Modern Aquarium July 2007

Series III Vol. XIV, No. 5 July, 2007

ON THE COVER

Undoubtedly one of the most recognizable,and colorful fish available for the homemarine aquarium, the clownfish’s popularityhas only increased following release of theanimated movie, “Finding Nemo.” Learnmore about this fish and its care in thearticle “A Clownfish is not a Damselfish inDistress” by Bernard Harrigan in this issue.

Photo by Alexander Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MembersPresident . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph FerdenziVice-President . . . . . . . Mark SobermanTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack TraubCorres. Secretary . . . . . Warren Feuer &

Sharon BarnettRecording Secretary . . . . Edward Vukich

Members At LargePete D'Orio Jason KernerCarlotti De Jager Ben HausLeonard Ramroop Emma HausArtie Friedman

Committee ChairsBreeder Award . . . . . Warren Feuer and

Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate . . . . . Alexander PriestMembers/Programs . Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate . . . . Claudia Dickinson

MODERN AQUARIUMEditor in Chief . . . . . Alexander A. PriestAssociate Editors . . . . Susan Priest and

Claudia DickinsonCopy Editors . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Barnett

Dan RadebaughExchange Editors . . . Stephen Sica and

Donna Sosna SicaPhoto/Layout Editor . . . . . Jason KernerAdvertising Mgr. . . . . . . Mark SobermanExecutive Editor . . . . . . Joseph Ferdenzi

F E A T U R E S

Editor’s Babblenest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A Clownfish is not a Damselfish in Distress . . . . . . 5

Adventures on the Rio Negro - Part II . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Voyage of Valor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

This Month’s Scheduled Speaker: Ed Vukich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Fishkeepers Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Under The Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Looking Through The Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

The Seahorse Chronicles: Breeding Seahorses - Part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

FAASinations - FAAS Report 2006 Publication Awards Results . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Amusing Aquarium (cartoon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Do Virtual Fish Feel Pain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

G.C.A.S. Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Articles submitted for consideration in MODERN AQUARIUM must be received no later than the 10th day of the month, three months priorto the month of publication. Copyright 2007 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rightsreserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless thearticle indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication aresent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited withoutexpress written prior permission.

The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except during January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Joe Ferdenzi (516)484-0944. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com

The Editor’sBabblenest

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

In this issue of Modern Aquarium are the results

of the 2006 Federation of American Aquarium

Societies (“FAAS”) Publication Awards.

While participation in this awards program (and

FAAS membership) is much less than it was a few

years ago, still the showing by Modern Aquarium

and its authors was impressive. I want to take this

opportunity to thank every one of the Greater City

members who contributed (and who continue to

contribute) articles. Your articles are what makes

this a quality publication. Your willingness to

share your experiences are what makes this a

successful aquarium society.

Always remember, however, whether you

read something in Modern Aquarium, or in any of

the commercial aquarium magazines: when an

author shares his or her experiences, use it as a

guide, but not as an absolute rule. Fish have

individual personalties, water quality and

chemistry values differ widely across the country,

as do weather conditions. Duplicating the setup of

one aquarist who got his or her fish to spawn does

not guarantee success in your tank. If that were so,

we would not need several commercial aquarium

hobby magazines, thousands of books on

fishkeeping, and I would not be asking our

members for original articles. If what worked for

one person doesn’t work for you, you should try

something different that worked for someone else.

A recent guest speaker at Greater City,

Mike Hellweg, told me that, until he actually saw

some of the Betta enisae that spawned in my tanks,

he did not believe this was the species of fish I

spawned. The reason was that we had both

published accounts of spawnings of this species,

but the circumstances under which his Betta enisae

spawned were almost completely different from

those under which my B. enisae spawned.

At last month’s meeting, one member

described his great success in raising microworms

by using potato flakes, instead of baby oatmeal. I

tried using potato flakes, and found that I had much

greater success with baby oatmeal. Both of us are

successfully growing microworms, and I’m sure

our fish don’t know the difference with respect to

the culture media used to grow the microworms. Is

he wrong? Am I wrong? No, we are both right, as

long as we both succeed. Maybe it’s his brand of

potato flakes, his water, or the temperature in his

fishroom that makes the difference. I don’t know.

I only care that I have found something that works

for me. If the only information I had access to told

me the only way to grow microworms was by

culturing them on potato flakes, I wouldn’t have

any microworm cultures. Fortunately, there are

many articles describing how other people culture

microworms, and I tried quite a few (including

white bread soaked in beer!), until I found

something that worked for me.

Have you ever read an article that

described how a particular species of fish was

spawned, but which differed from your personal

experience with this species? Great, because you

can now write an article about what worked for

you. Except for a container with water, and regular

water changes and feeding, there are no absolutely

correct and never-changing rules for keeping and

breeding fish. You could be keeping fish for less

than a year, and still be able to give valuable

insight and information to a fishkeeping veteran of

many years experience.

So don’t be shy, and don’t think that you

don’t have enough expertise or experience to write

an article. This is one of the most “equal

opportunity” hobbies imaginable, with young and

old, male and female, all races, religions, and even

handicaps. (A well-known aquarist and aquarium

book writer, Braz Walker, was paralyzed from the

neck down following an accident in college; yet he

continued to keep, and write about fish.) Fish

don’t care if you have a college degree, or how

much money you make. Your success as an

aquarist will be determined by whether you can

keep a species alive and, hopefully, have it breed

while in your care. What you look like, or what

clothes you wear, makes no difference.

The fish on our cover this month is a

marine clownfish. Our lead article is about

clownfish. And, there is little doubt that Elliot

Oshins was “clowning about” when he wrote “The

Voyage of Valor” for this month’s issue. So, is

this our “Clown Issue?” You decide.

2 July 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

President’sMessage

by JOSEPH FERDENZI

Last month we held our first meeting at ourtemporary new “home,” the VFW Post onHorace Harding Boulevard in Flushing, not

far from our permanent meeting site at the QueensBotanical Garden. I think the VFW hall served uswell. It was a bit larger than our own meetingroom. The front door was at ground level and rightby the curb, which made for easy access, especiallyfor those carrying large loads. There seemed to beample parking. So, all in all, I think we werefortunate to be accommodated by the VFW.

Also, the meeting was a lot of fun. Theturnout was in excess of 60 members. The auctionwas huge and diverse — lots of great homebredfish and homeraised plants. But, what made it themost fun for me (and I think for everyone else)were our homegrown presenters.

Several GCAS members gave shortpresentations on topics of interest to them. Eachwas delightful. We have a lot of knowledgeableand talented people in our club. This format givesGCAS an opportunity to showcase that talent. So,thank you, Sharon and Crystal, Harry, Carlotti,Rich, and Dan and Marsha for sharing and makingour evening so enjoyable.

GCAS members never cease to amaze me. They are the epitome of helpfulness and modesty. Al Grusell goes about his set up and refreshmentduties effortlessly and without the slightest concernfor whether he is “getting anything out of it.” Haveyou said, “Thank you” to him as I have at nearlyevery meeting? He’s doing it for you, not me. Have you thanked Jason Kerner for bringing thesoda, cups, and ice to every meeting? He drives inall the way from Brooklyn just so he can help makeyour attendance more enjoyable. Have you evernoticed how much work Pete D’Orio does, andhow quietly he does it? Did you know that Petehas to bring and set up piles of audio/visualequipment for every event we hold? He nevercomplains. These are only three examples of whatmakes GCAS such a pleasure. No other club canboast of having a greater number of dedicatedmembers.

* * *Since I have been President of Greater

City for a long time, I am often asked for advice bythose just starting their tenures as the President ofan aquarium society. Let me share a few of my

“secrets” for successfully running an aquariumsociety. 1. Remember that none of your members

work for you. You are not paying them. You are not their boss. They voluntarilyjoin and serve. Treat them with courtesyand huge doses of encouragement. Praisegets more accomplished than criticism. Ifsomeone doesn’t do the task at the speedand precision you would expect at work,that is not cause for voicingdisappointment. Get them help ortactfully find a replacement. Tactfully. This is a hobby; the world will not cometo an end if a task or two is not performedto your standards.

2 Rancor has no place in an aquariumsociety. This should be a fun hobby. Fun. It should not be a source of stress. The minute you make generating revenueyour primary goal, you introduce thepossibility that stress will be the hallmarkof your Presidency, and rancor thebyproduct of any failings in raising funds. How do you avoid this? Don’t burdenyour club with huge expenses, or at least,keep your expenses within easy-to-reachlevels. Also, focusing on money tends tomake you short-sighted, which is not agreat formula for the long-term success ofany club.

There are many things muchmore valuable than money. Let me giveyou two examples: Claudia Dickinsonand Pete D’Orio. Most clubs would“kill” to have energetic and involvedmembers like Claudia and Pete. Claudiajoined our club, in part, as the result ofher attendance at our 75th AnniversaryShow in 1997. Pete became acquaintedwith our club because of our participationat the Queens County Farm Museum Fair. Both of those events were labors of love— that is, they were not performed for thesake of generating money. We didn’tlose money, but we made very little inproportion to the effort expended. But,was it worth the effort? You bet! Iwouldn’t trade any sum of money forClaudia and Pete. This many sound likethe use of a trite phrase, but it’s true:members like Claudia and Pete are worththeir weight in gold!

3. Have no hidden agendas. The Presidencyof an aquarium society is not a tool bywhich you should seek to generatec o m m e r c i a l s u c c e s s i n a n

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2007 3

aquarium-related enterprise. People arenot stupid. Flowery language andMadison Avenue slogans will notpermanently obscure hidden agendas thatplace your personal interests in real orapparent conflict with your obligations asPresident. Even creating a perception ofa potential conflict must be avoided. Your integrity must be beyond reproach. Only then will you have the moralauthority that makes people say thefollowing about all your actions,decisions, and opinions: “I may disagreewith him, but I know he’s only doing itfor the good of the club.”

4. President Lincoln once said, “You canfool all the people some of the time, andsome of the people all the time, but youcan not fool all the people all of thetime.” Sooner or later, making inflatedclaims brings you on the road to ridicule. You may not be aware of this becausemost people are polite and will not tellyou that behind the scenes people arederiding your puffery.

Have I mentioned how importantyour credibility is? I liken credibility toa beautiful porcelain jar. When intact,

credibility is a thing of great, almost immeasurable,value. But, once it’s broken, just once, it can neverbe the same. It’s just like a broken jar. Sure, youcan take the pieces of the jar and glue them backtogether, but it will never be the same. Somepeople think puffery is not like lying. Well,maybe. It certainly is not like being completelytruthful. And, once there’s a crack in your jar,people will eventually see it. Don’t think you aresmarter than everyone else and can fool all of themforever. Sooner or later, you will bring your clubinto disrepute if you think that way.

* * *I’ve tried to be as good a President as I

know how. I’ve tried to view my post as a serioustrust, and to do nothing that would bring dishonorto Greater City. My goal has never been to be ableto engineer membership rolls so that Greater Citycould claim to be the largest or richest club (atleast in terms of money). After making sure thatGreater City has always been the equal of any withrespect to its integrity and commitment to thehobby, my secondary goal has been to see to it thatGreater City has always put long-term goals aheadof short-term goals, quality ahead of quantity. Themembership of Greater City reflects the attainmentof that goal.

Important InformationAs many of you already know, the Greater City Aquarium Society will NOT bemeeting at the Queens Botanical Garden until further notice; probably early nextyear. Our alternate meeting location will be:

The VFW Post136-06 Horace Harding Expressway

Flushing, NY 11367

Also, our meeting DAY will be changed to the SECOND WEDNESDAY of the month, unless otherwiseannounced. Regardless of the location, meetings will, as always, begin promptly at 7:30 pm.

Please read your monthly postcards for any last minute changes. Please spread the word to people whootherwise might not know. The most up-to-date information can always be found on our website: http://GreaterCity.org/

In December, our annual Holiday Party and Awards Banquet will, however, be held at the Palace Diner,as it has been in recent years; date to be announced.

Remember: there will be NO meetings at the Queens Botanical Garden until furthernotice.


A Clownfish is not aDamselfish in Distress

by BERNARD HARRIGAN

Hardy, pugnacious, durable, beautiful,territorial, colorful, and striking are justsome of the adjectives used to describe

damselfish. Belonging to the Pomacentrid family,they are looked upon as beginner fish and starterfish for a new marine aquarium. This is becausethey are not as sensitive to an occasional spike innitrites or nitrates as other marine fish seem to be. But, using them as a starter fish is often regrettedby the hobbyist, since damselfish tend to bully lateradditions to the tank, especially if they are not asaggressive as the damselfish. Some even lose theirgood looks, and become drab as they mature.

Within the Pomacentrid family, you willfind the genera Amphiprion and Premnas,collectively known as clownfish. The term“clownfish” originally referred to just one species,Amphiprion ocellars, the Common Clownfish, orFalse Percula Clown, but now refers to 28 speciesof damselfish that have a lifelong symbioticrelationship with sea anemones. This relationshiphas spawned the moniker “Anemone Fish,” whichis mainly used by scientists.

Anemones have neumatocysts — stingingcells on the end of their tentacles which are used tocatch prey. Clownfish are immune to the sting dueto their special slime coat, which is said to mimicthe sea anemones own coating, thereby fooling theanemone into thinking that the clownfish is just apart of the sea anemone. This allows the clownfishto stay among the tentacles for safety. If theclownfish loses this special slime coat and headsinto the sea anemone, it can be stung and possiblykilled by the stinging cells. In the wild, eachclownfish species has a preference for whichspecies of sea anemone it will inhabit. Unlikeclownfish or damselfish, in general, sea anemonesare difficult to keep alive in an aquarium for morethan a few months. This is a shame, since in thewild some sea anemones are thought to live forhundreds of years. Once a sea anemone has beenremoved from the wild, all future clownfish thatneed it for a home will die, along with a number ofother creatures such as the Anemone Shrimp andthe Anemone Crab. In an aquarium, a clownfishdoesn’t need a sea anemone in order to survive. Asa matter of fact, clownfish can thrive and oftenbreed without one.

Clownfish are colored orange, yellow, andbrown with white stripes, and sometimes havingblack trimming. They are found in the tropics ofthe central to western Pacific, the Indian Ocean,and even the Red Sea. They are found in shallowreef areas and need a typical reef environment (aspecific gravity of 1.022 to 1.024, a temperature of77 – 82, a pH of 8.1 – 8.4, ammonia and nitritelevels below .05 ppm, and nitrate levels below 20ppm). They’re omnivorous by nature, so you canfeed them bits of fish and shrimp, frozen mysis andbrine shrimp, as well as some vegetarian fare.Clownfish are even known for chomping on algae.

Since a clownfish’s life revolves arounda small territory, it’s no wonder that it was one ofthe first marine fish to be raised and spawnedsuccessfully in captivity. All clownfish are bornmale. As they grow and mature, the largest andmost dominant clownfish becomes a female. Whenthat female dies, the next largest and mostdominant male becomes a female.

Spawning clownfish is similar tospawning some cichlid species. A flat rock, aceramic flowerpot, or even a discus cone can beused as a spawning site. The female will lay herorange-colored eggs, with the male following closebehind and fertilizing them. The male will guardthe eggs. For their first week or two, they’re in alarval stage. Their mouths are too small for babybrine shrimp, so live rotifers are fed. Rotiferculture kits can be obtained through a good marineaquarium retailer. The fry require constantfeeding, which leads to poor water quality. Doregular partial water changes of 10% every twodays.

Well, which clownfish species should youtry? That’s mainly up to you: your ability, the typeof setup you’re looking to provide, and what youexpect from the fish itself. My firstrecommendation can be followed no matter whichspecies you choose. Make sure that the clownfishyou purchase has been commercially bred. Thisnot only makes sense from an environmental pointof view, but it also makes a lot of sense from aconsumer’s point of view. Commercially bredclownfish are hardier than wild-caught specimens,and are better adapted to aquarium life. Somecommercially bred clownfish may have a higherprice tag, but when you figure in their lowermortality rate, they’re a bargain.


I’ve arranged the different species of clownfish into three different groups. This is not anall-inclusive list, but rather some of the most commonly found fish in the trade. They have been groupedaccording to the natural traits that I felt were important for the hobbyist to understand in order to providethe right environment for these fish.

Group I - Easiest and Most RobustThe first group is the largest. These are

the easiest to keep, and the most robust clownfishI know of. They are also the most aggressive. These clownfish should be kept singularly, or asmated pairs, and they shouldn’t be housed with anyother species of clownfish unless a very large tankis provided. They will go after smaller, peacefulfish. Tankmates need to be able to defendthemselves against the bellicose behavior of theseclownfish. Singularly, or as a mated pair, they allneed at least a 30 gallon aquarium.

! The Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprionmelanopus), can grow to about 4¾ incheslong. They are noted for their darkercinnamon color, and a white stripe behindthe eye. In the wild, they’re associatedwith the Bubbletip Anemone (Entacmaeaquadricolor), and the Sebae SeaAnemone (Heteractis crispa).

! The Sebae Clownfish (Amphiprionclarkii), can grow to 5½ inches long. It’snoted for its yellow caudal fin, whichhelps to distinguish it from otherclownfish with a similar body pattern. Inthe wild, it’s most closely associated withthe Sebae Sea Anemone (Heteractiscrispa), but it will use most common seaanemones.

! The Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprionfrenatus) can also grow to 5½ incheslong. It’s noted for its bright orangecoloration, and the bold vertical stripebehind its eye. Juveniles have a stripe

around the midsection which fades as the fishmatures. In the wild, it’s associated with theBubbletip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) andthe Long-Tentacled Anemone (Macrodactyladoreensis). It has also been known to inhabit stonycorals if it can’t find a sea anemone.

! The Red Saddleback Clownfish(Amphiprion ephippium), grows to about4¾ inches long. It is the most aggressiveamong the Amphiprion species. It’snoted for its darker colored head and rearflanks (saddle), plus a white stripe behindits eye that shrinks and fades as the fishmatures. In the wild, it’s associated withthe Bubbletip Anemone (Entacmaeaquadricolor), and the Sebae SeaAnemone (Heteractis crispa).

! The Maroon Clownfish (Premnasbiaculeatus), is in a genus all by itself. The female sometimes being three timesthe size of the male tops out at almost 6½inches long. It’s the largest clownfish. It’s also the most aggressive. It’s notedfor having a dark red coloring, threestripes that can either be white or yellow,and cheek spines that easily get caught ina net when you try to catch them. In thewild, it’s associated with the BubbletipAnemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), theRitteri Anemone (Heteractis magnifica),and the Long-Tentacled Anemone(Macrodactyla doreensis).

Group II - Almost as Easy and RobustThe second group of clownfish are almost

as hardy and easy to keep as the first group, butthey are not as robust. Their reputation for beingslightly more challenging to keep has becomepassé through commercial breeding. Commercialbreeding puts a sort of natural selection into themix. Individual fish that are more delicate end updying and not reproducing under aquariumconditions. Other individuals who thrive andreproduce in a tank will have offspring which areeasier to keep in an aquarium. Theoretically,

you’ll end up with a strain that a beginning aquaristcould easily keep.

This second group is also not asaggressive. They are not as belligerent towardstheir tankmates as the first group, unless they’reguarding eggs. This is also the most popular of thegroups with hobbyists. Singularly, or as a matedpair, this group can be housed in as little as 20gallons, but remember that a larger tank alwaysprovides a more stable environment for itsinhabitants.


a Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) and Bubbletip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) by the author, Bernard Harrigan.


! The Percula Clownfish (Amphiprionpercula) can grow to be a little over 3inches long. It’s easily confused with theFalse Percula Clownfish (Amphiprionocellaris). Its most notable distinction isthat the black edging around the whitestripes are thicker, and its orangecoloration is brighter. There’s also avariation in which black covers areas thatare normally orange. In the wild, it’s mostly associated with the RitteriAnemone (Heteractis magnifica), and theSebae Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa),among others.

! The False Percula Clownfish(Amphiprion ocellaris) can grow to 5½inches long. It’s very similar to a Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion percula),except with thinner black edging, and avariation in the main body colorationfrom mandarin orange to a golden red toa yellow. It’s more peaceful, and is ableto be kept in groups rather than just apair. I’ve even heard of people keeping itwith seahorses, although I guess thatwould depend on the individual fish andits setup. In the wild, it’s most closelyassociated with the Carpet Anemone(Stichodactyla gigantea), the RitteriAnemone (Heteractis magnifica), and theSebae Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa).

Group III - The Most ChallengingThe clownfish in the third group are the

most challenging to keep, but they are still prettyhardy for the most part. Again, captive bredclownfish are the hardiest, and are always your bestchoice. Their truculence varies with each species and individual personalities, but this group is stillmore peaceful than the first group. If you are newto the marine hobby, these are not the fish for you.

! The Orange Skunk Clownfish(Amphiprion sandaracinos) can grow to5½ inches long. It’s noted for thehorizontal white stripe running along itsdorsal from its head to its tail. It issometimes confused with the Pink SkunkClownfish (Amphiprion perideraian). It’s the most aggressive of this group, andis best kept singularly or as a mated pair. In the wild, it’s most closely associatedwith Merten’s Carpet Anemone(Stichodactyla mertensii), and the Sebae

Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa). Singularly or asa mated pair, this fish needs at least a 30 gallonaquarium.

! The Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprionperideraian) can grow to almost 4 incheslong. I find the Pink Skunk Clownfish tobe more skittish, although large femalescan terrorize others of the same species. It’s noted for its pinkish-peach coloration,and a white horizontal line that runs alongits dorsal down into and coloring its tail. There’s a white vertical stripe behind itseye. In the wild, it’s most closelyassociated with the Ritteri Anemone(Heteractis magnifica), the Sebae SeaAnemone (Heteractis crispa), and theLong-Tentacled Anemone (Macrodactyladoreensis).

Clownfish are beautiful, aggressive, eye-catching, tolerant, tough, and full of personality. Theyillustrate what the marine hobby could be like without the need of casting our nets into the ocean. I hopeyou found this article interesting and informative. If you’re interested in keeping clownfish, don’t stophere. There’s lots of good information in books and on the web that will help you fulfill your desire. Anaquarist isn’t just someone who keeps fish. A true aquarist is someone who cares about the fish theykeep.


Adventures on the Rio NegroPart II

by CLAUDIA DICKINSONPhotographs by the author

The great English explorers Henry WalterBates and Alfred Russel Wallace, colleaguesof Darwin and Spruce of the early and mid

1800s, were captivated by the mystique and awe ofthe immense diversity of the Amazon Basin and itsastonishing abundance of inhabitants, which totheir observant eyes were found to work in intricatebiological harmony. For a time together, andsubsequently each on his own, the naturalists spentyears in the jungle collecting enormous numbers ofspecimens and journaling their observations. Theirendeavors resulted in significant fundamentaldiscoveries that brought us to much of today’sunderstanding of the Amazon and its surroundingrainforest.

With estimations ranging anywhere from1,700 to 3,000 species, the entire Amazonundoubtedly has the greatest number of freshwaterfishes on the earth. Equally as rich in biodiversityare the plants and vertebrates, as well as insects,making the Amazon region the most biologicallydiverse expanse on earth.

At one time flowing from east to west, themighty Amazon River (Río Amazonas) providesone fifth of the entire volume of freshwaterentering oceans worldwide, has the largest drainagebasin on earth, and at 41,000 miles long isdebatably the second longest river on earth, theNile River being slightly longer. Fifteen millionyears ago the formation of the Andes reversed theflow of the Amazon River to the course that it takestoday, from west to east.

The Rio Marañón, running west, meetsthe Rio Tigre in Peru, and the Rio Ucayali, runningnorth, join to form the Rio Amazonas, which isreferred to as the Solimões as it enters Brazil.

When the Solimões reaches the capital city ofManaus it is met by the Rio Negro draining thebasin from the north. Just west of this juncture it isonce again referred to as the Rio Amazonas.

The largest blackwater river on the earth,the Rio Negro is navigable for 400 miles, itsoutcropping of numerous sandbars making somestretches of travel difficult, particularly in the dryseason. With rises in water levels ranginganywhere from 15 to 49 feet annually, for sixmonths of the year during the rainy season thelower vegetation is completely covered, and manyof the taller trees are immersed to the point whereonly a few branches protrude from the water’ssurface. When the rains begin, the concentratedwater of the dry season swells, rushing over thebanks from the deluge of rainfall to spread outacross the forest, forming seasonal floodplains. The fishes are carried outside of the river’s edgesand swept along with the flood. Here they spawnprolifically, taking advantage of the abundant foodsupply that comes with the rain, and find shelter fortheir young amongst the grasses in the shallowwaters.

The future of this perfectly delicatelybalanced ecosystem that has prospered for millionsof years relies on the astute attentions of man. Among the fishes that are carried along with therising waters of the rainy season is the cardinaltetra, and in this species may lie the future of theRio Negro, and its inhabitants. Project Piaba isworking to conserve and maintain the liveornamental fisheries and other renewable resourcesat a commercially feasible and ecologicallysustainable level through this symbol of hope — the cardinal tetra.


Setting sail northward up the Rio Negro towardsBarcelos, a few degrees south of the equator, theseemingly endless expanse of river is soon to showits immense diversity. As we reach the archipelago of the Rio Negro, the

large water expanse is narrowed dramatically intosmall channels winding though mazes of trees. This is the second largest river archipelago,according to Captain Mo Jr. As it is the rainyseason, we drift along amongst the tops of theprotruding trees, their entire trunks submergedunderwater for months at a time.

From peaceful currents the water flow becomesmore accelerated, and a note of a slight froth on thesurface signals approaching rapids.

At some points the grasses of the floodplains aredeceiving, appearing as if one could get out andwalk. Here we are literally plowing the canoesthrough a submerged region.

Resembling the color of tea, the water of the RioNegro and its smaller tributaries has a barelydiscernable hardness and conductivity — thehighly acidic water has a pH range of 3.5 to 5.5. The source of these waters is from the rain, andfrom forests where decaying leaves, roots, andother organic matter leach humic and tannic acids,making the brew of tea that usually runs over asandy floor. Plants will not be found living in thewater here, as there are no nutrients to supportvegetation.

Roaring in glorious fierceness, the rapids rush overthe steep rocky embankment, crashing ferociouslyon the rock bed below.


Seining in a shallow area of the flooded forestbrings Apistogramma spp., several tetra species,and a few nice larger cichlids such as Herosappendiculatus.

A great opportunity to cool off with a swim at thebase of the waterfall! Admittedly, before I know itthe current is sweeping me downstream, and I haveto grab a hold of a fellow traveler to keep fromending up back in the Rio Amazonas!

Due to the flooding of the rainy season, theabundant cardinal tetra, symbol of hope for apositive future for man, fishes, and the Rio Negrothrough Project Piaba, remains elusive to us on thistrip, as specimens disperse far and wide, sweptacross the overflowing banks.

And we worry about carrying groceries up thesteps! To the people of the Rio Negro, food is avital commodity, more than worth the effort.

Back on the main river, houses are built on stilts to protect them from the rising waters. As you can see,regardless of the stilts, the floodwaters still manage to overtake the homes, often leading to devastation ofthe already meager existence of the people who inhabit them.


Immense sandbars frequent the Rio Negro makingtravel hazardous for a large vessel. These sandyoutcrops require navigation by an experiencedcaptain with knowledge of the region.

One more breathtakingly beautiful than the next,the diverse insects that understandably intriguedBates and Wallace 160 years ago are as fascinatingtoday as they were at that time, as exemplified bythis Hemiptera, in the order of true bugs, probablyof the family Lygaeidae, the seed bugs (Dr. DavidSchleser pers. com.).

Returning to our vessel, the Victoria Amazonica,after a long day of discovery spent in the canoes.

Evening collecting brought lovely specimens ofcatfish.

Beautifully patterned caimans, with their intensely fierce eyes, were regulars on our night canoe outings. This fellow was decidedly not thrilled, particularly when his powerful body slipped out of a comrade’shands, knocked into my back, and fell to the floor of the canoe where he thrashed and scrambled wildlyabout our feet in search of an escape! Needless to say, all worked out — with a bit of fast thinking fromthe natives he found his way back into the water, and I am here to tell the tale!


A cool river shower feels great after an exhilaratingday! No need for a blow dryer here!

The next adventure on the Rio Negro is certain to bejust around the bend!

Part III of “Adventures on the Rio Negro” finds us gaining an understanding of the lives of the people,and their interaction with the land and the river that is their home.

The 2007 American Cichlid Association Convention Sacramento, California

Thursday, July 19th through Sunday, July 22nd, 2007This year, the Convention is being hosted by the Sacramento Aquarium Society (SAS). Registration is nowavailable online (at http://www.aca2007.com/). By ACA policy, all registrants for the convention must bea current member of either the American Cichlid Association (ACA) or the Sacramento Aquarium Society(SAS) at the time of the convention.

Confirmed Speakers:Dr. Tim HovanecAd KoningsDr. Ron ColemanAndrew SohOliver LucanusChris CleversRainer StawikowskiAlex Saunders

Banquet Speaker: Chuck Rambo


by ELLIOT OSHINS

When I was five years old, my mother bought me a sailor suit. It made quite an impression on me. Since then I’ve always wanted to be a sailor, and took up collecting pictures of Navy ships. Theonly movies I really wanted to see as a young boy were movies about the Navy.

Growing up, my family would spend summers in New Jersey. I did my first stint of sea duty onthe ferry going to and from New Jersey. Upon being drafted, the Army said “You’re for us,” even thoughI thought I looked better in Navy blues. It didn’t help.

The closest I got to the Navy after the war was when they shipped me home from Europe on theaircraft carrier “USS Wasp.” My dreams were coming true at last—a cruise on a Navy ship! It was on thehigh seas New Year’s Day 1946 when some of the sailors played football on the flight deck. Everythingwas going along just fine until we hit a storm, and had to detour to the south. Quite a few of the servicemengot horribly seasick. I managed to stay dry and I ate a lot of ice cream, which helped. There was nochampagne, or anybody to dance with, to bring in the New Year. I was very glad when we arrived in NewYork City. Unfortunately, my Navy days at last were over.

Late in the 1970s I did go on quite a few cruises when they became the fad. I do recommendthem. However, the only thing I noticed is that they serve too much food! Although a nice way to spenda vacation, it’s very difficult to stay away from the fancy desserts.

While on one of my cruises, I had the opportunity to read many books. One time, I came acrossa story about a British Man O’War (a single deck frigate that carried 32 cannons and a fairly large crew)that I found worthwhile reading. This is their story.

On October 10, 1804, at 5:00 a.m., when the tides were right, the H.M.S. Kettering sailed out ofPortsmouth for the West Indies. On the ship were a crew of officers, sailors, and marines. She wascommanded by Captain Charles Ferdenzi, who came from a family of a long line of seafaring men. CaptainFerdenzi started his naval training when he was just 12 years old. He is now 42. The weather on October10, 1804 was fairly good: 50 degrees, and the sea had a slight chop and strong winds. The next three daysthe water became fairly rough with very strong winds. Then,on October 14, 1804, the sky became overcastwith dark clouds and strong winds. Captain Ferdenzi knew a storm was approaching. The next day, onOctober 15th, the H.M.S. Kettering was hit with gale force. The storm lasted for two and a half days andthe ship took quite a hit. Quite a number of the crew became seasick from the stormy weather. Those whowere pressed into service had never been to sea, and had a hard time dealing with the storm and theconditions on the ship. It was the custom in wartime for the British Navy to gang press men into service,in a sense kidnap them. This was all very legal.

On October 18th the weather changed in the afternoon. The sun came out and the sea becamecalmer.

The H.M.S. Kettering was docked at Portsmouth, a very large naval base in England. One of thethird lieutenants, Button Faustmann, was to look for crews, as the H.M.S Kettering had orders to sail forthe West Indies on October 21, and that was just a few days away. The lieutenant was in the king’s servicesince he was 15. He was now 45. You could hear him approach from two blocks away, as he had awooden leg. He lost his foot serving underAdmiral Nelson. He set out with a few marineswho carried cutlasses and clubs, and he carried apistol and a billy club, which he favored, andwasn’t afraid to use. He was known as “TheDrummer” amongst his men.

The lieutenant and his men were a fewblocks from the docks, not the best part of town,when they passed a pub called “The Pig’s Eye.” The pub’s proprietor, Richard Priest, was an oldsea captain who had sailed all the oceans of theworld. He and his wife Dolly ran the pub, andenjoyed serving the townspeople. When theyweren’t busy they would walk down to the dockshand-in-hand among all the sailing ships. He


would reminisce, and tell her stories that she heard many times. How he loved to spot dolphins and whaleswhen sailing the Pacific. He loved fish, and kept two small fish in an old chamber pot on the bar in thepub.

Looking into the pub, Button Faustmann saw a rowdy bunch of young men. He had to laugh; twoof the men were dancing with two of the young and pretty barmaids: Martha De Jager and Abigail Barnett. The men couldn’t dance, and were falling all overthemselves. Another two men were in a cornerslumped over in chairs, fast asleep and snoring. They had a big surprise awaiting them when theyawoke. The last six that made up the “UnfortunateTen” were very inebriated. One was playing theaccordion and the rest were singing and swayingwith the music. They were all having a great time,but this was to change very soon. The unfortunateten saw the uniformed men enter, and by this timewere too far gone with drinks to attempt escape.

The lieutenant and his men got thedrunkards to their feet, although it wasn’t easy. The brothers put up a fight, and the barmaids triedto push away some of the marines, but in the endjustice triumphed. The lieutenant told them theywere going to serve King George and their country. They should be very honored and proud that theyare Englishmen, and they were going to serve in the best navy in the world…the Royal Navy.

The following is the list of the men caught in the lieutenant’s net at “The Pig’s Eye:” JosiahSoberman, Samuel O’Farrell, The Brothers Elbridge, Arthur Vukich, Roger DuCasse, Lewis Gerber, OliverFriedman, Matthew Bollbach, Francis Graffagnino, and Carter Traub. The lieutenant marched them off

to H.M.S. Kettering, their new home for the nextyear and a half. It’s very hard to believe, butsome of the men became fine sailors and did anoutstanding job in battle.

After the war some of the “UnfortunateTen” made the Who’s Who list of EnglishSociety. Josiah Soberman became a marksmanwith a 12 pound cannon, and would take betsand give odds in battle as to which part of theenemy ship he could hit. After the war he ran athree card monty game in London, and marrieda duchess.

The Brothers Elbridge and ArthurVukich became experts in firing the carronade,a short barreled gun of large caliber. It fired a32, 42, and 68 pound ball, and it had a very short

range. When they were discharged, from the Royal Navy, they joined the circus where they would taketurns being shot out of a cannon to amuse the crowds.

Lewis Gerber became a sharpshooter with the musket. When the war was over he went toAmerica and joined a Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and married an Indian princess of the Mohawk tribe.

When the ship’s cook fell overboard (there’s still a lot of questions about that), Oliver Friedmanbecame the Chef De Cuisine. After the war was over, he sailed to France and opened a fine restaurant inParis. He was known to spend his spare time at the Folies-Bergère.

Carter Traub started a numbers game among the ships of the fleet and became very wealthy. Afterleaving the service he became a Duke.

Francis Graffagnino was the only one in the crew who could read and write, and he became thesecretary to the captain. After being discharged he wrote a bestseller about his life in the navy, and marriedthe captain’s daughter.

Samuel O’Farrell, although he couldn’t read or write, carried a Bible, and was assigned to assistthe chaplain. After the war he ran for Parliament, and was elected to the House of Lords.


Roger DuCasse after discharge became an outstanding rugby player, and went on to a successfulbusiness selling snails.

Matthew Bolbach’s job on the ship was as a cooper. His responsibility was to look after the barrelsin which water, powder, and supplies were kept. He would also help the officers give out rations of rum andbeer. After the war he opened a café and bar on the Cote d’Azur.

On October 21, 1804, while the sun was setting, the lookout spotted a ship on the horizon. It wassoutheast of our portside. The captain wasn’t sure if it was friend or foe.

The following morning she was spotted again, this time closer. The captain looked through hisspyglass, and he was able to make her out. She was a pirate ship that sailed out of Jamaica, called “TheTrombenik.” Her captain was the notorious pirate Benjamin Foran. Standing with the captain was his lefthand man (his right hand had a hook), James Bellise also known as the “Casanova of the Caribbean.”

That’s when Captain Ferdenzi ordered all hands to battle stations. The ship’s surgeon, PhilDickinson, went below deck with his assistant, Midshipman Thomas D’Orio, who was very good with thesaw. He knew if there were a battle, there would be many casualties. The captain ordered extra chain andmusket balls for the cannons, as he felt they would do a lot of damage to the enemy.

By afternoon “The Trombenik” was close enough to fire on The H.M.S. Kettering with hercannons. Captain Ferdenzi had all sails out, and knew he could not outrun the oncoming pirate ship. “TheTrombenik” fired, and missed us by 15 yards. At that point the captain ordered William Kasman and CaesarRigby, the quartermasters, to steer the ship so we would face her broadside. It was at this point that thebattle broke out. She also maneuvered to face us broadside. Both ships were firing on each other. She hitour foresail, we hit their main and mizzen sails. The firing went on for over half an hour. The marines werestationed in the tops with their muskets, and would fire on the officers and quartermasters whose job it wasto steer the ship. There were concussions from the cannons everywhere. The noise of the battle wasdeafening. The smell of gunpowder was overpowering. The heavy smoke was cutting off the air, and manyof the crew were coughing and having trouble breathing. There was yelling and cursing everywhere. It waslike a scene from “Dante’s Inferno.”

Then we got hit below the water line. The ship started to take on water and list on the starboardside. Water was everywhere. Looking over the sides of the ship, I could see very large orange and yellowfish swimming all around us. The captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. By this time everythingbecame quiet. You couldn’t hear the yelling of the men and the sounds of cannon fire. The only sound wasthe water hitting the sides of the ship as she was sinking. My hands and arms were getting very wet, and myshirt was soaking.

When the bubble burst, I was lowering a model of a Man O’War into my 135 gallon fish tank. Shewas now resting in her new home on the bottom of the sea among the sand and the rocks. The yellowLabidochromis spp.and Neolamprologus leleupi were inspecting the new addition to their home. TheJulidochromis marlieri were swimming in and out of the hole in her bow. I would rather that she was upthere with her captain and crew sailing the seven seas and flying her flags.

The End

• • •

Epilogue

The first names of the captain’s officers and crew of The H.M.S. Kettering are the same first namesof the men who are signers of the Declaration of Independence. The women’s first names are the first namesof our first ladies.

Illustrations by Elliot Oshins


The G.C.A.S.

Proudly extends a most Warm Welcome

toOur Guest SpeakerED VUKICH

Speaking on"Ed’s Fishroom"

By Claudia Dickinson

With a father who, as a young boy, raised mollies and otherfish in bathtubs in the backyard of his Brooklyn home inthe 1930s, it was natural for Edward Vukich, at the age of

twelve, to follow in his Dad’s footsteps with his first 20-gallon tank. Situated in the family den, Ed’s tank housed various fish over theyears, such as silver dollars, angelfish, and pink convicts. Ed looksback with nostalgia at the aquarium equipment of the time, such asan outside bubble-up filter, and battery-operated syphon with anetted bag that spewed the mulm back into the tank.

Years later, Ed’s brother, Anton, another renown GCASmember dear to our hearts, offered to purchase a tank for Ed toencourage him to return to the hobby. Originally, it was to be a 55-gallon tank, but as a 75-gallon tank has the same dimensions,naturally the brothers went for that! Ed soon had his new tankoutfitted and his rejuvenated passion took off as he filled this tank with clown loaches, Corydoras,angelfish, and a red tailed black shark, which he still has to this day.

Currently, Ed maintains many tanks in his basement. The inhabitants are as varied as his interests,and include Corydoras, Ancistrus spp., livebearers, guppies, Tanganyikan shell dwellers, West Africancichlids, and Apistogramma spp. All of the stands are made by hand, and as Ed is just completing anotherstand, it looks as if his collection is soon to grow larger.

Excelling at inducing his fish to breed, we all know and are most grateful for the bounteous harvestthat comes from Ed’s fishroom. His tremendous generosity goes a long way in making the monthly GCASauction table overflow with fabulous finds! Along with any task that comes his way, Ed serves in the roleof GCAS Recording Secretary.

Always ready with a smile and to lend a helping hand, Ed is an integral part of the GCAS. Weproudly extend a warm welcome to Ed tonight as he presents, “Ed’s Fishroom!”


Suggested Questions Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your favorite aquarium. What was your very first fish? Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper. Is there someone you think of as a mentor? Tell us about him or her. Describe your “Fantasy Fish Tank.” If you were a fish, which one would you be? Who is your “Hobby Hero?” What fish which you have never kept would you like to acquire? Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!” Describe your most memorable fishkeeping experience. What advice would you give to a beginning fishkeeper? What are your fishkeeping goals?

- OR write a narrative story -

by SUSAN PRIEST ? ? ANONYMOUS ? ?

When I first met this fishkeeper, hischildren were just emerging from the“toddler” stage. Yikes! That’s it; that’s

all I’m going to say (except that now I know whymy joints are aching by the time I go to bed). Ialready know what I want to tell you about him in next month’s issue, but until then, I’m guessing youwill find a little bit of yourselves throughout thesewell-crafted paragraphs; I know I did. I amtempted to quote him at this point, before he hashad a chance to speak for himself, but I mustrestrain myself. For your enjoyment, I offer youour:

Anonymous Fishkeeper/July 2007

If I mayborrow a line from therock and roll team ofMick Jagger and KeithRichards: “Pleaseallow me to introducemyself……”

Like them, Iam middle aged,although a few yearsyounger than them. Ilive in Nassau County,Long Island with mywife and two teenagedchildren. Right now Ihave a fishroom withabout 30 tanks thathold all differentfamilies of freshwaterfish; there are cichlids,tetras, livebearers,killies and catfish.

Although Ikept fish with my father for several years prior tohis very untimely death at 43 in 1971, I have beenkeeping fish steadily as an adult since 1988. Someof my tanks are species tanks set up for breedingpurposes, and some are community tanks. As Iwrite this, one tank is a single specimen only “petfish” tank, although I have kept single specimensas “pets” before. In my case, they are fish that just

do not seem to be able to coexist with theirtankmates, and fish that I like too much to get ridof. I usually don’t keep troublemakers. I am notone of those fishkeepers that likes to feed fish toother fish, and don’t look to keep those types offish, either. I was initially attracted to dwarfcichlids and catfish, like many new hobbyists, andstill keep some of each.

I have pretty much gone through my“pleco mania” phase, where I bought every hot andpopular (and expensive!) new pleco around. Ifound them difficult to keep alive for an extendedlength of time, and, since I could not breed them, Iwas frustrated in the knowledge that they werebeing taken from the wild only to die in one of mytanks. I do have several plecos in my tanks

presently, but they arepretty much farmraised fish. One ofmy plecos, which Iknow is wild caught,has been in my keepfor over 14 years, so Imu s t be do ingsomething right!

One of myc ur ren t favo r i tegroups of fish are theLake Tanganyikacichlids, and I haveseveral tanks of themright now. Byfollowing the simpleprinciples of regularw a t e r c h a n g e s ,appropriate feeding,and careful mixing ofspecies, I seem tohave found thef o r m u l a f o r

fishkeeping success. As a participant in the GCASBAP, I have well surpassed the 300 point level. Iwon’t tell you how much, that might give myidentity away! I mention this, not to brag, just todemonstrate that proper aquarium keeping will leadto success in breeding. I have about 10 plantedtanks, but they are almost all planted with simpleplants such as Java Fern, Java Moss, Water Sprite,


and the likes. I do not use carbon dioxide injectionor fancy lights. I have, however, found thatkeeping all my tank lights on timers helps allow meto create a somewhat stable environment for myfish and plants, and I believe that helps as well.

Since I have 30 active aquariums, I do notreally have a “favorite,” however, I usually find thetank that contains a fish that is new to me, or that Iam working with for breeding purposes, gets agreater portion of my attention than the others. Tothat extent, one of my current “favorites” is acustom 10 gallon tank that I obtained for the grandsum of $5 dollars when Dr. Paul Loiselle donatedit to a GCAS auction after a project he had beeninvolved with at the New York Aquarium wascompleted. This tank, one half of a 20 high,currently houses a group of young Julidochromisornatus (both natural and albino forms) that I amworking with. Another of my “favorites,” is a 55gallon tank that now houses a breeding group ofTropheus moorii “Red Rainbow.” I wrote “nowhouses” because, finally, after a second attempt atkeeping these fish, the group I now have isbreeding constantly.

My first fish, which I kept with my fatheralmost 40 years ago, was a group of swordtails thatbred almost as soon as we got them. It was a veryexciting event for an impressionable young boysuch as myself, and I never forgot that feeling ofseeing those babies. Years later, when I startedkeeping fish again, I started with neon tetras andtiger barbs in a 5 gallon hex tank, which soonbecame tiger barbs in a 5 gallon hex tank! Ilearned a great deal about fish from the “school ofhard knocks,” like many new fishkeepers, killinglots of fish at first and having to set the tank up andstart all over again several times until I got it right. One of the first lessons I learned was that a 5gallon tank was just not big enough, and I soon gota 20 gallon hex tank. I also learned to keep fish inthe standard rectangular size tank for best results.

After all the “experts” among my smallcircle of friends and acquaintances got left behindin my expanding quest for knowledge, I foundGreater City, and then my education grewtremendously, as I was exposed to people andthings I never could have encountered on my own. When I first started keeping fish, everyone was mymentor, and I learned from everyone I spoke to. Not all the information that I got was correct orappropriate, but I listened and learned. But, I havenever really had a “fish mentor.”

If I had unlimited resources, knowledge,and ability, I would love to be able to keep aplanted tank such as the Amano tanks that arefeatured in Tropical Fish Hobbyist and in the“Nature World” series of books. That creativetouch completely eludes me, and I know that I

would have to pay dearly to have someone set it upfor me, and probably to help me keep it going. Iwould have to have somewhere to feature that tank,and display it prominently as well, not keep ithidden away in my basement with the rest of mytanks. That would be the hardest part of thefantasy, getting my wife to allow a tank in thehouse. Once we moved into the house, she agreedthe basement would be mine to do what I wanted,but, thus far, she has resisted all my efforts to addone “show” tank in the living quarters of the house.

I do not have a particular hero in thehobby these days. I have in the past, but not rightnow. However, anyone who overcomes the initialfailures and confusion of keeping fish, and stayswith the hobby, whether they keep one tank or onehundred, is my hero!

I have never kept any saltwater fish. Oneday, I would really like to set up a saltwater tankand keep some of my favorites such as the PurpleTang and some of the clown fish. If I have a largeenough tank and the financial resources someday,I would really like to keep a Dragon Moray Eel. However, like each fish that I keep, I would onlykeep one if I knew I could provide the properenvironment for it, and do my best to guaranteesuccess in keeping the fish. I think that we have atremendous responsibility to maintain our wet petsin the best environment we can, or else, not keepthem.

Bloopers, I have made plenty of them. However, I think the biggest one I ever madeinvolved a 30 gallon tank that I was using to housea large group of African cichlid fry that I wasgrowing out. Not realizing what I was doing, Imoved the plug to the filter to an extension cordthat was plugged into a timer for the lights in thattank. Two days later, the filter only running about6 hours a day, I had a tank full of dead fish. Inever noticed because when I looked at the tank (Itry to check out my tanks every day) the filter wasrunning and everything looked fine. The waterfouled very quickly and almost all the fish died. The only survivors were a group of albinobushynosed plecos. As I drained the tank to resetit, imagine my surprise when I found all the“bushies” alive! I set the tank up for them and,within a few weeks, they had begun breeding. Once they started they have not stopped and it isquite a sight seeing them gather to feed!

One of the fish I have always been crazyabout is Altolamprolgus calvus. Many years ago Iwas able to obtain 7 very young calvus in anattempt to raise and breed them. Six years later, Ihad raised several of them to a size at which theyshould have been breeding, but they were not. Igave the remaining fish away and started withsomething else. Subsequently I got the chance to


pick up a trio of wild caught A. calvus, and Ibought them. About a year later, with one of eachsex in the tank, the pair bred. What made it somemorable was that they bred in a cave right in myline of sight and I was able to observe the wholespawning process from fertilization throughhatching to free swimming.

If I were asked what advice to givebeginning fishkeepers, here are some pointers Iwould give them:

• Start with as big a tank as you can affordand have room for, at least 20 gallons.

• Don’t load too many fish in the tank. Start with a few different compatibletypes, and spend the time to learn aboutthem and how to keep them alive beforeadding more fish and/or tanks.

• Perform regular water changes and do theproper tank maintenance.

• Feed your fish sparingly and feed theproper foods.

• Read up and learn as much as you can,ask lots of questions.

• If you can, join an aquarium society (thisis not a plug, an aquarium society is thebest place to meet fellow hobbyists, getmany questions answered, and becomeexposed to fish and information that isnot available anywhere else.)

• Practice the art of patience, it will pay offin the end.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ifsomeone won’t answer your question,find another person. Next month, whenmy identity is revealed, know that youcan always ask me questions. If I don’tknow the answer, I will make somethingup that sounds reasonable! (Just kidding,I will say that I don’t know and try to helpyou find the answer.)

• Most important….Enjoy yourself, it’syour hobby.

In closing, allow me to quote Messrs.Jagger and Richards again: “Pleased to meet you,won’t you guess my name?”

Our June autobiographer was quite carefulnot to reveal her gender as she told usabout her brothers, but not that she was

their sister, and intelling us about herspouse, but not thatshe was his wife. I’msuspecting that shemay have left morethan a few of youscratching your headsas to her identity,even though her photowas on the cover.

When I waspreparing to write myreview of Aquarium Care of Cichlids, I consideredopening it with my own recollections of the day Ifirst met Claudia. I’m glad that I didn’t, becauseher version was much more engaging than minewould have been. (I was going to describe her asthe original “Anonymous Fishkeeper,” as one byone we asked ourselves “Who is that? Do I knowher?”)

The mental picture of Claudia holdingbloodworms in one hand and a diamond ring in theother gives rise to one of the few regrets I have inmy life; I regret never having visited “Claudia’sCarriage House,” (she failed to mention thestairway to Imagination, or the antique sleighs fullof dolls).

More multi-faceted even than a diamondring is our Claudia. I’m not going to try andrecount all of her contributions to the GCAS, toModern Aquarium, or to the aquarium world atlarge. I disappointed myself when, after lastmonth’s issue had gone to the printers, I realizedthat I hadn’t made a mention of the C.A.R.E.S.program in my review.

I like to watch the faces in the meetingroom as, one by one, they burst into a smile whenthey notice the arrival of the bushel baskets full ofexpected as well as unexpected treats, thespreading out of the fish table cover, and thepresence of the dashing Brad, all of which can onlymean that Claudia is somewhere nearby as shegreets new and old members. Claudia, theresimply aren’t enough thoughts, words, or deeds tothank you for all that you are, and all that you do,but that won’t stop us from trying!

One of our members (who shall remainanonymous) said this to me about Claudia’s book:“I have read a bizzilllion cichlid books, butClaudia’s writing is like a water change on an old,neglected tank.” Hmmm; maybe this person couldhave a career writing book reviews!


Or: Mermaids Have More Funby DESIREE MARTIN

Needless to say, monthly meetings at theGCAS are wonderful experiences for anovice like me. My second meeting was as

exciting as my first. I again participated in theauction, which was, quite simply, a lot of fun.

There were demonstrations given bymembers that night. Crystal, one of the presentersof “Got Rocks,” gave me a lime-colored quartzrock, which I couldn’twait to put in my tank. Having bid successfullyon some Najas (a plant)and a breeding pair ofF u n d u l o p a n c h a xgardneri nigerianus (akillifish), I introducedmy goodies to my tankimmediately uponreturning home thatevening.

I then sat infront of the tank,watching the new andbeautiful scenery beforeI had to run off to bed. And whoa, what did Isee? T he ki l l iesimmediately cametogether and didsomething I had neverseen nor, at thatm o m e n t , e v e nconsidered what theymight be doing. Thebeautiful male with his yellow and red fins swamalongside the female and engulfed her body in hisfins, and both fish were dancing (I was later tolearn that they had mated in front of me—but whatdo I know!). Boy, oh boy - what a sight! I couldnot believe the beauty of the performance, andimmediately the tune “Under the Sea” came tomind, because now my tank in all its splendor andgreenery, in fact, looks exactly like “under thesea.”

In the morning I sat next to the aquarium,and I saw another spectacular sight. I discoveredthat I had an absolutely beautiful snail, beige incolor with stripes and 2 antenna, both of which Icould see wiggling back and forth (must havehitchhiked in on the new plants). Baby Endlers,killies, a beautiful zebra snail, greenery…happy—happy—joy—joy! What more could one

hope for? What awonderful sight toawaken to, and what abeautiful way to beginthe day.

And becausethere was so muchgreenery, the Endlersmales were flashing(hehehehe) and I sawnew movements andcolors in their fins. Ibeamed with mermaidpride, and could barelyremove myself from infront of the tank as Iwent to get a magnifyingglass to find out if anyother new goodies mightbe in my tank.

My fish love allthese fresh plants, andeat them like cottoncandy while they swimaround the tank and inand out of the plants, as

though they are changing rides at Coney Island. My, oh my - all this with just one ten gallon andone five gallon tank.

Four days have now passed, and I findnew snails appearing in the aquarium every day. I’ve also seen the killie pair “dance” one moretime, and my baby Endlers are hiding in the Najasand appear very satisfied to swim amidst thefoliage. Can you imagine what new experiencesmight happen in my aquarium after my nextmeeting and in my next (and of course, larger)tank?

Well, we will see. Stay tuned.


What a wonderful group of presenters ~ given words of warm appreciation from President Joe Ferdenzi! No wonder they are so special ~ all are our very own GCASers! From left to right, Marsha and DanRadebaugh, President Joe Ferdenzi, Crystal Mattocks, Sharon Barnett, Harry Faustmann, and Rich Levy. Carlotti De Jager had already left for home, but she is definitely in this photo in heart and spirit!

Sharon Barnett and Crystal Mattocks filled us in on exactlywhat to do if we “Got Rocks?!”

Carlotti De Jager was very muchat home speaking on one of herfavorite topics, “Bettas!”

Photos and captions

Our June meeting brought the highly anticipated annual opportunity to be enlightened by our own membersthrough five mini programs, presented by seven of our very own GCAS members, Crystal Mattocks, SharonBarnett, Rich Levy, Carlotti De Jager, Harry Faustmann, and Dan and Marsha Radebaugh. Deep andheartfelt words of thanks to Crystal, Sharon, Rich, Carlotti, Harry, Dan, and Marsha. You did a spectacularjob, and our pride in you is immense!


Master of “Live Foods,” Harry Faustmann sharedhis secrets on what we need to know to have a fullrange of our own successful cultures, and RichLevy excelled in his presentation, “Fish at School— Focus on our Youth.”

Marsha and Dan Radebaugh had us laughing, andthey had us listening, as they brought us their own“Cheap Tricks!”

Dan Radebaugh shares one of hisvery “Cheap Tricks” to providehiding places for his belovedcichlids.

Marsha Radebaugh shows uswhat she and Dan do with theirturkey baster!

A heartfelt welcome to new GCASmembers Barbara and KarlAlbrecht, who join us from ForestHills, NY!

Goodness knows what PresidentJoe Ferdenzi has up his sleeve, butby the crowd’s laughter, you canbe certain that it is all in fun!

A warm welcome to our newGCAS member, Robert Altonen,whose interests span from Africancichlids to guppies, breedingplecos, koi, and ponds!

Desiree Martin has become awelcome regular at both ourGCAS meetings, and in thesepages of Modern Aquarium!

by Claudia Dickinson


Horst Gerber is perfect proof ofwhat we all do to make certain thatwe don’t miss a moment with theGCAS!

Jason Kerner does another*STAR* job as our ModernAquarium Photo/Layout Editor!

Sharon Barnett has definitelydiscovered a mound of treasures inthe evening’s auction!!!

Carlotti De Jager

Last month’s Bowl Show Winner:


BREEDING SEAHORSES - PART 1: SETTING UP THE TANKby BERNARD HARRIGAN

Saying that seahorses are unique in the animalkingdom is like saying that the surface of thesun is hot. They look as if they’ve been put

together from parts of over half a dozen unrelatedanimals. They have a suction pistol for a mouth,and they swim erect, so it should come as nosurprise that these nonconformists breed in a veryunique way. They’re the only animals where themale gets pregnant and gives birth.

Seahorses breed easily in an aquarium, butif you’re not ready for it, or don’t have things set upright, both you and your seahorses can end up beingfrustrated. All seahorses basically breed the sameway, with some minor variations depending on thespecies. In this, Part One, I’ll go over an averagebreeding setup. Part Two will go into the actualbreeding itself, and some of the common pitfalls youcould run into. The last part will cover raising thefry, which is the hardest part. Before you give thisa try, research the needs of your particular species,and read all three parts of this series at least once.

When it comes to seahorses, a tall tank isa good tank. “How tall?” you ask. That dependson the species of seahorse. Seahorses do a kind ofcourtship dance. Unlike us, the “dance” isn’t justhorizontal movements, but includes more verticalmovements. At one point they will face oneanother and swim upwardly. In the end the femalewill be belly to belly with the male, passing hereggs to him. If the seahorses don’t have enoughvertical room to swim up together, breeding will benext to impossible. The taller the tank, the easierit will be for them. The least amount of verticalswimming room that the tank should have is twicethe maximum height that your species of seahorsecan grow. Notice that I didn’t say the minimumtank height you should have. That’s becauseseahorses don’t care if the tank is 15 inches tall, ifthey can only swim 13 inches, and they need 14inches. Gravel and airspace take up verticalswimming room. The drawing below shouldclarify this point.


Minimum Vertical Swimming RoomFor Common Seahorse Species

H. abdominalis (Potbellied Seahorse) . . . . . . 28"H. angustus (Narrow Bellied Seahorse) . . . . . . 7"H. barbouri (Barbour’s Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . 12"H. barboniensis (Réunion Seahorse) . . . . . . . 12"H. breviceps (Knobby Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . 8"H. camelopardalis (Giraffe Seahorse) . . . . . . . 8"H. capensisi (Cape Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12"H. comes (Tigertail Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . 15"H. erectus (Lined Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15"H. fuscus (Sea Pony) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12"H. guttulatus (Long-Snouted Seahorse) . . . . . 15"H. hippocampus (Short-Snouted Seahorse) . . 12"H. histrix (Thorny Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14"H. ingens(Pacific Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25"H. kelloggi (Kellog’s Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . 13"H. kuda (Yellow Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14"H. reidi (Slender Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15"H. spinosissimus (Hedgehog Seahorse) . . . . . 15"H. subelongatus (Tiger-Snout Seahorse) . . . . 16"H. whitei (Sydney Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11"H. zosterae (Dwarf Seahorse) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3"

Clean water is important, so have goodbiological filtration and a protein skimmer. Justmake sure you don’t turn your aquarium into aJacuzzi. Seahorses are poor swimmers. Strongpumps or badly directed outlets can causeundesired turbulence. This is not good whenyou’re trying to breed any Hippocampus species. As I mentioned earlier, seahorses will do a dance,getting belly to belly in order to breed. They willdo this dance over and over, until the female’sovipositor and the male’s pouch are not onlytouching, but are lined up precisely and at thecorrect angle.

Pete Giwojna, a world-renowned experton seahorses, gave the best analogy of seahorsecopulation I have ever read. It was in an article hewrote which wascalled “SeahorseBreeding Secrets.” Here is a quote fromthe article: “If youhave never had theprivilege of watching your seahorses mate,imagine newlywedskydivers attemptingto consummate theirmarriage in freefall... The last thing they’dwant to contend withat the moment of truthare swirling aircurrents, or a littlewind shear!” If yourseahorses are tryingto breed, the last thingthey want is strongcurrents making for atricky docking.

Having theright lighting willhelp set the rightmood. No, I’m nottaking about installing a dimmer switch or usingcandlelight. A normal flourescent strip is fine. What signals seahorses to make whoopie is thelength of photoperiod. For many seahorse species,once the sun stays out for over 12 hours, it’s timeto dance. This is especially true of the dwarfseahorse, Hippocampus zosterae, but for others aswell. Plug your tank light into a timer, and havethe time set so that the lights stay on for at least 13hours, and then watch the romance flow.

To furnish this aquatic boudoir, you firstneed to remember that the lovers need room todance, so keep the center of the aquarium clear andunobstructed. They also need to feel comfortableand relaxed in the tank. Since they are shy by

nature, and rely on not being seen in order to catcha meal, as well as not becoming someone else’smeal, they need a hideout. For a hideout, all theyneed are a few hitching posts to hold on to. Innature, they’d use seagrass, coral, or any anchoreditem they can get their tail around. In theaquarium, you can use artificial coral, plasticplants, or even that “Little Mermaid” tankdecoration that you have stashed on the side. Itdoesn’t matter that much to the seahorses. Put afew on both sides of the tank. This way, they havean option of where they want to go and relax. Without a place to relax, your seahorses will bestressed out, and the last thing on the mind of astressed out seahorse is hooking up to mate.

If you noticed, I said artificial coral andplastic plants. This isnot a “show tank,” soyour esthetic sense takesa backseat to what youare trying to accomplish,which is breedingseahorses. Form followsf u n c t i o n . S o m emanufacturers makev e r y r e a l i s t i creproductions of marineplants and coral, butyour seahorses won’treally care how theylook.

Real coral andmarine plants have theirown set of needs andrequirements. Some canbe quite demanding, andcompletely opposite ofthe needs of yourseahorses. The onlyother livestock I wouldput in the tank, besidesthe betrothed seahorses,are a few turbo snails.

Every living organism adds to the bioload of thetank and contributes to the deterioration of itswater quality. Other fish could harass, orout-compete the seahorses for food. Crustaceansare aggressive and could eat baby seahorses. Corals need stronger water movement, and couldsting them. Even Caulerpa, and other marineplants, need special lighting. The bottom line is, ifit’s not a major plus for what you’re trying to do,then don’t add it.

In the next installment, I will talk aboutthe actual courtship, and the mating itself. I’ll alsogo over some common problems which you mightrun into.


FAASinations—News From: The Federation of American Aquarium Societies

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

The Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS), to which Greater City belongs, has

announced the results of the 2006 Publication Awards competition. Participation seems to be less

than in prior years, but Greater City’s Modern Aquarium came away the big winner, taking top

honors in most categories. See the legend at the end of this article for explanations of the abbreviations

used. Congratulations to all of the winning societies, and especially to all of our Modern Aquarium

award-winning authors!

n n Best Editor and Publication more than 6 issues n n1) Al Priest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS2) Robert Kulesa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACLC

3) James Quattropan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

HM) Arie Gilbert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

Best Editor and Publication 6 or fewer issues1) Josè M Centeno. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AAA

Best Changing Cover, Non-Original Art1) Jason Kerner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS2) Arie Gilbert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

3) Josè M. Centeno.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AAA

Best FAAS-Related Article1) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . FAAS Report, March 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

2) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . FAAS Report, December 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

3) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . FAAS Report, June 2006.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

Best Exchange Column1) Kurt Johnston. . . . . . . . Piscatorial Pearls, December 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACLC

2) Stephen/Donna Sosna Sica. . . Fish Bytes, August 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . X-Change-It!, April 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

Best Review Column1) Susan Priest. . . . . . . . Wet Leaves, December 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Evelyn Eagan . . . . . . . Tips, Tricks, Gadgets & Gizmoz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

3) Susan Priest. . . . . . . . Wet Leaves, April 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Spawning Article under 500 words1) Marti Horan. . Spawning Report for Ancistrus dolichopterus, Long Fin Bushynose Pleco. . . . EIAA

Best Spawning Article 500-1000 words1) Al Priest. . . . . . . . . . . Badis ruber: A Small Fish With a Big Attitude!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Melanochromis auratus: Molded by Malawi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Tony Tetro. . . . . . . . . . Breeding Neolamprologus brichardi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS


Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words1) Al Priest. . . . . . . . . . . A Most Extreme Leaf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Jo Meade . . . . . . . . . . . Spawning Arius jordani. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EIAA

3) Susan Priest. . . . . . . . No Pits, No Stems: Barbus titteya - Cherry Barb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

HM) Tony Tetro. . . . . . . . Breeding "Aequidens pulcher" - Blue Acara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

Best Article on a Genus of Fish1) Dan Radebaugh. . . . . . . . . . . . Tigerfish!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . . . A Neon is a Neon is a Neon. . . NOT!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . . . The Seahorse Chronicles: Seahorses Classified. . . . . . . . GCAS

HM) Glenn Peterson.. . . . . . . . . . . Fishy Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

Best Article on a Species of Fish1) Bernard Harrigan. . . Oscar, Oscar, Oscar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Who You Calling "Four Eyes" (Anableps anableps). . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Andy Hudson. . . . . . . . A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, or The Hazards of Impulse Buying. . . . . ACLC

Best Marine Article1) Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . . . A Swimming Dragon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Seahorse Chronicles-Seahorse Profile: The Dwarf Seahorse . . . . GCAS

3) Arie Gilbert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don't Flush!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

HM) Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . Seahorse Chronicles- Seahorse Profile: Lined Seahorse. GCAS

Best Continuous FAAS Column1) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The FAAS Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

Best Article on Aquascaping/Design1) Horst Gerber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oddball Tank.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Elliot Oshins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Let's Cross the Bridge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Articles on Plant Maintenance/Cultivation/Reproduction1) Joseph Ferdenzi. . . . . The Madagascar Lace Plant: a Case Study in Cultivation. . . . . . GCAS

2) Joy Twentyman-Crock. . . . . . . . So You Want a Planted Aquarium - Part 1: Introduction,

Difficulty, Level, Container and Substrate. . . . . . EIAA

3) Charley Sabatino. . . . Four (or more) for the Foreground Cryptocoryne parva -

The Crypt That Thinks it's an Anubias. . . . . . GCAS

HM) Bernard Harrigan. Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus) - The "Super Plant". . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Show Article1) Claudia Dickinson. . . A Golden Anniversary Celebration is on the way for the

Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies . . . . . GCAS

2) Carol Sindelar. . . . . . . The Show, The Entries, and the Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EIAA

Best How To or Do It Yourself Article1) Sharon Barnett. . . . . . Adventures in Fish Shipping: Part 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Evelyn Eagan. . . . . . . . Winterizing Your Pond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

3) Arie Gilbert. . . . . . . . . DIY . . . Or is that DI Why. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

HM) Bernard Harrigan. The Seahorse Chronicles: The ABC's of Acclimation. . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best General Article on Society Management1) Margaret Peterson. . . . The View...From the Other Side of the Tank (December 2006). . . . . . LIAS

2) Jim Peterson. . . . . . . . . Club Auction: Bid Early, Bid Often. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

3) Margaret Peterson. . . . The View...From the Other Side of the Tank (May 2006).. . . . . . . . . . LIAS


Best Article on Health/Nutrition1) Bernard Harrigan. . . The Seahorse Chronicles: The Q Word. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . The Seahorse Chronicles: Seahorse Sustenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Claudia Dickinson. . . HITH Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Cures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

HM) Harry Faustman. . . . Home Grown with Harry: Grindal Worms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

Best Collecting Article1) Dan Radebaugh. . . . . Natives, Anyone?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Traveling Aquarist Article1) Ray Suydam. . . . . . . . . Report from the West Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

2) Stephen Sica. . . . . . . . Diving in a Fishbowl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Humorous Article1) Horst Gerber. . . . . . . The Official Fishmonger Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Sharon Barnett. . . . . . Strange Things are Happening.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Margaret Peterson. . . . The View From the Other Side of the Glass (February 2006). . . . . . . . LIAS

Best Original Art Work1) Bernard Harrigan. . . Lined Seahorse - December 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Seahorse - March 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Bernard Harrigan. . . Leaf Fish - March 2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Best Cartoon1) Bernard Harrigan. . . Always Cover a Tank with Comet Goldfish (June 2006). . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Domino Damselfish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Bernard Harrigan. . . Bubblenest Smell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

HM) Robert Kulesa. . . . . Is that a fence being built over there? (June 2006). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACLC

Best Continuing Column, Single Author1) Sharon Barnett. . . . . . Mermaid Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

2) Bernard Harrigan. . . Seahorse Chronicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

3) Dennis Heltzel. . . . . . . The Fish Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACLC

Best Article, All Other Categories1) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . Here's to You, Steve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

2) Ray Suydam. . . . . . . . . A Final Word From an Ex-President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIAS

3) Robert Kulesa. . . . . . . Lists and Things Remembered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACLC

n n Author of the Year n n1) Bernard Harrigan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS2) Pat Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAS

3) Sharon Barnett.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GCAS

Legend

Abbreviation Publication Society

GCAS. . . . . . . . Modern Aquarium. . . . . . . . . . . . Greater City Aquarium Society

AAA.. . . . . . . . . El Ojo de Agua. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asociación de Acuaristas de Aguadilla

ACLC. . . . . . . . . Tank Tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aquarium Club of Lancaster County

EIAA. . . . . . . . . Fin Flap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eastern Iowa Aquarium Association

LIAS.. . . . . . . . . Paradise Press. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long Island Aquarium Society

NCAS.. . . . . . . . Pisces Press. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nassau County Aquarium Society


THE AMUSING AQUARIUM


In spite of popular demand to thecontrary, this humor and informationcolumn continues. As usual, it doesNOT necessarily represent theopinions of the Editor, or of theGreater City Aquarium Society.

Do VirtualFish Feel

Pain?A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

As a result of some evidence suggesting thatfish, which are used widely for geneticresearch, have pain receptors similar to

those of land-dwelling vertebrates, the Britishgovernment has decided that fish may feel pain. Asa result, the government intends to draw up a“charter of rights” to protect fish from inhumanetreatment in research laboratories.

According to a Times-on-Line article1,“Home Office guidelines will ensure that fish usedfor scientific study are monitored for signs of stress.Scientists will be required to ‘enrich’ the animals’lives by putting shelters and other features inaquariums.” The charter will also stipulate thatlaboratories and universities should “retire” fish ata reasonable age, so they can enjoy their old age.

Don’t let anyone talk you out of puttingthat sunken ship, mermaid, bobbing diver, resinskull, or ceramic castle in your tank. Just let it beknown that you are providing “environmentalenrichment,” as officially recommended by theBritish government.

How many of you are old enough toremember “Sea Monkeys?” (Sea-Monkeys® are atrademark of Transcience Corporation for a varietyof brine shrimp.) Well, if you want them, SeaM o n k e y s a r e s t i l l b e i n g s o l d a thttp://www.sea-monkey.com/. On the other hand, ifyou’re looking for a slightly larger aquatic pet thatyou can also keep in a closed environment, theLogi-Net company of Japan is selling a “HoloHolokit” at a starting price of just 2,100 yen (about$17.00)2. This kit consists of a mini plastic“aquarium” with seven tiny shrimp swimmingaround inside. To date, the British government hasnot ruled on the extent to which shrimp may feelpain, nor have they decided on retirement benefitsfor “senior shrimp.”

If you are at all concerned with youraquatic pets feeling pain, get a Nintendo DS, ahandheld game console developed andmanufactured by Nintendo. Once you own one,you will soon be able to turn it into a virtual fishstore with the program Fish Tycoon®. Thisprogram is a fish-breeding simulation game thatallows players to raise fish in “real-time virtualaquariums,” and crossbreed them to their liking tocreate new breeds to sell in their store.3 Sellingfish provides funding for supplies, medicine,special chemicals, technology research, and storeadvertising to attract more customers. Players startwith a small selection of fish that they must nurtureand breed, as they work to discover the correctgenetic combination for the “7 Magic Fish.” Thegame will be available later this year at a suggestedretail price of $19.99. For additional information,visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

According to the Associated Press4,people in the waiting room at Samaritan PacificCommunities Hospital in Newport, Oregon canrelax by watching a “fish cam.” A live feed fromthe Oregon Coast Aquarium beams images of thefish to a large plasma screen TV set in the ER.

While we’re on the subject of hospitalsand fish, just last month a woman was knockedunconscious by a leaping sturgeon on Florida’sSuwannee River. The woman was taken to ahospital and was expected to recover. (Sturgeonshave hard plates along their backs, can grow up to8 feet long, and can weigh up to 200 pounds.)

In April, another leaping sturgeonseverely injured a 50-year-old woman from St.Petersburg who was riding a personal watercraft(also on the Suwannee River). She suffered aruptured spleen, and had three fingers reattachedby surgeons; but she lost her left pinkie finger anda tooth5. (Hmmm, I wonder if Nintendo has avirtual watercraft, with virtual leaping fish?)

1 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2010193.ece

2 http://www.logi-net.org/catalogue/01.html

3 http:/ /www.nintendoworldrepor t.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=13600

4 http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=bizarre&id=5441650

5 http://www.kansascity.com/286/story/147337.html


CAMEO PET SHOPTROPICAL FISH AQUARIUM

Specializing in Tropical Fish and Aquarium SuppliesLarge Selection of Aquatic Plants

Knowledgeable StaffSame Location Since 1947.

(718) 849-6678 115-23 Jamaica Avenue Richmond Hill, NY 11418

! Marine Biologist On Staff! Custom Tank Builders for the NY Aquarium! Manufacturers of Aquarium & Filter Systems! Custom Cabinetry & Lighting! Largest Selection of Marine & Freshwater Livestock in NY! New York’s Largest Custom Aquarium Showroom! See Working Systems on Display

2015 Flatbush Avenue Open Saturdays and SundaysBrooklyn, NY 11234 Amex, Discover, MasterCard, Visa(718)258-0653 2 miles off exit 11N of the Belt Parkway

www.WorldClassAquarium.com


Join us in welcoming new members:Barbara and Karl Albrecht, Robert Altonen

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winner:Carlotti DeJager

UNOFFICIAL results this season, to date:Carlotti De Jager 11; Ed Vukich 10; Darwin Richmond 3; Warren Feuer 1

Thank you, renewing members:Carlotti De Jager and Mark Rubanow

G.C.A.S. HAPPENINGS

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting; August 8, 2007Speaker: Harry FaustmannTopic: “Killifish”7:30pm at The VFW Post136-06 Horace Harding ExpresswayFlushing, NY 11367

Contact: Joseph Ferdenzi (516) 484-0944E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

Brooklyn Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: September 14, 2007Speaker: Robert HudsonTopic: “Dutch Planted Aquariums”July & August: No Summer Events Meets the 2nd Friday of the month (exceptJuly and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall Surf Ave. at West 8th St., Brooklyn, NYCall: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455 http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

East Coast Guppy AssociationMeets: 1st Thursday of each month at Alley PondEnvironmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. at8:00 pmContact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

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

Long Island Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: September 21, 2007Speaker and Topic to be announcedJuly and August: no meetingsMeets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) atHoltsville Park and Zoo at 8:00pm. 249 Buckley Road - Holtsville, NY

Website: http://liasonline.org/Email: Arie Gilbert - [email protected]

Nassau County Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: September 11, 2007Speaker: Peter WarnyTopic: Long Island Wetland FishesJuly and August: no meetingsMeets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at theAmerican Legion Post 1066 - 66 VeteransBlvd. - Massapequa, NY at 8:00pm. Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

North Jersey Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: July 19, 2007Speaker and Topic: TBD

Meadowlands Environmental Center - OneDekorte Plaza - Lyndhurst, NJ

Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392Website: http://www.njas.net/ or e-mail: [email protected]

Norwalk Aquarium SocietyNext Meeting: August 16, 2007Speaker and Topic: TBDNo meeting in July Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of eachmonth at: Earthplace - the Nature DiscoveryCenter - Westport, CTContact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833E-mail: [email protected] our toll free number (866) 219-4NASWebsite: http://norwalkas.org/

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) June 2007 33

Fin FunSidewalk Sale Days

Everyone loves a sale! Who can resist “everything two dollars or less,” “seventy-five percent off,” or “buyone, get one free?” Unscramble the names of these items on sale at your pet shop. Hint: after you havefound one fish and one plant, everything else is supplies.

LIFTER SLOFS . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __

RETAEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __

SHONYP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __

LARPINSPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

FIGSOLHD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

GLEAA RASCPER . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __ __ __

SURTERAE THCSE . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __

GESNOP TELRIF . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __ __

AIRENSILLAV . . . . . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

NILEDARRHCOOT . . . . . . . . __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Solution to last month’s puzzle:


Modern Aquarium July 2007

Documents

Transcript of Modern Aquarium July 2007