modern aquarium april 2007

ON THE COVER

The “Escondido” (Herichthys carpintis) is afish not commonly seen in the aquariumhobby. Learn more about this interestingNew World cichlid in the article“Escondido?” by Dan Radebaugh in thisissue.

Photo by Alex Apostolos

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETYBoard Members

President . . . . . . . . . . . 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

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. Meetings are the first Wednesday of the monthand begin at 7:30 P.M. Meetings are at the Queens Botanical Gardens. For more information, contact: Joe Ferdenzi (516)484-0944. You canalso 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

Iwrote last month that I was bringing back an

Internet column. “Interfish Net” will alternate

this year with reports on the Northeast Council

of Aquarium Societies and/or the Federation of

American Aquarium Societies. The first Interfish

Net since 2002 is in this month’s issue. I hope you

find it useful — please let me know.

As this is our April meeting and we have

our Silent Auction/fleamarket, there is no speaker.

Now is a good time to pass on some advice about

speakers and “experts” in general. Listen to them,

but don’t assume that everything an “expert” says

or writes is applicable to your particular

fishkeeping situation.

You’ll see someone write in a commercial

magazine, or in a hobby publication (including

Modern Aquarium) that such-and-such is a “rule”

when keeping fish. Actually, when keeping fish

there are no rules, not even a rule that a fish must

be in a tank or bowl of water. (In years past,

Siamese Fighting Fish were shipped between

sheets of wet newspaper, and I once had an adult

Betta enisae come out alive from a syphon tube

where she was, unknown to me, stuck for three

days with no food, out of the water, and in 85-90

degree heat. Three days later she was swimming

and eating without a single missing scale and

showing no ill effects. However, I do not

recommend trying this at home.)

One highly respected expert we had at a

GCAS meeting last year advocated removing

virtually all the water from a tank, allowing the fish

to flop around on the bottom, and doing a 100%

water change. I can say without any hesitation that

if I tried that on a tank of Chocolate Gouramis, I

would wipe out that entire tank.

Now, to be fair, this expert did not

recommend this for Chocolate Gouramis, his

specific example was Oscars. While I’ve never

kept Oscars, I have no reason to doubt that they

would respond favorably to (or at least tolerate

without detrimental effect) this type of treatment.

The advice given wasn’t actually incorrect, but

neither was it a Universal Truth to be applied to

every species.

We heard last year from one respected

expert that the mulm and detritus on the bottom of

your tanks, while not very attractive, has been

proven by laboratory testing to be harmless to fish.

A few months later, another expert told us that this

mulm and detritus was the breeding place of all

sorts of harmful organisms, and should be removed

for the health of your fish. Could they both be

right? I guess it’s possible, depending on the

composition of the buildup. I don’t pretend to

know for sure, and other than mentioning that I’m

confused, I can offer no advice. I know I have

some fish known to be found in their native

habitats “among leaf litter and detritus.” Whether

the bottom gunk in any of my tanks qualifies as

such, I have no idea.

Bottom line: take all advice (including

this advice I’m giving you now) with the proverbial

“grain of salt.” In other words, be open to new

ideas and ways of doing things, but be skeptical

and practical. Anything that sounds too easy or too

extreme should trigger warning bells in your head.

Research, and talk to other aquarists. An aquarium

society meeting is the ideal place to ask whether

something has already been tried by someone else,

and if so, under what circumstances, and with what

results?

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

President’sMessage

by JOSEPH FERDENZI

Last month’s meeting represented the openingof our 2007 season. The March weather onthe day of our meeting was a bit “iffy.”

(Isn’t that March for you?) Frankly, I was a bitconcerned about the turn-out of members, givenboth that weather and the winter hiatus.

Well, wasn’t I pleasantly surprised?! Themeeting room was filled to capacity. I can onlyconclude that our members really missed themeetings, and couldn’t wait for our new season tobegin. And, a stellar meeting it was.

Our guest speaker was Arie Gilbert,President of the Long Island Aquarium Society. Arie gave us a very informative presentation onusing CO2 with aquatic plants. This was the bestpresentation on this topic that I have ever seen orread. It was comprehensive but concise, withplenty of practical tips. Time after time, ourSpeaker Chair, Claudia Dickinson, brings us thebest speakers from around the country (thankfully,Arie is right in our own “back yard”).

The auction was also superb. Not onlydid our members contribute an amazing variety offish and plants, but the bidding for every item wasvery spirited. This made me very happy on allfronts.

Remember, we’re heading into a majorevent in November — the AFISH Convention. Weneed to be financially strong going in. With yourcontinued support, as exemplified at our Marchmeeting, I know we will be. Thank you. Excelsior!

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

The seller sets an opening price for each item.

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.

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

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

Proceeds are split 50/50 between the seller and Greater City. (Of course, the seller may alsodonate 100% of the proceeds to Greater City!)

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.

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.

Coming soon! - Mark your calendars!The biggest fish event in the New York Area!

November 9-11, 2007Best Western Hotel Riverhead, NY [Suffolk County]

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

by CHARLEY SABATINO

[email protected]

The Pennyworts: Hydrocotyle leucocephala,

Hydrocotyle verticillata and Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides

The purpose of this ongoing series is to expose you to the vast array of plants available in the hobby, their

origin, characteristics and structure, growing requirements, common names and synonyms, availability, and

cost. I will try to sprinkle in any personal experience I have had with these plants and will also try to

answer any of your questions—so feel free to email me.

This month we will discuss three plants all part of

the Pennywort group: Hydrocotyle leucocephala,

a longtime aquarium favorite, Hydrocotyle

verticillata, and Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides.

Origin and Structure:

The genus Hydrocotyle (A.K.A.

Pennyworts) consists of more than 100 species,

with only a few that are of interest to aquarists.

Hydrocotyle leucocephala (the plant

generally known as Pennywort) has been in the

hobby for a long time, and is very easy to cultivate

both as a rooted or floating plant. It originates from

South America, has kidney shaped leaves, and can

grow quite tall. Hydrocotyle verticillata is also

from South America, has leaves that almost look

like mushroom coral, and is a fore-to-midground

plant. Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides is from South

East Asia, has roundish leaves with two to four

lobes (they look like a poorly formed clover), and is

good for the midground.

Both Hydrocotyle verticillata and

Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides are creeping plants that

crawl along the substrate by runners that form roots

along every leaf node.

Growing Requirements:

Hydrocotyle leucocephala is by far the

easiest plant to cultivate. It can tolerate a pH of

5-9, and any water hardness. Hydrocotyle

leucocephala doesn't care if it is floating or

rooted—it will grow happily and quickly. The

literature states it needs high light. I have found

anything but the darkest tanks would be fine. Light

intensity affects growth rate, leaf size and the

spacing between rooted nodes.

Hydrocotyle verticillata is a bit more

difficult. It can tolerate a pH of 6-7.5, and soft to

medium-hard water. Here, I would agree with the

literature—it needs high light. I have been able to

keep this plant alive, but not have it grow

2appreciably. CO would probably help here.

Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides is MUCH more

difficult to cultivate. But, in my opinion, it is the

coolest looking of the three. It can tolerate a pH

range of 5-8, and soft to medium-hard water.

Again, I agree with the high light requirement and

2I feel CO would be almost a necessity. I have had

little to no luck with this plant.

Common Names and Synonyms:

Hydrocotyle leucocephala is almost

always called Pennywort. Be careful, because

another plant, Cardamine lyrata, is also called

Pennywort. It is of similar shape and ease of

cultivation but has a more "delicate" appearance. I

have also seen large specimens of Hydrocotyle

verticillata mislabeled as Pennywort. Hydrocotyle

sibthorpoides is always called by its Latin name.

Availability and Cost:

Hydrocotyle leucocephala is regularly

available in many local fish stores, usually selling

for between $2 to $4 per bunch. I have never seen

Hydrocotyle verticillata (correctly identified, that

is) or Hydrocotyle sibthorpoides anywhere except

online. They usually run about $7 or so for a group

of plantlets.

I hope this article has helped you to appreciate this

gem of a plant and has inspired you to try to

cultivate it.

Lots of Luck!!!!


mailto:[email protected]

Herichthys carpintis photo by Alex Apostolos

Escondido?(Herichthys carpintis)

by DAN RADEBAUGH

While looking at some pictures on MoDevlin’s website a couple of years ago,I came across a video of a fish he

referred to as an Escondido. I immediatelythought, “Some day I gotta get me one of those!” As luck would have it, I came across a juvenile(around two inch) pair being sold online bysomeone in my neighborhood, so Marsha and Istopped off on our way home from work andpicked them up.

Checking their quarantine tank the nextmorning, we found the female dead –– I’m prettysure due to harassment by the male. Annoyed bymy lack of watchfulness, but not defeated, I cameacross another forum member selling a group of sixjuvies, also originally obtained from Jeff Rapps, asthe first pair had been. These I installed in a new40 Long and, after a suitable quarantine time,added my original male (now somewhat larger thanthose in the new group) to the mix.

In the meantime, the original male had acouple of temporary domiciles. The first of thesewas in a 55 with some juvenile Chocolate Cichlids(Hypselecara coryphaenoides), Severums (Herosseverus), and an Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) ofabout the same size. This didn’t last long –– hewas just too “assertive” for that group. His nextstop was a 125 with some larger fish –– Oscars(Astronotus ocellatus), a Green Terror (Aequidensrivulatus), a couple of large Bala Sharks(Balantiocheilus melanopterus), a Leporinus sp.,and a pleco. Here he was fine. No aggressionproblems at all, so he remained there until I wasconfident his new gang was OK.

As those of you with cichlids know,introductions are often tricky. Introducing him tothe new group gave rise to some disputes –– mostlyover hiding places. With these fish, the mostdominant gets the most desirable hideout, and soon down the line. Once the seating order was


worked out, peace reigned. They all traveledaround the tank together in a “follow-the-leader”arrangement, and genuinely seemed to enjoy oneanother’s company. Feeding was a bit of a scrum,but there was no “I can eat, but you can’t” behaviorthat some other fish will display.

As they grew I cleared out a 55 andmoved them into that, again with a good supply ofhiding places, including a fake barrel that myoriginal male took possession of. After a month orso, I noticed that one of the smaller fish was nowbeing allowed to join him in his barrel, and washelping him keep the “riff-raff” out –– the two ofthem now also busily digging all the way down tothe glass while inside the barrel. Even I cansometimes take a hint, so I found a new home forthe other five, and let the new couple set uphousekeeping on their own, except for a pleco andmy oldest current fish, a Blue Gourami thatmatches their turquoise color.

After a few more months, spawning tookplace in the familiar cichlid manner — lip-locking,color-displays, etc. They are substrate spawners,do quite a bit of excavation, and are quiteparticular about where they dig. They keep theirpits fastidiously maintained, even when notspawning, and if the gravel vacuum destroys a pit,it will be re-excavated in short order. A lot of theirflirting took place either inside the barrel, or undera turtle bridge. They had removed all the gravelfrom under both items. Even though their behaviorindicated that they were on guard duty, I wasn’table to see either the eggs or the wrigglers untilthey became free-swimming.

During the second spawning, I was able tospot the eggs (at least some of them), but again, Ididn’t see the fry until they were free-swimming. This is somewhat astounding to me, because thereare A LOT of fry. Lots and Lots! I believe theymay put the eggs, and later the wrigglers, in morethan one location, as they seemed to besimultaneously guarding both of their redoubts (thebarrel and the bridge). Time and further study willtell.

These fish are excellent parents; bothmale and female cooperating for guard duty. Theykept the gourami strictly away from the spawningarea(s) and from the newly swimming fry. Butonce the fry attained a certain size, the gourami was again tolerated. They still remaindeeply suspicious of the pleco. The fry aretolerated completely, and must at some point beseparated from the parents, as some will pick at theparents’ slime coat until raw spots develop. Eventually, as the fry reach a certain size, theparents will begin to show some impatience, butthis is likely because they are becomingimpediments to another spawn.

The Escondido, though I have not foundverification that it is native to Escondido (either thecity or the river), is a regional, turquoise colorvariant of H. carpintis (for the region of the bay ofCarpintero), the so-called Green Texas Cichlid. Nevertheless, Escondido is a nice name as popularnames go, and to me at least seems to suit the fish. The whole Texas thing is the result of some earlytaxonomic confusion between H. carpintis and theTexas Cichlid, H. cyanoguttatus, whichunfortunately persists to this day, even amongpeople (fish shop owners for example) who oughtto know better. It isn’t really that hard to tell thedifference.

I’ve found them to be beautiful, altogetherdelightful fish. They are somewhat shy, but verypersonable, friendly, and people-aware. Unlikesome of my other cichlids, not once have they eventhreatened to chomp me during tank maintenanceor fry relocation. They have a reputation foraggressiveness, but I’ve found that to be selective,and certainly no worse than most other CentralAmerican cichlids you might name. Theirrequirements are modest: they’re easy to feed,don’t require unusual water conditions, spawnreadily, and are exemplary parents. Adult Size isusually 7" to 9". They aren’t that common in thehobby and, to my mind, they are a great choice forsomething colorful and a little different.

Our Generous MembersIt seems that almost every monthly Greater City auction is bigger and better than those preceding

it. This is in no small part due to the generosity of our members who bring home-bred fish and tankpropagated plants, among other things, to be auctioned. While the names below are most certainly not allwho contributed to last month’s auction, they are those who contributed and signed our recognition form. If you donate items to our auction, please sign the recognition form on the auction table, so that we canrecognize your contribution the next month.

In March, our generous members included:Al Grusell, Al &Sue Priest, Dan Radebaugh,

Anton Vukich, and Ed Vukich


by JERRY O’FARRELL

Ihave been keeping, breeding, and raising albinofish for a long time. I currently have albinoEureka Red Peacocks, albino German Red

Peacocks, albino Angelfish, albino ancistrusBushy Nose Catfish, and albino blue and redguppies.

Some people think that albino fish areman-made. Nothing could be further from thetruth. The albino gene can be found in just abouteverything. Some people think, because they don’tsee albino fish in the wild, that they don’t exist. Well they do; it’s just that, because of their whitecolor and pink eyes, they cannot hide frompredators in the wild. It’s like being a light that’sturned on all the time. They stick out like a sorethumb, which makes them easy prey. But everyonce in a while someone catches one of these fishthat has managed to survive, takes them home andbreeds them, then back breeds them, to get a strainof albinos that will breed albino.

You can breed albinos to albinos and getalbinos. However, every now and then you have tointroduce a normally colored fish to strengthen theline and gene pool. This is because the albino geneis a weak gene, and you will start seeingdeformities in your fish as well as weak fish. Sometimes you can avoid doing this by traveling toauctions out of state and picking up or findingalbino fish of the same species you are breeding. You can also go on-line to look for these fish.

Once you have become a geneticist, youcan start breeding color into your albinos. Forexample, my Eureka Reds are called red because ofthe rich red color the males obtain. This is done byline breeding, that is, selecting the best coloredmale to breed with the best colored female. I amcurrently working on getting the females to thesame rich redness of the males, and I am proud tosay I am getting close. I don’t think they will everbe as red as a male Eureka Red, but when you’rehooked you have to try. The female Eureka Red isalmost always white-bodied.

This may sound strange — an albino fishwith red color — not so, because the twopredominate colors for albinism are red and blue. If you have ever known any human albinos you canlook into their eyes and see that some have blueeyes and some have red eyes. I have gotten onealbino yellow male guppy. I am not sure how thishappened, but I did introduce some TequilaSunrise males to the tank last year for a couple of

days because of lack of space. I guess they gotgiddy with it, and impregnated some females. Afew generations later, I get a yellow albino maleguppy. Now I have another hook that will driveme nuts.

Some people are very good at breedingalbino fish. Take, for example, the albino angelfishthe Asian fish breeders have perfected breedingand raising. They have veils, pearl scaled, andwhites. I, on the other hand, have bred thousandsof fry, and cannot grow them to size. They all diea few days after becoming free-swimming. Mygood friend, Gino, has also bred as many fry but hewas lucky. He managed to raise thirty out ofthousands to adulthood. My guess is that they aresmaller than normal angelfish fry, and needmicroscopic food for themselves and, secondly,because they are albino, they may have very pooreyesight when young.

We are still trying to figure it out. Wetried raising them both with, and without, theparents. One day we will find the key. Once youdecide to breed albino fish you can run out of tankspace real fast, because you just can’t cull themright away. Like my Eureka Reds, you have to letthem grow up some in order to see the color of thefish, as all albino fish are pearly white when young. It can take a month or two to see the color, andanother month or two to see if it’s going to be therich red color you are looking for, or some pinkand faded fish. Only then will you know when tocull.

My German Red albinos, of which I havejust acquired a breeding colony, have bred; and Ihave some fry that I hatched from eggs. It is toosoon to see how they will turn out, so I have tokeep them all, but I will let you know if they turnout as beautiful as my Eureka Reds.

Then there is that strange thing that canhappen. When I bred one of my albino bushy noseancistrus pairs, a strange thing happened — alltheir young grew up to be normal-colored bushynoses. Then when I bred the young, I got afifty/fifty ratio of albino and normal. So the ruleof albino to albino may not always give you albinobecause, like I said, the albino gene is a weak gene,and whenever possible the normal gene willdominate and produce normal colored fish, eventhough the parents are albino.

One other thing, don’t confuse all whitefish with albinos. For example, Blind Cave Fish


Albino Eureka Red Peacocks

Albino Red German Peacock

are white because they don’t see the light of day.They are born with eyes and some color, but loseit. Their eyes get covered over because they live intotal darkness, and never see the light of day.

Well, that’s all for now, I’m starting to getoff track, so it’s time to go to the peace and

serenity room, lay on the recliner, rest my fingers,turn on the music and watch the action in my tanks,and hope that the Eureka Red female I am lookingat will give me the rich red female fry I am lookingfor.

Albino Angelfish

All photos by the author.


http://greatercity.com

Searching The Search Engines

For some reason, a website that allows you to

search the Internet is called a “search

engine.” While there are many types of

Internet search engines, I’m going to discuss two

basic types now. One type of search engine

compiles and uses its own information base to

return results. This is the “Google,” “Yahoo,”

“MSN” type. Another type, called “metacrawlers,”

or “metasearch,” engines search multiple search

engines of the first type to give you composite

results. While you might think just using a

“metacrawler-type” would be better (since you are,

in effect, searching several search engines at the

same time), you need to realize that only the top

ten or so results from each individual search engine

searched are displayed in the results of a

metacrawler-type search. How often have you

found that what you are looking for was in the

middle, or even near the bottom, of a search

engine’s list of “hits?” These results would

generally not show in a metacrawler type search.

While the Internet is a great resource for

aquatic research, it has its limitations. As far as I

know, there is no website on which you can type

something like: “three inch fish; brown body, three

horizontal stripes, blue ridge on dorsal and caudal,

vertical bar at caudal peduncle” and get a set of

photos that approximate your description. If you

are trying to identify a fish that you have (or have

a photo of), your best bet is the “Photo Index”

volume of the Baensch Aquarium Atlas. Or, if you

at least know the genus of the fish you are looking

for, you can browse the appropriate Aqualog book

or a speciality volume for that genus.

On the other hand, there may be times

when you have been told that a fish you have (or

want to acquire) is a certain species, and you want

to confirm this. Or, you have what you know is a

male (or female) of a certain species and need to

see what the opposite gender of that species looks

like. Or, you might want to see what the fry of a

certain fish look like. In each of those cases, you

have a species name and want to search for photos

of species. While you can try just typing in the

name of your fish into the searchbar of any good

search engine , several search engines have specific

ways to search for photos, making these searches

easier (remember to put quotation marks before the

genus and following the species name so that it is

treated as a single phrase, and not as a search for

one or the other name by itself).

I have compiled a list of my favorite

search engine websites, indicating which have

specific image search features (to search for photos

of a fish), and which are metasearch engines (that

search more than one search engine). There are

many, many more search engines than those shown

below. These are just ones I have personally tested

and found to be useful. It was not my intention to

catalog or rate all of the search engines currently

available for use. But, if this helps you find only

one search engine that helps you to find something

you might not otherwise have found, then this

article will have served its purpose.

Name and URL (address) Image search? Comments

http://www.alltheweb.com/

click on

“Pictures”

Even though All The Web uses the Yahoo search

technology, its “customize preferences” feature

allows you more control over your searching

experience than does Yahoo itself.

http://www.ask.com/

click on

“Images”

Ask Jeeves (now renamed to just plain “Ask”) was

the first commercial “question-answering” search

engine. Queries can be done in a question format

(such as: “What is...?” or “How do...?”).


Name and URL (address) Image search? Comments

http://clusty.com/

click on

“Images”

Clusty is a metasearch engine that groups similar

results together into “clusters” to help you review

your search results by topic.

http://www.dogpile.com/

click on

“Images”

Dogpile is a metasearch engine that claims to be “All

the best search engines piled into one.”

http://www.fazzle.com/

click on

“Images”

The Fazzle metasearch engine has a very nice

“preview” feature.

http://www.google.com/

click on

“Images”

Currently, Google is one of the most popular (and

powerful) of the search engines. The term “to

google” (that is, to perform an Internet search) has

even entered our contemporary vocabulary.

http://www.ixquick.com/

click on

“Pictures”

The ixquick metasearch engine shows results based

on the number of “top 10” rankings a site receives.

(Five stars next to an item means that five search

engines picked that same site among their top ten.)

http://www.kartoo.com/

none The KartOO metasearch engine provides search

results in a very interesting graphical manner.

http://www.libero.it/

Click on

“Immagini”

Libero is an Italian search engine, but it is an

excellent source for photos, nonetheless.

http://www.mamma.com/

click on

“Images”

Calling itself: “The mother of all search engines®”

Mamma (note the double “m”) was among the first

metasearch engines on the web.

http://www.metacrawler.com/

click on

“Images”

Metacrawler is one of the oldest metasearch engines.

It began in July 1995 at the University of

Washington.

http://www.msn.com/

click on

“Images”

Microsoft’s MSN Search search engine has greatly

improved in recent months.

http://www.search.com/

click on

“Images”

Search.com metasearch engine searches Google,

Ask.com, LookSmart and other search engines.

http://www.searchy.com/

http://www.searchy.co.uk

none Searchy.com is a metasearch engine that uses

worldwide (not just U.S. based) search engines. Its

sister website: searchy.co.uk/ searches 15 search

engines in the United Kingdom.

http://www.yahoo.com/

click on

“Images”

Once the number one search engine, Yahoo is

making a strong comeback against its major rival,

the currently number one ranked Google.


A Photo Glimpse ofUnderwater Key Largo

by STEPHEN SICA

Every year or so, Donna and I like to spend afew days in the Florida Keys where wemight go diving a day or two. In late April

2006 we decided to take a long weekend in KeyLargo, which is a relatively easy 65 miles or sofrom the Miami airport. We booked a three nighthotel/two day dive package. I decided to bring mydigital camera and its waterproof case and strobe. We did two morning dives the first day and twoafternoon dives the next day.

Typical underwater visibility in KeyLargo averages forty to fifty feet, but this weekendit was at least seventy-five feet, possibly theclearest visibility that we had experienced in KeyLargo. I was determined to use this opportunity totake numerous photos in order to follow the adagethat if you snap enough pictures, a few will begood.

The water temperature was a coolseventy-six degrees, which is cold enough torequire a two or three millimeter wetsuit forwarmth. But once the water temperature rises toeighty degrees in mid-May, protection is onlynecessary to avoid scrapes or minor bruises. Theair temperature was eighty-five degrees. But, thegreatest bane to diving is the wind, which causeswaves and stirs up particles in the water, and oftenreduces visibility to two or three feet. That is nofun. Also, try climbing up a wet and slipperyladder at the back of a small boat while the wavescontinuously jerk it four or five feet up and down. Talk about smashed fingers. It also nullifies decentphotography, and makes finding the dive boat nextto impossible, unless you stay right under it.

At the end of the year, while I was usingup my vacation time during the holidays, I decidedto review some of the photo files that I store on mylaptop in order to edit the good ones and cull outthe clunkers. As a result, I decided to put togethera few good ones--hopefully--to prepare a simple“photo article” of some fish life of the FloridaKeys, specifically Key Largo, for ModernAquarium while the GCAS is on hiatus for thewinter. I was thinking about that other adage thatone picture is worth very many words; hence, aneasy to write article!

While the Keys have been suffering fromcoral loss from bleaching during at least the last tenyears, its fish life has remained stable. Corals growin two primary patterns: small patches and fingers,such as the fingers of a hand where you can swimup and back each finger to search for larger fishhiding in the crevices formed between the coralwalls and sand bottom. Swimming on top of thefingers, one encounters smaller fish. A patch reefmay be likened to a tiny biomass in the sand,although some patches are fairly large. The reefsbegin about five miles offshore in depths of fifteento fifty feet. The average depth of most reef divesis about twenty-five feet. Obviously, all offshorereefs and wrecks are accessed by boat. Most majorwrecks are farther offshore in depths exceedingone-hundred feet. The deepest depth of our fourdives was only thirty-two feet. On many of KeyLargo’s reefs, the corals are bleached out in largepatches, but the Keys still have both hard and softcorals of all varieties. Farther down the Keys inMarathon, there are bleached reefs of poorerquality.

Fortunately, fish are almost everywhere. Grunts are the most common species group. Theycongregate in large schools. Many schools aremixed with different species of the same size. Some schools assemble under overhangs, which Isuspect offers protection versus being out in theopen. Other common fish are snappers, but in theKeys you are apt to find all the Caribbean species.

I have tried to capture some less commonfish in these photographs, and describe theirpatterns and colors, if possible, since black andwhite reprinting does not do them justice. Ratherthan caption each photograph, I have included abrief descriptive caption in the remainder of thisnarrative. You should be able to place eachcaption with the correct photograph.

1) Donna (Homo sapiens) hovers above thewreckage of a coral encrusted winch. It wasundetermined if the winch was from a ship orland. She is wearing a three millimeter wetsuitwith booties and gloves. Her air supply is a 63cubic foot aluminum cylinder since the water isshallow. Deep dives are usually made withthe “standard 80” which holds 77.4 cubic feetof air. Single steel cylinders can hold as muchas 130 cubic feet and weigh almost fiftypounds.


2) School of Smallmouth grunts (Haemulonchrysargyreum) with a sand and bleachedcoral background. Five or six yellow stripesover bluish silver body with yellow fins.Maximum length is ten inches. These fish aretypical of the schooling grunts throughout theKeys.

3) Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)with a patch hard and soft coral reef inbackground. Long, silver body with scattered,dark blotches. Drifts around reefs and belowsmall boats usually solitary or in small groups. Normally moves away if closely approached. This fish is about two and one-half feet inlength but normally maxes out at three feet. Itcan grow to six feet.

4) Spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus)hovering near Giant brain coral (Colpophyllia natans). Fish is silver-white body with brightyellow fins. Black bar on head runs across theeye. Black dot on outer edge of rear dorsalfin. Maximum length is eight inches. Braincoral is brown but the color can be green witha change to brown.

5) Spotted trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis). White body covered with black spots includingfins. White around the mouth. Maximumlength is sixteen inches. Swims above reefsbut wary of divers and retreats into protectedareas when approached.

6) Scrawled cowfish (Acanthostracionquadricornis). Scrawled pattern of bluishmarkings cover a blue-green to yellowish bodywith a blue line running from snout to anal fin. A sharp spine above each eye distinguishescowfishes from trunkfishes. Maximum lengthis eighteen inches.

7) Gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus). This is adult specimen with gray body and ayellow inner face on the pectoral fin. Averagesize is ten to eighteen inches with a two footmaximum. Usually approachable by divers.

8) Stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)nibbling Sea Plume (Pseudopterogorgia spp.),a soft coral Gorgonian. The fish is in its initialphase prior to full maturity or its terminalphase. The head and upper body is mottledreddish brown. It has a red underside and tail. When mature the body is from blue to green. This fish ignores divers unless closelyapproached.


2007 AKA ConventionMay 25th through May 27th, 2007

Ramada Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention CenterMilwaukee, Wisconsin

The AKA convention is the national killifish event of the year, held on MemorialDay weekend. It is held in different cities each year, depending on which affiliate clubsuccessfully bid to host it. This event is attended by killifish enthusiasts from all over theUS, Canada and from other countries. It starts on the Friday evening, with talks on Fridayand Saturday. There is a show in which many species of killifish, ranging from thecommon to the very rare, are there for display and for judging.

On Sunday, the big auction takes place, with hundreds of pairs of killifish,including all those in the show, for sale. If you want to see and acquire killies, this is theplace to do it! But most of all, this is a wonderful opportunity to socialize with fellow killieenthusiasts.

Register online at: http://www.aka.org/convention/


Suggested Questions

T Please introduce yourself.

T Tell us about your favorite aquarium.

T What was your very first fish?

T Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper.

T Is there someone you think of as a mentor?

Tell us about him or her.

T Describe your “Fantasy Fish Tank.”

T If you were a fish, which one would you be?

T Who is your “Hobby Hero?”

T What fish which you have never kept would

you like to acquire?

T Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!”

T Describe your most memorable fishkeeping

experience.

T What advice would you give to a

beginning fishkeeper?

T What are your fishkeeping goals?

- OR write a narrative story -

FISHKEEPERSANONYMOUS

by SUSAN PRIEST ? ? ANONYMOUS ? ?

This month’s autobiographer is no “April

Fool.” We have a very savvy and smart

fishkeeper here. Once you know who this is,

you will be questioning them on many subjects, so

start jotting down your questions now, and be

ready next month when we reveal the identity of

this highly experienced fishkeeper. I know you

will enjoy reading about our

Anonymous Fishkeeper/April 2007:

P l e a s e i n t r o d u c e

yourself.

I have been

around the hobby

since I was a little

girl. My father was a

hobbyist from the

time he was a teen

until he passed away

some thirty odd years

ago. I still have fish

today, so suffice it to

say I’ve been around

for a while. My

father’s two favorite

fish to breed were

angelfish and Betta

splendens, so it’s not

too much of a stretch

to say that angels and

bettas are also my

favorites, along with a

few others.

Tell us about your favorite aquarium.

My favorite aquarium at the moment is

my planted 75 gallon tank on a wooden stand. It is

the home of my 4 Koi Angels, 3 black Veil Tail

Angels, half a dozen Cherry Barbs and a couple of

cory cats. I also keep various cichlids, Clown

Loaches, platies, gourami’s, danios, and White

Clouds.

What was your very first fish?

My very first fish were guppies. They had

½ black bodies with bright red delta tails. I

remember sitting up all night just watching the

babies being born and trying to keep count of how

many there were.

Is there someone you think of as a mentor?

My father was definitely my mentor and

no one has even come close to being a mentor after

he was gone. By the time I was five years old I

could go into the fish store and tell the people in

the store the names of all the fish. That was

because instead of reading me stories, my dad used

to show me the pictures and read to me about the

fish in Innes’ book.

That book was like the

bible to him and he

gave it to me when I

had my own tank. I

still have the book to

this day, as well as

some very cherished

memories.

D e s c r i b e y o u r

“Fantasy Fish Tank.”

I never really

th o u g h t a b o u t a

fantasy fish tank. I’ve

th o u g h t a b o u t a

fa n t a s y f i sh ro o m ,

though. I live on the

second floor of my

mother’s house, so a

fishroom is out of the

question, at least for

now. But if I could

have a fishroom I

probably would have at least a hundred tanks filled

with all of my favorite kinds of fish.

If you were a fish, which one would you be?

If I were a fish I would probably be an

angelfish. They are such regal fish, and interesting

to watch.

Who is your “Hobby Hero?”

I don’t really have a hobby hero, at least

not yet.


Joe Graffagnino

What fish which you have never kept would you

like to acquire?

I have never kept a discus and would

someday like to try. They are the most beautiful

fish.

Describe your biggest fishkeeping “blooper!”

My biggest fish keeping blooper was

having an undergravel filter in my tank and never

cleaning it. For the longest time I couldn’t figure

out why my water kept going acid on me and the

nitrates were off the charts. Then one day I

decided to break the tank down and start over

again. I was appalled at the amount of mulm that

was trapped under there that the siphon could

never get. After that, the undergravel filter was no

more.

Describe your most memorable fishkeeping

experience.

My most memorable fishkeeping

experience, back in the early eighties, was when

my Panda Catfish spawned and I watched the

babies hatch out of the eggs, and having them

survive. Back then it was rare for people to have

cory cats spawning.

What advice would you give to a beginning

fishkeeper?

The advice I would give to a beginning

fishkeeper is to be consistent about changing your

water and to closely observe how your fish are

behaving.

What are your fishkeeping goals?

One of my fish keeping goals is to

someday have a fish room with enough tanks that

I could keep all the different fish I am interested in.

Spare aquariums; now there’s a concept! Who

among us could possibly be that well

o r g a n i z e d ?

D o es th is q u o te

r e m i n d y o u o f

anyone? “He always

has a friendly smile,

gives great advice on

b r e e d i n g a n d

fishkeeping, and is

willing to share his

knowledge that has

been obtained over 50

years in the hobby

w ith no vice a n d

expert alike.” That is how our autobiographer for

March described his “Hobby Hero,” Rosario

Lacorte. If we substitute 30 for the 50, I think that

it is a perfect description of our own Joe

Graffagnino. Would you agree?

He is a speaker, an award-winning author,

and a heck of a nice guy. In December of 2006 he

received the designation of Grand Master Breeder

in the GCAS Breeders Award Program, for having

earned 500 points. He speaks of continually

setting new and higher goals. It is hard to imagine

what goals could be left for him to attain, but I’m

sure he makes all of us want to work a little harder

on behalf of our fish and our hobby. Many thanks,

Joe, for sharing your thoughts and experiences with

all of us.


by BERNARD HARRIGAN

LITTLE LANCELET LOOKED AT AS THE MISSING LINKThe lancelet, a tiny spineless fish from Tampa Bay (subphylum: Cephalochordata), has been

recognized as the most primitive invertebrate with an immune system like humans. Very primitive animals,

fungi, and even plants have what is called an “innate immune system.” The innate immune system has built

into it a “hit list” of certain molecular patterns that it attracts. Once the organism is born, these specific

molecular patterns (hopefully, the ones of attracting microorganisms) are locked in, never changing except

through future generations being born with new foes on their hit list. But even with future generations,

once a lifeform that has an innate immune system is born, its hit list is written without being able to add

any names.

Then, some 500 million years ago, the adaptive immune system emerged. As its name implies,

the adaptive immune system can adapt. It can add names to its hit list, and remembers which antibodies

it used against which microorganisms. Humans have an adaptive immune system, and so does the lancelet.

Some of the proteins that the lancelet makes for its immune system are very similar to our own.

Some are even better. Understanding what makes them better and how they are made can lead to

improvements in our own immune system. This can help in the fight against cancer, rheumatoid arthritis,

and maybe even AIDS. All this hope comes from a little worm-like bottom feeding spineless fish from

Florida.

NEWER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTERYou might not realize this by just looking at them, but sea urchins are fantastically designed

creatures, looking like a mediaeval mace with spines that sometimes reached about a foot long. These

spines can be hollow or solid, ranging from painful and infecting to venomous and possibly deadly. They

can be used for locomotion, transferring food to its mouth, or as pinchers. Their outer shell and spines are

made from calcium-magnesium carbonates. The calcium-magnesium carbonate composition of the shell

and spines virtually reaches the scientific maximum strength for a calcium-carbonate material, and that’s

just dealing with the outside.

Scientists sequencing their chromosomes have found that 70% of the urchin’s genes have a human

equivalent. Not only that, but their immune system is superior to our own. As I explained in the last news

item (Little Lancelet), humans have an adaptive immune system. Lower life forms, like the sea urchin,

have an innate immune system. But, the sea urchin’s innate immune system is turbo-charged with an

exhaustive collection of defensive genes. This allows the sea urchin to muck around the sea floor for up

to a century. Scientists are hoping to discover new drugs by learning just how the sea urchin’s immune

system works against disease.

BORNEO: A BONANZA OF BIO-DIVERSITYOver the past year scientists have discovered at least 52 new species of plants and animals.

Among the newly discovered animals were 30 new species of fish. Some of the fish that can be of interest

to hobbyists include six bettas which seem closely related to the Siamese Fighting Fish, but with distinctive

markings and coloration. There is a catfish with a beautiful color pattern, teeth that stick out even when

its mouth is closed, and with tiny suction cups on its belly.

Also, there is a fish that’s only 8.8 millimeters long (about one third of an inch), which is the

second smallest vertebrate in the world. It is found in slow flowing black water streams and peat swamps.

It’s a cousin to the smallest vertebrate fish, measuring in at 7.9 millimeters long, which hails from Sumatra.


by “The Gypsy Mermaid”

(A.K.A. SHARON BARNETT)

Hitchhiker Goldfish

In the spring of 2006 I stocked my backyard

bathtub pond with feeder minnows and some

White Cloud Mountain Minnows. The rushes

and some other marsh plants from previous years

had sprouted, and I'd added some floating aquatic

plants from my planted tanks. Still, I wanted some

additional plants, so I ordered an assortment of

pond plants from one of the online sellers from

whom I've frequently ordered in the past.

Before long I noticed some fry swimming

amongst the plants, and naturally assumed that

either the minnows or the White Clouds had

spawned. I didn't give it too much thought until

some weeks later, when I noticed that the fry's

body shape didn't look quite the way that I'd

expected, but I still didn't think too much about it.

A couple more weeks passed, and as I

was looking into the pond I noticed some

unexpected flashes of color. I thought that orange,

black, gray, and white spots of color did not quite

match my expectations of the coloration of either

type of minnow fry.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that

my pond was swarming with baby goldfish! Since

I hadn't added any goldfish to the pond, I could

only conclude that they had hitchhiked as eggs on

the pond plants that I'd purchased. I wrote the

seller to inform him of this occurrence, and told

him that I hoped I wouldn't be charged extra for

the fish which had accompanied my plants!

American Cichlid Association Conventionhosted by the Sacramento Aquarium Society (SAS)

Thursday, July 19 - Sunday, July 22, 2007Registration is now available online. By ACA policy, all registrants for the convention

must be a current member of either the American Cichlid Association (ACA) or

the Sacramento Aquarium Society (SAS) at the time of the convention. Go to:

http://www.cichlid.org/ACA2007Convention.html

The 2007 Convention will be at the:

Hilton, Sacramento Arden West

2200 Harvard Street

Sacramento, CA


The Seahorse ChroniclesUNDERSTANDING SEAHORSE DISEASES AND TREATMENTS

PART 2 of 3

by BERNARD HARRIGAN

In last month’s installment, I talked about how puzzling fish diseases can be to diagnose. I laid out a

Directory of Symptoms, and used that to help you pinpoint the seahorse’s ailment. This month we will

be discussing the diseases themselves, including their causative agents, the use of quarantine, how the

symptoms apply to each particular disease and the treatment for the disease, along with some comments

I feel are important. Let’s get started.

Category I — Buoyancy DiseasesPouch Emphysema, External Gas Bubble

Disease, Internal Gas Bubble Disease

Causative Agents:

Possibly a bacterial infection or

supersaturation of gas

either merged in the

w a te r o r le f t a s

microscopic bubbles

floating around in the

water, or a disruption of

a biological process

known as hydration of

2CO .

Quarantine:

Yes — the

treatment works best in

a hospital tank.

Symptoms:

T hey vary,

d e p e nd in g o n th e

disease, but may include

buoyancy problems,

trouble with swimming,

and trouble with eating.

The pouch can bloat,

g o ing b eyo n d th e

plumpness you see

when the male is

pregnant. Balloon - like

growths can form in

areas of the skin, like

around the eyes, head,

neck, and tail, among

others. The eyeballs

can protrude from the

socket, a condition called Exophthalos, or “pop-

eye.” Sometimes, in the final and fatal stages the

body becomes severely bloated.

Treatment:

The first step is to check for bubbles

suspended in the water. Make sure that all

powerheads, filters, protein skimmers, and return

lines are functioning properly. Next, check all of

the water parameters. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates,

pH, salinity, alkalinity,

calcium levels, and

water temperature all

need to be checked. If

any of these are out of

whack, it could lead to

stress in your seahorse.

Stress opens the door to

a host of diseases. This

will help stop the

disease from spreading

fu r th e r , a n d f ro m

reoccurring.

N e x t i s

decompression, which

has restorative powers.

Keep the ill seahorse on

the bottom of a three or

four foot high tank for

several hours. If you

don’t have a tank deep

e n o u g h , a c l e a r

Plexiglass pipe of that

length would work just

as well. Add a

b r o a d - s p e c t r u m

antibiotic to the water

for a full treatment.

F o l l o w t h e

m a n u f a c t u r e r ’ s

directions completely. I

want to make this clear,

you’re not doing this in

your main setup, but in a hospital/quarantine tank.

Monitor the seahorse closely, and remove it if it

goes into distress. If this treatment doesn’t remove

the gas pockets, further action is required.


In the case of Pouch Emphysema, the

trapped gas can be released by opening the pouch

using a sterilized, thin, soft plastic-tipped

bobbypin. Gently coax the orifice of the pouch

open and flush the pouch with a broad-spectrum

antibiotic using a small pipette or a syringe with

the point of its needle snipped off. Be very

cautious not to insert it too deeply, or puncture the

pouch. Gently flood the pouch until the medication

overflows.

With External Gas Bubble Disease the

bubbles might need to be lanced. The bubbles are

noticeable ballooning through the skin. Lancing is

done using a sterile, sharp pin, and perpendicularly

puncturing the bubble so as not to go into the

seahorse’s body. Extra care is needed on bubbles

around the eyes. Once the bubble is punctured,

gently squeeze the gas out. Apply an antiseptic

topical solution to the puncture site.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics can also be

injected into shrimp and fed to ill seahorses. This

works with a disease such as Internal Gas Bubble

Disease if it’s caught early enough. Follow the

manufacturer’s directions. Internal Gas Bubble

Disease is the most difficult to cure, and has the

most fatalities due to its being difficult to recognize

when it first occurs.

Comments:

New medications are being developed all

the time, while others become ineffective due to

bacteria becoming resistant. As of this writing, I

would recommend using Oxytetracycline

Neosulfex, Minocycline, Triple Sulfa, and

Acetazolamide. Acetazolamide is excellent, but

might need to be obtained though a veterinarian.

Internal Gas Bubble Disease is not an illness that

has been reported in the wild, but does occur in

aquariums due to poor setup and shallow tanks.

Seahorses swimming down to a depth of 35 feet is

not unheard of, so even a three or four foot high

tank is shallow to them.

Category II — External ParasitesIch, Fish Lice, Flukes, Clownfish Disease,

Velvet, etc.

Causative Agents:

Amyloodinium ocellatum, Brooklynella

hostilis , Cryptocaryon irritans, Isopods,

Worms, etc.

Quarantine:

Yes — the treatment works best in a

hospital tank.

Symptoms:

Some parasites are visible to the naked

eye. Others can just leave signs of their presence,

such as open sores, blisters, cloudy eyes, frayed

fins, abnormal swimming, scratching, rapid

breathing, weight loss, and/or a torpid appearance.

Treatment:

A freshwater dip is my first line of assault.

It’s very effective against most parasites. Fill a

container (such as a small, clean pail) with

freshwater matching the temperature and pH of the

tank in which the seahorse resides. Some people

report even better results by matching the

temperature only. I’ve found that parasites find

this to be even more deadly. By the same token,

the seahorse can go into distress faster, too. I’ll

add Malachite Green to the water, following the

manufacturer’s directions. This gives the dip an

added punch against parasites.

Place the infected seahorse in the dip for

five to ten minutes. Monitor the seahorse closely,

and remove it if it goes into distress. Depending

on which parasites your seahorse has, you might

notice parasites falling off of the seahorse. After

the dip, place the seahorse in a hospital tank. The

hospital tank should have freshly-made seawater

with Methylene Blue added. Methylene Blue not

only helps stop secondary infection, but also

combats the toxic effects of ammonia and nitrite

buildup. Read the manufacturer’s directions

carefully, especia lly if you are using

any antibiotics.

If you need to treat the main tank, look for

an antiparasitic that will not harm your biofilter.

There are several on the market. Make sure you

follow the directions carefully, especially the

duration of the treatment. If you don’t, the

parasites will be back, and may be harder to get

rid of.

There are a couple of ways to rid your

tank of parasites without using medication. One is

with an Ultraviolet (UV) Sterilizer. A UV

Sterilizer disrupts the genetic material in

microorganisms, shortening their life and stopping

them from reproducing. Make sure you follow the

manufacturer’s directions, and install it properly.

Flow rate is very important. If the water doesn’t

get enough contact time under the UV light, the

sterilizer will be ineffective.

The second drug-free way is to simply

remove all the fish from the tank. Parasites need a

host (your fish) in order to complete their

life-cycle. Remove the host, and over a period of

time (approximately two to four weeks), the

parasites should die off. The fish you’ve removed

should be treated in a hospital tank to kill whatever

parasites they may have. This way, you won’t

reintroduce parasites back into the tank when you

reintroduce the fish.


Seahorse Shock: Some treatments can cause distress

to the seahorse. Keep an eye out for it. Distress leads

to shock, and shock can lead to death. If the fish goes

into shock, it will lie down on the bottom of the tank.

When this happens, if you gently tap the seahorse, it

should start swimming again. If it doesn’t, remove it

immediately from the treatment.

Comments:

Like little aquatic Draculas, parasites

literally suck the

life out of your

fish . I f the

p a r a s i t e s

themselves don’t

k i l l y o u r

seahorses, they

weaken them to

the point where a

s e c o n d a r y

infection can be

terminal. If your seahorse still looks ill after all the

parasites are gone, treat it with a full-spectrum

antibiotic to take care of any secondary infections.

Methylene Blue and some antibiotics can interact in

a negative way.

Read the antibiotic

label carefully.

Ich and

V e l v e t s e l d o m

attack seahorses,

probably due to its

uniquely thin but

tough skin. If Ich

o r V e l v e t d o

become a problem,

odds are that your water quality isn’t is as good as it

should be.

May 11, 2007Brooklyn Aquarium Society’s

17th Annual

Giant Tropical Fish AuctionSt. Brendan’s ChurchEast 12th St. & Ave. O

Brooklyn, NY(1 block off Coney Island Avenue )

Viewing of lots: 7:30 to 8:30pm

Auction starts: 8:30pm

For more information visit us on line at:

BROOKLYNAQUARIUMSOCIETY.ORG


Breeding and Raising AngelfishesBy Ed Stansbury

T.F.H. Publications, 2005

a Series On Books For The Hobbyist

by SUSAN PRIEST

There are quite a few members of the GCASwho are very accomplished in the skillsrequired to breed and raise angelfish. Some of

you will agree with the information offered in thisbook. Others of you will be grumbling toyourselves, “What kind of gobble-de-goop is this?” The rest of us (myself included) will respond with anopen mind, as our results have been less thangratifying so far, and we are ready to try somethingnew.

There is only so much you can tell about abook when you are standing in a store underfluorescent lights, and being distracted by afascinating array of aquariumsas well as the fish therein. However, I was able toactually read the first page,with the heading “Purpose ofthis Book.” In the space oftwo paragraphs it said“spawning and raising,”“growing out of juveniles,” and “raise their young.” I have had modest successes with angelfish actuallyspawning, but no success at all in raising the fry. This “teaser,” along with a cover photo by TakashiAmano, landed the book in my shopping cart.

Now that I have this book at home, I cantell you more about it. In addition to an introduction,a list of resources, and an index, this book has fivechapters; Water Quality, Diet and Nutrition,Genetics, Reproduction, and Diseases.

Please bear in mind that Mr. Stansbury isemphasizing the “raising” of angelfish, that is, takinga spawning pair through to the next generation ofspawning pairs. One glance at the cover photo tellsus that he enjoys a show tank display just as much aswe do, but this is not his focus.

In chapter one, our author recommends abare tank, the advantages of which are that you cantell how much your fish are eating, and thatparticulate matter is easier to see and clean up. Hehimself starts out with 12-15 fish in 50 gallons ofwater, and trims the population to half that, in thesame volume, as they approach breeding size.

Angelfish have strong teeth, a true stomach,and “a gut length about equal to their body length,which suggests they are predators with omnivoroustendencies”. Most of the research done on fishnutrition has been done on “commercially valuable”

fish. When it comes to angelfish in the aquarium,virtually all of the information relating to nutritioncomes from aquarists and the articles/books writtenby them over the years.

A warning from our author: do not feedtrout pellets to angelfish! Apparently this ispracticed by some fishkeepers. Even though itseems to be well tolerated at first, it will most likelycause dropsy.

Phenotype vs. genotype, homozygous vs.heterozygous, punnet squares, dihybrid crosses,gene interaction, alleles; it all sounds very scientific(and it is). Actually, it is not all that difficult tounderstand, but the confines of this book review donot allow for a thorough discussion of the chapteron genetics. Let me just report that descriptivenames such as “Koi Angelfish” are mostly used formarketing, and have no relation to the biology ofthe strain.

I am going to pull as much text fromChapter Four, Reproduction, as space will allow. (Most of this comes from the section on the care ofeggs.) Move the slate (to the grow-out tank) with

the eggs facing down, inorder to protect them fromexposure to light, dust, anddrying. The water should befresh or slightly aged, butnever from the parent’stank. The temperature,

however, should match exactly. Aeration should bemoderate, and the eggs should never be touched bybubbles. Eggs which die within the first 24 hourswere not fertilized. Fungi do not kill eggs, but growon them after they have died.

In addition to the standard information onthe standard diseases, Chapter Five confronts uswith what the author has seen referred to as“Angelfish Plague,” or “Angelfish Aids.” “Manybreeders and tropical fish wholesalers haveexperienced complete wipe outs of broodstock andyoung angels.” Several scientists have doneresearch on this plague with “inconclusive results.” The author recommends preventive measuresconsisting of good husbandry, such as notoverfeeding, not overcrowding, regular waterchanges, etc. I have never come across these termselsewhere, and feel that whoever concocted them inan attempt to get our attention is doing the hobby adisservice.

Mr. Stansbury’s credentials are stellar, andI feel that we could safely attempt his methodologyof which only a very small amount has beenrepresented here. In conclusion, I would like toquote him one last time: “Because everyone hasdifferent methods and experiences, you can be sureeveryone is partially wrong!” The reverse must beequally true.


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.

CommonShould Stay

CommonA series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Silly me, I always thought that scientists gave afish its “scientific” name, and that a fish’s“common” name came from, well common

usage, commerce, and the common people. It seemsthat the scientific types are now giving a fish speciesboth a scientific (Latin) and a common name.

At a recent Greater City auction somenewly discovered fish were available. These fish(which were then called by the common name ofGalaxy Rasbora) have since been given a scientificname (Celestichthys margaritatus) and a newcommon name (Celestial Pearl Danio), bothbestowed by ichthyologist Tyson Roberts1. Thegenus name, Celestichthys, roughly translates theLatin words caelestis and ichthys to “heavenly fish.” The species name, margaritatus, is Latin for“adorned with pearls.” This gives rise to the newcommon name: “Celestial Pearl Danio.”

A recent search on the Aquabid.comwebsite shows that, instead of replacing the priorcommon name of “Galaxy Rasbora,” the newcommon name of “Celestial Pearl Danio” has justbecome yet another of the common names for thisspecies, along with “Fireworks Rasbora,” “Rasboratoei,” and “Firecracker Rasbora.”

I say enough is enough. Next, somescientist is going to set the wholesale price anddemand a share of any collecting or auction fee.

Common names belong to common folk, and I cansay with some degree of authority that Greater Cityfolk are about as common as they come!

That’s not the only newsworthy thingabout this new species, however. NationalGeographic News reports2 that just months afterthe discovery of this species by a commercialaquarium fish dealer near the town of Hopong inMyanmar (formerly Burma), worldwide demandand intense exportation have already causedconcern about the future of the species.

Within only a few months of itsdiscovery, one Thai company alone had exportedabout 15,000 of these fish. Since thenexportation—mainly to Japan, North America, andEurope—has been estimated to be up to ten timesthat amount. Ichthyologist Tyson Roberts hassuggested that “Captive breeding may be the onlyway for the aquarium hobbyist to ensure a supplyof the species in the future, since it reportedly isalready nearly fished out in the area where it wasdiscovered.”

Within six months of its appearance in theaquarium trade, the species had become so rarethat collectors were obtaining only a “few dozenfish per day”3. Because of this, PracticalFishkeeping magazine has advised fishkeepers notto purchase the species4.

So, on the one hand, the ichthyologistwho first described the species is quoted by ahighly respected and reputable source (i.e.,National Geographic) as advocating captivebreeding to ensure continued survival of thisspecies. On the other hand, a respectedcommercial hobby publication (and which was thefirst to report on this in September 2006, and againin December 2006) is advising fishkeepers not topurchase the fish.

Right now, to my knowledge, this fish hasno government protection, and is on no list of “atrisk” species. The IUCN Red List of ThreatenedSpecies <http://www.iucnredlist.org> does not listCelestichthys margaritatus. Maybe in a year ortwo it will. But, maybe by then it will be extinct innature. What’s an aquarist to do? Maybe herevoluntary actions within the hobby, would workbest. Did I hear anyone say ''C.A.R.E.S.''?

1 Roberts, TR (2007) - The "Celestial pearl danio" a new genus and species of colourful minute cyprinidfish from Myanmar (Pisces: Cypriniformes). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2007 55(1): 131-140.

2 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070307-new-fish.html

3 http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1197

4 http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1210


TROPICAL FISH AQUARIUMSpecializing in Tropical Fish and Aquarium Supplies

Large Selection of Aquatic PlantsKnowledgeable Staff

Same 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


Last Month’s Bowl Show Results:1) Ed Vukich 2) Darwin Richmond

New Members:Vincent Babin, Mario Bengcion, Joseph Cingari, Richard Kuehn, Arthur Nicholson

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: May 2, 2007Speaker: Mike HellwegTopic: “The Joy of Goldfish”

Meets: 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm(except January and February) at: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main St. - Flushing, NYContact: Joseph Ferdenzi (516) 484-0944E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

Brooklyn Aquarium SocietyNext meeting: April 13, 2007Speaker: Al DiSpigna Topic: “Reefs of the World”

Meets the 2nd Friday of the month (exceptJuly and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall Surf Ave. at West 8th St., Brooklyn, NY

Call: 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: April 20, 2007Speaker: Chris PaparoTopic: “Macro Algae and Invert Tank Setup”

Meets: 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: April 18, 2007Speaker: Mikey V. & LimeyTopic: “Dart Frogs For Dummies”

Meets: 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: April 19, 2007Speaker: Mark DenaroTopic: “Wild Bettas and Anabantoids”

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 SocietyMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of eachmonth at: Earthplace - the Nature DiscoveryCenter - Westport, CT

Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833

E-mail: [email protected] our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS

Website: http://norwalkas.org/


Fin FunIt’s almost geography, it’s almost nomenclature, and it’s almost fun! Someone named these fish after theirgeographic homes. Your task is simply to identify the location. Each name contains a clue. P.S., everyyear I remind you it’s April, but this year I’m not going to!

Species Location

Lamprichthys tanganicanus

Hyphessobrycon peruvianus

Bedotia madagascariensis

Jordanella floridae

Macropodus chinensis

Noelachromis ferandriadenzii

Chapalichthys pardalis

Cichlasoma boliviense

Betta balunga

Solution to last month’s puzzle:

1) How long do most Victorian mouthbrooders hold their fry?: d) 21days

2) Eleocharis parvula is: b) a plant

3) The December 2005 cover of Modern Aquarium has been reproduced: c) on a postage stamp

4) Arapaima giga is: a) the largest exclusively freshwater fish in the world

5) Betta macrostoma is notorious for: d) all of these [that is: a) jumping, b) sudden deathsyndrome, c) being very expensive]

6) The Belle Isle Aquarium is: d) closed

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

modern aquarium april 2007

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