of this article. the manager of Pet Barn (one of our advertisers), wanted to show me You may ask, "How do I find some of these Country of Origin: ... v ^ , v ... . S o u t h America some nice Corydoras interesting species of Common name: , ... . !!!!!!^ adolfoi that had just arrived. Upon seeing CorydorasT Well, you Scientific name: , . i£:i;£:;l^ can go to a good pet Family: mm':^ v mm£ , . v v , , . , . Callichthyidae the tank I immediately shop, like any of our Breeding Type: v . . ; . v , . . v ...... - E g g layer knew they were a r <o r different but similar advertisers, tell them Adult Size: mmmm M .. Peaceful and Schooling Temperament . ^ ; * m fish, Corydoras what you're looking for, and when available Food Preference mzm v , . v . > . . , , Omnivorous duplicareus. At first they will acquire them iWate|l;lll;ll|;lllii glance you might think for you. I have done Temperature: ., .... they are the same fish, this on many occasions. however, on closer But, if you really want to have some fun, study inspection, it can be seen that Corydoras the photos of the Corys you are interested in and duplicareus has a much wider dark band that runs begin a search for contaminants. across its back from the dorsal to the caudal With the exception of a few species of peduncle. Corys such as aneus and panda, the vast majority A week after I took these fish home they of fish you see in pet shops are wild caught. spawned. I gave some of the fry to other When a shop orders 100 Corydoras jullii there is hobbyists who have subsequently spawned my a chance that a different species of Corydoras stock, thus helping to insure this fish's will be mixed in. These are contaminants. Some availability in the future. times the pet shop orders a common species of Even if you're not that knowledgeable Corys and will get a totally different species from about the different species of Corys, you can still the wholesaler. If you have a keen eye you just have fun searching for contaminants. Start might add some rare Corys to your collection for checking out the tanks in our advertisers' shops. If you see some fish that look a little different $1.99 each. Over the years I have searched from the others in the tank, buy them. When you through many tanks looking for new species of get them home go through your books and try to Corys. As with many other things in life, most identify them. If you do not have any books at of the fun is in the chase. When I see a tank of Corys in a store I home, you can peruse our Society's library at a meeting. In any case, maybe you will get lucky look for any differences in their appearance. As and find some rare or interesting new fish. stated earlier, sometimes only one or two fish are HAVE FUN. different from the group. On other occasions I have seen whole tanks of fish being sold under

lliiM

iillpiifi

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Weather Loach — Europe by JOSEPH FERDENZI

When I brought them indoors, I placed hile Europe is home to many species them in a 29 gallon tank that already housed of freshwater fish, few find their way some Rainbowfish. (Notice that I have not to the aquariums of tropical fish mentioned the pH of the outdoor pool or the hobbyists. That, of course, is unsurprising indoor aquarium — that's because I don't know insofar as there are not many European them, and the loaches didn't seem to care.) Of freshwater fish that would qualify as tropical. course, when they first went from the cool, dark The Weather Loach (Misgurnus fossilis), while pool to the bright, warm aquarium, they were not tropical, is an exception to the rule and can rather skittish. A passing aquarist's body (mine) be commonly found at pet shops catering to would literally "freak" them out. But, within the aquarium hobbyists. I am the happy owner of span of two weeks, they calmed down, and now three Weather Loaches. behave quite normally. The Weather Loach (it is also found in Feeding them is no chore, as they will some texts under the genus Cobitis or eat just about anything Acanthopsis) is native to that falls to the bottom. continental Europe, with Country of Origin: . . ii ; lllllllllllll^ Breeding them is the exception of Gommon name: , ^ ^ , v : >ll;||||||l|ifjîj(ii altogether another Southern Mediterranean :^:$bieritifi0îiaffi^^^ |||||^&^^ matter — it is difficult. countries (Italy, Greece, Most accounts seem to Spain, and Portugal) and ||fîsl;Typi|||||||:; :;||||||!|||g||S|StitS^|| indicate that the the S c a n d i n a v i a n Atfiilt Sm: m i1 ; iii > 1 l|;i l|llI;illll;||l||ii||^ countries. It was first Temperament III! 9 v . Peaceful and Wocturna! majority of spawnings, if they occur at all, take described by Linnaeus Food Preference mmM 1lllllllllll^ place in outdoor ponds. (the originator of the binomial system of |Tarnpar^turill|||;|;|:^ :;iliiillli:iiliî^ll The spawning season reportedly runs from scientific names) in April to July. (Let's see what happens when I 1758. (My three specimens are considerably re introduce them to my outdoor pool in April.) younger, having been purchased in June of 1998.) While the Weather Loach is not a Weather Loaches are slim, elongated fish that can particularly striking fish — it is a subdued brown reach up to eleven inches in length. Despite their and beige striped fish — its appearance differs size, they are peaceful, with small mouths. They from the average tropical fish due to its elongated have barbels that help them to root about in your body (reminiscent of the common Eel). They are gravel, and, hence, they make excellent very easy to care for, and can survive in oxygen scavenging fish. depleted waters that would prove fatal to most I purchased mine in order to keep them other fish. Given its hardiness, peacefulness, outdoors during the Summer. I placed them in a usefulness as a scavenger, and unusual half "whiskey" barrel that contained some potted appearance, it is definitely a good aquarium fish. pond plants. This little pool was situated in a I enjoy keeping them. (Besides, how many relatively shady corner of my back yard, and had native European fish are available to us no filtration. Once they were in this dark pool, hobbyists? This is a species that brings I never saw them. They were about four inches geographic diversity to our aquariums.) in length when they went in. I never placed any Oh, why are they known as Weather fish food into the pool. When I netted them out Loaches? Well, legend has it that you can tell in October, they were a robust five inches! when a storm is approaching by watching the fish (They must have been eating something — — its behavior becomes markedly agitated. naturally occurring aquatic organisms or insects, Now, if I could only train them to give me a five I suppose.) The great thing about Weather day forecast.... Loaches is that they can survive even cool outdoor temperatures (as low as 40°F.).

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Neolamprologus meleagris - Lake Tanganyika "I Guess No One Told Them The Rules" by WARREN FEUER

or much of the past five years I have been bitten by the dwarf-shell-dweller bug. Dwarf shell-dwellers include Lake Tanganyika cichlids that typically grow no larger than 3 inches. Because I am limited in the number and size of the aquariums I keep, these fish are ideal for my needs. They are active, gregarious fish that form intricate social structures within their limited environment. They are easy to take care of, eat just about anything, and are good parents. And, while they may Country of Origin: demonstrate some of the Common name: Ii| territorial aggressive- Scientific name: , ness that cichlids are known for, their squabbles rarely cause harm. ^ W h e n I mentioned that they are Fomi Preferen^^^ good parents, did I say that they live and breed Temperature: inside empty snail shells, and sometimes it is impossible to know that they've spawned until fry are seen? While they may not be as strikingly colored as some of their larger relatives, I find them to be quite attractive. About a year ago, I came across some fish that I had wanted for quite a while â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Neolamprologus meleagris. Similar in appearance to the more familiar N. ocellatus, but smaller, they are sometimes referred to as the "Pearly Ocellatus". This is largely due to the series of iridescent, pearl like spots on their scales and fins. They also have violet highlights throughout their silver-black bodies. I had read an article about them in one of the popular hobby magazines (I can't remember which one, but if you can, let me know) and had been looking for them ever since. When I found out that they were available, I worked out a deal to trade my two N. ocellatus sp. "yellow dorsal" for five small N. meleagris. From the minute the N. meleagris were placed into their home, they were different than any other shell dweller Fd ever kept. Other

species would immediately seek shelter in the empty shells I always provide for these fish. In addition, they hid most of the time, immediately seeking shelter at the first sight of movement around them. Not Neolamprologus meleagris. Although I provided 3 shells for my 5 fish, none of them sought shelter. The fish, although young, proudly displayed, flaring their dorsal and pectoral fins to each other. In no time, it was obvious that I had two rather demonstratively dominant males, at least one female, and two Lake Tanganyika fish I could not Pearly pceilatus accurately sex. Besides the f l a r i n g , and . > , Cichlidae occasional brief chases, Shieii spawner there was harmony in the tank, with no injuries or split fins to ;:;;i;i;i;p:ni;n!VQr;OU;S:i; be seen. lit: iiillilii! Then one day, there were only four fish in the tank. A brief search revealed one very dry, very dead fish behind the tank. I assumed that one of the non-dominant male fish had lost a territorial spat. Having nowhere else to go, he went up and out. To prevent any more "jumpers," I lowered the water level in the tank and began to watch more diligently for signs of aggression. Fortunately, none have appeared, and the remaining four have stayed put. Things settled down, and eventually the two dominant males each adopted a shell at opposite ends of their 5!/2 gallon home. They would stay near the opening of their shell, usually straying only to snag a bit of food. None of the fish showed any interest in pairing off, and I began to wonder if the two smaller fish weren't males as well. I am generally not someone who is obsessed with breeding a fish, and I was more than happy just having these fish to watch. I find them to be beautiful little creatures that are not afraid to come right to the surface for food whenever I come near their tank. They will 9

more robust than those from the first female. They seem to be growing more quickly, and I hope to have fewer deformities. As I stated before, Nanochromis transvesitius is a beautiful and challenging cichlid, well worth the effort to find room for in your tank(s). Want some fry?

References Aquarium Atlas, Vol 2 by Hans A. Baensch & Dr. Riidiger Riehl, pp. 956-7, 1993 Tetra Press "The Transvestite Cichlid-Anything but a Drag..." by Gary Nelson, Tropical Fish Hobbyist 8/98

Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies

Tie ie In

"fTl1

n "

Annual Convention April 9th-llth Hartford Marriott Hotel, Farmington, CT Exit 37 off 1-84, Farm Springs Park Manufacturer's representative, noted speaker and judge, Ray Lucas, will be the Banquet MC. The following speakers are already scheduled: Gary Elson — Apistogrammas Lee Finley — Loricariids Mike Hellweg — Plants Oliver Lucanus — Discus Scott Michael — Marine Fish Thorney Pattenaude — Anabantoids And the renowned hobbyist and columnist Chuck Davis will speak on a "Mystery Topic"! There will also be a fish store tour, Dry Goods Auction, and the famous Giant Fish Auction. For information, call Dayid and Janine Banks at 802-372-8716 or ask our NEC Delegate, Claudia Dickinson, at any meeting.

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Pseudotropheus demasoni â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Lake Malawi Lake Malawi

by CLAUDIA DICKINSON

bit warmer climate of around 80 degrees, extra escription: P. demasoni is a relatively aeration is a good idea to provide plenty of small Mbuna with a most striking dissolved oxygen. Weekly water changes of 40% coloration and gregarious personality! will be much appreciated as long as they are kept Males and females are quite identical and only up on a regular basis. The addition of Rift Lake after witnessing the spawning ritual can one be salts in the proper ratio for your water supply's certain of the sex. chemical make-up will harden and buffer the Upon close observation, females will be water appropriately. a bit smaller and may have a more torpedoOne dominant male should be kept with shaped body, while males are wider and have a several females to displace aggressive behavior, higher dorsal fin. Beginning at the forehead and and as long as the second portion of this equation continuing along the body to the caudal peduncle, is used, one or two subordinate males can be beautiful midnight blue velvety bars rest over a mixed in without fear of vibrant sky blue background. The bars Country of Origin: Northeast coast of Lake Malawi desecration! Contrary to p r e v i o u s continue up into the !!!!!!â&#x20AC;˘ observations, as the P. dorsal fin, where they are edged with a deep demasoni matures into adulthood, if not given blue and touched off adequate space, one can with a fine white line. be assured of witnessing The caudal fin is a dult Size: ^ ^1 aggressive behavior, just spray of rich dark and as in other mbuna. light blue tones that culminate in a burst of Feeding: It is deep blue and a white important to note that tip. The pelvic fins also sport a white leading edge, as does the anal fin, P. demasoni have a relatively lengthy intestinal where a white egg spot is located. The tract. Any food ingested will be confined within operculum shimmers with patches of iridescent the walls of the intestine for a long period of time. Therefore, if overfed a very rich food, such aqua. as beefheart or bloodworms, the chances of fermentation are increased, causing the animal to Maintenance: P. demasoni will thrive if not bloat. In nature the P. demasoni exists on mainly overcrowded, and given plenty of rockwork and a vegetable based diet, grazing off of the algae caves in which they can cavort about, each growing on the rocky cliffs. One is much better setting up its own little residency. It is necessary off to feed basically vegetable matter in the way for them to be able to find shelter when their of a good quality spirulina flake and mixed flake, tankmates become a bit "overly vivacious"! The with intermittent feedings of frozen brine shrimp. P. demasoni is not a digger, and a medium Freshly chopped earthworms are a very nutritious gravel, preferably in a dark natural tone, will do addition to the diet. Despite the risk, richer nicely. Ample filtration is important, using a foods, such as white worms and bloodworms are canister or a strong hang-on type filter. The particularly relished, and do tend to hasten water first passes through a collector of larger spawning conditioning and stimulation. Used debris, then through a layer of carbon, on to sparingly, these foods will prove beneficial. crushed coral to harden and buffer it, and finally through the nitrifying bacteria, as in a sponge. Breeding: Sexual promiscuity in P. demasoni One or two extra sponges with a power head will begins at a very early age, and at nine to twelve insure that the tank will always house adequate months will reach fruition. This will be ammonia and nitrite devouring bacteria. With the

precipitated by regular water changes of 40% and feedings as described above. Males will do the "Mbuna Circle" with each other to show off and establish dominance. This ritual seems to continue for hours, and usually ends fairly harmlessly as long as there are hiding places for the subordinate to retreat to. At this point, after the dominant male's rapid chasing of various females, one female, ripe with eggs, will succumb to his wishes. Following a preliminary dance of circling and tail quivering, the female will deposit an egg, usually on a flat surface such as a slab of slate. The male will pass over the egg to fertilize it and the female will swoop back down to pick the egg up in her mouth. She then heads with her precious cargo, straight towards the male's vent to collect any excess sperm. A pattern is formed, which moves in a continuous flowing circle. At intervals, the male will twist and flatten his trembling anal fin out on the slab of rock, and the female will mouth his egg spot to ensure fertilization. The spawning procedure will be carried on for up to one hour at which point the female will be holding 20-25 eggs in her buccal cavity if she is mature, and fewer if this is her first or second experience. She will then retire to a less active area where she can begin a 21-day incubation period of her eggs. [The author is presently studying a hypothesis which she has formed, that shows the possibility in specific cases of the eggs being passed back to the male, where he carries them to term.] During this time the female will consume no food. In order to insure that the fry are released into a safe environment where they will not be consumed by overzealous tankmates, the mother should be removed from the tank at approximately ten days into gestation. This time may vary as you get to know your females, but it will give her some time to adjust without premature release of the eggs under the stress of moving her. The female should then reside at peace in a small tank equipped with a sponge filter, heater, airstone, and a leafy hiding place, preferably with no rocks. If a plant of some sort is used, whether it be real or silk, the fry will have a comforting hiding place within the leaves, and there will be no danger of being crushed from a rock at their tiny size. At twenty to twenty-two days from spawning the female will release her fry, which will be 6 mm in length and will already show the beautiful blue barring pattern. The author has found that some females will collect the fry back into their buccal cavity after feeding for up to 14

two days post release. Other females will have nothing else to do with the fry and at this point should be returned to the main tank as long as their condition is strong. The P. demasoni fry will flourish with feedings of freshly hatched brine shrimp, finely crushed flake food, and daily water changes for the first ten days. Grated frozen bloodworms (a cheese grater works nicely!) can be added as a supplement at this point. Tankmates: Although not to say that she does not have aquariums of the "assorted variety," the author is not an advocate of attempting to practice any serious P. demasoni fishkeeping in a community situation. In nature, P. demasoni, like most other underwater creatures, do not have the restrictions that the five walls of an aquarium provide, dictating the choice of fight or flight. The result will be one species, or one particular fish, cowering in a corner until their health is eventually seriously sacrificed due to stress. If one wishes to house other species, a small group of P. demasoni in a larger aquarium is recommended, with other small less aggressive mbuna such as some of the Melanochromis or Labidochromis. Although biotopically incorrect, as they are indigenous to Lake Tanganyika, a group ofSynodontis multipunctatus catfish would do quite nicely. Similar Species: The small size and sexual isomorphism of the P. demasoni afford this creature its own specific distinction. References: Allen, B. (1996) "ACA 1995" Tropical Fish Hobbyist July 1996. pp. 90-94. Dickinson, C. (1998) "Through the Eyes of a Hobbyist: The Charming Pseudotropheus demasoni" Tropical Fish Hobbyist August 1998. pp.90-96. George, J. (1998) Verbal advice on tankmates. Konings, A. (1996) "Pseudotropheus demasoni Sp. Nov.: A Sexually Monomorphic Cichlid from the Tanzanian Coast of Lake Malawi," The Cichlid Yearbook, Volume 4 (A. Konings, Ed.) Cichlid Press, pp. 24-27. Spreinat, A. (1995) "Pseudotropheus demasom" Konings 1994. Lake Malawi Cichlids from Tanzania. Verduijn Cichlids, pp. 218-219. Wickman, A. (1996) "Pseudotropheus demasoni from Pombo Rocks, Tanzania," Cichlid News, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 19-20.

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Giant Danio â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Western India by SUSAN N. PRIEST hat is the first thing that comes to These omnivorous fish are true surface your mind when you think of India? feeders, and must be fed a variety of floating For me, it's the Taj Mahal. This foods. They will not descend to retrieve food architectural masterpiece, one of the eight which reaches the bottom of the tank. wonders of the world, is surrounded by water It is true that the two Giants only have gardens and reflecting pools. Have you ever eyes for each other. In fact, the male goes wondered what kind of fishes might make their beyond loyal; he makes an absolute nuisance of himself, pursuing his mate constantly. home in this paradise? Read on. Sometimes a girl needs a sanctuary; a time or Danio aequipinnatus, or Giant Danio, is place of her own to refresh herself. This female native to the flowing waters of Western India. fish takes her respite behind the castle. Of At an adult length of 4 inches, they are "giant" course, she always peeks out, just a little, so that only in relation to other Danios. They are her pursuer doesn't have to look too hard to find schooling fishes with an active, almost restless, her. (I have no doubt nature. In an aquarium, that a true school of they occupy the upper Country of Origin: . > v ; III11H levels, and require Common Name: ^ . ; v ^ ^ -m -m-'m ; ^ Giant Dariio these fishes, with plenty of space for Scientific Name: ... ,. . ; . .Danio aequipinnaius females outnumbering . v .,. v v . .. Cyprinidae males at least two to swimming. They are ^fmitiy:^ compatible with other Breeding Type: ,, ... . i . ; v . ^ : v Egg Scatterer one, would make for a Adult Size: i , ^ ; i ; v , | | | i | | | | | . . . 4 inches better arrangement.) schooling fishes. Occasionally These fish are Temperament v ... .. . . . , Peaceful hut active m . . w ; v . ^ Omnivorous when you are reading sexually mature at 2l/2 Food Preference: about a particular fish, inches. The males are you are told that they noticeably slimmer than Temperature: ;;,i; v > are "jumpers." I don't the females. According believe I have ever come across any other fish to the Baensch Atlas, and in contrast to the that was described as a "leaper." So far this behavior of most schooling fishes, Giant Danios particular pair has not taken to the air, but, (as well as other Danio species) are loyal to their clearly, a close fitting cover is called for. mates. They are quite prolific, sometimes I don't know what kinds of fish live in scattering up to 1,000 eggs at a time. The the water gardens surrounding the Taj Mahal, a Baensch Atlas recommends "a touch of sun" on monument to enduring love, but it is not hard to the breeding tank. They are prone to eating their imagine these loyal lovers feeling very much at eggs, so the parents should be removed when home there. spawning is complete. Unlike other Danios, their eggs are adhesive. The fry hatch in 24-48 hours. Why did I choose this fish to write references about? Because I am currently keeping and Tetra Encyclopedia of Freshwater Tropical Aquarium enjoying a pair of them. They reside in a large Fishes, by Dick Mills and Dr. Gwynne Vevers, 1989 community aquarium. (See "Welcome To Our Tetra Press Community"; a four part article from Modern Aquarium Atlas Volume I by Hans A. Baensch and Aquarium's 1997 season.) Giant Danios have a Dr. Rudiger Riehl, 1991 Tetra Press transparent, almost opalescent quality that is truly Simon and Schuster's Guide to Freshwater and Marine eye-catching. They share the upper level of the Aquarium, Fishes, no author, 1989 Simon and Shuster tank with eight Zebra Danios and seven Albino Website: http://www.erols.com/zenithco/tajmahal.html Buenos Aires Tetras. Everyone gets along swimmingly.

| | | | | | | | | | f | |

Around The World with Modern Aquarium Madagascar Lace Plant - Madagascar "Mad Lace" by VINCENT SILEO

a net! While the leaf is tough enough to handle ne of the most impressive plants gentle scrubbing, it is still brittle and will snap available to the hobbyist is the easily under pressure. I wouldn't recommend Madagascar Lace Plant. The size and running a pipe cleaner through the holes in the color of its leaves rival the largest of the sword leaf either! Finally brush algae started growing plants and the intensity of color is seldom surin the detritus caught in the leaves and soon passed. Their unique lace like (fenestrate) leaves covered what was left of the plant. are truly unique. I remember the first time I saw So now my once beautiful plant was one, I stared at it in disbelief for an indeterminate reduced to a dark, round, tuber covered in a hairy amount of time before I asked one of the growth. I then learned that the Madagascar lace employees if my eyes were playing tricks on me. plant goes through a dormant period and I I couldn't believe the leaves naturally had holes. optimistically decided to try giving it that Like many hobbyists, I had to have one. I dormant period. But when I picked the tuber up couldn't afford to purchase the one that had held in my hand it gently me in awe, but I did purchase a smaller and Country of Origin: . . . . - . . . . . Madagascar collapsed, another less developed plant, Common name: . . . . . Madagascar Lace Plant victim to the bacteria and rushed home to put Scientific name: . . Aponogeton madagascariensis and poor planting. It was some it in my aquarium. Family: ,' . . . . . . . > . v . > . . ; . Aponogetonaceae time before I came The first thing across another I learned was that the Madagascar Lace Plant leaves were quite brittle. Lighting: . . . . . . || , \M that was as nice and Certainly much more healthy as my first one. The literature that was delicate to handle than the swords and hygros I readily available to me at the time only briefly had started out with. The nicest leaf on the plant covered Aponogeton madagctscarensis. I can't snapped off from its own weight before I could say that I've continued my search for get it into the aquarium. Without the buoyancy information, but I haven't come across any more of the water, the stem could not support the leaf. informative sources of information since then. I still had a substantial plant with four or five All of the sources had the following leaves which I expected would grow as nicely as elements in common. The tuber should not be the one which broke off. completely "planted." Tie it down with some My second mistake was in planting the fishing line, wedge it between a few rocks, or complete tuber. About a month or two after bury only one end in the growth medium, being planting the tuber I found that the leaves were careful to remove any detritus that builds up on breaking off at the base. I couldn't understand a regular basis. Note that I did not say gravel. why and chalked it up to the catfish rooting for Gravel isn't a great source of nutrition for food. I now know that a tuber is a modified plants. Most of my sources recommend using a stem, not a modified root and should not be mixture of gravel, sand, loam (soil) and clay to completely buried. Detritus was building up provide a rich growth medium. If you are lucky around the base of the stems, providing an ample breeding ground for bacteria which were breaking the tuber will send out roots to hold it in place and take advantage of this readily available down this waste and the stems of my prized source of nutrition. Unfortunately, I do not have possession in the process. any secret for forcing a tuber to produce roots. My third mistake was not maintaining Lighting should be moderate to bright. regular water changes. Not only did detritus Three or four watts per gallon on tanks of build up at the base of the stems, but all along average depth (24" or less, more on really deep that beautifully laced leaf which was acting like

tanks). But direct sunlight should be avoided. Too much light will produce too much algae for the plant to compete with. Water circulation is very important but avoid "beating" the plant with a constant current directly upon it. As I learned with my first plant, the leaves will act as a net, and before you know it the plant will be covered in algae. Regular water changes of 25% every week will help prevent detritus from building up on the leaves and help provide some irregular water movement. The pH should be maintained at neutral to slightly acidic, and the water should be relatively soft (no more than 5-6 dH). A few of my sources suggest that aged rain water is optimum for water changes. (Then again, some of these sources were written before acid rain was a problem.) If you plan to keep fish with this plant (or this plant with your fish!) you must maintain a hospital tank for those times when your fish might become sick. The Madagascar Lace Plant is not tolerant of most medications including copper, malachite green, or salt. Originally it was thought that the Madagascar Lace Plant was an annual, which was good for only one season. More recent literature indicates that it goes through a dormant period, usually during November through February. I believe that the optimum length of time for the dormant period will differ slightly with each plant. So it may not be unreasonable for the dormant period to only last six to eight weeks. You will have to experiment to see what works best for your plant. Exactly how you should simulate this dormant period is a matter of some debate. I will briefly outline the methods which I am familiar with, but I will endorse none as I have not experimented with them fully myself. One method instructs us to lower the temperature in the aquarium to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the dormant period â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not too popular if you are keeping anything else in the same aquarium! I would also suggest that you cut down on the duration and intensity of light during this period. Temperature is not the only factor to consider. Another method which is more considerate of the other aquarium inhabitants is to prune off all leaves and roots and allow the tuber to dry

off in a dark, cool place such as in a paper bag in the basement or in your closet. Just warn your spouse of what you are up to or they may believe that you have taken to collecting scat samples! A third method suggests placing the tuber in either wet moss or moist sand and storing it in either your basement or back porch, or even your refrigerator. I would further suggest rinsing the tuber off once a week to avoid mold or fungus from developing. The last method "fools" the plant with a change of water chemistry. Some hobbyists have found that once all of the leaves have died back, the tuber will sprout again when placed in another aquarium. I have had limited success using this method with other tubers and bulbs. But I believe that this drains the tuber of its hibernation and may shorten its longevity overall. Once the dormant period is over and the tuber is replaced in the aquarium or the temperature and light levels are raised (depending on which method you used) you will most likely find that the tuber sends up two leaves very quickly. Then you will see no further sprouts and only limited growth of the two original leaves. Prune these leaves back and the tuber should sprout four or five new leaves. This method also works for bulbs of the Nymphea genus. The Madagascar Lace Plant is an outstanding addition to the aquarium, but it does come with a price that goes beyond what you paid for it. It requires a little more TLC (tender loving care), but it's worth it. References: Aquarium Plants Manual by Ines Sheurmann, Barrens 1993 Encyclopedia of Water Plants by Dr. Jiri Stodola, TFH 1967 A Fishkeeper's Guide to Aquarium Plants by Barry James, Salamander Book 1986 Aquarium Plants, Their Identification, Cultivation and Ecology, by Dr. Karel Rataj and Thomas J. Horeman, TFH, 1977 Aquarium Plants, the Practical Guide by Pablo Tepoot, New Life Publications, 1998 Aquarium Plant Catalogue by the Oriental Aquarium, 1995

Around The World with Modern Aquarium V

Forktail Rainbowfish — Papua New Guinea by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

reported this to Allen, Allen then changed the he Forktail Rainbowfish, Pseudomugil genus name for the two fish species to furcatus, strictly speaking, is not a Popondichthys. Rainbowfish at all. It is a member of a closely related group of fish known as In 1989 Allen, Saeed, and Ivanstoff published another taxonomic revision of the "Blue-eyes." The characteristics used to separate family Psuedomugilidae. However, this time Blue-eyes from other members of the order Atheriniformes are mainly skeletal features, they decided that the separation offurcatus and particularly those related to the presence or connieae from the rest of the Pseudomugil genus absence of, and shape of, various skull bones. wasn't justified. So in 1989, furcatus and Blue-eyes are small, generally colorful, connieae became Pseudomugil again. fishes that inhabit fresh, brackish, and marine Now, while Popendetta was the genus, waters in Australia and New Guinea. Until the species was Popendetta furcata. When the recently, they were included in the same family genus was changed to Popendichthys, this with Rainbowfish. Blue-eyes are often found in required changing the gender of the species back the same environment as to furcatus. However, eastern Papua New Guinea the species became so Rainbowfish, although Country of origin; . . . . Forktail Rairtbowfjsii well known while it was they are not usually Common name: .. Scientific Name: . found as far inland. part of Popendetta that ^^ .;| ^ . . . : Pseudomugilidae many people did not When I acquire a new fish (and before Breeding type: . . . . . . . . floating spawning mop make the change from p u r c h a s e , w h e n !$$$Jt& furcata to furcatus, possible), I like to look Temperament: . v . . . • > • - • - very peaceful which adds to the it up in one of my many Food preferences: . . . i:-|;i small food---!ive or dry confusion. To show reference books. This :;Vy?ter:::;chemistry:|;:^;;pH 7.7-7J; hardness 10° dGH how even experts get fish posed a problem ::|6iTijjerature;;:i:^^ confused, Volume 2 of because of its many my copy of the Baensch name changes. For example, although it was Aquarium Atlas gives the incorrect name given its current scientific name in 1989, my Pseudomugil furcata in the Index, but it refers 1993 edition of Dr. Axelrod's Freshwater you to a page where the fish is correctly named Aquarium Atlas still referenced it by a prior as Pseudomugil furcatus. (In addition, both scientific name. So, I would first like to devote Popondetta furcata and Popondichthys furcatus space here to the taxonomy of this fish. are given as synonyms.) The Forktail Rainbowfish was first Now about the fish itself. It is a described in 1953. It was placed in the genus stream-dwelling Blue-eye from eastern Papua Pseudomugil in 1955. In 1980, Rainbowfish New Guinea. The fish is small (rarely exceeding expert Dr. Gerald R. Allen, in his first major 2 inches) and very peaceful. It does best in a work on rainbowfishes, decided that furcatus was tank by itself or with other peaceful fish (but not sufficiently different from the other Pseudomugils other rainbowfish, as rainbowfish will interbreed, to warrant its own genus; so he placed it in a especially in the confines of a home aquarium). new genus, which he named Popondetta. In The first thing I noticed about these fish 1981, another newly discovered species, P. is that they are extremely active. They are in connieae, was also placed in the genus almost constant motion, chasing each other Popondetta. around but with no sign of aggression. Even Then in 1987, a man named Ivanstoff though their tank had several hiding spaces, I discovered that a 1978 publication by T.E. never saw any of these fish hiding, even during Woodward had already given the Popondetta water changes. name to a genus of beetles. After Ivanstoff

iiifi

'You know honey, the Celestial Goldfish brings out the holiday feeling in our Christmas tree." Send all mail, including exchange publications, for Modern Aquarium, or for the Greater City Aquarium Society to: Alexander A. Priest % Greater City A.S. 1558 McDonald Street Bronx, NY 10461-2208

To contact us via e-mail, GreaterCity@compuserve.com

send your message

or inquiries to

Or, leave us a message on our website at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/greatercity If you are sending an electronic file (including any article), please save the file as either: (1) .RTF (Rich Text Format); or (2) ASCII (or text); or (3) WordPerfect 5.1 for MS-DOS. Please use the "8 plus 3" file name (that is, no more than 8 letters or numbers, without spaces, and with an (optional) file extension of no more than three letters or numbers). A floppy disk may be on 3.5" (Amiga, Macintosh, MS-DOS/Windows) or 5.25" (CBM, MS-DOS) size disks, either high or low density. If you mail a floppy disk, keep a copy of the file on your hard drive or on another disk (the Post Office has been known to "cancel" the programs on a disk), and include a printed copy, along with information indicating what program you used to create the file. 20

the exchange column

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

o keep in step with this month's special "Around The World" theme, I'm looking at GCAS. No, not our own Greater City Aquarium Society of New York, or the Gulf Coast Aquarium Society in Florida, or even the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society. I mean GCAS of Australia! One day in 1997 I received e-mail on the Greater City Internet web site. It began something like: "Greetings from GCAS — the Gold Coast Aquarium Society!" (This was well before the society of the same name Chuck Davis is forming in Florida.) It seems that Lynda Donato, the membership person of this society, saw that our own GCAS was having its 75th Gold ^ Anniversary and wanted to know how we recruit and retain members. ^^^^^^^^^^^™ I responded that, in my opinion, our publication, Modern Aquarium, was an important unifying force. In some cases it is a deciding factor in a decision to join. Its many awards and wide recognition among the hobby foster pride in "our" publication, etc. So, I sent Lynda a few issues. She then decided to try her hand at publishing, and became Editor of Aqua Scoop. Aqua Scoop has, not coincidentally, more than just a passing resemblance to our own Modern Aquarium, including a color photograph on the front. But the color of the paper used for the front cover of Aqua Scoop changes each issue (every two months) — a nice touch, in my opinion. Like Modern Aquarium, its current publication run is not the first appearance of the publication. Just as Modern Aquarium is in its "Series III," Aqua Scoop is in its Series 2 (series one being a few stapled pages from the beginnings of the society, which disappeared after a few years for lack of interest). It uses many design elements of Modern Aquarium, and has a very professional look, even though this series has been publishing for only two years.

Since the purpose of this column is to get information about other societies through their publications, here's what I learned about the Gold Coast Aquarium Society of Queensland: Because of the "Queensland Fisheries Act," some fish available here may not be kept by Gold Coast members (including the Weather Loach — see the article on it on page 8). And, while there is interest in native Rainbowfish and Blue-eyes (the July 1998 cover had a stunning Pacific Blue-eye, Pseudomugil signifef), their articles run the gamut from Discus to Goldfish, Catfish to Bettas, and are usually informative (I learned how to better care for my Bristlenose Catfish from one article), and well presented. They had a "Fishcrawl," (members visit the fishrooms of fellow aquarists — apparently it's like a non-judgmental "home show," though they have held, and videotaped, home shows as well). They also had a "Breeders Challenge" competition for the first person to successfully breed a specified fish (their first "Challenge" being one of my favorites: the Betta splendens). Just as Greater City is a member of the North East Council (NEC) of Aquarium Societies and of the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS), Gold Coast is a member of the Queensland Federation of Aquarium Societies which, like FAAS, also appears to represent hobbyists before governmental agencies. As does Greater City, Gold Coast also provides its members with a handbook entitled "New Members Handbook." They also have something called an "Awards Handbook." What could we learn from this sister society "Down Under?" One, we might try Home Shows and/or home visits or even periodic reports in Modern Aquarium of visits to members' fish rooms. Also, perhaps we could combine into a single "Awards" booklet information about: 1) our BAP (Breeders Award Program, which currently has its own handbook); 2) our AAP (Author Award Program); 3) all the annual and special awards given at our Awards presentations in January; 4) our Bowl Show rules; and 5) both the FAAS and NEC publication awards and BAP programs. It's a thought. As with all exchanges, Aqua Scoop is available for review or loan upon request.

The 1998 North Jersey Extravaganza by JOSEPH FERDENZI he weekend of November 23-25 was the date happy to see past GCAS President Brian Kelly there. for the tropical fish event of the year in the Brian was our leader from 1981 to 1984, and now New York City metropolitan area. The site resides in North Carolina. I've undoubtedly left some was the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Saddle Brook, notable people out — let me just say this, the people New Jersey. And, once again, The North Jersey were great and I had a blast. Aquarium Society is to be congratulated for putting on Mark Soberman and I also represented GCAS a spectacular event. at the fish show that was held as part of the weekend The participants and attendees of the show read event. Mark entered six fish, and I had five entries. like a "Who's Who" of This represented Mark's the tropical fish world, first participation in a especially in the North Jersey show, and Northeast. The list was what a way to start it was. headed by the return of Mark took Reserve of North Jersey Life Member Show with a beautiful Chuck Davis. Chuck was Corydoras seussi. Mark looking good and was as received a magnificent funny as always. Then plaque that featured an there were luminaries original painting of a Neolamprologus brichardi such as Rosario LaCorte, by none other than Chuck Wayne Leibel, Ginny Davis. Mark also took Eckstein, Paul Loiselle, M. Soberman • C. Davis • J. Ferdenzi • R. Lucas Second Place in that and Lee Finley. Current Armored Catfish Class and past leaders of local with another Corydoras aquarium societies were there, including our own GCAS (robinae), and since I took Third with my Corydoras President Vincent Sileo, Seth Kolker of Brooklyn, and schwartzi, it was a clean sweep for GCAS. I also was Mark and Anne Broadmeyer of Norwalk. awarded First Place in the Platy, Swordtail, and Molly Not everyone was from the tri-state area, Class (for aXiphophorus montezumae), and Second and however. Renowned Discus breeder, Bing Seto of Third Place in the California was a featured Killifish Class. I'd say speaker. Our good buddy we did GCAS proud. Ray Lucas from upstate (Incidentally, the Best of New York was on hand. Show was an entry in the I also met Wolfgang Amphibians Class — yes, Eberl, a visitor from an amphibian! — an Germany, who is the African frog to be exact Editor of the German — it was all perfectly Killifish Association legit, the judges agreed.) magazine. Hey, try to be Several GCAS there next year. You'll members attended the have fun, and be assured weekend's events. Board of m e e t i n g many officers Rosie Sileo, interesting hobbyists. (By Claudia Dickinson, the way, from my home Carlotti DeJager, and in Whitestone, it was less Greg Wuest were there. than a half hour by car to Of course, I was there, as the hotel — so distance is was former Board not an excuse to miss it.) member, Mark Soberman. Speaking of former, I was (left to right) J. Ferdenzi holding a first place trophy and M. Soberman with his Reserve of Show plaque

BIRDS, REPTILES SMALL ANIMALS TROPICAL & MARINE FISH

HUGE SELECTION OF LIVE ROCK & COR^-fl ALWAYS IN STOCK IjSI OUR NEW MARINE FISH & INVERTEBRATE RlOW—;;

THE PET BARFfI* FRANKLIN SQUARE'S COMPLETE PET CENTER 212 FRANKLIN AVE FRANKLIN SQUARE, NY 11010 Come see our large Aquarium Plant display and receive I ONE FREE cultivated plant, just for stopping by! EXOTIC FRESHWATER FISH

1183

AFRICAN CICHLIDS IMPORTED GOLDFISH AND KOI

CORAL AQUARIUM 75-05 Roosevelt Ave Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718-429-3934 Open Mon.-Fri. 10AM-8:OOPM Sat. 10AM - 7:OOPM Sun. 12PM - 6:OOPM • SALTWATER FISH

• LIVE CORALS

• LIVE ROCKS

•

• TROPICAL FISH

•

FANCY GOLDFISH

• LIVE PLANTS

• WET-DRY FILTERS

•

PROTEIN SKIMMERS

• BIRDS

• REPTILES

• DOG & CAT SUPPLIES

•

DOG & CAT FOOD

• BIRD CAGES

• RABBITS

•

HAMSTERS

• COMPLETE AQUARIUMS

INVERTEBRATES

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

G.C.A.S. HAPPENINGS Last Month's Bowl Show Results: 1) Bob Wranovics - Corydoras barbatus 2) Jeff George - Lower Sword Guppy 3) Howard Berdach - Aphyosemion guineensis Sept '98 — June '99 Bowl Show Standings to date: 1) Howard Berdach - 9 points 2) Tom Miglio - 7 points .,^»mm<.»,.. 3) Bob Wranovics - 5 points ..,,^"'y''' '':^*m.:,,,..... 4) (tie) Pat Piccione gpd: Jfeff George - 3 points ""'"' X:::i%::,,

The fbllowingiC^S^ineliibers renewed their membership last meeting Eljilri Halli|i|]|p:John Moran, Louis Velazquez, Stanley W|gsinggr, and

, jr.

The fgllSwing are new members, or returning after an absg^|£||te||pfriake them and Mort Sharkowitz ,^i^'/',/M

fHere

times and locations gjp^

GBH^pFER CITY AQUARIUpSOCIETY Next Meeting: January 7 1;g|. l:|i;:;:l:: :| Hllllly Party and Awards Members and their family. :|i|ii(s , :iat .: td||||| s meeting . ,.,.:* Contact: Mr. Teiiib; (7 1

Eaii||C6ast

Aquarium Society jif^sentations :::;::::::H:: 'wit! Jeff George ;i|ti||i6n Hall, Aquarium for: (N. Y. Aquarium);;;;;;::::;! Events Hotline

m&mom^im 837-4455

e-mail: G a t C i t < ( !;•

Metropolitan New Yor;3fe;ai|ea:

Association

Thursday of each ifleets: i |pnth |||;:;(||eens §Q|gnical Garden / ^7 190 Long Island Aquarium :pociety|ii|

Big Apple Guppy ;:||M: 8:00 P.M. -Ji the Qu5gp:::6otarucp^|r|[en 63 l-

Nassau County Aquarium Society

Meets: 8:00 %|1. - 3rS::::fi|g|:i:::of .elin month at HoltH|||: Park and'"'lPpilii Buckley Rd. Holtsllll||§:|||gi Contact: Mr. Vinny Kr^ffi§^^KI^|^ Telephone: (516) 938-4066 ''^*

:;|ill!M? - 2nd:::;plliay of each ithe William lyprrouse Post 3211 V.F.W., Rte. 107,::pisville, NY

North Jersey Aquarium Society

Norwalk Aquarium Society

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

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

(516) 589-0913