Modern Aquarium July 2009

July 2009volume XVInumber 5

ON THE COVER

Our cover photo this month features Betta pulchra (the beautiful betta), a rarely seen and only recently described betta from southwestern Malaysia. For more information on this little “beauty,” see Al Priest’s article on page 9. Photo by Alexander A. Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Mark SobermanTreasurer Jack TraubCorresponding Secretary Warren Feuer Recording Secretary Edward Vukich

MeMBers at Large

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioArtie Friedman Al GrusellBen Haus Emma HausLeonard Ramroop

CoMMittee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Claudia DickinsonBowl Show Leonard RamroopBreeder Award Warren Feuer Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander PriestMembers/Programs Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate Claudia DickinsonTechnology Coordinator Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM

Editor in Chief Dan RadebaughCopy Editors Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. PriestExchange Editors Stephen Sica Donna Sosna SicaPhoto/Layout Editor Jason KernerAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2009 Program Schedule

3 Our Generous Members

3President’s Message

4WCS Certificate of Appreciation

5Wet Leaves

7by Susan Priest

Rules for August’s “Silent Auction” 8

Handsome is as Handsome Does 9The Handsome (or Beautiful) Betta, Betta pulchra

by Alexander A. Priest

Lionfish Invade Cayman Islands 11by Stephen Sica

Member Classifieds 12

Fishkeepers Anonymous 13by Susan Priest

Looking Through the Lens 14Photos from Our Last Meeting

by Claudia Dickinson

Breeding the Zebra Danio 16by William Amely

Cichlidically Speaking 17by Claudia Dickinson

The Undergravel Reporter 20

G.C.A.S. Happenings 21

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 22

Series III Vol. XVI, No. 5 July, 2009

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 July 2009

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

images of them. Habitat destruction continues apace, fueled by continued human population growth, about which conversation seems to have ceased.

So the paradox seems to be that more people than ever are conscious of the imperative for conservation, but “more people” are making that conservation more difficult by the day. I’m confident that our speaker this month, Jim Breheny of the Bronx Zoo (and GCAS member) will have some insights for us, which I look forward to hearing. For other conservation insights, be sure and see Claudia Dickinson’s “Cichlidically Speaking” in this issue. Claudia has been and remains a force behind the CARES program, a ‘fishkeeper-centric’ conservation program that deserves our support.

Besides the entries this month from Claudia and Steve, we have a “Wet Leaves” from Sue Priest that’s very relevant to this evening’s speaker. Sue also presents us with a new “Anonymous Fishkeeper” to unmask. Al Priest profiles Betta pulchra, the rarely encountered but aptly named ‘beautiful’ betta, while Bill Amely gives us breeding tips on a hobby favorite, the zebra danio. “Through the Lens,” “The Undergravel Reporter,” and “Fin Fun” round out the issue. My thanks, as always, to our wonderful authors.

Remember, if you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to [email protected], or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

Reading Steve Sica’s scuba-travel adventure stories almost inspires me to learn to scuba dive. Almost. While the idea is appealing,

I do have some defensible, rational reasons for not doing so―really! These stories also bring to mind the many and increasingly popular opportunities for viewing aquatic and marine creatures “up close and personal,” in zoos and aquaria, as well as in their natural habitats, to say nothing of the burgeoning number of television shows dedicated to the watery world.

On the one hand this has been a great thing. New Yorkers are fortunate to have had a long history of prestigious institutions such as the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Many other cities now have public aquaria, which are often central to the local economy, giving potential visitors a great reason to come and spend a few days―and a few dollars. Increasingly these institutions are seen not only as great educational resources (be sure and eat your greens, children!), but as quality-of-life assets that will attract business, lend the community some prestige, and encourage their citizens to stay, rather than move elsewhere.

For those of us less willing or able to travel, public television and many of the “cable” channels offer programs of tremendous scope and diversity. On any given day, you’ll likely be able to spend an hour or two learning about some kind of fish, reptile, mammal, or even more primitive life forms, including information about their history, diet, social organization, ecology, population statistics, etc., all presented in an entertaining and compelling way. The available choices and their quality are staggering!

As much as I appreciate it though, there’s something vaguely unsettling about it all. Perhaps it’s because this apotheosis of nature film-making and aquarium building seems to be taking place against a backdrop of desperation as regards the real-world situation of most of these creatures. Yes, it’s all beautiful―even breathtaking―but much needs to be done to assure that such scenes will survive in the wild (will there even continue to be a “wild?”) and not just in our electronic

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2009 3

GCASPrograms2009

It is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent

guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here!

Claudia

August Silent Auction

September Members Night

October Tim NurseDiving Lake Tanganyika

November Joseph FerdenziHistory of the GCAS

December Holiday Party!

our generous MembersEach month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was:

Mario BengcionJeff Bollbach

al grusellal & sue Priest


Things change. I began keeping fish a good number of years ago (Eisenhower was President). Even then, traffic patterns changed, neighborhoods and towns rose and fell, and once-successful businesses failed, to be replaced by others. Much has changed in our hobby. The equipment we use is better, the foods we buy are better, and we have a more solid scientific basis for a lot of our fishkeeping decisions. One of the things that has remained true is that people like to gather and exchange thoughts and experiences with others who share their interests. If you look around the room tonight, you will see that this is so.

Greater City has been helping us keep up with changes in fishkeeping knowledge for many years. I’ve only been a member for about five years, but during that time our membership, while of course changing somewhat from year to year, has remained strong and stable. I take this to mean that we are providing something of value to our members (ourselves, after all). We must of course continue to do so. Our other challenge is to be sure that we’re visible. Potential new members need to know that we exist, and to be able to find us.

I recall that in Joe Ferdenzi’s retrospective of his tenure at GCAS (published last year in Modern Aquarium), he mentioned learning of GCAS from a flyer posted in a fish shop. There’s an example of a small effort that certainly paid dividends many times over. More personally, when I had re-immersed myself in the hobby a few years back, I mentioned to Marsha, “You know, there are chess clubs and camera clubs. I wonder if there are aquarium clubs.” So we looked online, and found the GCAS Web site. The moral is that there’s no one and only way to do it, but we do need to help people find us.

Speaking of our Web site, if you’ve looked lately, you’ll have noticed that it’s “under construction.” The old hosting service has shut down, and our Webmaster, Al Priest, has moved us to another. I say “moved” rather casually. In fact Al’s having to rebuild it from scratch. You can find us at http://www.greatercity.org. Greatercity.com will also work. Right now it’s just the bare bones, but we have some ideas for improvement which you’ll hear more about in the future. Stay tuned!

President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

Early last month I took advantage of an opportunity to attend the NEC’s (Northeast Council of Aquarium Society’s) annual

Presidents meeting in Farmington, Connecticut. The event was well attended. The speaker was John Todaro, from the Brooklyn club, who did a presentation based on his series of articles, “Secrets to Society Success,” that has been running in Aquarium Fish International.

John has experience in marketing and advertising, and his ideas are sound. I don’t propose to recap them all here, but his presentation, coupled with another I attended last week―this one presented by well-known media maven Jeff Jarvis, and based on his new book, What Would Google Do?, stimulated me to reflect on the state of the fishkeeping hobby, and to wonder how organizations like Greater City fit into the changing landscape of the society at large.

One of the complaints I hear from many people (inside and outside the hobby) is that young people today are only interested in computer games, so they’re not going to keep fish, they’re not going to go to meetings, and we’re all going to die. Well, we are all going to die (If you discover a loophole, do let me know!), but I don’t think it’ll be from young people playing computer games (though there was that movie, War Games, a few years back, so maybe I’m wrong).

What there can be little dispute about however, is that there is now a lot of competition for peoples’ attention, and it comes at us from more sources than ever. When I was growing up, there was print (newspapers, magazines, etc.), radio, and television. That was about it, unless you count billboards (and we used to do that―literally―on long, pre-Interstate car trips). Now, with satellite radio, about a gazillion TV channels, and the World Wide Web, our attention is much more fragmented.

This in turn means that, on the positive side, we have loads more choices than we used to about nearly everything. Need a left-handed cataract surgeon who speaks Ladino and is on your insurance plan? Look on the Web! On the negative side, there are so many choices out there that even good ones can easily be overlooked.


The

GCASProudly Extends a most Warm Welcome

to

Jim Breheny

Speaking on

“Madagascar Comes to the Bronx Zoo”

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2009 718 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

New York City Zoos and Aquarium Joan Scheier

Arcadia Publishing, 2005

a Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

Question: What does the membership of theGCAS have in common with the zoos ofNew York City?

Answer: All five boroughs of the city arerepresented by our membership, and each of the fiveboroughs has its own zoo.

Q: Which borough of NYC was the first to have itsown zoo?1) Bronx 2) Staten Island 3) Manhattan (CentralPark Zoo).A: The Central Park Zoo is theoldest. It dates back to the1860s.

Q:Who was Señor Lopez?1) a snake 2) a jaguar 3) a famous zookeeker.A: Señor Lopez was ajaguar which lived inthe lion house at theBronx zoo from 1906 to1914. In 1937 twostatues of his likenesswere given to the zoo byartist Anne HyattHuntington.

Q: How many differentlocations has the NewY o r k A q u a r i u moccupied?1) one 2) two 3) three.A: The correct answer isthree. It started out inBattery Park at thelower tip of Manhattan(1896), temporarilymoved to the Bronx zoo(1941), and finallysettled in Coney Islandin 1957.

Q: What group ofanimals is the StatenI s land Zoo mos tassociated with?1) Gorillas 2) Insects 3) Reptiles.A: Reptiles. It is especially well known for itscollection of venomous snakes.

Q: What is a manatee? 1) a marine mammal 2) a South American tree frog3) a Lake Malawi cichlid.A: Also known as sea cows, manatees are airbreathing mammals which live in the ocean.

Q: At which of New York City’s five zoos aremany of the historic buildings decorated withfriezes (bas relief sculptures) from The JungleBook by Rudyard Kipling?1) Queens 2) Central Park 3) Prospect Park(Brooklyn).A: Sculpted by F.G. Roth, the story of Mowgliadorns many of the buildings at the Prospect ParkZoo.

Q: What book, which is part of the “Images ofAmerica” series, offers readers a fascinatingcollection of vintage photographs of the five NewYork City zoos and the New York Aquarium, as

well as the answers tocountless questions that theydidn’t even know they hadabout these popular livingmuseums?A: New York City Zoos andAquarium by Joan Scheier.

Q: Who among ourmembership presentlyserves as the director ofthe Bronx Zoo? He willbe speaking to us thisevening on the topic“Madagascar Comes ToThe Bronx Zoo.” Hewill be telling the storyof how the historic lionhouse became an up-to-date representation ofthe wi ld l i fe andenvironment(s) ofMadagascar.A: New to Greater Citythis season, we warmlywelcome Jim Breheny.The book which hasbeen under discussionhere wi l l su re lycomplemen t yourenjoyment of hispresentation, and asNew Yorkers, I cansafely say that there issomething in here foreach of you.


8 March 2007 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Rules for August’s “Silent Auction” / FleamarketNext month, Greater City has its annual “Silent Auction”/fleamarket. Here is a brief summary of the rules:

i The seller sets an opening price for each item.

i Bidders write down their bids in increments of at least $1.00 That is, your bid must be at leastone dollar more than the previous bid, and you may only bid in even dollar amounts (such as$1.00, $2.00, $5.00, etc.) Bids of dollars and cents such as $1.50, $2.75 will be invalidated.

i A bidder may not cross out his/her own bid to enter a lower bid.

i The highest bidder at the end of the auction wins the item.

i Proceeds are split 50/50 between the seller and Greater City. (Of course, the seller may also donate100% of the proceeds to Greater City!)

i Items not claimed by winning bids (or if there were no bids, by their owners) at the end of theauction become the property of Greater City.

i Bids entered after the auction has been declared closed will be invalidated. The decision of theAuction Chairperson or President on whether this has happened is final.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2009 9Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2009 5

Betta pulchra Photo by Al Priest

Handsome is as Handsome doesThe Handsome (or Beautiful) Betta, Betta pulchra

by ALEXANDER A PRIEST

There are many species in the genus Betta(with new species still being discovered),and some of them are very attractive. One

member of this genus has the scientific name ofBetta pulchra (pulchra is Latin for “handsome” or“beautiful”) and at least the males of this speciescertainly live up to their Latin name. I highlyrecommend this species to anyone in the aquariumhobby. It is not endangered, but it will almostnever show up in your local fish store. If it doesshow up in your local store, grab it. If it shows upat an aquarium societyauction, grab it. If itshows up at a tropicalfish auction site, such asAquaBid.com, grabit—I’ll tell you why.

Betta pulchra is as o m e w h a t n e w l ydescribed fish, havingfirst been described in19961. It is native toblackwater habitats inPontain, which is in thesouthern province ofJ o h o r , o n t h esouthwestern side of theMalaysian peninsula,q u i t e c l o s e t oSingapore.

Betta pulchra is a paternal mouthbrooder,and can be bred in captivity. The spawning ritualof Betta pulchra is similar to that of othermouthbrooding bettas. Generally, it’s the femalethat initiates the spawning. First, the pair entwinetheir bodies, with the male gently squeezing thefemale. When eggs are squeezed out of thefemale, they land on the slightly arched anal fin ofthe male. The female picks the eggs up in hermouth, along with some of the male’s milt. Theeggs are mixed with the milt in the female’s mouthand become fertilized. Then, the female spits thenow-fertilized eggs out in front of the male, whocatches them and holds them in his mouth. Finally,the male incubates the eggs in his mouth until theyhatch.

The incubation period for Betta pulchraranges from 12 to 18 days, with 14 days being thenorm. The incubation time can vary with watertemperature (the warmer the water, the shorter theincubation period). Generally, once the fry arehatched, they are ignored by the parents, who

provide no parental care (but, unless starved, theparents also exhibit no predation towards the fry).

A spawning tank should contain no more thanone pair of Betta pulchra, and have multiple caves.It is my practice to have a sponge filter in all myspawning tanks, because within two weeks or so ofoperating in a tank with fish, the sponge starts tobecome a colonizing site for infusoria andparamecia that can serve as first foods for fry.

While he is incubating the eggs, the male willhide in a cave. It is usually not necessary to

remove the femaleparent while the male isbrooding, but I prefer todo so if—and only if—Ican remove her quicklyand without undulydisturbing the male.Once released by themale, the fry should befed newly hatched brineshrimp, microworms,and daphnia.

Most of thespecies in the genusBetta have been groupedby hobbyists and someconservationists into“complexes.” These

complexes do not necessarily represent the degreeof genetic relatedness among the members of agiven complex, but rather seem to be based moreon similarities in physical appearance. Bettapulchra is a member of the Betta pugnax complex,but it is never found together with Betta pugnax inthe wild. For that reason, and because of variousphysical similarities, Betta pulchra was originallysuspected of being a blackwater variation of Bettapugnax. However, Betta pulchra and Betta pugnaxhave each been found to breed true, regardless ofthe water quality in which they were raised. (Inother words, when Betta pugnax was kept in thesame blackwater environment that Betta pulchra isnative to, the resulting fry resembled Betta pugnax,not Betta pulchra.)2 Betta pulchra differs inappearance from Betta pugnax by having a stouterbody and a caudal fin that tapers to a sharper andnarrower point. A female pulchra is slightly wider,is less colorful, and has shorter fins. Males mayfight among themselves, whereas multiple femalescan be kept together.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)10 July 20096 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Species name: Betta pulchraCommon Names: Beautiful Mouthbrooder,

Handsome BettaMaximum size: 4 inches (Total Length)Origin: MalaysiaTemperament: Peaceful

(males may fight each other)Water conditions: Temperature 70-75EF

pH 5.0 - 7.0Reproduction: Paternal mouthbrooderDifficulty: Easy to keep and to breed

Betta pulchra is native to very acidic water.To appreciate just how acidic, you need tounderstand that a neutral pH is 7, and that the pHscale is logarithmic. What this means is that eachwhole number up or down is 10 times that of theprevious one. So, a pH of 6 is ten times moreacidic than a pH of 7; a pH of 5 is 100 times moreacidic than a pH of 7, and so on. The pH of thewater in the nativeblackwater habitats ofBetta pulchra rangefrom 3.9 to 4.2!Nonetheless, they canbe slowly acclimatedto live in a homeaquarium at a pH of7.0, and they willreadily breed in waterwith a pH between4.0 and 6.0.

While Bettapulchra can live in al e s s a c i d i cenvironment, someaquarists attempt to recreate the native biotope ofa species. Those aquarists face unique challengeswhen attempting to maintain a species, such asBetta pulchra, that originate in very low pH water.

All aquarists should be aware of the“nitrogen cycle” (or, more accurately, thenitrification cycle). This is the biological processthat converts toxic (for fish) ammonia (introducedinto the aquarium via fish waste and uneaten food)into other relatively harmless nitrogen compounds.Several species of bacteria are involved in thisconversion. The precise species of bacteriainvolved are still in question.

What is generally agreed upon is that somebacteria convert ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (N02), achemical still toxic to fish; then other bacteriaconvert that nitrite to nitrate (NO3) which, forfreshwater fish, is far less toxic. But, in tanks withpH values below 5.5, the nitrogen cycle apparentlyjust stops (whether it’s because the bacteriainvolved die off at low pH levels, or for otherreasons, is not yet understood). In low pH tanks,ammonia combines with a water molecule to formammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). Ammoniumhydroxide is approximately 100 times lessdangerous to freshwater fish than ammonia. So, inlow pH tanks, even though the nitrogen cycle hasstopped working, the most toxic form of ammoniais kept at bay.

However, if an aquarist performs a waterchange on a very low pH tank, it is absolutelyessential to adjust the new water to the exact pH ofthe existing tank water. Failure to do so can resultin a massive ammonia spike, and in the rapid deathof all the fish in that tank.

Betta pulchra is a very easy species to keepin the home aquarium. As mentioned above, they

can adjust to a widerange of pH, andonly seem to requirelower pH values forbreeding. Whilethey need cleanwater, they are notoverly fussy and donot require specialfiltration (I keepmine in a barebottom tank withonly a sponge filterand periodic waterchanges to removesolid waste). They

seem to like a tank with plants, and do not eat theplants, nor do they seem to have any particularpreference as to the type of plant. They are notshy, and will come out whenever you start feedingthe tank. While I’ve seen some references to theneed for water temperature up to 80 degrees F, myexperience is the opposite, with my fish seeming todo best when the water is in the low 70s.

As is true for most Betta species, Bettapulchra is primarily a carnivore. While they willeat almost any dry or frozen commercial food inthe home aquarium, they much prefer live food;and live food is necessary to condition them forbreeding. As is also true for most Betta species,Betta pulchra is a powerful jumper. You mustkeep a tight lid on their tank at all times, and watchout for jumping whenever you open the lid forfeeding or water changes.

References

1Tan, H.H. and S.H. Tan 1996 Redescription ofthe Malaysian fighting fish Betta pugnax(Teleostei: Belontiidae), and description of Bettapulchra, new species from Peninsular Malaysia.Raffles Bull. Zool. 44(2):419-434.

2Goldstein, Robert J., The Betta Handbook,Barrons, 2004.


LIONFISH INVADE CAYMAN ISLANDS

by Stephen Sica

On May 1, 2009 at approximately 9:30 AM Central time, a divemaster named Sunshine discovered a juvenile lionfish,

Pterois volitans, about two inches in length plus fins and spines, hovering next to a concave piece of dead coral on a dive site called Marilyn’s Cut, just offshore of Little Cayman Island. The fish was living on a coral reef in about thirty feet of water, atop the six thousand feet deep Cayman Trench. I was swimming just behind Sunny when she found the fish and signaled her discovery to me. I did not see what she was so excited about until the fish swam under the coral that appeared to be either the fish’s home or hiding place. The coral was about fourteen inches long, and probably weighed about six or seven pounds. Since I did not immediately see the elusive fish, I did not have an opportunity to photograph it.

Sunny used a thin metal rod about eighteen inches long to work the coral and the fish into a large, clear, heavy duty plastic bag, and then she used the rod to push the coral out of the bag, which she immediately took to the surface while Donna and I continued our dive.

Later, on the boat, Sunny said that the first Cayman Islands’ lionfish was discovered and caught in February of 2008 off Little Cayman. No more were found until December of that same year. The fish that Sunny captured was approximately

the thirty-fifth lionfish captured in the Cayman Islands (the group consists of only three islands). Sunny stated that all fish are captured alive and studied (including DNA testing) by the local marine biology laboratory. Afterwards, most of the fish are euthanized and dissected. Since lionfish have very few predators, and propagate easily in the wild, the general policy of the local scientific community has been to destroy them, though a small number of fish are tagged and released for follow-up study. Sunny claimed that one dissected full-sized Cayman lionfish had more than twenty-five grunt fry in its stomach.

The fish that Sunny captured was placed in a plastic pail where Donna and I inspected it. I never thought to photograph it in the pail until later, when I was formulating this brief article in my mind. Of course by then it was too late! Anyway, I did take a few photos of Sunny capturing the fish. Some of these photos accompany this article. If you look carefully, you can see the fish in the plastic bag.


Member Classifieds

EQUIPMENT: 3 Rena Filstar XP3 Cannister Filters -- Up to 350 GPH -- $65 each1 Marineland Cannister Filter C 530 -- 530 GPH -- (used for one month) $1251 Eheim Pro II 2026 $901 Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel HOB Power Filter $401 Coralife Turb Twist 18 watt with 3 extra (never used) UV bulbs $100All nearly new, in original boxes. Call (631) 563-1404

Computers available: Used desktops, laptops, a few Macs. Pricing varies by machine. Contact Dan Radebaugh at 718-458-8437 or 212-957-5300 ext 231.

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED:Back issues of Modern Aquarium, series III (1994 through the present), are available on a first come, first served basis. Most issues are available. The price is fifty cents per copy. Check your collection for any missing issues, or for anything you might want extra copies of. Also, check your annual indexes to find articles written in the past which discuss your current interests. All proceeds go to the GCAS. E-mail your requests to: [email protected]

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2009 1310 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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 changes have you seen in the hobby

during your tenure as a fishkeeper? What advice would you give to a

beginning fishkeeper? What are your fishkeeping goals?

- OR write a narrative story -

by SUSAN PRIEST

This member of the GCAS attends everymeeting. Even though I see him/her everymonth, I did not know of her/his attraction to

BIG fish. As you will soon learn, the phrase “thebigger the better” definitely applies.

* * *I have a blue-tailed Australian arowana about

nine inches long in my twenty gallon tank. I use asponge filter with an Eheim heater in this tank, andI keep the temperature at 80 to 82 degrees. Lightingis provided by a Marineland fluorescent strip light.He (or she) hides behind the sponge filter whenfeeling insecure. She only feeds on bloodwormsand goldfish. She’s very fast-like a speeding bullet!I wonder if this fish will live over 100 years. Whata thought!

In my thirty gallon tank I have a dragon fish,otherwise known as asilver arowana. Thisfish, only about twoinches long when Ibought it, is now over13 inches long afteronly seven months, soit will eventuallyhave to move to abigger tank. I feed itcrickets, minnows,b l o o d w o r m s ,goldfish, and foodsticks.

Some of myother fish include agroup of oscars fromSingapore that turn adeep purple-red colorwhen they are inspawning mode, aseven-inch pair ofalbino oscars, and apair of jaguar cichlids( P a r a c h r o m i smanaguensis) aboutsix inches in length. Their color is a deep purple-silver.

In my top ten gallon tank I have a black bubble-eyed goldfish that I really love. In the lower tengallon tank I have a group of young fish that willsoon require much bigger tanks. This group

consists of a Tilapia marie, three albinobristlenosed plecos, and a four inch redtailed/tigershovelnose (cross) catfish. I love the way thiscatfish moves; seemingly up and down andsideways at the same time. This one will need areally big tank! The tilapia is a gorgeous fish withbright cherry-red eyes.

In the past I kept a pair of cichlidmanaguensis. They were my most memorablefish. Someday I would like to have a 500 gallontank with oscars, arowana, and other big fish. Iwould also like to have a blue snakehead and apirhana.

In conclusion, I would like to thank my pastand present friends and bosses who gave me theexperience of having a tropical fish tank. Freddyat Angel Aquarium on Steinway Street in Astoria

was a true mentor tome. Also, Steve fromPets Unlimited. I gotmy f i r s t Ehe imcanister filter fromAnn and Larry atCoral Aquarium. Iespecially want tothank my boss, RonS o r e n s e n , f r o mPetland Discounts. Heis my hobby hero. Iwould also like tothank everyone at theGCAS for the timethey have invested inhelping me.

Check out the August2009 issue of ModernAquarium to find outthe identity of thismonth’s anonymousfishkeeper. If youhave even thought

about doing one yourself, this author might providethe extra inspiration you need. Submit yours to:[email protected]

14 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Looking through thePhotos and captions

Peter Steiner is presented with his Door Prize win by GCAS President Dan Radebaugh. With that wonderful twinkle in his eyes that lights up our GCAS meetings, award winning author Elliot Oshins thinks up his next humorous article for Modern Aquarium

Karen Ottendorfer enjoys another Grande evening with the GCAS!GCAS Treasurer Jack Traub is thrilled

with another successful monthly auction!

Jeff Bollbach is given warm words of appreciation from GCAS President Dan Radebaugh following Jeff’s exceptional presentation, A Year in the Fishroom.

Richard Waizman wins First Place and Mario Bengcion wins Third Place in the evening’s Bowl Show.

Longtime fish buddies, Joe Ferdenzi and Horst Gerber share the laughter of dear friends.

Joseph Graffagnino and Carlotti de Jager share an evening of GCAS camaraderie.


Lens with the GCASBy Claudia dickinson

LaMonte Brown is delighted with his Door Prize win, presented by GCAS President Dan Radebaugh. (Dan is thinking maybe it is time to go to the gym!)

Vince Babino always finds a treasure in the evening’s auction.Second Place winner in the evening’s Bowl

Show, Ed Vukich performs his pro job as our GCAS auctioneer!

Bob Hamje is inspired with new ideas to bring home to his own fish after the evening’s presentation.

Mervyn Bamby is always on the lookout for the next dream West African cichlid to add to his collection.

Sharon Barnett’s warm laughter and infectious enthusiasm energizes our GCAS meetings.


Breeding the Zebra Danio

by William Amely

One of the easiest species of fish I have ever bred is the zebra danio (Danio rerio, formerly Brachydanio rerio).

Even their fry are very hardy and easy to rear.

The danios’ torpedo shaped bodies allow these small fish to swim about very rapidly. It is always an entertaining sight to see a group of six or more of these energetic fish moving rapidly back and forth in the aquarium, seemingly playing a game of “tag” with each other.

While the information I will provide below focuses on the zebra danio, this technique would also work well with the leopard danio and pearl danio, as well as the black tetra.

A two-and-a-half or five-and-a-half gallon aquarium will do fine as a breeding tank. Zebra danios are egg-scatterers, so I recommend lining the bottom of the aquarium with glass marbles. The eggs can then fall between the marbles, preventing the adults from getting to them and eating them. Males are very slender in appearance, while the females are very round in their belly area. In the evening, place at least one ripe (really round) female and two males into the breeding tank.

Overnight, they will spawn, and dozens of eggs will be laid scattered about. At normal room temperature, the eggs will hatch in about 24 to 36 hours. The very small fry will be surprisingly hardy, and can be fed fine powdered or flake food if there is no live or frozen food available. They grow rapidly and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions. Temperatures between 72 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit are fine. Water changes do not hurt the fry―to the contrary, they will thrive. I normally change about 50% of the water once a week.

Zebra danios are fun to watch, and their colors can be striking when they are in peak form. They are a great addition to a community aquarium, where they generally swim in the upper levels of the water column. Give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy Fish Keeping.


Cichlidically SpeakingYour Link to the

American Cichlid Associationby Claudia Dickinson

Photos by the author unless otherwise noted

ACA Founding Fellow Dr. Paul V. Loiselle and Ptychochromis loisellei

Named after ACA Founding Fellow, Dr. Paul V. Loiselle, Ptychochromis loisellei was described by Melanie Stiassny and John Sparks of the American Museum of Natural History in 2006 in honor of Loiselle’s vast achievements and the contributions that he has made in preserving Madagascar’s most endangered vertebrates. Pt. loisellei was discovered by Loiselle in the year 2000 in the Mahanara du

AA CC AA CC oo nn vv ee nn tt ii oo nn 22 00 00 99The event that we all look forward to, our annual ACA Convention, is

almost here!

Register today at www.ACAConvention.com!Hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society

July 30th to August 2nd, 2009 Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel

Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati North Hotel

It’s all about cichlids, and cichlidophiles.

We can barely wait to see you there!

TThhee BBaabbeess IInn TThhee CCiicchhlliidd HHoobbbbyy NNeeeedd YYoouu!!!!!! Please support cichlid research and cichlid conservation by bringing along a fish item for the celebrated Babes In The Cichlid Hobby annual silent auction! For more information, contact Pam Chin at [email protected].

Nord River of northeastern Madagascar. This is the second cichlid to bear Loiselle’s name, the first being Parachromis loisellei of Central America.

A renowned and highly respected ichthyologist and champion of conservation, not only within the ranks of the ACA, but reaching worldwide, Loiselle travels on an annual basis to Madagascar under the Wildlife Conservation Society. His invaluable field research has played a major role in establishing conservation priorities for aquatic habitats in Madagascar as well


A sexually quiescent subadult female Ptychochromis loisellei.Photo Credit: Dr. Paul V. Loiselle

This freshly preserved specimen shows the distinctive wedge-shaped midlateral bar characteristic of sexually quiescent adults of Ptychochromis loisellei.Photo Credit: Dr. Paul V. Loiselle

Hands-on aquarium husbandry will encourage these Maseno High School students to learn more of the environment and the importance of current conservation issues. Any item of support, such as airstones, nets, and tank décor/shelters, will be an enormous help in making the Lake Victoria CARES Project a success!Photo Credit: Dr. William Ojwang

The type locality of Ptychochromis loisellei―the main channel of the Mahanara du Nord River at the village of Antsirabe-Nord.Photo Credit: Dr. Paul V. Loiselle

as the establishment of managed populations of over a dozen threatened Malagasy fish in North America (L. Garibaldi 2001).

Associate Curator of Freshwater Fishes at the New York Aquarium for numerous years, Loiselle also recently worked with the Bronx Zoo as a consultant for the Madagascar exhibit, something that we shall all want to see!


Join the ACA!Not yet a member? Just what is the ACA? The

American Cichlid Association (ACA) is the largest and most distinguished national organization of the cichlid hobby! The ACA has three major objectives: to gather, organize, and disseminate knowledge of the family Cichlidae; to further the conservation of cichlids and their natural habitats; and to promote fellowship amongst the members.

Your membership in the ACA entitles you to six issues per year of the official journal, Buntbarsche Bulletin (BB). BB will open your horizons to the experiences of other cichlid enthusiasts, collectors, scientists, and educators, just like yourself, from across the globe, as well as giving you the opportunity to share your stories with others. The ACA Newsletter is sent out quarterly, providing updates of current events of the organization.

The ACA online forum offers you a unique chance to discuss all things cichlid with other like minded hobbyists. Here you will find pertinent information and be able to talk one on one, ask questions, and answer the questions of others. Plus, you can view the wide selection of photographs taken by fellow members!

The Online Trading Post, located on the ACA forum, in the “members only” portion of the ACA website, offers an up-to-the-minute listing of available cichlids, many home-raised by fellow ACA members. You never know what rare and unusual finds are waiting for you at the ACA Online Trading Post—you may just discover that dream cichlid that you have been searching years for! And, if you do not see it—ask! The ACA Online Trading Post is also a perfect method of selling and dispersing your cichlids to fellow members.

Every July the ACA hosts a most fabulous convention not to be missed! It is here that you will witness the most spectacular collection of the finest cichlids to be found. The yearly convention is an action-packed, non-stop weekend filled with world-

renowned speakers, workshops, vendors, raffles, specialized study group meetings and incredible side trips, all culminating in Sunday’s magnificent cichlid auction. Most importantly, you will always find the warmth and fellowship of being amongst friends, fish, and fun! Phil Benes and the Greater Cincinnati Aquarium Society have been working diligently to host the most exceptional convention ever for the year 2009! If you have yet to do so, Phil and his dedicated committee are more than happy to help you to plan for this extraordinary event at the Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel, on July 30th thru August 2nd 2009 by logging onto the convention website at www.ACAconvention.com. You may also e-mail: [email protected]. I know I can’t wait to see you in Cincinnati, soon!

Your membership in the ACA offers so much more such as participation in international conservation efforts, the Paul V. Loiselle Conservation Fund, the Guy D. Jordan Endowment Fund, ACA C.A.R.E.S., show sanctioning, a speaker program, a club liaison program, special awards, and an up-to-date, informative website.

As a hobbyist, I’m sure that you have found that reading on your subject is of utmost importance, and putting your theories into practice is the next most important step. For total fulfillment of the hobby, there is nothing equal to being a part of clubs and organizations such as the GCAS and ACA, and the camaraderie of exchanging ideas with others that have a common interest. Like the GCAS, the ACA is a dedicated group of aquarists who are always more than happy to share their varied experiences, talents, and knowledge—regardless of whether you are a beginner or advanced hobbyist.

If you have yet to do so, become a part of the ACA by logging onto www.cichlid.org. Go to the membership section where you may join directly online, or you may prefer to print out the membership application and send it to ACA Membership Chair, Marty Ruthkosky, 43081 Bond Court, Sterling Heights, MI 48313.

Please feel free to contact me, ACA Ambassador-at-Large and Membership Coordinator, with any questions that you may have during our GCAS meetings or by e-mail at [email protected]. I’m sure you will find becoming involved with such a special group of individuals as rewarding as I have!

Until next time…

Keep on Enjoying Your Cichlids!Claudia

Membership includes six issues a year of the official journal of the ACA, Buntbarsche Bulletin!

20 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2009 17

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.

A satisfied patient? photo by Reuters “Grandpa” the lungfish marinebuzz.com

Very FishyMedicine

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

At one time, swallowing live fish was popularamong college students. While I wouldhave thought people are smarter today than

they were then, it seems that what is no longer beingdone for “fun” is still being done in the name ofmedicine (folk medicine, that is).

For the last 162 years, the Goud family inIndia’s southern city of Hyderabad has been offeringa cure for respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Thetreatment consists of patients swallowing a livetwo-inch-long Murrel fish that had a secret herbalmixture stuffed inside its mouth.

This live fish travels through the throat,wagging its tail and fins. In the process it negotiatesthrough any phlegm and congestion, and is claimedto provide a 100% cure. Three extra doses of themedicine must be consumed once every 15 daysthereafter, with patients following a specified diet.To effect a permanent cure, treatment must berepeated for three consecutive years.1

There are a number of fish, including specieskept by some aquarium hobbyists, that are knownto change sex, in response to the lack of a memberof the opposite sex within a group. However,scientists are discovering that pollution is also amajor factor in sex changes of fish.

British scientists have found male fish aretaking on female characteristics because ofhormones and pollutants discharged into rivers andestuaries. They believe that high levels of estrogencompounds found in the water are due to thewidespread use of the contraceptive pill. Sexchanges in fish are a concern because, if malestake on female characteristics, it will interfere withreproduction and could jeopardize the survival ofa species. Last year, the British EnvironmentAgency warned that a third of male fish in Englishrivers could be changing sex due to femalehormones in the water.2

Australian scientists intend to use a new $6million laboratory to establish whether traces ofdrugs in the waterways are changing the gender offish. Research scientist Dr. Anu Kumar said shewanted to see what would happen when native fishwere exposed to effluent from waste watertreatment plants which contains residues of drugsand personal care products that interfere withhormones. Her laboratory is equipped with thetools she needs to find out whether males startturning into females.3

How often have you asked “how long will thatfish live in my aquarium?” Well, the oldest knownfish at a public aquarium is called “Granddad.”Granddad came to Chicago’s John G. SheddAquarium in 1933. As the world’s oldest livingaquarium fish, his age is possibly 80 plus.4

References1http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=105936&videoChannel=42http://campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/210305/CTM%20-%20fish%20changing%20sex.htm3http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25607545-2682,00.html?from=public_rss4http://www.marinebuzz.com/2008/03/20/worlds-oldest-fish-in-an-aquarium-is-granddad/


GCAS Happenings July

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:GREATER CITy AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: august 5, 2009Speaker: NoneEvent: Silent AuctionMeets the first Wednesday of the month (except January &

February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical garden 43-50 Main street - Flushing, NYContact: Dan Radebaugh (347) 866-1107E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GUPPy CLUBMeets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan & Feb) at

7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

BROOKLyN AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: September 11, 2009Speaker: None Event: TBAMeets the 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August)

at 7:30pm: NY aquarium - education hall, Brooklyn, NYCall: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LONG ISLAND AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: September 18, 2009Speaker: tBa Topic: TBDMeets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm.greenhouse Meeting room, holtsville ecology Center,

Buckley road, holtsville, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]: http://liasonline.org/

EAST COAST GUPPy ASSOCIATIONMeets: 1st Thursday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

NASSAU COUNTy AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: September 8, 2009Speaker: tBaTopic: TBAMeets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August)

at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave -

rockville Centre, NYContact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

NORTH JERSEy AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: September 17, 2009Speaker: tBa Event: TBAMeets: 8:00 P.M. Lyndhurst Elks Club - 251 Park Ave - Lyndhurst, NJContact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392e-mail: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALK AqUARIUM SOCIETyNext Meeting: September 17, 2009Speaker & Topic: tBdMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at:

Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CTContact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NASE-mail: [email protected]: http://norwalkas.org/

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:1 RichaRd Waizman maRble half-moon betta

2 ed Vukich ApistogrAmmA cAcAtuoides

3 maRio bengcion female Pastel guPPy

unofficiAl 2009 Bowl show totAls to dAte:roBert hAmje 17 mArio Bengcion 9 richArd wAizmAn 6 ed Vukich 3 richArd leVy 1

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS mervyn bAmby And mArio bengcion!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2009 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com


24 July 2009 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Fin FunUncommon Bettas

This month’s Modern Aquarium has an article on Betta pulchra, the “Handsome” or “Beautiful” Betta.There are many other species of bettas. See if you can correctly match the scientific name with thecommon name of the bettas listed below. Answers next month.

Betta species scientific name Betta species common name

Betta albimarginata Reddish Dwarf Fighter

Betta channoides Emerald Betta

Betta coccina Dusky Betta

Betta enisae Jealous Betta

Betta fusca Painted Betta

Betta livida Wine-Red Betta

Betta picta One-Spot Betta

Betta rutilans Whiteseam Fighter

Betta smaragdina Blue Band Mouthbrooder

Betta unimaculata Snakehead Fighter

Answer to last month’s Puzzle: It's Istanbul, not Constantinople

FishCommon name

FishScientific name

Currentplace name

Priorplace name

Ceylon combtail Belontia signata Sri Lanka Ceylon

Persian blenny Ecsenius midas Iran Persia

Siamese fightingfish

Betta splendens Thailand Siam

Tanganyika killifish Lamprichthystanganicanus

Tanzania Tanganyika

Sudan squeaker Synodontis frontosus Mali SudaneseRepublic

Burmese bat catfish Exostoma labiatum Myanmar Burma

Zaire lampeye Hypsopanchaxplatysternus

Democratic Republic ofCongo

Zaire

Modern Aquarium July 2009

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Transcript of Modern Aquarium July 2009