modern aquarium july 2010

July 2010volume XVIInumber 5

ON THE COVER

Our cover photo this month features Felis catus in a serendipitous pose. Our intention was to photograph some young cichlids in a 40-gallon long. As the kitten went behind the tank, the cichlids decamped from the frame, leaving this shot. Photo by Marsha Radebaugh

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Mark SobermanTreasurer Jules BirnbaumCorresponding 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 A. 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 SicaAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2010 Program Schedule

3 Our Generous Members

3President’s Message

4In Memoriam: Frank Gannon

5by Joseph Ferdenzi

G.C.A.S. Sponsors and Advertisers 6

Rules for August’s Silent Auction / Fleamarket 6

FAASinations 7A Report on the Federation of American Aquarium

Societiesby Alexander A. Priest

Tonight’s Speaker: Jeff Bollbach 9by Claudia Dickinson

Is That Model Available in Turquoise? 11by Dan Radebaugh

Fame, but No Fortune 13by Elliot Oshins

June Bowl Show Winners 14Photos by Claudia Dickinson

A Visit to a Living Legend 15by Jules Birnbaum

Mermaid Tales 17Holey Texas Rock, Batman!

by Sharon Barnett

Looking Through the Lens 18Photos from Our Last Meeting

by Claudia Dickinson

Wet Leaves 20by Susan Priest

Cichlidically Speaking 21by Claudia Dickinson

Member Classifieds 25

G.C.A.S. Happenings 26

The Undergravel Reporter 27

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 28

Series III Vol. XVII, No. 5 July, 2010

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 July 2010

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

In her “Wet Leaves” column last month, Sue Priest reviewed Marc Morrone’s book, Ask the Fishkeeper. Mark, as you may recall from

Sue’s review, used to host a television show called Petkeeping With Marc Morrone. The show can still be seen in reruns on some local channels, and Joe Ferdenzi tells me that Mr. Morrone owns a pet store in Rockville Center. Well, Sue sent Marc a couple of copies of last month’s Modern Aquarium, and shortly thereafter she received this email from Marc:

Thank you, thank, you, thank you for reviewing my fishkeeping book! Of all the books that I have written that was the one that I was the most proud of and yet the only one that I had received absolutely no feedback on since it was published. Reading about how much a fellow fishkeeper enjoyed it was like drinking a fine wine. My Petkeeping show will be on again in Sept on The HallMark Channel every weekday at 1 PM.

SincerelyMarc Morrone

It’s gratifying to occasionally be reminded that our little fishkeeping society magazine can produce echoes outside of our club. In another set of echoes, the FAAS (Federation of American Aquarium Societies) has announced its 2009 FAAS Publication Awards. Modern Aquarium did very well, garnering approximately one-third of the awards handed out. Congratulations to all our award-winning authors, and special congratulations to Al Priest for being named Author of the Year! Please see Al’s summary of the awards, which appears on pages 7 & 8 of this issue. The results may also be found on the FAAS web site: http://www.faas.info/2009_publication_awards_winners.html

Several of our FAAS award winners have contributed to this current issue. In Sue Priest’s “Wet Leaves” column this month, she reviews Tetras and Barbs, by Randy Carey, while Elliot Oshins profiles some of our members in

“Fame, but no Fortune.” Claudia Dickinson, in addition to her “Looking Through the Lens” and “Cichlidically Speaking” columns, introduces this evening’s speaker, Jeff Bollbach. Even I get in on the act with a brief profile of the turquoise severum, and the Undergravel Reporter continues to dazzle us with far-out fishiness.

After a hiatus in 2009, the Gypsy Mermaid returns this issue, and Jules Birnbaum likewise makes a return appearance, chronicling a visit to aquarium hobby icon Rosario LaCorte. The issue finishes of course with the “Fin Fun” puzzle.

We need articles! Remember, Modern

Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry—that’s why there are editors.

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!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2010 3

GCASPrograms

2010-11

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! Enjoy!

Claudia

July Jeff BollbachFishroom Tour: Missouri Aquarium Society

August Silent Auction

September Ed VukichCichlid Breeding Tails

October Rusty WesselMexico - The Panuco Valley:

Livebearers and Cichlids of the Region

November Joseph Ferdenzi

December Holiday Party!

January Winter Break

February Winter Break

March La Monte BrownNative Fishes

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) 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 2010 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


from July 30 through August 1st, has been postponed, and will now be held bi-annually, beginning in May of 2011. This is according to their Web site, Imacwest.com.

As you look through Modern Aquarium each month, you will see ads for various businesses―mostly aquarium shops―who support Greater City in various ways. You will also see a listing of manufacturers who lend us their support, most often by providing items for our raffles, door prizes, and auctions. While Greater City doesn’t specifically endorse any of these companies, you―our members―should be aware that these companies are directly contributing to the success of our Society, and to your fishrooms.

I end my remarks this month on a somber note. GCAS Lifetime Member Frank Gannon has passed away. Please see Past President Joe Ferdenzi’s “In Memoriam” on the page facing this one, for more about Frank and what he has meant to Greater City over the years. We salute Frank, and send our condolences to his family and friends.

Dan

President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

I’ll begin this column with a special “Thank You” to Mark Soberman, for stepping in last month with a wonderful

talk on Corydoras catfish. It’s always a treat to hear Mark’s presentations, and this one was no exception. This month we feature another Greater City luminary, Jeff Bollbach, as he discusses his fishroom tour of the Missouri Valley Aquarium Society.

This is the time of year traditional for vacations, and Greater City continues to provide a refuge for stay-at-home fishaholics who want to go to meetings during the hot months, but whose home clubs are on summer hiatus.

For those of us who want to have our cake and eat it too―take a vacation and still go to fish meetings, there are venues available. The American Cichlid Association is holding its annual convention this month in Milwaukee, beginning on July 22nd. See their ad in this issue for details.

Saltwater afishonados should note that IMAC West (International Marine Aquarium Conference West), which was to have run

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:

Bill AmelyJeff BollbachCarlotti de JagerRod Du CasseHarry FaustmannJoe Ferdenzi

Rich LevyMichael MachtElliot OshinsAl & Sue Priest Dan PuleoEd Vukich


In MemoriamFrank Gannon

1940-2010by Joseph Ferdenzi

This year, Greater City has lost a treasured, living link to its glorious history. On May 26, 2010, Frank

Gannon passed away. Frank was the most senior member of Greater City in terms of participation, having been in continuous membership since the 1960s.

So outstanding was this record of longevity and dedication that, on December 17, 2007, Greater City proudly awarded Frank a plaque that granted him Lifetime Membership. As always, Frank received this honor in his usual understated and humble manner. But, as his loving wife, Diane, was later to recount, he was deeply touched by this expression of appreciation

Frank was a perennial presence at Greater City meetings and shows. Although at six foot, four inches, Frank was a tall figure, he never sought to bring attention to himself. Rather, he helped the club in many quiet ways, whether it was by way of donations, or setting up chairs and show stands. However, anyone who spoke with him would be impressed by his shy smile, wry sense of humor, and depth of experience as an aquarist.

Frank was born on September 15, 1940, and was a life-long resident of Queens, with the exception of his later years, when he and his wife moved to West Hempstead in Nassau County. Like his father before him, Frank was an avid hobbyist. He was especially fond of livebearers. At the time of his passing, Frank’s collection of fish included some of the largest and healthiest goodeids anywhere, and an especially striking heirloom variety of black molly. This collection was housed in a basement fishroom that included almost 40 aquariums, ranging in size from five gallons to 125 gallons.

In his professional life, Frank had been a police officer―one of New York City’s Finest. Upon his retirement, he was able to devote more time to his beloved hobby, to the benefit of all his fellow members.

Frank will be sorely missed. He was our final link to Greater City’s pre-1980s history, and a wonderful member. All of us express our condolences to his wife, Diane.

May he rest in peace.


GCASThanks You!

our generous sponsors and advertisersThe Greater City Aquarium Society extends our heartfelt thanks to the following manufacturers for their generous donations. Thanks also to our advertisers, whose contributions to our success as a Society are deeply appreciated. Please patronize our supporters.

Aquarium PharmaceuticalsAquarium Technology Inc. Ecological Laboratories HBH Pet ProductsKoller-CraftKordon, LLCMarinelandMicrobe LiftOcean Nutrition AmericaOmega SeaRed Sea

Rena Rolf C. Hagen San Francisco Bay BrandSeachemZoo Med Laboratories Inc.Cameo Pet Shop Coral AquariumNassau DiscusWorld Class AquariumZoo Rama Aquarium

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 2010 7Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2010 17

FAASinationsA report on the Federation of American Aquarium Societies

by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

The Federation of American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”) is anorganization founded by and for aquarium societies of North, Central,and South America. In addition to serving as a watchdog organization

to alert aquarium societies of pending state and federal legislation havingpotentially adverse impact on our hobby (the original reason for its foundingin 1973), FAAS has an annual publications award competition, open to anyFAAS member society. As a long-time FAAS member, the Greater City AquariumSociety has participated in the FAAS publication awards ever since our magazine,Modern Aquarium was revived as “Series III” in 1994. Modern Aquarium has generallydone well in this competition, and has done so again, with 33 awards in the just announced 2009competition. Complete details, with the names of each award winning article or column are onthe FAAS website at: http://www.faas.info/2009_publication_awards_winners.html

Listed below are the 2009 winners from all participating societies (see the identifying Legend at theend of this article). Our neighboring sister societies (Long Island Aquarium Society and Nassau CountyAquarium Society) are also represented. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Best Editor and Publication More than Six Issues1) Cam Turner - KWAS2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS3) Greg Steeves - HCCC

Best Editor and Publication, 6 or fewer issues1) Jim Ellenberger - PCCA (cc)2) David Fraguglia - PCCA (cb)

Best Changing Cover - Original Art1) Cam Turner - KWAS2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS3) Greg Steeves - HCCCHM) Patricia A Smith - LIAS

Best Exchange Column1) Pat Smith - NCAS2) Kurt Johnston - ACLC3) Stephen Sica and Donna Sosna Sica - GCASHM) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS

Best Review Column1) Susan Priest - GCAS2) Susan Priest - GCAS3) Susan Priest - GCAS

Best Spawning Article Under 500 words 1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS2) Greg Steeves - HCCC3) Allan Abrahams - HCCCHM) Tony Spinelli - HCCCJL 1) Griffin Quigley - KWAS

Best Spawning Article, 500 - 1000 words1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS2) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCAS3) Greg Steeves - HCCCHM) Jerry Rothermel - AAAAHM) David Ramsey - AAAAHM) Daniel Spielman - PCCA (cc)HM) Vern Smith - PCCA (cc)

Best Spawning Article, more than 1000 words1) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS2) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS3) Diane Tennison - HCCCHM) Greg Steeves - HCCCHM) Jim Ellenberger - PCCA (cc)

Best Article on a Genus of Fish1) Dave Hansen - HCCC2) Greg Steeves - HCCC3) Michael Risko - AAAAHM) Susan Priest - GCAS

Best Article on a Species of Fish1) Phil Maznyk - KWAS2) William Amely - GCAS3) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCASHM) Jim Everson - MAS

Best Marine Article - Fish1) Stephen Sica - GCAS2) Stephen Sica - GCAS3) Margaret Peterson - LIAS

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)8 July 201018 July 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

Best FAAS-Related Column1) Patricia A Smith - LIAS2) Pat Smith - NCAS

Best Article on Aquascaping or Design1) Dave Hansen - HCCC2) Michael Risko - AAAAJL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS

Best Article on Plants1) Ed Koerner - KWAS2) Ed Koerner - KWAS3) Ed Koerner - KWAS

Best Show Article1) Pam Chin - PCCA (cc)2) Diane Tennison - HCCC3) Joseph Ferdenzi - GCASHM) Rich Levy - GCAS

Best How To or Do-It-Yourself Article1) Ed Koerner - KWAS2) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS3) Steve Abrams - LIASJL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS

Best General Article on Society Management1) Pat Smith - NCAS2) Ken Smith - LIAS3) Jim Peterson - LIASHM) Jack Traub - GCAS

Best Article on Health or Nutrition1) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS2) Phil Maznyk - KWAS3) Terry Clements - KWAS

Best Collecting Article1) Margaret Peterson - LIAS2) Jim Peterson - LIAS3) JB Edmundson - HCCCJL 1) Lillian and Donald Schweikert - LIAS

Best Traveling Aquarist Article1) Rein & Char Breitmaier - KWAS2) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS3) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS

Best Humorous Article1) Marsha Radebaugh - GCAS2) The Undergravel Reporter - GCAS3) The Undergravel Reporter - GCAS

Best Original Artwork1) Patricia A Smith - LIAS2) Bernard Harrigan - GCAS3) Elliot Oshins - GCASJL 1) Lillian Schweikert - LIASJL 2) Donald Schweikert - LIASJL 3) Lillian Schweikert - LIAS

Best Cartoon1) Bob Kulesa - ACLC2) Bob Kulesa - ACLC3) Elliot Oshins - GCAS

Best Continuing Column1) Zenin Skomorowski - KWAS2) Ed Koerner - KWAS3) Rein & Char Breitmaier - KWASHM) Susan Priest - GCASHM) Claudia Dickinson - GCAS

Best Article All Other Categories1) Terry Maxwell - HCCC2) Evan Bowers - HCCC3) Bob Channen - KWASHM) Bob Kulesa - ACLCHM) Andy Hudson - MAS

Author of the Year for 20091) Alexander A. Priest - GCAS2) Ed Koerner - KWAS3) Pat Smith - NCAS4) Dave Hansen - HCCC5) (Tie) Dan Radebaugh - GCAS5) (Tie) Susan Priest - GCAS

LegendAAAA - Atlanta Area Aquarium Association - Fish TalkACLC - Aquarium Club of Lancaster County - Tank TalesGCAS - Greater City Aquarium Society - Modern AquariumHCCC - Hill Country Cichlid Club - The Lateral LineKWAS - Kitchener-Waterloo Aquarium Society - Fins and TalesLIAS - Long Island Aquarium Society - Paradise PressMAS - Milwaukee Aquarium Society - SPLASHNCAS - Nassau County Aquarium Society - Pisces PressPCCA (cb) - Pacific Coast Cichlid Association - Cichlid BluesPCCA (cc) - Pacific Coast Cichlid Association - Cichlidae CommuniquéHM - Honorable MentionJL - Junior Level


The G.C.A.S.

Proudly extends a most Warm Welcometo

JEFF BOLLBACHSpeaking on

A Fishroom Tour with theMissouri Aquarium Society

by Claudia dickinson

Beckoned by the water of woodland streams and ponds, Jeff Bollbach spent his inquisitive childhood years balancing on the bank’s edge,

peering under rocks, and sporting the muddy sneakers of a budding naturalist. A favorite photograph of his parents depicts their 18-month-old son holding a fishing pole, complete with a fish on the end of the line!

Jeff was not the only one in his family with a love of nature and fish. His father bred and raised guppies, selling the offspring to Jeff’s uncle’s remarkable pet shop, the ‘Golden Guppy.’ Jeff recalls the eye catching, six-foot-long sign on which his father had carved and goldleafed by hand an enormous guppy. The sign hung over the store’s doorway, inviting customers to step inside and enjoy the wide array of fascinating animals.

It was during one of his own excursions into the Golden Guppy that Jeff’s eye was caught by the massive and stunning South American mata mata (Chelus fimbriatus) turtles housed in a prominent display. From that time on, turtles remained a part of Jeff’s passion.

The father and son team had their own fishroom, where the racks and fittings were built by his father. As a teenager, Jeff maintained around 40 tanks, and from this era in his fishkeeping career, recollects his memorable large pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis

gibbosus) and bullhead catfish (family Ictaluridae). He also bred bettas, had a successful spawn of angelfish, and raised numerous fancy swordtails.

At the age of 17, Jeff moved out into the world, taking a hiatus from fish. Then, 35 years later, our own Harry Faustmann came into his life. It was in 2001 that Jeff walked into Harry’s fishroom to be mesmerized by a beautiful river tank and all of the inhabitants of the many other aquariums. He found the killifish interesting and was particularly enticed by the idea of breeding fish.

Returning home, Jeff went about setting up his own river tank. When the fish began to breed, he was once again captivated by the behavior of the fish and their interactions with one another. He and Harry have remained great buddies ever since. Living 15 minutes apart has made it easy to spend time sharing fish and experiences with one another, not to mention traveling to fish club meetings together. Jeff attributes much of his own knowledge to listening to Harry, as well as the counsel of the celebrated and legendary Rosario LaCorte.

Currently, Jeff maintains 65 tanks, that range in size from 2.5 to 90 gallons, with the majority being 15 to 20 gallons, in an 8-foot by 15-foot fishroom off of


the house. A wide variety of species inhabit the tanks, as anyone who knows Jeff’s breeding record will attest that no fish is left unchallenged. His lovely wife, Barbara, does not keep fish herself, but is supportive of her husband’s hobby and glad for him to have the friendship of fellow hobbyists and the various clubs that he is active in.

In addition to the tanks in the fishroom, three planted show tanks, housing rainbowfish and African cichlids collectively, are kept in the couple’s living quarters, where the inhabitants can be readily enjoyed. Livebearers are placed into any one of the three outdoor ponds as soon as the temperatures warm up in

the spring, and his beloved turtles live a superlative lifestyle in the yard, where Jeff ensures that their natural habitats are replicated to perfection.

Renowned for his amazingly numerous breeding successes, Jeff achieved our GCAS Breeder of the Year Award

in both 2007 and 2008, and in 2006 and 2007, Nassau County Aquarium Society honored him with the same. His speaking engagements began amongst the close friendships of fellow Long Island Killifish Association members in the informal setting of his own living room, and have since expanded exponentially, his most recent taking him to the prominent Missouri Aquarium Society. Aside from his vast accomplishments as an aquarist, in the ‘real world,’ he is a luthier, specializing in the making and restoring of the bass viol.

Jeff is a strong advocate of joining as many fish clubs and attending as many meetings as possible. What great fortune for us that he is a member of the GCAS family, where he altruistically shares not only the many fish that he breeds, but his knowledge and friendship! It is with great warmth and pride that we welcome Jeff tonight as he presents A Fishroom Tour with the Missouri Aquarium Society.

Jeff achieves his second GCAS Breeder of the Year Award in 2008, presented by Past GCAS President Joe Ferdenzi.


Is That Model Available in Turquoise?

by Dan Radebaugh

In my article, “The Banded Severum” (Modern Aquarium, May 2008), I mentioned that there were some newly introduced, natural color

variants showing up in the hobby, such as “rotkeil,” and “turquoise,” to name two, but it was uncertain as to whether these populations represent different species, or were just regional color variants. The rotkeil had by the time of that article been around for long enough that I had seen a few, both in person and on the Web, but I had not yet seen any of the turquoise variety. Well, that has changed.

Several months ago I came across some young ones at Coral Aquarium, near where I live in Jackson Heights. I obtained four to grow out, and recently a pair formed and they have begun spawning. No fry yet―so far they’ve eaten the eggs each time within two to three days, but they remain committed to the effort up to that point.

So what have I learned from these fish, and how do they differ from “normal” severums? To begin, their temperament, diet preferences, and spawning practices are consistent with the banded severums I have been familiar with for years.

Sexing can usually be determined by the “squiggles” on the face and gill plates of the males. Males often also have longer fin extensions, but that isn’t always a reliable indicator.

They’re easy to feed. They like meaty foods, with occasional vegetables, such as peas, corn, broccoli, and so on, though they aren’t nearly as eager about veggies (other than the peas) as are some of my other cichlids. They quickly learn to feed from the top, though one might guess from the shape and placement of their mouths that this is likely not their normal feeding style in the wild. They seem to me to be most comfortable feeding in the middle of the water column, or from the bottom. (They always closely follow the gravel-vac around to see what it may stir up).

When young, tubifex worms or bloodworms are eagerly taken, but as they grow, these worms are

too small to be more than a snack. Any good stick or pellet food will be willingly accepted. Insects, small worms, freeze-dried krill, and so on make nice treats, and they will eat small live fish.

Like other severums of my acquaintance, they prefer a pH neutral to slightly acidic, and are fairly relaxed about temperature, though bear in mind that they are true tropicals. A large water change using slightly cooler water than normal tank temperature will often trigger spawning, for which they seem to prefer a vertical surface such as a rock, a piece of driftwood, or other decoration. I can’t yet say anything about fry care.

What about the “turquoise” part? As fry, these fish are striped

and colored very similarly to the familiar “green” severum―dark stripes on a silvery body. In fact, I’d be very hard-pressed to tell the two varieties apart until they begin to approach three inches or so in length. Maybe there’s a key difference before that, but so far I haven’t noticed it. However, once they approach maturity, there is most certainly a discernible difference from the “green” variety. That silvery base color begins to shift to a more blue-ish hue, especially noticeable along the flanks, whereas the “green” severum’s base color remains (to my observation at least) a series of greenish and brownish dots on a still-rather-silvery base, plus the distinct vertical banding.

Of my four specimens, only one (a female, I believe) has retained any significant banding. Perhaps she’ll keep the stripes, perhaps she’s just maturing more slowly than the others—time will tell. They all still have some growing to do, and she’s currently the smallest. At their request, the breeding pair now resides alone except for a small pleco, which I’ll probably move elsewhere to see if the egg disappearance ceases.

All told, this is a very attractive fish of moderate size and temperament (I’d suggest 40 gallons as minimum space for a pair), and provides a little

Young male turquoise severum; Note “squiggles” on face (and snails on glass).


different look than the severums traditionally familiar to most of us.

The question remains as to whether the turquoise severum is a new species, or just a “horse of a different color.” We still seem to be in taxonomic limbo when it comes to the Heros genus. Efasciatus, appendiculatus, notatus, and severus are all currently valid species names, but these could all very well end up referring to only one “true” species.*

Funding for research plays a very large role in how quickly questions like this can be answered, so it may be a while before conclusions can be drawn. In the meantime, I believe it would be prudent of us to keep these naturally-occurring, variant populations separate in our tanks, so as to preserve their genetics as well as possible until we find out whether or not

they are distinct species. At the very least, we should clearly identify the fry of cross-breeding experiments so that future keepers and breeders will know for sure what they own.

Photos by Marsha Radebaugh

*What exactly defines a species? The answer isn’t as simple as we might prefer. Wayne Leibel devoted a recent “Cichlidophiles” column (Tropical Fish Hobbyist, December, 2009) to this question, and to it’s various answers. It’s an excellent read, not only for cichlid enthusiasts, but for all of us who deliberately set out to breed fish (or any plants or animals, for that matter).

Youngster still clearly showing stripes. I’ll be interested to see whether they fade away or remain.

Turquoise Pair spawning.


FAME, BUT NO FORTUNEby Elliot Oshins

Andy Warhol, one of the greatest artists of our time, wrote in a catalog for one of his shows in Europe, “In the future everybody

will be world famous for 15 minutes.” I don’t know about 15 minutes, but I believe everybody will have at one time some form of recognition. Let’s say Andy Warhol is right. I will give our members 15 minutes of imaginary fame. And also, members can write about their 15 minutes of fame. As they say, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” I hope they all take it in good humor. I’ll start with two of the finest members of our club, Al and Sue Priest.

Al Priest, an expert on tropical fish, is also a great photographer. As his great pictures for the covers for Modern Aquarium, had Al lived in biblical times, and had they cameras, his 15 minutes of fame would have resulted from his pictures of Jonah and the whale. His name would be in the Old Testament.

Had Sue Priest lived in the time of the American Revolution, I am sure Sue, and not Betsy Ross, would have sewn the American flag. Her 15 minutes of fame.

Artie Friedman, a/k/a “The Maven,’’ has many talents―too many to write about. Being a sound engineer and being in the right place at the right time, he would have recorded the Beatles and Elvis Presley. His 15 minutes of fame.

Mark Soberman is in the dental field. Had Mark lived in the time of the American Revolution, he no doubt would have been responsible for getting George Washington his false teeth. In those days it was very hard to make false teeth. They were made out of gold, ivory, or animal teeth. You had to have good teeth or you suffered. His 15 minutes of fame.

Claudia Dickinson, a top aquarist, writes great articles on tropical fish, as well as a book on the same subject. Claudia also travels to the Amazon, quite a feat in itself. Had Claudia traveled to Africa looking for fish in October 1876, she would have been the first person to come across Dr. Livingstone. And she, not Stanley, would have said, “Dr. Livingston, I presume?” Her 15 minutes of fame.

Steven Berman, being a physical therapist, has helped me a lot, when I had some problems. Had Steve lived in England at the time of Sherlock Homes, Steve, and not Dr. Watson, would be the detective’s right-hand man. His 15 minutes of fame.

Harry Faustmann. When it comes to Killifish and live food for fish, Harry is your man. Harry was a detective with the New York City Police Department. Had Harry lived in California at the time of O.J.

Simpson’s trial, Harry’s 15 minutes of fame would have been for catching O.J.

When I get to a meeting and I see Rod Du Casse there, I know there are going to be those plastic containers of snails that only Rod can bring for the auction. When Steven Spielberg makes his fantasy movies in 3D of giant snails at war with New York City, Rod will be the technical adviser on the movie, which will win him an Academy Award, and his 15 minutes of fame.

Jack Traub used to work for the Internal Revenue Service. Had he been working there today, he would be on all the TV stations as the agent who caught Bernard Madoff. His 15 minutes of fame.


Jeffrey Bollbach. Besides bringing in top fish to the auction, Jeff is in the music business, and repairs bass fiddles. Had Jeff lived in the time of the Roman Empire, he would have repaired the fiddle that Nero played when Rome was burning. His 15 minutes of fame.

Joe Ferdenzi. Besides being a great President of Greater City Aquarium Society and a great aquarist, through his work in the District Attorney’s office I believe Joe may have had many more 15 minutes of fame than he would like to talk about. Let’s say that if Joe lived in the early 1900s, he would have prosecuted Al Capone and sent him to jail. It would have been in all the Chicago newspapers. His 15 minutes of fame.

Edward Vukich is a top salesperson, and a great auctioneer for the club. He always gets top dollar for the club. The famous auction houses could use him with all the fine art they have to sell. Ed would have sold the Hope Diamond for his 15 minutes of fame.

My imaginary 15 minutes of fame would be if I painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However, it was painted by Michelangelo, who was probably the greatest artistic genius who ever lived. Working toward my real 15 minutes of fame, years ago, when

I was in business, one of my customers was Liza Minnelli, who during that time was doing a one-woman show at Carnegie Hall. My wife and I thought it would be nice to go to opening night, so I called her secretary, and she checked with Liza, and she said it was fine. I offered to pay for the tickets, but Liza wouldn’t hear of it. Her secretary called later to advise me the event was “Black tie.” When I got to Carnegie Hall, everybody in the orchestra had way more than 15 minutes of fame. It seemed like hours.

I think all the paying customers were in the balcony. Liza put on a great show―I know we both enjoyed it. Black tie does something to you; it puts you into a fantasy world. It changes you. Leaving Carnegie Hall there’s always a crowd looking for “Show Business Royalty,” movie, theater, and TV stars. I remember some peasant (ha-ha, only joking) pointing at me and saying, “He must be somebody.” Finally, a step closer to my 15 minutes of fame.

Illustration by Elliot Oshins

June Bowl Show Winners Photos by Claudia dickinson

Mario Bengcion’s Red Delta Guppy earned him 1st Place, as well as the unofficial lead in the Bowl Show competition so far.

GCAS President Dan Radebaugh awards Bob Hamje a 3rd Place ribbon (above) for his red Half-Moon Betta, and the 2nd place red ribbon (left) for his copper & black Oranda goldfish.


A Visit To a Living LegendStory and Photos by Jules Birnbaum

If they ever build a hall of fame for our hobby, Rosario LaCorte would be one of the first inductees. He has contributed greatly to the knowledge of

keeping and breeding tropical fish. Rosario has fish named in his honor. The emperor tetra, Nematobrycon lacortei, and the killifish, Maratecoara lacortei are two that have been named for him. He has authored many articles, several books, and is a leading authority on breeding tropical fish.

Rosario grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and his first fish were killies that he collected in the Kill Van Kull. He says he owes much to Herbert Axelrod, founder and publisher of the Tropical Fish Hobbyist, who suggested that Rosario come along on some of his trips to the tropics. Rosario also had a friend, Ross Socolof, owner of a wholesale tropical fish business, who supplied him with rare fish.

On Friday, June 11th, I had the opportunity to visit with Rosario, thanks to Joe Ferdenzi, who is a close friend of Rosario. Four of us drove out in the afternoon—Joe Ferdenzi, Mark Soberman, Harsha Perera, and myself. Harsha drove his large van, and also took pictures of our visit.

I should mention that Rosario currently has a serious health problem, so we were thrilled that he asked us to visit. He and his wife Jeannie live in New Jersey, about an hour and a half from my home on Long Island, in an unassuming, well kept, ranch-style house. The property has both a pond and a stream. Now in their 80s, the house is well suited to their needs.

Being good hosts, the LaCortes served some refreshments, and we sat and talked. Rosario showed us some of his 8 X 10 fish pictures before taking us to his fish room. The fish room has several simple wooden racks with tanks containing rare fish he is

breeding. There are approximately 60 tanks, and Joe informed me that he has cut down from the separate fish house he had in 1960 holding over 200 tanks. From this writer’s observation, Rosario’s fishkeeping is all about the fish, not about show tanks.

The four of us helped him do some water changes, which are becoming increasingly difficult for him. This was old-school stuff, utilizing buckets of aged water, and plastic jars to transport the water to

some of the higher tanks. Joe discussed utilizing a water changing system that did not involve lifting buckets, and Rosario seemed receptive to the idea. Joe and others are currently putting the parts for such a system together.

Many of the tanks look to be 20 to 30 gallon breeder configurations, and are very old. Some are chrome, and each tank has a large water surface area, many without tops or substrate. The lighting is subdued, even dark in spots, and he uses simple sponge filters, usually one per tank, in most of the well-populated tanks. I noted that most of the tanks were half filled. Was this to make it easier to make changes in the water parameters, or to keep the fish from

jumping out? I never found out.There were so many rare tetras that I could not

possibly remember all their names.Rosario knows what is going on in every one of his tanks, and which ones could use some fresh water. Brine shrimp were being prepared in a couple of places using simple soda bottles. There were no heaters that I could observe, and he has one large air pump that services all the tanks by use of PVC pipes and simple valves.

We saw several before and after examples of fish he has received and then made into something special.

Rosario reveals some of his secrets to Mark Soberman.


I’m guessing that one of his secrets is what and how he feeds his fish to trigger them to spawn. Although he did not tell us so, I think he gets the fish hungry and then feeds them large amounts of live food. The water changes, the low light, and the feeding strategy

Rosario and Joe Ferdenzi display an old advertisement for Rosario’s “Instant Fish.”

all contribute to Mr. LaCorte’s magic. I suspect he also plays with the pH until he comes up with a winning formula. I must admit I have not read any of his books.

One interesting piece of memorabilia he showed us was an old advertisement for “Instant Fish.” At one time he used to package fish eggs that were sold in a kit by a chain store to be hatched by the buyer. I never did ask him where he sells his many breeding successes. I would have loved to use his breeding methods with one or two of his tetras, but I did not think it proper to ask him about it. I’ve heard he sold to local pet shops, as well as to selected friends through the years.

When our visit was over, Rosario gave us the honor of writing a note in, and signing his guest book, where he has the names of the many visitors to his fishroom. Rosario has one love greater than his fish, and that is his wife Jeannie. They have been married for 60 years, and are still very much in love.

They don’t make too many men like Rosario, or too many wives like Jeannie.


by “The Gypsy Mermaid”(A.K.A. SHARON BARNETT)

HOLEY TEXAS ROCK, BATMAN!

Some time ago, in a shopping frenzy (a condition to which I am highly susceptible), I did something really dumb. I bought a 79

pound piece of Texas holey rock which I could barely lift. How I ever thought that I could place it in a tank without breaking the tank, I’ll never know. The only way that I’d be able to use the rock would be if I broke it into several smaller pieces.

Limestone dissolves very readily in water, which makes it perfect for buffering African Cichlid tanks. When you rub wet fingers on it, it dissolves easily. But don’t be misled—limestone is very hard. I tried dropping it on the concrete, and hitting it with a hammer—no luck. I bought a wedge/chisel thingy, thinking I’d be able to break it using that and a hammer. No such luck. My dad said I was going to need a sledgehammer. Hmmph! And just where was I going to get that?

I decided to go online to get some advice from my buds on cichlidforums.com. One suggested that I try a masonry bit to drill a series of holes in a line where I wanted the rock to split, then break it off using a hammer and chisel. I have no problem with a hammer and chisel, but I am petrified of power tools—I can’t even stand the sound of them. Another suggested that I put the rock in a bonfire, let it get really hot, then roll it out of the fire with iron rods and hose it down with cold water to shatter it.

The problem with that idea is that I’d probably end up with Texas holey gravel! Not to mention the fact that I’d probably get pelted with shards of

superheated limestone. And just what do you think my neighbors thought when seeing me take delivery of a giant rock, throw it off the back porch onto the concrete, then attack it with a hammer? If I’d tried that bonfire thing, I’d surely be wearing a very tight jacket and answering questions about inkblots!

Superdad to the rescue!! My dad, Jesse (aka “John Henry, steel drivin’ man”) broke the rock into four pieces with very little waste using a tool from his days at Long Island Railroad (He told me three times what it’s called, but I keep forgetting...a line-something or other. It looks like a five foot long chisel). Anyway, he finally broke it for me after I nagged and whined at him because he’d put the rock on top of some of my seedlings—grrrr! Anyway, he made up for it when he solved my giant holey rock problem.

Photo by Author

18 July 2010 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

The lens is on Richard Waizman for his featured photo in this month’s issue of Modern Aquarium!

A heartfelt thank you to Mark Soberman for his extraordinary presentation on “Keeping and Breeding Corydoras Species”!

Looking through thePhotos and captions

Sharon Barnett is polishing up on her French in order to enjoy to the fullest her Door Prize win of L’Art De L’Aquarium!

Carlotti De Jager may just have to pick up a few new species of Corydoras after the evening’s inspiring presentation!

We are so glad to have South American cichlid aficionado, Peter Goldfien, as a part of the GCAS family!


Lens with the GCASBy Claudia dickinson

Harsha Perera and Warren Feuer have had another great evening with the GCAS!

Elliot Oshins can barely wait to get started on his next article for us to enjoy here in Modern Aquarium!

Ronald Wiesenfeld holds the lucky Door Prize winning ticket for an excellent book on Corydoras species.

Ron Kasman is looking forward to reading the newest issue of Modern Aquarium!

Joe Ferdenzi and Marsha Radebaugh take a few minutes to enjoy conversation during a busy night of handing out Modern Aquarium.


Tetras and BarbsBy Randy Carey

T.F.H. Publications, 2009

a Series On Books For The Hobbyistby SUSAN PRIEST

Somewhere along my journey as an aquarist, Iattended a presentation by Randy Carey. Ihave also read a couple of articles authored by

him. Based on these previous experiences, Iapproached this book with highexpectations. In his subtitle, “acomplete guide to the successfulcare and breeding of two of themost popular groups of aquariumfish,” he challenges himself to alofty goal.

In chap te r s e ven ,“Breeding,” our author challenges US. “Mostaquarists who are engaged with their hobby can besuccessful in breeding and rearing [egg] scatterers,but it almost always requires an effort that iss u s t a i n e d a n ddeliberate.” Don’tworry; he will be thereto guide you every stepof the way.

Randy’s breedingtechnique of preferencefor tetras and barbs is“trapping.” He gives usdetailed instructions asto how to construct atrap. He uses this trapbecause it allows him toobserve every detail,“from how many eggswere spawned tohatchling behavior tothe well being of thetiny fry.” There is somuch information inthis one chapter alonethat the temptation forme is to continuequoting from it, but Iknow I must move on.

The chapters on “Tetras and their Relatives”and “Barbs and their Relatives” are toocomprehensive to review here. Let me just say thatthey make you wonder why more of your tank spaceis not occupied by these fish. “The Tetra and BarbAquarium” is overflowing with advice and ideas.We are advised to establish a tank with a longfootprint which spreads out the terrain. In this way

there can be more distance between territories.(You can count on Randy to tell you which speciesare territorial and which are not.) Beginninghobbyists will be tempted to purchase one, two, orthree of a kind, but our author advises that morespecimens of fewer species are the way to go. Ifyou need some aquascaping ideas, he recommendsthat you try browsing the internet.

If it could be said that there is a theme to thisbook, it would be that thoughtful consideration andplanning will lead the aquarist to theaforementioned success. Our author repeats thisadvice throughout, phrasing it in many differentways. For example: “The key is that you set up a

plan and hold yourselfaccountable for your fish andaquaria.”

That last piece of advicecomes from my favoritechapter. It is called “BestCare Practices.” Underdiscussion in this chapter are

basic husbandry topics such as water changing,food and feeding, and quarantine practices, but ourastute author fine tunes his recommendations to thespecific needs of the tetras and barbs. We also

learn that Randy is atidy guy. He reminds usto clean the glass (whenis the last time you didthat?), straighten up thefishroom, and clean thefishroom floor.

Most of the photosh a v e r o u n de d-o f fcorners. With everyturn of the page I felt asif I were watching aslide show on a carouselprojector, and I wascontrolling the clicker.Sometimes I wentbackwards (what wasthe Latin name of thatticto barb a couple ofslides back?).

No one book caninform and instructevery level of aquariston any given topic of

fishkeeping. Multiple resources must be consultedin order to achieve the highest level ofaccomplishment. If, however, a single resourcecould come close to the goal of orchestrating acomprehensive treatise, then this would be it. Itwould be hard to find a more “complete guide”within the confines of two covers.


Cichlidically SpeakingYour Link to the

American Cichlid Associationwww.cichlid.org

by Claudia Dickinson

First appearing in the February 2001 issue of the American Cichlid Association’s Buntbarsche Bulletin, my ‘Cichlidically Speaking’ column ran until August of 2005. Its commentary covered current ACA news, as well as relevant cichlid research and conservation efforts. As your ACA Club Delegate, I continue to bring you that column here in the pages of Modern Aquarium. Let us think of it as ‘Volume II,’ or now on its second year with the GCAS, ‘Volume III’?!

AA CC AA CC oo nn vv ee nn tt ii oo nn 22 00 11 00

The event that we all look forward to, our annual ACA Convention, is almost here!

July 22―25, 2010

Hosted by the Milwaukee Aquarium Society

Olympia Spa and Resort

Have you registered yet?!?!

Register today at www.ACA2010.com!

Be sure to get your room reservations now by calling 800-558-9573.

The group code for our special convention rate is MAC10.

It’s all about cichlids, and cichlidophiles.

We can barely wait to see you there!

Cichlid Research and Conservation Please remember to bring an item to the convention for the celebrated Babes In The Cichlid Hobby annual silent auction! Support cichlid research and conservation. The Babes, and our cichlids, need you! For more information, contact Pam Chin at [email protected].


ACA Spawn of the YearThis year’s submissions for ACA Spawn of the Year included an impressive number of interesting, rare, and

challenging cichlid spawns. Twelve species were chosen from the entries by a panel of highly qualified cichlid authorities. Some of these species are truly difficult to spawn. Some are at risk of extinction and in need of captive propagation to ensure their future. Some are rare in nature and/or in the hobby, and some are a challenge just to maintain. Whatever the reason, breeding any one of these species is worthy of recognition.

Members of the ACA make the final decision of the winner of Spawn of the Year.

How to Cast Your VoteThere are two ways to submit a vote. A poll has been started in the members only section of the ACA forum

at http://www.cichlid.org which will run until July 21, 2010, the day before the start of the 2010 convention in Milwaukee.

The second method is at the convention where all registrants will have an opportunity to cast a vote. The ballots will be tallied and added to the online results in time for the winner to be announced at the convention banquet.

This means that it is possible to cast two votes if you are registered on the forum and you attend the convention. By signing up for your member privileges on the ACA forum and going to the convention you can vote twice! The results will be announced at the convention and posted on the ACA website and forum.

Good luck to all nominees!

Nominees for this Year’s ACA Spawn of the Year Contest

Dicrossus filamentosus (Ladiges 1958) Eretmodus sp. 'cyanostictus north' Geophagus pellegrini Regan 1912

Hoplarchus psittacus (Heckel 1840) Krobia sp.

Nanochromis teugelsi Lamboj & Shelly 2006 Neolamprologus buescheri (Staeck 1982)

Pelvicachromis signatus Lamboj 2004 Pyxichromis orthostoma (Regan 1922) Spathodus erythrodon Boulenger 1900

Taeniacara candidi Myers 1935 Xenotilapia bathyphilus (Poll 1956)

News On The Cichlid SceneNanochromis teugelsi Lamboj & Schelly 2006

Recently described and rare in the hobby, Nanochromis teugelsi of the Congo Basin in West Africa resides in soft waters with a conductivity between 50-150 microsiemens, a pH around 7.0, and temperatures with seasonal fluctuations ranging between 24º–26° C (75º –79º F) (Lamboj, 2007). The current is relatively fast flowing, running over a moderate number of rocks which have layers of sand in between (Lamboj, 2007). With no concrete data to date, it is assumed that, like its congeners, the diet consists of small insects and their larvae, aufwuchs, and detritus (Lamboj, 2007). Due to its scarcity, as well as challenges in its maintenance and breeding, N. teugelsi is among the twelve excellent candidates nominated for this year’s ACA Spawn of the Year.

Photograph by Ted Judy


Lake Victoria CARES Conservation Through Education UpdateThe main blower and central air system equipment arrived at the Kenya Marine and

Fisheries Research Institute in Kisumu on June 16th. The majority of this impressive gift, which is valued at $800, was donated by John Maier of Jehm Co. John has gone above and beyond in accommodating the Project, switching the equipment to the necessary 220V and taking much time to go over all details to ensure that it has the opportunity of a long life in Africa. Heartfelt words of deep appreciation to John for his great kindness and generosity! On the day of arrival Dr. William Ojwang reports:

Dear Claudia, It is with great pleasure to let you know that the box

with air pump and the accessories arrived as you can see in the attached photo. Thanks so much for your continued kind gesture, as well as for John’s. Meanwhile we are working on the big tank and we will shortly embark on fitting the pipes and having the new pump running. I’ll keep you posted.

Kind regards,William

A Warm Welcome to ACA CARESConservation

Awareness

Recognition and Responsibility

Encouragement and Education

Support and Sharing

Register in ACA CARES today! E-mail [email protected]

http://www.cichlid.orgThank you for your invaluable contribution

towards preserving our fish for generations to come!!!

Because of you, we are making a difference! Photograph of the Rio Negro by Claudia Dickinson.

Photograph courtesy of Dr. William Ojwang

A warm and heartfelt thank you to those of you whose immense generosity in donating funding, equipment, supplies, and assistance have made this noteworthy endeavor possible!


Until next time…

Keep on Enjoying Your Cichlids!Claudia

ACA Call for NominationsThe ACA is seeking nominees to serve on the Board of Trustees for the

term 2011. Please consider placing your name on the slate! A letter or e-mail of submission, accompanied by a resume of 120 words or less stating your qualifications for the position and a statement of your goals if elected, is due to the Elections Coordinator by July 31, 2010. For further information, please contact ACA Elections Coordinator Ken Davis by e-mail: [email protected].

Join the ACA! Be certain that you are a part of the ACA by sending your dues through PayPal to

[email protected] you may prefer to print out the membership application at

www.cichlid.org and send it to: Marty Ruthkosky

ACA Membership Chair 43081 Bond Court

Sterling Heights, MI 48313 Please feel free to contact me during our meetings with any questions that you may have,

or e-mail me at [email protected]. I’m sure you will find becoming involved

with such a special group of individuals as rewarding as I have!


Member Classifieds

EQUIPMENT:

1 Rena Filstar XP3 Cannister Filters -- Up to 350 GPH -- $50 each1 Emperor 400 Bio-Wheel HOB Power Filter $301 Coralife Turb Twist 18 watt with 3 extra (never used) UV bulbs $50All nearly new, in original boxes. Call (631) 563-1404-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-10’s---complete $15 each2-20 Longs complete, no lights 20 each1-20 high-complete, no filter 202-29’s complete 30 eachRefrigerator 301-55 complete 601-65 with canister filter, full lighting, Laterite in gravel metal stand---$250Some large wood, meds, rock, caves.“Complete” means heater, filter, full lighting (they were used as plant tanks), canopy.Call Charley: (917) 837-6346-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------46 bow tank, light, stand, all oak finish $250Call Ron: 718-464-8408 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Moving to Florida1 parrot fish-10 4 large barbs-101 red hook-10 2 weather loaches-51 flagtail catfish-5 1 iridescent shark-10 3 blind cave fish-5 4 cory catfish-53 bosemani rainbowfish-30 2 flying foxes-52 spotted raphael catfish-102 dozen assorted small fish-livebearers, tetras-12

125 gallon tank fully equipped w/wood stand-30075 gallon tank fully equipped w/ hand crafted wood stand-15030 gallon tank fully equipped w/iron stand-50Contact Steve Dash: (516) 889-4876 noon till 8pm------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Filters:Eheim 2076 (for tanks up to 90 gallons) $200Marineland C-160 (tanks up to 30 gallons) $50Call Temes: 646-249-3521


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 4, 2010Speaker: 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 (718) 458-8437E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GUPPY CLUBMeets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July,

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

BROOKLYN AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: september 10, 2010Speaker: Jeff Bollbach Event: A Year In The Fish RoomMeets 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: se[tember 17, 2010Speaker: Joseph Graffagnino Topic: The History of Catfish in Africa and South AmericaMeets: 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: 2nd Tuesday 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 14, 2010Speaker: tBaTopic: TBD Meets: 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: July 15, 2010Speaker: Omar Mojena (Hikari) Topic: Proper Nutrition for Your FishMeets: 7:30 PM Lyndhurst elks Club, 251 Park avenue,

Lyndhurst, NJ 07071Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392e-mail: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

NORWALK AqUARIUM SOCIETYNext Meeting: August 19, 2010Speaker: tony orso Topic: Australian FishMeets: 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 Mario Bengcion red delta guppy

2 roBert HaMje red Half-Moon Betta

3 roBert HaMje copper & Black oranda

unofficial 2010 Bowl SHow totalS to date:Mario Bengcion 14 al prieSt 11 roBert HaMje 10 ricHard waizMan 1

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS FrAnk bonnici, Akinwunmi DurojAiye, ron kASmAn, DeSireé mArtin, elliot oShinS, AnD michAel VuliS!

A SpeciAl wArm welcome to new member peter golDFien!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) July 2010 27Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) July 2010 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.

“Hooked” onPhone-ics

A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”

Iwas watching a PBS special on the 125thanniversary of the Boston Pops when it hit me.Several pieces of

music written by LeroyAnderson were playedbecause the Boston Popsu n d e r i t s f i r s tConductor , ArthurFiedler, was the firstorchestra to play manyof these pieces. Amongthe works played werethe “Syncopated Clock”and “The Typewriter.”Both of these rely onsounds that many, if notmost, of those who areteenagers and youngert o d a y w i l l n o trecognize. A clock thatgoes “tick-tock,” insteadof providing a totallysilent digital display or aword processing devicewhose keyboard makes“clicks” with every keypressed and that rings abell at the end of everyline -- these are not ofthis generation.

Among otherthings that are not ofthis current generationis the telephone booth.Does anyone hereremember the originalSuperman comics andtelevision series? Whenmild mannered reporterClark Kent turned intothe Man of Steel, hemore often than not changed in a telephone booth.Then there is the Time And Relative Dimension(s)

In Space (or TARDIS), the time machine andspacecraft in the shape of a British police call boxthat “The Doctor” (A.K.A. Dr. Who) uses to roamthe galaxies in the British BroadcastingCorporation’s long-running science fictiontelevision program.

Other than seeing one in an old movie or ontelevision, when was the last time you saw a realtelephone booth (not just a kiosk or just a phonestuck on a pole)? What happened to all of the real“booths” (and will Superman now get arrested forindecent exposure when changing his clothes outin the open)? Well, I don’t know what happenedto all of those old telephone booths, but I do knowthe fate of one in Lyon, France.

An ordinary phone booth was transformedinto an aquarium by artists Benoit Deseille and

Benedetto Bufalino aspart of the Lyon LightFestival.

The designersstated: “With theadvent of the mobiletelephone, telephonebooths lie unused. Werediscover this glasscage transformed intoan aquarium, full ofexotically colouredfish; an invitation toescape and travel.”1

Unfortunately,Clark Kent would notbe able to make muchuse of this particulartelephone booth, butperhaps Aquaman, orAqualad could use it?Oh, I’ve done it again --these superheroes arealso of a much earliergeneration. Well, Iknow that the mostr e c e n t M a c y ’ sThanksgiving DayParade had a balloon ofa cartoon sea spongenamed SpongeBobSquarePants. At leastHE could change HISpants in THIS phonebooth!

1http://thepirata.com/the-aquarium-phone-booth/


Fin Fun

Most of your fish have traveled much further than you ever will before arriving in your aquariums. Matchthese fish with their continents of origin:

Fish South America Africa Asia

Temminick’s Bristlenose

Reticulated Barb

Striped Glass Catfish

Banded Petrochromis

Badis badis

Peter’s Elephantnose

Japanese Ricefish

Croaking Tetra

Pearl Cichlid

Gold Spot Halfbeak

Answer to our last puzzle: Word For Word

Word DefinitionGenus ----------------------- A group of closely related species

Bifid spines ----------------------- Small sharp erectile spines beneath the eyes ofmost loaches

Crepuscular ----------------------- Active at dawn and duskRheophilic ----------------------- Lives in running waters

Ichthyologist ----------------------- A scientist who specializes in the study of fishGravid spot ----------------------- Dark patch near the vent of a female livebearer

when she is almost ready to give birthDemersal ----------------------- Eggs that sink or are laid on the substrate

Labyrinth organ ----------------------- An accessory breathing organ in the head of somefish

Operculum ----------------------- Gill coverLateral Line ----------------------- A series of pores along the flanks of fish which

allow them to sense vibrations.

modern aquarium july 2010

Documents